141 Language Focus Here are some expressions used for talking about arranging appointments. 5.1.1 Making the Call for Oneself Caller: If you are going to call for someone else, you can say: - I’m calling on behalf of (Mrs. Legrand). - I’d like to make an appointment for (Mrs. Legrand) to see (Mr. Johnson) on Friday, December 18th (at 9:00 a.m.), please. 5.1.2 Asking about Time Secretary: - When would be convenient? - Will that be convenient? Mrs. Whitney. Good afternoon. This is Barry White. Hello. Miss Owens. I would like to make an appointment with Mr. Johnson. I want to arrange a meeting the Sales Manager. Can I make an appointment with Mr. Johnson? Can I arrange a meeting the Sales Manager? Would it be possible to
142 5.1.3 Checking with the Datebook Secretary: Hold fora moment, please. Just a moment, please. One moment, please. I’ll check the appointment book. the appointment list. the diary. Let me get just look at his schedule. 5.1.4 Offering a Time Secretary: - Is 2 o’clock tomorrow afternoon all right? - Does 2 o’clock tomorrow afternoon suit you? - Would 2 o’clock Friday morning be suitable? convenient? - Can we meet at two tomorrow afternoon? - Shall we say tomorrow at 2? - Do youthink 2 o’clock tomorrow afternoon’s O.K.? - What about tomorrow at 2? - How about 5.1.5 Accepting and Refusing an Appointment Caller: 1) To accept an appointment Yes, that’s fine. all right. O.K. perfect.
143 2) To refuse an appointment, we say: I’m sorry I’m not free then. What about 1:30? I’m afraid 10:00 isn’t suitable. Is 1:30 possible? I can’t make it at 10:00. I’d prefer 1:30 if it is all right for you. Oh, I’m afraid I have a staff meeting tomorrow morning, Oh, I’m expecting an important customer tomorrow morning. 5.1.6 Confirming and Changing an Appointment 1) To confirm by the caller himself, we say: Good morning. This is Mr. O’Connor. I’m calling to confirm my appointment with Mr. Danton with the manager with the doctor on Thursday 17th December at 9:00 tomorrow afternoon. on April 9th at 9:30. 2) To confirm for the other such as for the boss. We can say: Good morning. This is Mr. O’Connor’s secretary. I’m calling to confirm Mr. O’Connor’s appointment with Mr. Danton on Thursday 17th December at 9:00 a.m.
144 3) To answer the confirmation. We can say: One moment, please. Just a moment, please. I’ll check the diary appointment list. Yes, that’s right. Thursday, 17th December at 9:00. Tomorrow afternoon at 2:00. April 9th at 9:30. 5.1.7 Canceling the Appointment. Caller: - I’m afraid, I must cancel my appointment with you on the 2nd July. - I’m afraid, I have to break Mr. Wright’s appointment with Mr. Ryan at 10:30. - I’m (terribly) sorry I have to call off the appointment with Mr. John for tomorrow. Sometimes we can also say: I’m sorry, but I’m Mr. Ryan’s not going to be able to keep my appointment with you. make his appointment with Mr. Kim. 1) To give the reason for canceling, we can say: - Mr. Wright has been held up in Paris. - I’ve been held up at a meeting. - My boss has been held up at the airport. - Miss Norman has to fly to London tomorrow morning. - Mr. Wright has been called away rather unexpectedly on business.
145 2) To accept the appointment, we say: Oh, I see. Thank you for calling. and to answer this, we can say: You’re welcome. That’s all right. Not at all. 5.1.8 Postponing an Appointment We can say: I’m afraid I must I’m sorry but I have to I’m terribly sorry but I’m going to haveto postpone put off defer my appointment Mr. Carlton’s appointment with you with Miss Owens tomorrow. on June 2nd. on Friday. today. 1) To Ask for the New Appointment We can say: Oh, I see. What date would you prefer? 2) To Suggest a New Appointment We can say: I’d like to come I’m free He’d prefer to come He would like to change the appointment to on Wednesday, April 20th at 2:00. next Friday at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday at 2:45.
146 Secretary: Good morning. Mr. Gibson’s office. Caller: Good morning. This is Greg Simon from the Morgan Company. 6. for about an hour regarding our latest order. Secretary: 7. I’m afraid, but he’ll be free tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. Will that be convenient for you? Caller: Yes, thank you.8. . Good-bye. Listening Exercise 1 Listen to the following conversations and answer the questions that follow. Conversation 1 – The Caller and Secretary Listen to the following conversation and answer the questions that follow. 1. Who is thecaller? 2. Who does he work for? 3. What does he want to do? 4. Is Mr. Gibson available? 5. When is the appointment? Now complete the missing parts.
147 Conversation 2 – The Operator Puts the Caller through to Mr. White’s Secretary Listen to the following conversation and answer the questions that follow. 1. What does the caller want? 2. Who is Mr. White? 3. Who is Mr. Jackson? 4. When will Mr. White be available? Now complete the missing parts. Secretary: Mr. White’s office. Good morning. 5. ________________ Caller: Good morning. Gadfly Gallery, speaking. Our managing director, Mr. Jackson, is leaving for Singapore next week, and he has an important matter to discuss with Mr. White.6._____________________________ Secretary: Yes, I think so. But, Mr. White will be out of town from Monday to Wednesday. 7. ___________________________ Caller: Yes, that would be fine. But Mr. Jackson isn’t free during the morning. Secretary: 8. ______________________Let’s see.. Yes, next Thursday at two would be fine.
148 Conversation 3 – The Secretary Consults with Her Boss about an Appointment Listen to the following conversation and answer the questions that follow. 1. Who is the secretary talking about? 2. When is the appointment? 3. What is the secretary going to do? Now write down the Boss’s parts. Secretary: Mr. Rogers would like to set up an appointment with you. Will you be available tomorrow morning? Boss: 4___________________________. 5. ______________________ Will 10 a.m. be convenient? Secretary: I’ll put his name in the 10 a.m. slot? Boss: 6. ___________________________ Secretary: It’s Mr. Robert. Robert Rogers. Boss: 7. ___________________________.
149 Conversation 4 – Changing an Appointment Listen to the following conversation and answer the questions that follow. 1. Who is the caller? 2. Why does she call Mr. John? 3. Why can’t Mr. Black keep the appointment? Now complete the missing parts. John: Hello. Caller: Good afternoon. I’m calling from Mr. Black’s office. 4. _____________________________ John: This is John. What can I do for you? Caller: My name is Lisa, Mr. Black’s secretary. I’m sorry to tell you that 5. ___________________________________ _____________________________________________ John: That was being on Monday, wasn’t it? Caller: Yes, this Monday. Something unexpected has come up. Mr. Black has to go to our head office for a meeting. 6. ____________________________________________ ________________________________________________ John: I’m tied up on Monday. Would Tuesday be all right? Caller: Tuesday’s fine. Shall I say the same time? John: 7.______________________________________ Caller: That would be Tuesday the 13th at 10.00 a.m. I’ll just note it down in his diary. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.
150 Exercise 2 – Rearranging the Conversation Rearrange these conversations from the given alternatives. Then complete them in the box below.Then practice in pairs. Conversation 1 a. Mr. Sakamoto is busy today, but I can give you an appointment for tomorrow at 10.30 a.m. Will that be satisfactory? b. Good morning. May I help you? c. Good morning. My name is Yoshijo Dante from the YMB Company. Here is my card. I would like to see Mr. Sakamoto regarding our latest order. Secretary: ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Visitor: ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Secretary: ……………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………. Visitor: Yes, thank you.
151 Conversation 2 a. Yes, Mr. Sands. b. Well, I’m afraid the morning’s completely filled up. How about Wednesday afternoon, at the same time at four-thirty. c. Good morning. This is Andrew Sands. I’ve got an appointment with you on Thursday at half past four. d. Well, unfortunately I’ve now got an important meeting in London that afternoon. Could I change my appointment to Wednesday morning? Mr. Andrew: Easter Seaboard. Good morning. Mr. Sands: ……………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………. Mr. Andrew: …………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………. Mr. Sands: ……………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………. Mr. Andrew: ……………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………. Mr. Sands: Yes, that’s fine. Ok, Wednesday at half past four, then.
152 Conversation 3 a. Okay. I’m sorry. Did you say Mr. Pare or Mr. Peres? b. No. I haven’t got my diary here. I’ll call next week. c. Good morning. This is Mr. Peres of EGC, I’m afraid I have a problem with my appointment next week – I’m away all week. d. Mr. Peres. P-E-R-E-S. e. Fine, so you’re canceling your appointment on Wednesday at 12 noon, then. Would you like to make another appointment now? Secretary: Thomson Brothers, Good morning. Caller: ………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………… Secretary : ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Caller : ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Secretary: ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Caller : ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Secretary: OK, Mr. Peres. Thank you. Good bye.
153 Conversation 4 a. Yes, Mrs. Grimwood. b. We’ve got a free slot at half past four now. Is that convenient for you? c. Hello. This is Cealan Grimwood of CKL. I’m sorry to bother you, but it’s about my appointment – the one on Thursday. d. That’s perfect. four-thirty on Thursday. Thank you very much. Good bye. e. Could I postpone it until later in the day? I have to pick up my car from the garage. Secretary: Alliance Network Group. Good morning. Caller: ………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………… Secretary: ……………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………. Caller: ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Secretary: ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Caller: ……………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………… Secretary: Thank you, Mr. Grimwood. Good bye.
154 Exercise 3 – Complete the Sentences Fill in the blank with the appropriate verb about what you should do, when an appointment is requested. confirm check record have 1. ……………..the appointment calendar to verify that the day and time requested for the appointment are available. If not, suggest an available day and time. 2. …………….your supervisor approve the appointment, if that is the office policy. 3. …………….the appointment, if necessary. 4. …………….the appointment on the calendar. Speaking Exercise 4 Making an Appointment Complete the conversation and take turn to be secretary and caller. (Role play) Secretary: Good morning. (Company’s name) Caller: Good morning. This is (Caller’s name) from (Company’s name). I wonder if I could see (Person’s name) for about an hour regarding (Business topic). Secretary: (Person’s name) is attending a seminar today. I’m afraid, but he’ll be free (Time). Will that be convenient for you? Caller: Yes, thank you. I’ll be there at (Time). Good-bye.
155 Exercise 5 – Changing an Appointment Secretary: My name is Lisa, Mr. David’s secretary. I’m afraid I must postpone (Person’s name) with you (Time). John: Hold in a moment, please. I’ll check the appointment book. That was being (Time), wasn’t it? Secretary: Yes, this (Time). Something unexpected has come up. Person’s name)has to go to our head office for a meeting. He would like to change the appointment to (New Time). John: Would (New time) be all right? Secretary: (New Time)’s fine. Shall I say the same time? John: That would be fine. Secretary: That would be (New Time). I’ll just note it down in his diary. Exercise 6 Role play Write conversations: 1. Make a call to Mr. Brown’s Secretary to confirm an appointment on April 9th at 9:30. 2. Make a call to Mrs. Stone to cancel the appointment on Friday. 3. Make a call to Mr. David to postpone the appointment. Use the expressions from language focus for arranging appointment and practice speaking in pair.
156 5.2 Setting the Date and Time When we talk about the appointment, it usually concerns telling the date. Look at these examples. Let’s practice to say the year in pairs. 1993 19…93 nineteen ninety-three 1901 19…01 nineteen oh-one but 2005 two thousand five Use ordinal numbers for dates. Practice saying these. 1 st the first 11th the eleventh 21st the twenty-first 2 nd the second 12th the twelfth 22nd the twenty-second 3 rd the third 13th the thirteenth 23rd the twenty-third 4 ththe fourth 14th the fourteenth 24th the twenty-fourth 5 th the fifth 15th the fifteenth 25th the twenty-fifth 6 th the sixth 16th thesixteenth 26th the twenty-sixth 7 th the seventh 17th the seventeenth 27th the twenty-seventh 8 th the eighth 18th the eighteenth 28th the twenty-eighth 9 th the ninth 19th the nineteenth 29th the twenty-ninth 10th the tenth 20th the twentieth 30th the thirtieth 31st the thirty-first
157 Look at the Calendar. MAY MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 GB Write 17th May 2005 or 17/5/05 Say the seventeenth of May, two thousand five or May the seventeenth USA Write May 17, 2005 or 5/17/05 Say May seventeenth, two thousand five Table 5.1 Calendar
158 Reading Exercise 1 Helen is Howard Spender’s secretary in the personnel department. She is talking on the phone in her office. Answer the questions that follow. Figure 5.1 Helen’s Conversation Source: Norman, 1992, p. 61 1. What time is Paul Sawyers meeting with Mr. Spencer? 2. What is Mr. Spencer already doing on Thursday? 3. Which afternoon is Mr. Spencer taking off? 4. Why is he having lunch with his wife on Thursday? Helen: Right then. Mr. Sawyers. 1.30 on Thursday the 12th Goodbye Quick. I must write it down. Paul Sawyers is meeting Mr. Spender for lunch at 1.30 on Thursday. Oh no! He’s having lunch with Richard Bean on Thursday. Howard: Helen, am I doing anything important on Thursday? Helen: Er……… Howard: Because I’m taking the afternoon off. It’s my wife’s birthday and I’m meeting her for lunch Helen: Oh no, he can’t. Now he’s got three lunch appointments for Thursday.
159 Speaking Exercise 2 Study this pattern and work in pairs. Take turns being the Executiveand Anne. Executive: Am I doing anything on Wednesday? on the weekend? Anne: You’re seeing Mr. Smith at 10 o’clock this morning and Mr. Parker at 11. You’re not doing anything at lunchtime. You’re going to a board meeting this afternoon at 2 o’clock. Follow this model to help you make the conversations. MON AM 10:00 see Mr. Smith 11:00 see Mr. Parker Lunch PM 2:00 go to a board meeting TUE AM 10.30 see Mr. Matthews Lunch see Lorenso Magnani PM show LM around the department WED AM Interview new sales staff Visit the new warehouse Lunch PM THU AM Attend sales conference in Brighten all day Lunch PM Executive: Am I doing anything this morning? Anne: You’re seeing Mr. Smith at 10 o’clock and Mr. Parker at 11. Executive: And what about lunch? Anne: You’re not doing anything at lunch time. Figure 5.2 Schedule
160 Reading Exercise 3 – Cultural Perceptions of Time Read the following passage about the cultural differences in the perception of time and its use below. Then answer the questions that follow. Time Time is a major issue for many Western business people. “Time is money,” they say. Therefore, in the West you go directly to their goal. Directness is a Western trait, often interpreted negatively by people in Asia or other parts of the world. It is mistaken for a lack of sociability, and rudeness. Making money is different in for people in many other parts of the world. The rule tends to be: first socialize and then do business. A business lunch sometimes makes Westerners uncomfortable, because during the meal the conversation might deal with everything but business. The meal was just an introduction for business which will take place later on, in the perception of non-European businessmen. Chronemics shows that perception of time can be a cultural value. There is a scientific time accepted as a universal value (the hour has sixty minutes). This kind of time breaks time into centuries, seasons, months and minutes. Then there is a technical time, a precise way of measuring time established by a group of people, which is non-emotional, logical and conscious. This formal time considers the way a culture chooses to order events, the cycles it recognizes and, the concept of duration. A meeting starts at 2 p.m., lasts one hour, and then there is a 15 minute coffee-break. The same way the order is established, it can be changed according to the groups’ decison. But there is also an informal time, an unconscious way each culture perceives time. This is the cultural time. Words such as “immediate,” “very short,” “ forever”, have a relative meaning. How long is waiting “just a minute?” Informal time includes punctuality. Western citizens accustomed to punctuality respond negatively to the pattern of non-punctuality found in many other parts of the world. The reason is that in the West punctuality is a fixed value, whereas in other cultures it is a displaced value. In those cultures life is not precise, so circumstances are taken into account. To arrive fifteen minutes late is acceptable. In fact, it is not considered late, but just a displacement of the initial time. Therefore, Western businessmen should not be upset if the date of a deadline is met a couple of days later, but they usually are. It is not a lack of efficiency, it is a different time value. The relativity of time is responsible for quality in lifestyle, and a lot of the rigidness in Western time is interpreted as pressure by people from other countries. In international business relations it is important to remember that there is no right or wrong approach to time, but simply different ways of looking at it. So, the best thing to do is try to understand and accommodate the habits of people from other cultures. Figure 5.3 Time Source: Semioticon.com (Online), 2006
161 Questions 1. Western people, especially business people, considered time to be valuable. True False 1. Asians and people from other countries usually appreciate the directness of Westerners? True False 2. 3. Western businesspeople often enjoy chatting and making small talk for several hours during a business lunch. True False 3. The concept of time is the same for everyone in the world regardless of their culture. True False 4. It is a good idea to tell a visitor from the West to sit down and wait. True False 5. In many cultures it’s acceptable to be fifteen minutes late to an appointment or meeting. True False 6. One culture’s view of time is better than that of another culture. True False
162 5.3 Review Activity Study the extract from a Visitor’s Register and the notes below, made by the receptionist. Summarise the entries and the notes as if you were briefing a colleague on the details. Work with a partner if possible. e.g.: At 9.15, Mr. Zahos signed in, from Papadopoulos Ltd. His appointment was for 9.30 with Jack Jones in Marketing. He was collected by Sarah de Souza. He signed out at 4.35 Source: Alexander, 1995, p. 13
163 Conclusion In this unit, the learners have practiced how to arrange appointments through four skills. They have both read and listened to the conversations about making appointments in different situations; making the calls for oneself, asking about time, checking with the book, offering the time, accepting, changing, canceling, postponing the appointments by paying attention to pronunciation, rhythm, and stress before answering questions that follow. They practiced write and speak those conversations after studying language focus. Follow-up Activities have appointment with see need replace Look at this extract from an appointment Book and makestatements using the words given. e.g. Sue Lowe has an appointment with Alexis Thorne at 9 o’clock. Source: Alexander, 1995, p. 13
164 References Adamson, D. (1991). Starting English for Business. Hertfordshire, UK: Prentice Hall. Alexander, D. (1995). Telephone and Reception Skills. Hertfordshire, UK: Prentice Hall. Barnard, R. & Cady, J. (1996). Business Venture 1. Hong Kong: Oxford University. Fournier, A.C. (1990). Open for Business. Massachusetts: Heinle & Heinle. Grant, D. & Larty, Mc R. (1997). Business Basics: teacher’s book. Oxford: Oxford University. Hopkins, A & Potter, J. (1999). Work in Progress course book. Essex: Pearson Education. Liesenborghs, R. (1992). At the Office. Bangkok: Science Engineering & Education. Norman, S. (1992) We Mean Business. Singapore: Longman. Semioticon.com. (2006). [Online]. Available HTTP: http://www.semioticon.com/ virtuals/talks/rector.htm [2005, March 26]. Taylor, L. (1998). International Express. Oxford: Oxford University.
Unit 6 Making Reservations These days business travel is becoming more and more important and it is usually the secretary’s responsibility to make arrangements for her supervisor or other members of the company’s staff. This includes booking airline tickets, arranging for car hire, and reserving hotel rooms or suites. In addition to this, executives often entertain visitors from overseas. Thus, secretaries also have to book tables at restaurants. Get Started 1. Discussion Have you ever done any of these things? Put a tick (√) in front of the number. …… 1. stayed in a hotel …… 2. rented a car …… 3. gone to a restaurant …… 4. travelled by airplane Discuss each of these topics with your partner. Student A Student B “Have you ever….?” “Yes, I have./No, I haven’t.” “Where?” “When?” Figure 6.1 Making a Reservation Source: Joancusackfan (Online), 2005
166 2. Vocabulary Add these words to the table below. You can use some words more than once. Table 6.1 Booking a Service Hotel Car Rental Flight Restaurant ………………. ………………. ………………. ………………. ………………. ………………. ……………….. ……………….. ……………….. ……………….. ……………….. ……………….. ………………….. ………………….. ………………….. …………………. ………………….. ………………….. ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… ……………… breakfast included twin room check-in 4-door flight number fully booked single room small car luxury car one day 12 hours double room five nights check-out business class standard size departure time check-in counter reception table for two facilities dinner swimming pool lunch suite arrival time return ticket
167 Language Focus Introductory Requests An introductory request states the topic that the speaker wants to ask about. Look at these examples in more detail. Table 6.2 The Topic That the Speaker Wants to Ask About I need I’d like to book a room. make a reservation. rent a car. call a taxi. enquire about flights to Paris. ask about the total on the invoice. Figure 6.2The Business Trip Source: Travel Agent Central (Online), 2011
168 6.1 Transport There are usually two types of transport that a secretary may have to arrange in advance for her supervisor: booking an airline ticket or a rental car. In doing this both for business or pleasure is becoming easier because information on booking service from manycompanies is more available now due to on phone or the Internet. 6.1.1 Reserving an Airline Ticket Reserving an airline ticket is usually done by contacting a travel agent and giving the agent all the necessary details regarding the flight. These details include the destination, the date of the flight, the preferred class, the number of passengers and their names, if the flight is one-way or return, the method of payment and other things such as special requests. Listening Conversation 1 Agent: MartinTravel. David speaking. Can I help you? Secretary: I’m Barbara Belen from Kingston Ltd. I’d like to reserve a flight one-way to Tokyo for my Boss, please. Agent: When will he be flying, ma’am? Secretary: On Friday. October 10, 2006. Agent: There is a flight with Thai Airways on the 9th leaving Bangkok at 6:15 a.m. Secretary: That’s fine.
169 Language Focus These are some of the language structures used in reserving a service. Secretary: I’d like to reserve… I need to book… I’m calling to get some information about… Travel agent: Would you like…? Will that be…? Do you want…? one-way/return first class/business class/economy class a window seat/an aisle seat When/what date…? What time…? Secretary: How much is it? does it cost? will that be? What is the rate? Travel agent: Can I have…? Could I have…? Could you spell…? give me…? How will you be paying?
170 Listening Exercise 1 – Making a Flight Reservation Listen to the conversation and answer the questions below. Questions 1. Where is Mr. Swenson flying to? 2. Where is he flying from? 3. What time is the flight? 4. How will the tickets be paid for? 5. What time does he need to check in? Exercise 2 Listen to Nina Zhang making an airline reservation in exercise 1 again, and then fill in the form. Figure 6.3 Flight Booking Form First Travel Flight Booking Form Name: …………………………………… Date: ……............ Time: ………… am/pm From: …………..…. To: …………….. Flight: …………………
171 Exercise 3 Fill in the missing words below with a partner. Then listen to the tape again and check your answers. Agent: First Travel. James speaking. Can I _____ (1) you? Secretary: I’m Nina Zhang. Mr. Swenson’s secretary. I’d like to _________ (2) a oneway flight to Tokyo for my Boss, please. Agent: When will he be ________ (3), ma’am? Secretary: On Friday. April 9, 2006. Agent: There is a _________ (4) with Northeast Airways on the 9th __________ (5) Los Angeles at 11:05 a.m. Secretary: That’s fine. Agent: Can I have his full name, please? Secretary: David Swenson. Agent: Could you spell his _________ (6)name please? Secretary: Certainly. It’s S – W – E – N – S – O – N. Agent: How will you be ___________ (7), Ms. Zhang? Secretary: By credit card. The __________ (8) is 4535 6574 8976 5241. Agent: OK, Ms. Zhang. Can I __________ (9) your booking? He will be flying with Northeast Airways to Tokyo leaving Los Angeles tomorrow at 11:05. Please ___________ (10) his ticket from the check-in counter. Please remember to check in two hours before the flight time. Secretary: Thank you very much.
172 Writing Exercise 4 – Booking an Air Ticket Fill in the missing words to complete the questions in the conversation below. Travel Agent: Good morning. Srida Travel Agency, how can I help you? Secretary: Yes, I’m calling to get some information about flights to Perth. Travel Agent: When …………….1………………… Secretary: The 24th of March. Travel Agent: How long …………….2……………….. Secretary: A week Travel Agent: Which ……………..3……………….. Secretary: Business class, please. Travel Agent: Is this for one person? Secretary: Yes. Travel Agent: Right. I’ll just check. Hold on a minute. There are a number of direct flights from Bangkok to Perth such as, Thai Airways, Qantas and British Airways. Which ………..4…………… Secretary: Thai Airways, please. How ………….5………….. Travel Agent: A return ticket on Business Class is 30,900 baht. VAT included. Secretary: O. K. Travel Agent: ………………….…6……………………. Secretary: The name is Mr. James White. And the address is Yoyo Company Ltd, 7th floor, Sun Towers, Viphavadee-Rangsit Road, Chatujak, 10900. Travel Agent: Fine… …………7…………….. from Bangkok to Perth on Business Class in the name of Mr. James White. Depart from Bangkok to Perth on the 24th of March at
173 11:50 a.m. arrive in Perth at 17:50 p.m. Return to Bangkok on the 1stof April. Departure time’s 10:00 a.m. and the arrival time’s 16.00 p.m. Is that correct? Secretary: Yes. Travel Agent: ………….8……………… Secretary: Could I get your credit card number and expiration date, please. Travel Agent: ………….9……………….. Secretary: It’s VISA and the number is 375654873. The expiration date is November 2008. Travel Agent: Thank you. Secretary: ………….10……………… Travel Agent: Of course, madam. Speaking Exercise 5– Speaking about Airline Reservations Now use the conversations from exercises 1 – 4 above and practice them with your partner. Student A will play the role of the travel agent and student B will play the role of the secretary. Change roles and practice again. Exercise 6 – Role Play with Reserving an Airline Ticket Practice the roles of travel agent and secretary again. This time use the flight information from Thai Airways and Emirates on the next two pages. Secretary: Your supervisor wants to fly from Bangkok to Sydney on May 5th and return on May 23rd . Travel agent: Use the information below and on the next pageto help the secretary choose a flight from the three options.
174 CURRENT ITINERARY Requested Cabin Class: Business Date Flight Departing Arriving Stops \ Aircraf t Durati on Cabin Class Friday, May 05, 2006 3Thai Airways Intl TG 993 E Bangkok Int'l (BKK), Bangkok, Thailand Terminal 1 08:1 0 Kingsford Smith (SYD), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Terminal 1 20:1 0 Nonstop 747 9h00 min Business Tuesday, May 23, 2006 3Thai Airways Intl TG 996 E Kingsford Smith (SYD), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Terminal 1 16:3 0 Bangkok Int'l (BKK), Bangkok, Thailand Terminal 1 22:5 5 Nonstop 747 9h25 min Business Itinerary pricing Fare Tax Thailand Baht 88510.00 + 6565.00 x 1 Adult = 95075.00 Total fare 95075.00 Last day to ticket: Sunday, April 23, 2006 Figure 6.4 Thai Airways International Source:Thaiair (Online), 2006
175 Option 1 : THB 81,435.00 for 1 passenger(s) (total fare: THB78,705.00 plus total taxes THB2,730.00 ) Flight details 3EK4183 05 May 06 06 May 06 7:50 pm 7:45 am Departs Bangkok,Thailand (3BKK3) Arrives Sydney, Australia (3SYD3) Business Nonstop 3EK4193 23 May 06 24 May 06 6:45 pm 1:00 am Departs Sydney,Australia (3SYD3) Arrives Bangkok, Thailand (3BKK3) Business Nonstop 3Fare conditions3 Option 2 : THB 212,450.00 for 1 passenger(s) (total fare: THB209,525.00 plus total taxes THB2,925.00 ) 3View fare breakdown 3 Flight details 3EK4183 05 May 06 06 May 06 7:50 pm 7:45 am Departs Bangkok,Thailand (3BKK3) Arrives Sydney, Australia (3SYD3) Business Nonstop 3EK4133 23 May 06 24 May 06 9:10 pm 5:45 am Departs Sydney,Australia (3SYD3) Arrives Dubai, United Arab Emirates (3DXB) Business Nonstop Connecting to 3EK4183 24 May 06 24 May 06 9:00 am 6:10 pm Departs Dubai,United Arab Emirates (3DXB) Arrives Bangkok, Thailand (3BKK3) Business Nonstop 3Fare conditions3 Figure 6.5 United Arab Emirates Airline Options 1 – 2 Source: Emirates (Online), 2006
176 6.1.2 Car Hire In many countries, an executive on a business trip may need to rent or hire a car and not rely on public transport systems. So, the secretary must be familiar with the procedure of booking in advance so that the car will be waiting when the executive arrives and time will not be wasted. Listening Conversation 1 – Booking a Rental Car Car Rental Staff: Handy Car Rental. Jack speaking. Can I help you? Secretary: My name is Porntip Vander from TGM Electronics. I’d like to reserve a rental car for my Boss, please. Car Rental Staff: When will he be arriving, ma’am? Secretary: On Friday. May 19, 2007. Car Rental Staff: What kind of car would you like? Secretary: 4-Door Standard Size with automatic transmission, please. How much will it cost each day? Car Rental Staff: It’s 86 Australian dollars per day. And how many days do you need the car? Secretary: Three days. Car Rental Staff: OK, so the total will be $258. Can I have his full name, please? Secretary: Peter Campbell. Car Rental Staff: Could you spell his last name please? Secretary: Certainly. It’s C – A – M – P – B – E –L-L. Car Rental Staff: How will you be paying, Ms. Vander? Secretary: By credit card. The number is 4535 6574 8976 5241. Car Rental Staff: OK, Ms. Vander. Can I confirm your booking? That’s a 4-Door Standard Size car with automatic transmission, pick up on May 19th . And return on May 22nd, right? Secretary: Yes, that’s right. Thank you very much. Good-bye.
177 Language Focus These are some of the language structures commonly used when renting a car. Secretary: I need to reserve a rental car for my boss. Do you have any cars availablefor March 4th? Car Agent: Which type of car do you want to rent? Secretary: I'd like to rent a standard-size car. How much is car insurance per day? How much will it cost each day? How many kilometers are included with this price? Where can he pick up the car? When do I need to return the car? Writing Exercise 1 – Car Rental Vocabulary Look at the words below and consult a dictionary to find the definition. Then, write a sample sentence for each word to learn how it is used in context. 1 rental car ______________________________________________________________ 2 compactcar ______________________________________________________________
178 3 economycar ______________________________________________________________ 4 standard-size car ______________________________________________________________ 5 full-size car ______________________________________________________________ 6 luxury car ______________________________________________________________ 7 SUV (sports utility vehicle) ______________________________________________________________ 8 minivan ______________________________________________________________ 9 car insurance ______________________________________________________________ 10 daily rate ______________________________________________________________ 11 rentalagreement ______________________________________________________________ 12 weekend special ____________________________________________________________ 13 do a visual inspection ____________________________________________________________ 14 leave a deposit ____________________________________________________________ 15 make a reservation ____________________________________________________________ 16 pick up the car ____________________________________________________________
179 17 return the car ___________________________________________________________ 18 sign a rental agreement ___________________________________________________________ Speaking Exercise 2 – Role Play with Renting a Car Use the information from the Fleet Car on the next page to write a conversation on a car rental with your partner. Secretary: Your supervisor is traveling to Australia and needs to rent a car for four days. He would like a 4-door car. Car rental staff: Help the secretary choose a car from the list below. Give information about the car and the price per day. After you have finished writing the conversation, practice speaking together. Take turns to be the secretary and thecar rental staff.
180 Displayed below are samples of the cars rentals – Happy Tours, in Nevada, USA. Vehicle Category Car Type (or similar) Daily Weekly 4 - 7 days High Season Adjustment: Please notice that a high season surcharge in the amount of U$12.00 to U$85.00 per day and U$80.00 to U$450.00 per week, will be added to your quote for rentals beginning between Dec.15 thru Dec.31.2011 and 2012 and Mar.30.2012 thru Apr.08.2012. Compact (CDAR) Nissan Versa US$ 52.00 € 37.78 US$ 205.00 € 148.93 Fullsize (FCAR) Chevrolet Impala US$ 62.00 € 45.04 US$ 240.00 € 174.36 Standard SUV (SFAR) Jeep Grand Cherokee US$ 75.00 € 54.49 US$ 285.00 € 207.05 Luxury (LDAR) Cadillac DTS US$ 75.00 € 54.49 US$ 287.00 € 208.51 Mini Van-7 Pass (MVAR) Dodge Gran Caravan US$ 88.00 € 63.93 US$ 348.00 € 252.82 Mini Van-8 Pass (SVAR) Toyota Sienna US$ 99.00 € 71.92 US$ 396.00 € 287.69 Figure 6.6Fleet Display Source: Happy Tours (Online), 2011
181 6.2 Accommodation 6.2.1 Booking a Room or Suite Hotel reservations should also be made a long time before the trip. So the secretary must contact the hotel to make the necessary arrangements. Often an executive or the company has a preferred hotel where they usually stay, but sometimes the secretary must also get information about a hotel and its facilities to help the boss select. In many ways booking a hotel room is similar to booking an airline ticket. Much of the information is similar: number of guests and their names, date of arrival and type of room. In addition to this, hotel staff need to know about length of stay Listening Conversation 1 – Reserving a Hotel Room Receptionist: Andaman Hotel. Can I help you? Secretary: I’d like to make a reservation please. Receptionist: Certainly. When will you be staying? Secretary: From Monday January 24 th until the 27th Receptionist: OK. So, that’s threenights. Secretary: Yes. Receptionist: Would you like a single room or a double? Secretary: A doubleroom, please. Receptionist: A doubleis $180 a night. Secretary: OK. Receptionist: And may I have your name please? Secretary: It’s George Marshall Receptionist: Could you spell that please? Secretary: Alex. A – L– E – X. Meyer is M – E – Y – E – R .
182 Receptionist: Thank you. And can I have your telephone number? Secretary: Sure. It’s London 020 9696 514. Receptionist: Thank you very much Mr. Meyer. Your reservation has been made for a single room for June 20th for two nights. My name is Julie. Secretary: Thank you very much. Receptionist: Bye. Secretary: Bye. Language Focus Here are some of the expressions used when booking a room in a hotel. Receptionist: Park Hotel. Can I help you? Certainly. When will you be staying? So, that’s two nights. Would you like a single room or a double? A single is $____ per night. May I have your name please? And can I have your telephone number? Secretary: I’d like to make a reservation please. From ________________ until ________. A single room is fine. Vocabulary on Booking a Room What kind of room would you like? single/double/twin room How many nights would you like to stay? Five nights.
183 When do you want to stay? From the 5th of March until the 9th of March. What time can I check in? You can check in after 11 am. Exercise 1 – Brainstorming Questions Look at the hotel receptionist’ form. Alex Meyer wants to book a room. With a partner, brainstorm the questions he might hear. Write your questions below. Figure 6.7 Hotel Receptionist’s Computer Screen Example: 1) _____May I have your name, please?__ 2) ___________________________________________________ 3) ___________________________________________________ 4) _____________________________________________ 5) ___________________________________________________ 6) ___________________________________________________ 7) ___________________________________________________ Hotel Booking Form Name: …………………(1)………… Tel: ………(2)…………… No. of nights: …(3)…… (4) From: ……. To: …….. (5) Single: … Double: … (6) Occupation: ……… (7) Smoking: ……. Non-smoking: ……..
184 Exercise 2 – Booking a Room Online Fill in the missing words booking room below. Choose the answers from the box. The Seaner Hotel welcomes you to our on-line booking service. To make a booking please enter your (1) details in the form below. You may use this form to check on (2) _______________ or make a (3) __________________. Please fill in as many details as possible regarding your (4) _______________ stay. If you wish you may alternatively choose to (5) _____________________ a copy of the form that you can send to the hotel by regular mail or (6) _________________. Please ensure the form is fully (7) ___________________. We will contact you within 24 hours by phone or e-mail to (8) ________________ your booking. Otherwise the hotel will offer possible (9) ________________to you. All rooms are (10) _____________________ with shower or bath. (11) ___________ in all our rooms include coffee maker, cable TV, phone and computer connection. If you have any special requirements, such as a (12) ________________room, please write them in the box provided. Please indicate if you require vegetarian food or have other special (13) ____________________ requirements. All credit card details will be transmitted (14) __________________ from this site. securely print proposed facilities completed en suite ground-floor reservation availability dietary details alternatives confirm tax
185 Exercise 3 – Booking a Room Conversation Complete the sentences.The first one has been done for you. Hotel staff: Hotel Beach House, can I ____ help ____you? (1) Secretary: I'm phoning to _______________ a room. (2) Hotel staff: ____________________ would you like to arrive? (3) Secretary: Tomorrow. Hotel staff: How many nights are you going to ____________________? (4) Secretary: Two nights. Hotel staff: What kind of room would you ____________________? (5) Secretary: A double room with a shower. Hotel staff: Just a moment, I'll check. ... We have a nice room on thesecond ______________. (6) Secretary: How ____________________ is it? (7) Hotel staff: It's $25 per person per ____________________, breakfast included. (8) Secretary: That's a good price. I'd like to make a___________________ for that room, please. (9) Hotel staff: Very well. May I have your ____________________, please? (10) Secretary: Conners. Hotel staff: Could you ____________________that, please? (11) Secretary: It's C – O – N – N – E – R - S. Hotel staff: Thank you for your reservation. See you____________________. (12) Source: Ego4u(Online), 2006
186 Exercise 4 – Booking a Hotel for a Conference Look at this excerpt from a hotel guide. Anna Forsberg is looking for a hotel in New York to hold a weekend conference. Her assistant, Max, is telling her about the Empire Hotel. Complete the questions and answers in their conversation. Anna: ………………………………………………? (1) Max: It’s on 59th Street West and 54th Street. Anna: OK. ……….. ………… (2) rooms ………….... ? (3) Max: ……………… …………….(4) 165 rooms, single and doubles. Anna: That’s fine. …………. …………… …………. …………… ? (5) Max: Yes, ……………… …………….. (7) I hear the food is very good. Anna: That’s fine. ……… ………… ………… ……….. ………? (8) Max : It’s $180 a night. Anna: OK, I need to speak to the manager ……. …….. …… …….? (9) Max: It’s 212 80 6800. EMPIRE HOTEL 59th West 54 Street, New York, NY 10223 Phone: 212/840 6880 Fax: 212/914 14 19 ____________________________________________ Rooms: 165 Lounges: 2 Entertainment: Cabaret in the Oak Room Restaurants: 2 Pool: No Parking: Free on the weekends Facilities: Business Center Location: Close to theater district Price: Single $180 - Double $200 a night
187 Exercise 5 – Hotel Reservation Complete the conversation below. Receptionist: Park Hotel. Can I help you? Alex: _________________________________ (1) please. Receptionist: Certainly. When will you be staying? Alex: From Thursday June 20th until the 23rd. Receptionist: OK. So __________________________ (2) Alex: Yes. Receptionist: ___________________________ (3) a single room or a double? Alex: A single room is fine. Receptionist: A single is $140 a night. Alex: OK. Receptionist: And may I have your name please? Alex: It’s __________________________ (4) Receptionist: Could you spell that please? Alex: __________________________________________ (5) Receptionist: Thank you. And can I have your telephone number? Alex: Sure. It’s London ___________________________ (6) Receptionist: Thank you very much Mr. Meyer. Your reservation has been made for a single room for June 20th for two nights. _______________________ (7) Alex: Thank you very much. Receptionist: Bye. Alex: Bye.
188 Speaking Exercise 7 Now use the conversations from exercises 3 – 6 and practice them with your partner. Student A will play the role of the hotel receptionist and student B will play the role of the secretary. Change roles and practice again. Writing Exercise 6 Write a conversation about making a hotel reservation with your partner. Secretary: Your supervisor is traveling to Australia and needs a hotel room (single) for four nights. Hotel receptionist: Help the secretary reserve a room in your hotel. Get the information such as date of arrival, number of nights, name of supervisor, and type of room. Give information about the room rate. After you have finished writing the conversation, practice speaking together. Take turns to be the secretary and the hotel receptionist.
189 6.2.2 Hotel Facilities Sometimes it is important to have certain facilities available in the hotel where businesspeople are staying, both for doing business and relaxing after work. These facilities include things like a business center with a fax service, internet access, and meeting rooms and conference halls for taking care of business. And for relaxing, a hotel should have things like a swimming pool, gym/fitness center, a spa and good restaurants available for guests. Listening Conversation 1 Receptionist: Perry Hotel. How can I help you? Secretary: Hi I’m calling from Pacific Sport Company. I’d like to get some information about your facilities, please. Receptionist: Certainly. What would you like to know? Secretary: Do you have a business center? Receptionist: Yes, we do. The business center includes fax, photocopy and internet services. Secretary: OK. That sounds good. And how about internet access in the rooms? Receptionist: All our rooms have free ADSL Internet access. Secretary: Good. And one last question. Is there a spa with massage in your hotel? Receptionist: No, I'm sorry, there isn't. There is a fitness center that includes a sauna though. And there are several spas located near the hotel. Secretary: Well, that sounds acceptable. I think we would be interested in booking a room. Can you give me some information about room rates? Receptionist: Sure.
190 Language Focus Hotel receptionist: Good morning/Good afternoon. Can I help you? Secretary: Good morning/Good afternoon. My name is .... I’m calling from….(name of company). Can I ask you some questions about your facilities? Is there a ...? Are there any ...? Do you have… Does the hotel have a ...? Hotel receptionist: Yes, there is... / Yes, there are... Yes, the hotel has ... Yes, we do. No, I'm sorry, there isn't... / No, I'm sorry there aren't... No, I'm sorry, it doesn't have any... No, I’m afraid that we don’t. Facilities: Fax/internet service Swimming pool Café 24-hour restaurant Tennis courts Casino Conference rooms Overhead projectors/Visualizers Gym/Fitness centre Air-conditioning Mini-bar Sauna/spa Japanese/Chinese/Thai/Mexican/etc. restaurant