Listening Exercises B2 – Requesting services

a   annual sales conference

b   It will last five days (from the 5th to the 9th).

c   Yes. There are several clues to the fact ARG held the same event there the previous year. (There’ll be 34 this time. It’s full-board again.)

d   a whiteboard, a flipchart, delegate pads/pencils, water, wireless Internet access

Dates: July 5 – July 9 (inclusive)

Number of people: 37 (34, plus herself and two senior HR people)

Double rooms: 4

Requests / Special requirements:

–  one delegate in wheelchair will need bedroom for disabled on ground floor

–  as many rooms with baths as possible

–  late check-out on 10th; 2pm

Study Centre: Shelly

Meeting room: C, E, F

Additional equipment: computer data projectors and screens

Catering: full-board

Refreshment breaks: 10.30am, 3.30 pm

Additional information: none

Transcript

Mark:     Hello, The Møller Centre. Mark speaking. How can I help you?

Client:     Hello, Mark. It’s Natasha Peters here from ARG in London.

Mark:     Oh hello, Natasha. How are you?

Client:     Oh, I’m fine, thanks. Busy as always. We’ve got our annual sales conference coming up again and I just need to check a few things.

Mark:     OK, well let me just get my booking sheet and … OK, fire away! Dates first, yes?

Client:     Yes. It’ll be from the 5th to the 9th of July, inclusive.

Mark:     So that’s five nights. Yes, we can do that.

Client:     Great. There’ll be 34 this time. That’s 19 men and 15 women, plus myself as organizer of course … oh and two senior HR people as well.

Mark:     OK … got that. All in single rooms?

Client:     Yes … er no. Actually, Sally and James just got married, so I guess they’d want a double. And I’d be grateful if you could give me a double room too please, if possible.

Mark:     I’m sure we can do that for you. A bit of extra space is always welcome, isn’t it? The HR people might prefer a double each as well.

Client:     Oh, yes. Good idea. And one delegate is in a wheelchair, Mr Jackson. He’ll need a room on the ground floor.

Mark:     Fine. You remember most of our standard single rooms have showers rather than baths?

Client:     Yes, but I’d appreciate it if you could give us as many rooms with baths as you can.

Mark:     OK. I’ll see what we can do. What about training rooms?

Client:     This year we need one large training room for us all and then three smaller rooms each holding around a dozen people. Is that possible?

Mark:     Hmm … let me see for those dates … Yes, I can give you the Shelley Room in the Study Centre, that seats fifty so you’ll all be fine in there, and Meeting Rooms C, E and F. They can manage a maximum of fifteen each.

Client:     That sounds perfect.

Mark:     It’s full-board again, I assume, so breakfast, lunch and dinner each day?

Client:     Yes, that’s right. Can we have the refreshment breaks at 10.30 and 3.30, please?

Mark:     OK, I’ll make a note of that.

Client:     We need computer data projectors and screens in all the rooms of course.

Mark:     No problem. Each room has a whiteboard, flipchart, delegate pads and pencils and water as standard. By the way, we’re all wireless now, so delegates will be able to use their laptops for email and so on wherever they want, also at no extra charge.

Client:     That’s great. And if possible we’d like to have a late check-out on the 10th. Two o’clock, please.

Mark:     OK. I’ll organize that for you.

Client:     Thank you. Now, what’s the best price you can do all that for?

Viktor is reluctant to help. This is noticeable from his overall attitude and also the way he say Hmm. Well, OK. I’ll see if I can get anyone to help you out for a couple of days.

a   He’s working on ‘the London project’.

b   It’s a lot more work than he realized when he agreed to do it.

c   He asks for some help to write up the report.

d   He says he’s in danger of falling behind, and may not finish on time.

e   The deadline is a week on Friday.

f   Viktor promises to find someone to help Peter for a couple of days.

Transcript

Peter:     Oh, sorry Viktor. Are you in the middle of something?

Viktor:     No, that’s OK, Peter. Come in.

Peter:     It’s the London project. I could really to with a hand.

Viktor:     Really? I thought you were on top of everything.

Peter:     Only just. It’s a lot more work than I thought when I took it on.

Viktor:     Hmm.

Peter:     If I had some help, I would be able to finish on time.

Viktor:     Well, I don’t think we can spare anyone. Everyone’s busy on other projects.

Peter:     I’m in danger of falling behind. I may not finish on time if I don’t get any help.

Viktor:     When is the deadline?

Peter:     A week on Friday. It would help a lot if someone could write up the report.

Viktor:     Hmm. Well, OK. I’ll see if I can get anyone to help you out for a couple of days.

Peter:     That’s great. Thanks a lot.