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luncheon

Unit 27 :
Planning a Business Luncheon

 Intermediate

Objective

To be able to share ideas on planning business luncheon.

luncheon
  • Brain Storm : Share your ideas with your teacher. Try to make sentences.

Have you tried to be a planner of an event? If so, how did you do it? If not, what will you do to make it enjoyable?

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Vocabulary

Read the following words or phrases with your tutor and use it in a sentence.

  • in charge(phr)
  • to hold(v phr)
  • banquet room(n)
  • corkage fee(n)
  • arrangements(n)
  • unprofessional(adj)
  • picking up the tab(phr)
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Dialogue 1

Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

Manager Linda

Jeff

Bruno’s.

Hi, I’m calling from Nika Corporation. We would like to hold a business lunch at the restaurant.

Oh, certainly. I’m Linda, the manager. I can help you with that. How many will there be in your party?

There will be about 18 people.

Okay. For a party that size, we have a separate banquet room in the back.

Is there an extra charge to reserve the room?

No, as long as you can guarantee at least 15 guests, there is no extra charge.

That’s great. I’d like to go ahead and reserve the room, then, for Friday, December 2, at around noon. 

This is a retirement party and we’d like to bring a cake for the guest of honor and some bottles of champagne. Will that be acceptable?

The cake is no problem at all, but we do charge a corkage fee of $15 a bottle for any alcohol not purchased from the restaurant.

Oh, that’s fine.

Great. I have the banquet room reserved for a luncheon for Nika Corporation on the 2nd of December. May I have your name and contact information?

Sure. I’m Jeff McQuillan and my number is 323-555-6840, extension 42.

Thanks, Mr. McQuillan. I’ll give you a call a week in advance to confirm the arrangements.

Sounds good. Thanks for your help.

Thank you for choosing Bruno’s. We look forward to seeing you on the 2nd.

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Let’s Practice

Answer the following questions.

1. What was the conversation all about?

2. Why are they having the party?

3. What did the customer asked to the manager?

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Dialogue 2

Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.

Yolanda

Sunan

 I will never invite George to another business lunch with clients again!

Why, what happened?

George has the worst manners of anyone I know. First of all, he was ten minutes late. And as soon as he sat down, his cell phone rang and he answered it!

Maybe it was an important call?

From his girlfriend? It was completely unprofessional.

I know George is a little rough around the edges, but he’s not that bad.

You don’t think so? After I introduced him to the clients, he told them that he had been up late the previous night, because one of our other account representatives didn’t finish her proposal and he had to complete it. 

Everyone knows not to air their company’s dirty laundry in public, especially in front of clients.

Okay, that was a blunder. Normally, George isn’t so clueless. I wonder if he was distracted.

I don’t buy that as an excuse. And here’s the kicker: He ordered two drinks during lunch! If that weren’t bad enough, when he ordered his second one, he jokingly thanked the clients for paying for lunch. 

Of course our company was picking up the tab since we invited them! I was mortified.

I’ll admit that that was bad, very bad. Are you going to have a talk with George?

I will as soon as I calm down a little. I’m seeing red right now.

Then waiting a little while is a good idea. I’d better go warn George…

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Discussion：

Share your ideas with your teacher.

1. What would you do if one of your clients or workmates behave unpolite?

2.  In your country, how do you know if you can trust a person that you meet?

3. How do you know if you can trust a person that you have met?

4. What is one thing that many people don’t know about you?

5. Do business people exchange business cards in your culture? How do they do it?