Business communication – hotel reservation

A Read this fax and Sylvie Dutertre’s note to her secretary. Then answer the questions below.

Date: 5 September To: Subject: HOTEL RESERVATION   Dear Sir or Madam, I would be grateful if you could send me some information about your hotel facilities. Could you also let me know the price for a single room with a bath for four nights at the beginning of November. I look forward to hearing from you.   Yours faithfully Sylvie Dutertre

Nathalie – for my trip to Bangkok Please send copies of this to:   CENTURY PARK (fax: 00 61 23445566)   ROYAL PRINCESS (fax: 00 61 67894719)

1 Who does Sylvie Dutertre want her secretary to send this fax to?

2 Why is she sending the fax? What does she want?

a) to ask for information b) to reserve a room c) to change a reservation

3 What type of room does she want?

 

B Somebody phones the Royal Princess Hotel to reserve a room. Listen and complete the information about the caller. (BB, 14’30-16’00)

Name …………………. Company ……………….. Type of room……………..

Date of arrival …………………. Date of departure ……………….. Confirmation by ………………..

 

 

C Who asks these questions, the hotel receptionist (R) or the caller (C)?

1 Could I reserve a room for next week? …………….

2 May I have your name, please? ……………………

3 Can you confirm your reservation in writing? ………………..

4 Can I fax you tomorrow? …………………..

5 Could you tell me your fax number? …………….

D Listen and read the conversation again. How does the other person respond to the questions in 1, 3 and 4?

A:	Royal Princess hotel.
B:	Good morning. Could I reserve a room for next week, for three nights, from Monday the first of November?
A:	Certainly, sir. Three nights from Monday the first, you say?
B:	Yes, that’s right.
A:	Single or double room, sir?
B:	Single, please.
A:	OK. Let me check. Yes, we have a room free. May I have your name, please?
B:	It’s Gervais. That’s G-E-R-V-A-I-S.
A:	Sorry, that’s G-E-R…
B:	…V-A-I-S. But the reservation is in the name of the company, Cambridge Management Consulting. That’s CMC.
A:	OK. I’ve got that. Can you confirm your reservation in writing please, sir?
B:	I’m afraid, I’m not in my office today. Can I fax you tomorrow?
A:	Yes, of course. That’s fine.
B:	Could you tell me your fax number?
A:	Yes, it’s 662-238-1999.
B:	OK. Thanks. Goodbye.
A:	Goodbye.

E Complete the two faxes with the words from the box.

available cost inform look book

Please sincerely Thank bath confirm

Crawly Electronics

Fax

From: Crawly Electronics +33 4764 056467

To: Hotel Belfort, Crolles (France) +44 1865 609882

 

I would like to …………………¹ one single room with ……………….² for Mr Paul Wilberg, our General Manager, for two nights from Wednesday 2 September.

 

………………³ let us know how much the room costs per night, including full breakfast.

 

………………⁴ you for confirming this by fax.

 

Liz Stamford

 

Hotel Belfort

Crolles, France

Fax

From: Hotel Belfort, Crolles (France) +44 1865 609882

To: Crawly Electronics +33 4764 056467

 

Dear Ms Stamford

 

Thank you for your fax.

 

We are pleased t0 ………………⁵ you that we have a single room with bath …………………⁶ for two nights from 2 September. The ……………..⁷ is 85 euros, inclusive of breakfast.

 

We can ………………⁷ that the room is reserved for Mr Paul Wilberg.

 

We ……………⁹ forward to seeing Mr Wilberg in September.

 

Yours ……………..¹⁰

Guy Lefrane

 

Hotel Belfort

F Write a fax to Century Park Hotel to reserve a room for two nights from 1 May. Ask about the cost and hotel facilities.

MODULE 5

VISITING A COMPANY

TEXT A

1 Study this vocabulary and definitions and think of Russian equivalents:

itinerary – a plan or list of the places you will visit on a journey

foreign business trip – a journey abroad on business

colleague – s omeone you work with, used especially by professional people

cultural differences – societies that are unlike each other

social conventions – behaviour and attitudes that most people in a society consider to be normal and right

 

2 Read and translate the text, pay attention to the words in bold.

Business today is international. Business people have to travel a lot. They have to plan an itinerary for a foreign business trip to make good use of their time. On a business trip people may meet colleagues and business partners for the first time. It is usual for colleagues from different countries to experience cultural differences. In other words, they may be surprised by foreign social conventions, that is the different ways that other nationalities or different cultures do things.

3 Test your cross-cultural knowledge with this quiz.