Learn how to react appropriately to an angry guest, from a conversation between a hotel staff member and a guest
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Braden: Hi, everyone. Braden here. |
| Ann: Ann here. Serving Drinks at a Lounge or Bar. In this lesson you will learn important procedures for working in a lounge or a bar. |
| Braden:This conversation takes place in the hotel restaurant. |
| Ann:It is between the guest and the waiter. |
| Braden: The speakers have a staff-customer relationship, so they will be speaking professionally. |
| Ann: Let’s listen to the conversation. |
| POST CONVERSATION BANTER |
| Ann: In American culture, sometimes guests are very causal and will treat you as an equal. Other times they will just tell you what to do. |
| Braden:As a hotelier, you need to be able to handle both. It can be very difficult to know how you should act or what your guest expects. That is why many hotels have standards of procedure for the employees to follow. |
| Ann:The standards of procedure by a hotel can be as simple as a few general guidelines, or an entire manual with pages of detailed instructions. However, there are three things that are frequently repeated among most hotels. |
| Braden:First - listen carefully, and second - smile. |
| Ann:Few things are more irritating to most Americans than repeating themselves. If you listen carefully, the guest will not have to repeat themselves, and that will make them happy. |
| Braden:And smiling is one of very few universal signs of courtesy. There is no culture on Earth where a smile is considered offensive. |
| Ann:That’s true. |
| Braden:Now let’s take a look at the vocabulary for this lesson. |
| KEY VOCAB AND PHRASES |
| Ann:Let's have a closer look at the usage for some of the words and phrases from this lesson. |
| Braden:the first phrase we're going to look at is “will be wanting.” |
| Ann:The phrase “will be wanting” means the same as “will want.” This phrase is not common in American English, and some may even consider it incorrect. |
| Braden:However, it is common in British English and can be heard in daily conversation and even occasionally in writing. |
| Ann:We don’t suggest you use this phrase, but it is a good phrase to be familiar with, because you will certainly hear it. |
| Braden:Our second phrase is “filet mignon.” |
| Ann:The phrase “filet mignon” is an imported phrase. It comes from French and its original meaning is “dainty fillet,” according to the dictionary. |
| Braden:Filet mignon is a specific cut of beef that is known as being the most tender and succulent. Because of this, filet mignon is often the most expensive dish on a menu, and customers tend to be very particular about how it is prepared. |
| Ann:Since the word is from French, normal English pronunciation and spelling don’t apply to this word. For example, in English, fillet is spelled with two “L’s but in “filet mignon,” it is only spelled with one. |
| Braden:Also, this phrase is pronounced, “filet mignon” in English, not “fillet mig-non”, as it might appear. |
| Ann:Ok, now let's take a look at the grammar. |
| GRAMMAR POINT |
| Braden:In this lesson, you’ll learn the procedure for serving drinks at a lounge or bar. |
| Ann:In the dialog we hear the phrase “A martini for you, ma'am.” |
| Braden:There are many things to remember and do in order to be good at serving drinks. Often, waiters, waitresses, and drink servers make a majority of their income from tips, which means that being good at serving drinks can help you make more money. |
| Ann:First, in the United States, guests are accustomed to being served from the right, so always approach guests and deliver orders from the customer’s right side whenever possible. |
| Braden:While delivering the drink, you could say something like, “Excuse me, ma’am. Here’s your White Russian.” while placing it from her right. Never reach across a guest. |
| Ann:Second, most drinks require a specific glass be used. For example, wine is placed in a wine goblet, martinis in a martini glass, and beer in a beer mug. |
| Braden:Third, check all glasses for cleanliness. Sometimes the drink or drink extras are spilled on the glass during filling. Be sure to clean any spills you find. It’s customary to cover the serving tray with a cloth and place napkins on the tray. |
| Ann:Glasses that have a stem, such as champagne and martini glasses, should always be held by the stem or base. |
| Braden:Never touch the area where the drink will be placed. It will leave unsightly fingerprints. |
| Ann:More importantly, your hand will warm the drink. |
| Braden:Fifth, many bars and lounges and most hotels have beverage napkins with the hotel logo. Always include the napkins where necessary, and place the napkin’s logo facing up. |
| Ann:Sixth, serve women first, then men, then the host if he or she is at the table. |
| Braden:Seventh, many drinks have some kind of non-drink addition. For example, pina coladas have colorful umbrellas and martinis have green olives. Verify that these are correct before you take the drinks out to the table. |
| Ann:Eighth, when delivering the drinks, repeat the name of the drink as you are placing it in front of the guest. This allows you to confirm that the drink is correct. |
| Braden:That’s right. For example, in the dialogue, the waiter said, “And a vodka for you, sir.” to which the guest replied, “Yes, thank you.” |
Outro |
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| Braden:That’s it for this lesson. Thanks for listening, everyone! |
| Ann:And we’ll see you next time! |
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