Unit 1 Enquiries and reservations

Reading and Listening

Reading Try to understand the meaning of any new words or expressions while you are reading the passage. After that, look for new words and expressions in the Word Study at the end of the unit. As you know, a receptionist works in one of the 'front offices' by the front hall or lobby of a hotel. Usually, all members of staff who work in these offices have direct personal or telephone contact with the guests. In a large hotel, the receptionist welcomes and registers the guests. What about in a small hotel? Here the work of the receptionist may also include the job of advance reservations clerk, enquiry clerk, and book-keeper.

Personal contact Telegram

Making advance reservations

The advance reservations clerk deals with reservation enquiries, of course, and with the booking and allocation of accommodation. A hotel receives reservation requests in different ways. For example, telephone bookings are the most common in many hotels. This is because these bookings are quick and it is possible to get full information from the customer. Hotels often ask people who make reservations by telephone to confirm their bookings in writing. In many countries, reservations by telegram are less important than telex reservations. Why is this? Because the telex is fast and the confirmation is made immediately.

A telex reservation

Perhaps you have seen that a number of hotels now have computer terminals. These hotels can link their reservation systems with other hotels in their group, with airline seat reservation systems and with terminals in the offices of important travel agents. If a hotel is able to accept a booking, the reservations clerk must record it. The reservations clerk normally completes a reservation form and enters the information in a reservation diary.

Reading check

1. In what way is the work of a receptionist different in a large hotel and a small hotel?

2 .Who does the allocation of hotel bedrooms?

3 .Write down six ways that a hotel receives bookings. Which of these do you think is the least important?

4 .When are guests asked to confirm a booking?

5 .How does the reservations clerk record a booking?

Listening Listen to the dialogue on the cassette before you read it in your boo;. Try to understand the meaning of any new words and expressions while you are listening to the dialogue. After that, look for new words| and expressions in the Word Study at the end of the unit.

Mr. Harvey is in the Accommodation Bureau at Copenhagen Central Railway Station. While you are listening to his conversation with Fru Neilsen, look at the hotel list below.

Hotel list

Nielsen God morgen. Harvey Excuse me, do you speak English? Nielsen Yes, I do. How can I help you? Harvey I need a double room with bath for two nights. Nielsen I see. What sort of hotel would you like? Harvey Well, could you tell me what kind of accommodation is available? Nielsen Well, of course, there are different classes of hotel. Prices start at D.kr. 100 a night for a one star hotel and go up to D.kr. 650 for a better one. Harvey What is there for about £30 a night? Nielsen That's about 400 crowns. Here's a selection of hotels at around that price. Harvey Ah, thank you very much. Nielsen Where would you like to be? The hotels in the centre are more convenient than the hotels in the suburbs, but then the city centre hotels are more expensive and noisier. Harvey We'd like to be in the city centre. Which of these is a good place? Nielsen Well, the Titan, the Union, and the Regent are all very central. Harvey Could you explain the prices at the Regent? Nielsen Yes. There is a minimum price for off-season stay and this maximum price for high season, June to August. Harvey What's the Regent like? Nielsen It's a medium-sized hotel and, as far as I know, it's very comfortable. Harvey Can I book a room in the Regent from here? Nielsen Certainly, that's no problem. So that's for today the 17th August, and tomorrow? Harvey Yes. Nielsen What name is it, please? Harvey Harvey. Nielsen Could you spell that? Harvey H-A-R-V-E-Y. Nielsen Thank you, Mr Harvey. Just wait a moment while I confirm your booking with the hotel.

Listening check

1.What kind of room does Mr Harvey want?

2. In what ways are suburban hotels better?

3. Must Mr Harvey pay the minimum or maximum price for a hotel room?

4. How big is the Hotel Regent?

5. For what dates does Mr Harvey need a room?

Language study

Requesting information Notice how we can ask for information politely.

Examples:

You don't know the name and address of a customer, (tell)

• Could you tell me your name and address, please?

You don't know the spelling of a customer's name, (spell)

• Would you spell your name, please?

You aren't sure of the name of a company, (give)

• Can you give me the name of your company, please?

Using could, would and can, ask questions in a similar way.

1. You don't know the telephone number of a customer, (tell)

2. You aren't sure of the surname of a caller, (repeat)

3. You are unsure of the number of people in a group, (tell)

4. You don't know the arrival time of a customer, (give)

5. You don't know the spelling of a street name, (spell)

6. You are unsure of a guest's date of departure, (confirm)

Comparing

Study the following table.	Station Hotel	Hotel Bristol	Hotel Park
1 How expensive is it? (D.kr.)	340	220	270
2 How quiet is it? (•)	• •	•	• ••
3 How convenient is it? (kms to centre)	2	1	4
4 How comfortable is it? (*)	***	*	**
5 How big is it? (number of beds)	400	680	250
6 How modern is it? (built in)	1947	1975	1964

Notice how we can make sentences comparing different hotels.

1. The Hotel Park is more expensive than the Bristol, but less expensive than the Station Hotel.

The Station Hotel is the most expensive and the Bristol is the least expensive.

2. The Station Hotel is noisier than the Park, but quieter than the Bristol..

The Bristol is the noisiest and the Park is the quietest.

Now write similar sentences about 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Numbers and dates Notice how we say the following numbers and dates.

703 seven hundred and three. 521 five hundred and twenty-one. 3,845 three thousand eight hundred and forty-five. Tel: 0904-37769 oh nine oh four, three double seven six nine. Room 104 room one hundred and four or room one oh four. 30 January 1981* the thirtieth of January, nineteen eighty-one.

* We can also write 30th January or January 30th. In the USA it is: January 30, 1981 January thirtieth, nineteen eighty-one.

Now say the following aloud.

2,714, 30th April 1983, tel: 08-58 23 62, 12,449, June 12, Room 317, tel: 01-703 4468, 19 July, Room 502, 650, 5th floor, May 14 1982, 01-4554011, 30November 1982, 12thfloor, 9thJulyl984, 17,446.

Listening and Speaking

Listening Mr Knudsen, the Advance Reservations Clerk at the Hotel Regent, is busy on the telephone. While you are listening to his telephone calls, complete Standard Reservation Forms like the one below. Remember, don't read the dialogues in your book or look in the Word Study until you have listened to them on the cassette.

Speaking Requesting information

Study the following examples.

Head receptionist Find out Mrs Smith's full name and address. Receptionist Mrs Smith, could you tell me your full name and address, please?

Head receptionist Find out the number in Mr Bourne's group. Receptionist Mr Bourne, could you tell me the number in your group, please?

Now do the exercise on the tape, forming questions in a similar way. After you speak you will hear the receptionist's words on the tape.