4 Role play

Make up and act out with a partner a dialogue based on the following situation.

A guest comes up to Mrs. Dale, The Duty Manager, complaining angrily about the Hall Porter's Department. Since there are other guests present, the Duty Manager invites the guest to come to her office to talk things over.

The guest tells the Duty Manager that the Hall Porter yesterday promised to obtain theater tickets for a show in the city. He says that today, when he went to collect the tickets there was another porter on duty. The porter could not find any tickets for the guest, and could not find any record of the request for tickets.

It seems that the porter on duty today did not believe that the guest had made any request for tickets. The guest says that the tickets were promised, that he has made arrangements to go to the theater that night, and that it is the hotel's job to provide the tickets.

The Duty Manager apologizes, summarizes the complaint, and says that the Hall Porter is off duty today. However, she knows where he is. She promises to telephone him immediately and find out about the tickets. She says that if the hotel has made a mistake, she will personally contact the theatre and do her best to reserve tickets for this evening's performance.

5 Activity.

Look at some of the main "rules" for handling complaints and match them with the additional sentences bellow.

1. Listen carefully to the complaint.

2. Do not interrupt.

3. Wait until the person has completely finished.

4. Apologize.

5. Speak normally.

6. Summarize the complaint.

7. Explain what action will be taken, and how quickly.

8. If the guest is angry, aim to remove the scene to somewhere private.

   1. If you repeat the main points of a complaint, you make sure that there is no misunderstanding about the reason for the complaint, and saying the main points calmly helps to cool down the situation.

   2. Before saying anything at all, be certain that the guest has completely finished talking and is not just pausing for breath.

   3. A short clear apology should be the first thing you offer the guest. This must come before any explanations or reasons.

   4. Do not let your voice rise to match the voice of the guest. This will only lead to more argument.

   5. Make clear what you will do. Give the guest a definite time so that he understands that his complaint will be attended to.

   6. An interruption will cause the guest to carry on louder and longer.

   7. It is important to show that you are giving the guest full attention.

   8. This could be an office, or an empty lounge. Try to find a place where there is no barrier (table or desk) between you and the guest.

Discuss in pairs:

1. Which of these rules are most important? Decide on the three most important rules.

2. Which rule is most difficult to follow? Why?

3. Do you think the staff in Russian hotels are trained according to these rules? Give your examples.

Vocabulary notes

Appaling	Shocking or terrible
Calm or calm down	Become or make smb become quiet when they are angry of upset
Complimentary	Given free of charge
Contention	A strong opinion that someone expresses
Cope with	Deal successfully with
Disastrous	Very bad or harmful
Filthy	Very dirty
Recessive	Dominant (opposite)
Tangible	Clear enough or definite enough to be easily seen or noticed
To surge up	To suddenly increase, to shoot up
Trainees	People being trained for a job

UNIT 8.

Off-site Service

• Excursions

• Cruises