Taking and giving messages

Lesson 6

Taking a Message in Person for a Colleague

1. DIALOGUE Ω disk 1-17

Listen to the dialogue and note the numbered expressions.

(a visitor enters an office looking for a particular person)

Visitor: Excuse me...?⁵¹

Worker: Yes, may I help you?

Visitor: I'm looking for Ms. Connie Kudo. Does she work in this section?⁵²

Worker: Yes, she does.... Let's see. I am afraid⁵¹ that she's out of the office today. May I take a message?

Visitor: Oh, thank you. That would be great. Please tell her that Mary Anders stopped over⁵⁴ to discuss the possibility of arranging a general meeting for our two sections in the near future. I was in the neighborhood.....⁵⁵

Worker: All right. May I have your telephone number, Ms. Anders?

Visitor: Yes, it's the same area code as here...897-1029. My extension is 111.

Worker: OK, and when would be a good time for her to reach you?⁵⁶

Visitor: Anytime tomorrow would be fine.⁵⁷ I'll be in all day. And what is your name?⁵⁸

Worker: Oh, I'm Jane Hauser. I work on a different project team than Ms. Kudo, but I'll make sure that she gets your message.

Visitor: Thank you. Have a nice day. Bye.

Worker: You, too.⁵⁹ Bye.

⁵¹ Excuse me...? = this phrase is used to get someone's attention who may not realize you are standing there. In this case, she enters an office and most likely asks the nearest person to the door for assistance.

⁵² The visitor is not sure where in the company she can find Ms. Kudo, so she politely asks for her by name and then asks a follow up question to see if Ms. Kudo works in that section.

⁵³ I'm afraid... = this phrase is often used in English to mean "regret"; the worker isn't "afraid" in the sense of being scared, but only that she is sorry that Ms. Kudo isn't there to see her. [e.g. Although I'm having a wonderful time. I'm afraid I must be leaving now. It's getting late.]

⁵⁴ stop over = to make a brief visit at the office in the course of a journey to another place. Other similar phrases are: stop by, drop by, pay a visit, [e.g. On your way home tonight, can you stop over to Dan's place to pick up the book he borrowed from me?]

⁵⁵ ...in the neighborhood = This phrase means to be in the general area of the place you visit for another reason, [e.g. Since I'm in the neighborhood, I think I'll stop by to do some shopping.]

⁵⁶ to reach you = to get in touch or to call you. [e.g. I need to discuss the project with you in more detail. When is a good time to reach you?]

⁵⁷ Anytime tomorrow would be fine. = It is all right to call at any time the next day. [e.g. A: When can I give this report back to you? B: Anytime tomorrow is fine.]

⁵⁸ And what is your name? = Ms. Anders wants to know her name in case there is a question later on about the information she relayed (or didn't relay) to Ms. Kudo.

⁵⁹ You, too. = In this case, it means "You have a nice day, too." There was no need to repeat the entire phrase, so the worker offered the same departing phrase as she did - but in a shortened form. [e.g. A: Be sure to drive safely. B: You, too.]

2. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions with short answers from the dialogue.

1. Who is visiting Ms. Kudo?

2. What is the name of the person taking the message?

3. Did the visitor happen to be nearby when she stopped to visit?

4. What exactly was the message?

5. When can Ms. Kudo reach Ms. Anders?

3. MATCHING

Match the best combination of sentences from Column A and B.

COLUMN A	COLUMN B
• By the way…? • Good bye…? • Excuse me…?	- I’m sorry. I didn’t see you standing there.
- I’m afraid I must be going now.	• Well, thank you for coming today. • Oh, you mustn’t be scared really. • Yeah, I’m afraid to go now, too.
• When can I reach you? • When can we meet again? • When will I see you next?	- All day tomorrow is fine.
- Thank you for stopping by today.	• Of course, I always stop by on my way home. • You’re welcome. I don’t usually stop by. • Not at all, I was in the neighborhood.

4. MINI-DIALOGUES Ω disk 1-18

Listen and fill in the blanks and then role-play the dialogues with a partner.

a: Excuse me...I'm ( ) for Mr. Mitsuru Kikuchi. Is he in his ( ) today? b: No, I'm ( ). I'm ( ) that he took the day off ( ). May I take a message? a: Yes, thank you. ( ) tell him that Suzanne Nichols ( ) by to talk to him about his life insurance policy. b: How do you ( ) your family name...? a: It's N - I - C - H - O - L - S. My ( ) name is with a "z" also. b: S-U-Z-A-N-N-E? a: Yes, that's ( ).

a: ( ) ( )...where can I find the ( ) section? b: Right here. You're in the right place. Who would you like to ( ) with? a: Umm, I'm ( ) for a Ms. Gail Thurston. Is she in? b: Yes, she is...but I'm afraid she's in a ( ) right now. It could last ( ) a while. May I take a ( )? a: That would be ( ). Please tell her that Maki Sasaki dropped by to say hello. She knows who I am and she has my ( )... . b: All right. I'll be sure to let her know.

a: ...I'm sorry, but Mr. Henderson is not in ( ) ( ). Would you like to ( ) a message? b: Yes. Please tell him to give Paulo Vega a ( ) as soon as he can. It's rather ( ). a: When and where can he you? b: I'll be in my office later, so ( ) after 1:00 is fine. a: May I have your ( ) and number please? b: Yes, my name is Paulo.,.P A - U - L - O ...Vega...V - E - G - A. My number is 333-6723. a: Thank you Mr. Vega. I'll ( ) ( ) that he gets your message.

5. PAIRWORK-PRACTICE

Rearrange the sentences to make a conversation, then practice the dialogue with a partner.

Conversation A

– Yes, thank you. Tell him that Bob Brown stopped by. He has my number. – Yes, may I help you? – Will he return to the office today? – Oh, I'm sorry. Mr. Goins is out of the office right now. – Excuse me...? – I hope so. I'm looking for Mr. James Goins. Is he in today? – Let's see...he's scheduled to return late this afternoon. May I take a message?

Conversation B

– Yes. I'd like to see someone from the personnel department. – Yes, of course. What is your name? – Welcome to Hardy Industries. How may I help you? – I'm sorry, but everyone in that department is away today at a seminar. – My name is Philip Sprang...S - P - R - A - N - G. – I see.... May I leave a message – It's 555-2626. – All right, Mr. Sprang, what is your telephone number?

6. READING. AMERICAN BUSINESS CULTURE

Employee Professionalism and Customer Satisfaction Ω disk 1-19

The American business world is quite demanding and doing business in the United States is taken very seriously. Keen competition between companies is common, so an attitude of "winner takes all" is characteristic of salespeople when trying to get new customers.

Often companies will implement policies that reflect this attitude. One such policy is that "the customer always comes first." This means that the needs and desires of the customer come before all other business-related duties. Another business practice in the US is the idea that "the customer is always right." No matter what the customer says to or does, the company must try to accommodate the client accordingly. Especially in service-related businesses, like hotels and restaurants, it is important to make sure that the customer is always happy and satisfied with the service he/she receives.

In order to be a successful businessperson in the US, it is necessary is to follow a few standard rules. One rule is to act intelligently and competently in your position. If clients sense that you are not knowledgeable in your area of work, they may lose confidence in you and your ability, which directly affects the company as a whole.

Another rule is to take the first initiative in doing business. Always initiate contacts with customers first, and then follow-up accordingly after talking or meeting with them. This type of "initiative" helps to make you, as a representative of your company, stand out from all of the rest of the many businesspeople the clients may meet. It also shows that you take your work seriously.

Related to initiative is leadership. This trait is especially important when doing business with Americans because US businesspeople respect people who have leadership skills or who demonstrate special abilities in their work. Being a leader in your field impresses Americans. This trait will leave a good impression with them about you, and your company.

Doing business in America is easy if you remember to follow these simple rules. The idea is to stand out from your competitors by leaving a lasting impression on your customers. The business world is constantly changing and a client's loyalty only lasts until a better deal comes along.

Answer the following questions using information found in the essay.

1. What attitude is common among salespeople to get new customers in the US?

2. What happens if a client senses that a salesperson is not knowledgeable in his/her work or area?

3. What trait is related to "initiative"?

UNIT 3