Background: This ESL podcast is about vacation plans and booking tickets on the phone. There is a problem though, but Andrew in the conversation comes up with an interesting solution. Listen to this fun English learning podcast while learning great phrases for daily conversation. Tell us what you think on the discussion forum linked below.
Discussion forum
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English Learning Conversation
| A: Smith’s Travel, Steve speaking. How can I help you?
B: Hi Steve, It’s Andrew Best calling. I believe we spoke yesterday over the phone about my trip to Hawaii. A: Yes, I remember, how are you? B: I’m fine thanks. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that something came up and we’re going to have to postpone the trip another month. A: Oh I’m really sorry sir, but those tickets are non-refundable.. B: I don’t want a refund, I just want to change the dates. A: The thing is that this trip was a limited time offer and was only for those specific dates. There’s really nothing we can do. B: Well, I wasn’t aware of that. Can’t you bend the rules a little this time? I’ve been a loyal customer for years. A: I’m afraid that would be against store policy. B: It’s amazing you forgot to mention these restrictions yesterday. Oh well, I guess I could just give them to my friend. He’s always wanted to go to Hawaii. Just change the name on the ticket to “Bob Williams”. A: Unfortunately I can’t do that either, these tickets are also non-transferable. Anyway, there was a problem yesterday with your credit card. I think I may have written down the wrong number. Could I have it again please? B: I’m afraid I can’t do that. A: Why not? B: My personal policy is that I can only give out my credit card number once? I guess the Joke’s on you Steve. A: You can’t do that. |
Phrases and Vocabulary used:
Something came up: “Something came up” means that some other more urgent thing happened which caused you to change your original plan. It can be used as an excuse. It often implies that whatever “came up” is a little personal and you hope the other person will understand that you don’t wish to tell them the exact reason.
Postpone: Postponing something means to “delay” something. The sentence “It’s raining so today’s football game will be postponed until next Friday”, means that the football game was originally scheduled for today but now it will played on Friday instead”.
Non-refundable: A “refund” means to get your money back after you paid for something. If you buy a new shirt and then later realize that there was some problem with the shirt, you can return to the store, give return the shirt and say, “I would like a refund please”. It means, “Pease give me my money back”. If a product is “Non-refundable” it means that once you buy the product, you can’t take it back for any reason.
Limited time offer: A “limited time offer” is a special deal that is only valid for a certain amount of time and then it ends. For example, if a store is selling jackets for 50% off for the next two weeks only, then that is their “limited time offer”.
Bend the rules: “Bending the rules” means to allow for some flexibility in the rules. For example, imagine you were only allowed to drive at 85 km per hour on a certain road, and a policeman found you driving 87 km per hour. If he was nice and didn’t give you a fine, he would be “bending the rules”.
Store policy: Most stores and companies have certain “policies” which are like rules that the store must follow. One example of a store policy might be for the store to allow any customers to return any products they aren’t satisfied with. The workers of the store are supposed to follow these policies strictly.
Non-transferable: A non-transferable ticket is a ticket that only one person can use. You can’t give it to someone else. Airplane tickets are often non-transferable. If you buy an airplane ticket, you are the only person who can use it. If you decide not to go, the ticket is useless because no one else is allowed to use it.
Personal policy: A personal policy is used as a joke here. People might have principals, or rules that they live their lives by, but this guy was trying to say that “since the store’s policies are so strict and silly, then I’ll just say that I have a silly policy too and act like a can’t change it”. Here he was saying that he only gives his credit card number to anyone once. This rule or “policy” doesn’t really make any sense, but he just used it to get even with the store because he was upset.
The joke’s on you: If you tell someone, “the joke is on you” it means that they are the unfortunate one in the situation, or the reason people are laughing.
November 29th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Hi, I really enjoy it, very interesting show. You,re really talented. Thanks guys.
December 26th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
poor Steve
, great dialogue, thanks
March 26th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
they talk about steve´s travel to hawaii but exist diferents problems to the trip, one fo this problems is these tickets are also non-transferable. Anyway, there was a problem yesterday with your credit card. But steve wants travel to hawaii this problems not affect to steve.
October 18th, 2011 at 11:23 am
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