Chapter 4 Business travel&. Receiving visitors

Business travel

n  Inquiring about flights

n  How much is the one-way/round/return trip?

n  Are the flights to London non-stop?

n  Can I break my journey at Chicago?

n  Can I stop at New York?

n  Does that flight go every afternoon?

n  Booking air tickets

n  May I have a ticket to Chicago for February 12?

n  Can I book a flight to Shanghai on May 9th, please?

n  I’d like to fly/go economy /first class.

n  Checking in at the airport

n  May I see your passport, sir? /Your ticket and passport, please.

n  Can I take these bags as carry-on luggage?

n  Do you have any sharp items like scissors in your carry-on bag? You must check them in, if you have.

n  I’m sorry, your luggage is five kilograms overweight.

n  What’s the charge for the excess weight?

n  Going through customs

n  Do you have anything to declare?

n  May I see your passport and your customs and health declaration forms, please?

n  Please fill in this Customs Declaration Form.

n  You are cleared. Have a pleasant stay.

n  Inquiring about hotel reservations

n  I’d like to book a room for two nights.

n  May I have a double room with the park view?

n  Inquiring about services

n  Do you offer wake-up call service for guests?

n  When do you serve meals?

n  Asking about prices

n  I wonder what’s the rate for a twin room, please.

n  What’s the rate for the luxury suite from January 1st to 3rd?

n  I’d like a moderately priced room.

n  Price is no problem. I’d like a well-equipped room.

n  Checking in

n  I telephoned to make a reservation last week. My name is…

n  I have booked a double room in your hotel.

n  Let me check. Oh, yes, Room 507 is reserved for you.

n  Yes, right. I have your reservation here with me.

n  Would you please sigh your name  in the arrival/registration card?

n  Here’s your key. It’s on the 9th floor.

n  The porter will take your luggage up.

n  The bellboy will show you the way.

n  Checking out

n  I’m in Room 303. I will come downstairs to check out in a minute, would you get my bill ready?

n  I want to check out now. Could you prepare the bill for me?

 

Receiving Visitors

n  Asking for information about the visit/visitor

•       Are you Mr.Thomson?

•       Which company do you represent?

•       You must be Mr.Anderson from Sydney.

•       Yes, I am. Here’s my business card.

•       Can I ask what you would like to see him about?

•       May I know what it is about?

•       I’m here to discuss our agency agreement with your manager.

•       Sorry, I’d prefer to explain that to him directly.

•       Do you have an appointment?

•       Have you got an appointment with our director?

n  Asking the visitors to wait

•         Would you like to take a seat?

•         If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll tell him you’re here.

•         Take a seat, please. I’ll go to see whether our boss is in.

•         I’ll see if the director is free.

•         Take a seat, please. I’ll contact the Purchasing Manager.

•         Wait a few seconds, please. I’ll ring his extension.

n  Apologizing for having kept the visitor waiting

•       I’m sorry for the inconvenience. He is in the middle of a meeting.

•       I’m sorry for the delay. Mr. Wilson is engaged now.

•       I’m sorry for the mistake. The secretary is attending a meeting.

n  Expressing regret when someone is not present

•       I’m afraid Mr. White can’t see you today. He’s out.

•       The Financial Manager is ill today.

•       Mr. Waterston is in the middle of a meeting.

•       The Personnel Manager can’t be contacted just now.

n  Meeting guests at the airport

•       Excuse me, are you Mr.Wilson from the Sydney Trading Company?

•       It’s very kind of you to have come.

•       Thank you for coming to meet me.

•       Thanks for meeting me at the airport.

•       You’re welcome. Very pleased to meet you.

•       Not at all. It’s the least I could do.

•       I’m Jenny. I’m here to meet with you on behalf of my company.

•       Mr. David Johnson asked me to come here in his place to pick you up.

•       We’ve been anticipating your arrival.

n  Taking guests to their hotel

•       The car is waiting outside. This way, please.

•       Here we are, Mr. Brown. This is the White Swan Hotel. We’ve reserved a room for you on the 5th floor.

•       This is your room, Mr. Brown. How do you like it?

•       Oh, what a cozy and bright room! It’s very thoughtful of you to have arranged all this for me.

•       Anything else I can do for you?  No, thanks. Not for the moment.

•       Then I’d better take my leave so you can have a rest/ so you can get unpacked/ so you can freshen up after your journey/ so you can settle in.

n  Small talk topics

•       How was your flight?

•       How was your trip going?

•       Are you feeling any jet lag（飞行时差综合症）?

•       Fine weather, isn’t it?

•       Is this your first trip to China?

•       How do you find the weather here?

•       What was it like when you left?

•       How was your hotel?

•       Is everything all right?

•       The plane was late in arriving /taking off.

•       Just wonderful! Good food and good service.

•       It is comfortable /convenient/luxurious.

•       Yes, it’s lovely /warm/sunny.

•       It was a little dismal（阴郁的）/cloudy/damp（潮湿的）/stormy/windy.

•       The service is excellent.

•       It’s rather noisy.

 

n  Seeing off

•       I look forward to meeting you again and have further discussions over that matter with you.

•       So do I. Thank you once more for all you’ve done for me.

•       I hope you can come again.

•       I will. Thanks again for all your help.

•       You’re welcome. Take care and have a nice trip, Mr. Drake.

•       Please send my regards to your boss.

•       Say hello to Cathy for me.