Bed Breakfast Podcasts

In this podcast you will hear two dialogues on ordering drinks, the final dialogue is on ?corkage fees? for those of you that work in a hotel or resort. The Crate & Barrel Shop is an American store that carries all kinds of home furnishings. For extra practice, refer to the earlier podcast on Wines & Spirits (Scroll down to the bottom of this podcast page to find those lessons) for help on pronunciation or to substitute drinks mentioned in this dialogue for ones you usually need to sell. Dialogue 1 Waitress: Good evening, what can I get for you? Guest: May I see the wine menu? Waitress: Certainly, here it is. Would you like a few minutes to look it over? Guest: Yes, thanks. (A little later) Waitress: Have you decided? Guest: I think so. Do these come by the glass? Waitress: Yes, except for the Champagne. Guest: Ok. I?ll have a glass of the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio and my companion here, would like a glass of the Beringer Pinot Noir. Waitress: Perfect. I?ll bring them right to you. Guest: Thank you. (Guests are getting ready to go to the hotel restaurant) Waitress: Would you like to charge this to your room? Guest: Uh, should we pay now before we go to the restaurant or can we put it on that bill? Waitress: It?s completely up to you. Guest: Hmmm, ok. Why don?t you charge our drinks to my room now. Waitress: Very good. Dialogue 2 Guest 1: Wasn?t the play wonderful? Guest 2: I just loved the Phantom. His voice was amazing. Waitress: Good evening, would you like to see the bar menu? Guest 1: No, I don?t think so. I know what I want, a gin and tonic. Do you have Ketel One? Waitress: Yes, and for you, Ma?am? Guest 2: I?d like a Kahlua and coffee and do you have a dessert menu? Waitress: Yes, here it is. The pecan tart is terrific. Guest 2: Oh, that sounds great. Bring us one of those to share. Waitress: Certainly. Guest 2: Thank you. Dialogue 3 - Corkage Fees Guest: Hello. I?m calling from room 2346. A friend gave me a beautiful bottle of wine this afternoon and I was wondering if you could send someone up to open it. Room Service: Certainly. The corkage fee is $25.00. Guest: Oh wow. That?s a lot to open a bottle. Room Service: It includes glasses and waiter service. There is a Crate & Barrel shop two blocks down if you prefer. They carry everything you?ll need. Guest: Hmmm. Ok. This is a special occasion. Send someone up in ten minutes. We?ll go for it. Room Service: Absolutely. You won?t be disappointed. Guest: Thank you.

Audio for Unit 1: May I Help You? By Heide Spruck Wrigley. (The textbook is out of print and this recording was done with her permission. You?ll notice from the price of coffee and donuts that times have definitely changed!) In this episode, ?Understanding What the Customer Wants,? you will hear two dialogues that take place in a Donut Shop. When you go to buy your coffee and breakfast at a new place, you may not know where things are located or what the establishment expects. For example, I am often confused if the clerk will add sugar for me or if I have to do it myself. I also don?t know if they will give me a napkin or if I have to get them at the counter. Listen to Dialogue 1 and think about what the clerk could do to improve her service so the customer doesn?t get so annoyed. Dialogue 1 Clerk: May I help you? Customer: Yes, I?d like half a dozen of the strawberry-filled donuts and five of the (mumble) buttermilk bars. Clerk: Okay. Customer: No, no you are giving me the blueberry donuts, I wanted strawberry jelly. What are you getting now? I wanted the glazed bars, not the plain. Clerk: I?m sorry. What else do you want? Customer: I?ll take three large coffees to go. Clerk: Okay. Customer: I said, I wanted those to go. Clerk: Okay, the lids are over there. Customer: Over where? There? Clerk: Yes. Customer: How about cream and sugar? Clerk: That?s over there too. Customer: Okay, how much is that? Clerk: Three seventy five. Customer: Here?s a five. Could I have all my change in quarters please? I need to go to the Laundromat. Clerk: No. I am sorry. Customer: Well, thanks a lot. Clerk: You?re welcome. Have a nice day. In Dialogue 2, you will hear clarifying questions, repeating information and confirming questions. Don?t worry about repeating information. Most customers will be happy to have you repeat their order back to them so they know you are getting the correct items. I know it makes me happy when people repeat back my information instead of just saying, Okay, okay, okay or yes, yes, yes! What did the clerk ask or say to the customer to avoid making any mistakes with the order? (Scroll down for answers) Dialogue 2 Clerk: May I help you? Customer: Yes, I would like half a dozen strawberry-filled donuts? Clerk: Six strawberry donuts Customer: Five (mumble) buttermilk bars. Clerk: I?m sorry. Five what? Customer: (mumble) buttermilk bars. Clerk: I?m really sorry. Could you show me what you want? Customer: Right here, the glazed buttermilk bars. Clerk: Oh, okay. That?s five right? Customer: Yeah. Clerk: They?re very good, aren?t they? Customer: Yeah, I really like them. Clerk: Can I get you anything else? Customer: Yeah, three cups of coffee. Clerk: Would you like those for here or to go? Customer: Well, I don?t think I ?m gonna drink all that coffee by myself. Clerk: Yeah, that would be a bit much. The lids for your coffee are on the counter behind you and the sugar and milk are right next to them. Is that all for you then? Customer: Yeah. That?ll do it. Clerk: That?s six strawberry jelly, five glazed buttermilk bars, and three large coffees. Right? Customer: Here?s a five. Could you give me the rest in quarters, please? I need them for the laundromat. Clerk: Oh, I?m really sorry. I?d like to give you quarters, but I don?t have any extra. I need to keep what I have for change. I?m sorry. Customer: That?s okay. Clerk: One twenty five is your change. Thank you very much. (Answers) 1) She repeated the order, ?Six strawberry donuts? 2) She asked for clarification, ?I?m sorry. Five what?? 3) She asked for more clarification when she didn?t understand the customer, ?I?m really sorry. Could you show me what you want?? 4) She asks for confirmation, ?Oh, ok. That?s five, right? 5) She asked for more information, ?Would you like those for her or to go?? 6) She asked for confirmation before check out, ?That?s six strawberry jelly, five glazed buttermilk bars, and three large coffees. Right??

This podcast is to encourage you to talk about your day at work in a very detailed way. It is a first step in constructing a resume. You must be able to express all the work you do so you can write up a complete resume. The lesson also focuses on verbs in present and past that you can then use in your resume. Challenge yourself to be specific as Charlene did in this episode.... Enjoy! This lesson is called Charlene?s Typical Day. Activity #1 Charlene is going to talk about a typical day at her work. Listen to the recording. Do you do some of these activities during your day? Listen again and write down some of the verbs you hear. Finally, read the transcript to check your work. Transcript: What do you do everyday? Well, I get up at 6:30 in the morning and at 8 o?clock, I catch the four train then transfer to the seven train. I arrive at work at 9:30 am and I drink my coffee and check my email at the same time. After that, I review my ?To-do? list and calendar. Next I check the news and while I eat breakfast, I start working on my first project on my list. When I finish the first project, I do the next budget. I eat lunch at 2pm. After lunch, I go back to work and complete the next project. I talk to vendors, place orders and sometimes negotiate contracts. I leave between five thirty and six o?clock and I pick up my daughter. When I arrive home, I help her with her homework, then I prepare dinner. After dinner, I give my daughter a bath and put her to bed. Then I have time for myself. I go to bed between 12 and 1am. Activity #2 Using this as a model, write down what you do every day. You want to be as specific as possible. Try to list all the work related tasks you do in a typical day. Activity #3 Now, try to put Charlene?s typical day into the Past Tense. How many verbs do you know in the past without looking them up? Activity #4 Last activity! It?s your turn. Ask a partner about their day at work. What did they do yesterday? Tell them what you did at your job. Are your jobs similar?

You will listen to two answering machine messages. You may do this as a dictation. Play the message and write down as much as you can. Please make sure to listen for important information such as: 1) What is the caller's name? 2) What company is she calling from? 3) What number does she leave? 4) Why is she calling? When you have finished look down here for the transcript. NO PEEKING! :) 1) Call from Whole Foods Market This is Georgina Wilson calling from the Whole Foods Market on Houston Street and I?m calling for Rosanna Zuniga. It?s 4:30 on Monday, March 12th. Could Rossana please call me back? We received her application and I?d like to set up an appointment for an interview. She can reach me at 212-650-7588. The number again is 212-650-7588 and I am in my office until 7:00 today. Thank you. 2) Call from the New York City Parks Department Hello, this is Charlotte Dawson and I am calling from the New York City Parks Department and this message is for Shu Fang Xian. Would you please call me back at 718-932-0451 at your earliest convenience? I received your resume and I would like to set up an interview for a position in Brooklyn. Again, my name is Charlotte Dawson and the number is 718-932-0451. Thank you.