TBL - dealing with an overly enthusiastic hotel receptionist

Accommodation

How many of these places have you stayed in?

Give some extra details:

• a bed in a shared room in a hostel

• a capsule hotel

• a 2* hotel

• a chain hotel, like the Ibis, Marriott or Hilton

• a lux 5* hotel

• a short-term apartment rental (like Air b&b)

• a cottage in the countryside

• a campsite

e.g. When I was 18, I went to London for a week. I was a poor student, so I stayed in a hostel. There were about 12 people in the same room. It wasn't so bad because I was only there to sleep. It was quite clean and comfortable and really cheap!

Meet Alex

Name: Alex

Nationality: Polish

Age: 22

Occupation: Student

Hobbies: playing computer games, playing chess, vibe

coding, reading

Personality: introverted, quiet, keeps himself to himself, doesn't like small talk

English level: B1 on a good day. He can understand a lot, and in the right situation, he can communicate well. But he doesn't have much experience with native speaker speech.

Current location: Just arrived in the UK. He's spending the night in London and then heading to Manchester to see a friend.

you will listen to Alex checking in at the hotel.

What problems do you think he might face?

Now listen to the dialogue.

Make a note of the misunderstandings that you hear.

Now read the tapescript below.

Were you right about your misunderstandings?

RECEPTIONIST: Hia! You all right? What can I do for you?

ALEX: Sorry ... What?

RECEPTIONIST: How can I help you?

ALEX: Oh, err, checking in.

RECEPTIONIST: All right, and can I see your passport, please?

ALEX: Err, yes. Here you are.

RECEPTIONIST: OK, Alex Nowak. Ahh, you're from Poland! My niece has been to Poland.

ALEX: Knees?

RECEPTIONIST: Yeah, she was there last summer, in Krakow. Said it was lovely.

ALEX: Your knees?

RECEPTIONIST: Yeah. Are you from Krakow?

ALEX: Err, no. But I was there some times. It's very beautiful place.

RECEPTIONIST: OK, Alex, that's a single room for one night with breakfast, is that right?

ALEX: Yes!

RECEPTIONIST: All right, I'll just read a quick few rules. All rooms are non-smoking, and that includes vapes and electronic cigarettes, so if you want to smoke, you'll need to go outside. Breakfast starts at half 7 and finishes at 10, so please make sure you get to the dining hall by at least half 9 to give yourself plenty of time. You'll be in room 305, which is on the the 3rd floor. Here's your key card. Some of them can get a bit fiddly sometimes, so if you have any problems whatsoever, just pop down and let us know and we'll replace it for you, all right?

ALEX: Sorry, what?

RECEPTIONIST: Sorry?

ALEX: Err, I'm sorry. I'm not, err. Not easy for me understanding when fast speech. Repeat, please.

RECEPTIONIST: Which part didn't you get?

ALEX: Err, everything. What did you say?

RECEPTIONIST: Right, there's no smoking in any of the rooms, so no vapes or electronic cigarettes either. And your room includes breakfast, so make sure you get there before half 9 but not earlier than half 7. And if there are any problems with the key card, just let us know.

ALEX: Err, OK. So, no smoking - I'm understand. Breakfast before 8:30.

RECEPTIONIST: Before half nine.

ALEX: Half nine? Is 8:30?

RECEPTIONIST: 9:30, love.

ALEX: Nine thirty love?

RECEPTIONIST: 9:30! Breakfast before 9:30!

ALEX: OK, I'm understand. And one question, how to go to Trafalgar square?

RECEPTIONIST: Well, you've got quite a few options really. You can take a taxi if you want, but they can be a bit pricey. It's also quite easy to get there on the bus. The 290 and 291 both go there and they're about every 5 minutes or so. But if the weather's nice, you're probably best off walking - it's only about 30 minutes on foot and there's plenty to see on the way. The other option is the tube. It's only 3 stops on the tube but then walking to the tube is about 15 minutes, so it's up to you really.

ALEX: Err. Yes. OK. Thank you.

RECEPTIONIST: You're welcome. Anything else I can help you with? D'you want me to call a porter to help you with your bags.

ALEX: Port? No port in bags. Only clothes.

RECEPTIONIST: Sorry?

ALEX: I have no port.

RECEPTIONIST: You have no port. What do you mean?

ALEX: You ask about port.

RECEPTIONIST: Ahhh, no, love, I was asking if you want me to call a porter, for your bags.

ALEX: No port!

Discussion

Have you ever had a conversation like this?

What's the biggest problem here?

a) Alex's level of English

b) the receptionist's skills

c) both

d) something else

What advice would you give ... ?

a) to Alex

b) to the receptionist

My commentary

It's good to roleplay different situations in English - ordering at a restaurant, checking in to a hotel, dealing with passport control, asking for and giving directions - but no roleplay will be a substitute for real life. You can never predict and control what other people will say, but you can learn how to take control of situations yourself.

The main problem here is not Alex's listening skills. Sure, he could learn more English, but the biggest problem is the receptionist. She speaks too quickly, she has a lack of awareness of what Alex can / can't understand and is unable to be flexible.

Alex's approach also doesn't help. Sometimes he pretends to understand (how to get to Trafalgar square) and sometimes he allows the receptionist to talk and talk and talk without interrupting her.

The best way to avoid this problem is:

- honesty early: "Sorry, I want to check in. My English isn't great, but if you speak slowly and use easy language, I think I can understand."

- be direct: this isn't a business deal. It doesn't really matter if the receptionist thinks you're rude. She needs to understand when she's making mistakes. Raise your hand to stop her mid-speech and repeat, every time, "Sorry, I don't understand," "Sorry, can you speak more slowly?" "Sorry, it's too fast and I don't understand." "Sorry, what is 'porter'? I don't understand."

Alex feels super uncomfortable. If he can make the receptionist feel uncomfortable too, she will move to a more functional style of speaking.

Task

20 minutes after Alex checks in, you walk through the door.

The receptionist (me) has just had a cup of coffee, so she's even more enthusiastic than before.

Here are some details:

• Single room

• 2 nights

• including breakfast

• you've already paid

Ask about:

• the wifi

• the gym / pool / sauna

• how to order room service

Reflection

How successful was the task?

Did you feel uncomfortable at all?

Have you ever used this kind of approach in real life?

Do you think this approach can work in 'high-stakes' situations too? (e.g. networking, negotiating a deal)