The needs of the business traveler

Interviewer:	What do business travelers look for most in a travel company?
Carlos Lozano:	Mainly it’s speed and efficiency, no fuss, not to have to worry about the arrangements. They want to be able to say ‘we want this’, and we do it. Ordinary tourists, maybe they want to spend time talking about the different possibilities – it’s part of the fun for them, but not business travelers. They want to be able to book last minute, and 24 hours a day- - and to make changes at the last minute – and things like express check-in and use of a business lounge at airports. They also want a personal touch. We allocate an account manager to each of our clients and they all have a client history at their fingertips, things like preferences on window or aisle seats, type of hotel room, meal options. We like to know our clients.
Interviewer:	Yes, that must be important.
Carlos Lozano:	Yes, and it means we can arrange everything for them – flights, transfers, hotel, car hire, meeting rooms.
Interviewer:	So, it’s a kind of package.
Carlos Lozano:	Not really a package, more of a menu – ‘this is what we can offer – which services do you want us to arrange for you.’
Interviewer:	As far as hotel requirements go, what do business travelers tend to look for?
Carlos Lozano:	Assuming the basics of comfort, cleanliness, fast internet access, and so on, the number one is location – centre of town near to the airport both of those if possible.
Interviewer:	Business travel has an image of luxury high costs, high expense accounts and so on. Is that true?
Carlos Lozano:	Certainly not. Businesses these days are looking for value for money. Of course, compared to regular tourists, they still tend to use higher quality accommodation and upgraded travel, particularly when entertaining important clients. For us it’s a bit of balancing act – providing excellent quality and service, but not charging too much. But we find ways to go the extra mile.
Interviewer:	‘Go the extra mile?’ What do you mean by that?
Carlos Lozano:	Giving a little bit extra that will make them appreciate us and justify why they should use us rather than book direct over the Internet. For example, I’ve already mentioned the personal touch, but we also offer support services such as info packs on the place they’re going to – simple fact sheets with practicalities of time difference, climate, transport services, visa and health requirements, and so on. Also, we produce a mini ‘Culture Guide’, covering basics of social etiquette and doing business with different cultures. It’s proved very popular.
Interviewer:	That’s very interesting. Thanks for talking to us, Carlos.
Carlos Lozano:	You’re welcome. (Robin Walker & Keith Harding Tourism 2 Unit 11)

Ex. 32

- Mark, your company specializes in corporate travel. What exactly does that mean?

- Well, we aim to look after all the needs of the business traveler. That includes booking flights and hotels, planning and arranging itineraries, advising on locations, sorting out conference venues, providing VIP services, arranging visas and insurance, and so on.

- Quiet a range.

- Yes. What we’re doing really is offering a complete package for the business traveler so that he or she can concentrate on the business while we look after the travel.

- Do you find that the needs of the business traveler are different from the ordinary tourist?

- Yes, quite different. To start with, we don’t usually deal directly with the person who’s going to be using our services – it’s more likely to be a secretary or an assistant who makes the arrangements. Also, for the ordinary tourist the arrangements for the flights, the hotel, the resort, or whatever are all part of the fun, and they want to spend time choosing them. But for the business traveler they’re a just a means to an end. First and foremost what the business traveler wants is speed and efficiency. One of the most common requests is a reservation at short notice, and we pride ourselves on being able to provide this.

- Do you have any special ways of doing this?

- Well, we keep detailed records of a client’s history, all their preferences and particular needs, so we know which airline they prefer to fly with, which class they want to fly, and so on. With corporate travel the secret is knowing your customer and being able to provide the full range of services for their needs. We take over the whole contract for a company’s business travel arrangements. In return we can offer attractions like discounts and extended credit.

- What exactly is extended credit?

- It means we can set up an account and give the client a longer period to pay, sometimes as much as ten weeks. The ordinary tourist usually has to settle up eight weeks before departure.

- I see. And in general, what things are most important for business travelers?

- It’s difficult to generalize, but it’s probably flight times – they want to have a choice of times and a speedy transfer through the airport, so if we can ensure express check-in and check-out it’s a bonus. Things like good food and free champagne aren’t as important as some advertisers want to think.

- What about upgrades?

- Yes, they’re quite important. Automatic upgrades, which some airlines offer, are especially important for the frequent traveler. We always make sure we know which airlines have special promotions on, because you often get good deals which can save the client’s money.

- Could you tell me something about what the business traveler looks for in a hotel accommodation that you arrange?

- Number one is location – not far from the airport and not far from the city centre, or wherever they’re doing business. That’s assuming, of course, that the hotel has everything that we could regard as essential, such as en suite facilities, and access to fax and modem.

- What about things like meeting rooms and business suites?

- Yes, well they can be important depending on the purpose of the trip. But I would say that comfort is probably more important. You often find that particular clients are very loyal to certain hotel chains, partly because they often get better deals though “Priority Clubs’ – you know, things like discounts, and express check-in and check-out – also because they like to know what to expect, a sort of home from home. So once again it pays to keep our client history records up to date.

- Right, thanks, Mark. Good luck with the business.

- Thanks.

(Keith Harding. Going International Unit 3 Listening 2)

Ex. 34

Interviewer:	Margaret, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? I know you travel quite a lot in your job. Can you tell us about some of the business trips you go on?
Margaret:	Certainly. As Marketing Director, most of my travel is abroad as I’m working with agents, mainly in Europe, but also in Japan and Brazil. Many of the trips are exhibitions and conferences, but also sometimes I’ll go off my own bat to visit agents or contacts that we have already made or are hoping to establish.
Interviewer:	How do you usually arrange these trips
Margaret:	If it’s a trade fair or exhibition then it will often come as a package, so the hotel, the stand, and the flight will all come together, but if I'm going on my own, then I would usually get my secretary to organize the flight and a hotel in a good location.
Interviewer:	Interesting. What type of accommodation do you stay in normally and what special features do you look for in a hotel?
Margaret:	I tend to look for a hotel close to the trade fair or centrally located if I’m having several meetings in the centre or outside the city. Basically, when I’m abroad I still need access to a fax and my own phone, but other than that it would be the normal en suite room, sports centre if possible, depending on how long I’m going abroad for.
Interviewer:	Do you need special secretarial services while you’re abroad?
Margaret:	Sometimes, but mainly I can get by with hand-written faxes. Occasionally, if several letters have to be sent, I’ll obviously make use of the secretary in the hotel.
Interviewer:	Because a lot of hotels nowadays do have Business Centres. Have you found those useful?
Margaret:	Definitely. Especially if you’re on long-haul trip or travelling around for two or three weeks, and you’ve got to report back to the office.
Interviewer:	Are there any special facilities that you look for as a businesswoman?
Margaret:	Well, number one has got to be the location. You want to be in a good part of the town, preferably easy to get taxis, or near a metro station. For security reasons I would always ask for a room near the lift and on one of the lower floors. I don’t like spending a lot of time in a lift on my own or walking along long corridors, even when I’m in a city that’s safe.
Interviewer:	Do you find that hotels treat you differently because you’re a woman?
Margaret:	Often they presume that you're just staying there while your husband is at meetings, which is very presumptuous of them to begin with. But sometimes I don’t think you get such good rooms as the businessmen although you pay exactly the same rare.
Interviewer:	Really? Now, I know you've visited many different countries, not just in Europe but also in Japan and South America. Have you been aware of different business customs and practices?
Margaret:	Well, certainly before travelling to another country, 1 always try to read up a little bit about how business is conducted there. For example, in Japan the-giving and receiving of business cards is much more elaborate than it is here in Europe. Similarly, when you go to visit a Japanese office, the first thing they often ask you to do especially in the smaller offices - is to take your shoes off and put on some slippers, at which point you’re usually given a glass of green tea. I found that Japanese businessmen and women do make you feel very welcome, much more so than in some of the busier European offices, where you can be left waiting for your business appointment to turn up.
Interviewer:	Right. That’s all very interesting. Thank you very much indeed, Margaret.

(High Season Unit 9 Listening 5)

Ex. 39

Get the Job Done

An Office Away from Home

Just because you are away from the office doesn’t mean that you can’t do business as usual. The Royal Point offers several amenities just for the busy business traveler.

Hour Business Centre

Need to send a report to your home office or get copies of an important document? Then visit our business centre, which is equipped with the following office equipment:

· computers

· printers

· fax machines

· photocopiers

Don’t forget Wi-Fi access is available throughout the hotel, including the pool area.

Conferences and Workshops

Our brand-new conference centre is perfect for large meetings. We have four large conference rooms, each able to accommodate 100 people. We also have twelve meeting rooms which are suitable for smaller events.

Our state-of-the art equipment includes:

· videoconferencing

· projectors

· microphones

We also provide onsite technical support to troubleshoot any problems.

Corporate retreats

Have your next corporate retreat at the Royal Point Hotel. We offer two venues for private functions. Benefits of hosting your retreat with us:

· Work with our event coordinator, who will help plan all the details of your retreat

· Breakfast, light lunch and afternoon tea for all attendees

Ex. 42 & 43

Manager: Hi, I’m organizinga conference for my company. Can

y ou tell me what facilities you have available?

Employee: Yes, of course. We have conference rooms that

accommodate up to 100 people.

Manager:	That’s perfect. And what kind of 1)equipment is available?
Employee:	All of the conference rooms come equipped with 2) sound and video equipment.
Manager:	Does that mean that there are 3)microphones available?
Employee:	That’s right. And we also have equipment for 4) video-conferencing.
Manager:	I don’t think we’ll need that. We will, however, need a 5) projector. Can you supply one?
Employee:	Yes, ma’am. Our staff will even set it up before the conference starts.
Manager:	Excellent. What sort of technical assistance do you offer?
Employee:	We have 6)onsite technicians that can help you resolve any problems you may encounter.
Manager:	Great. Thanks for the information. I’ll be in contact soon.

References

1. Robin Walker and Keith Harding. English for Careers. Tourism 2. Students’ Book. Oxford University Press, 2010 – 145 c

2. Robin Walker and Keith Harding. English for Careers. Tourism 3. Students’ Book. Oxford University Press, 2010 – 144 c

3. Мошняга, Е.В. Английский язык: туризм, гостеприимство, платежные средства: учеб. пособие / Е.В. Мошняга.— 5-е изд., стер. — М.: Советский спорт, 2012.— (Профессиональное туристское образование) (электронная библиотека)

4. Keith Harding & Paul Henderson. High Season. English for the Hotel and Tourist Industry. Oxford University Press, 2000 – 176 с.

5. Virginia Evans, Jenny Dooley, Veronica Garza. Hotels & Catering. Express Publishing, 2011 – 114 c.

6. A. Lockwood and S. Medlik. Tourism and Hospitality in the 21St Century. Elsevier Buttenvorth-Heinemann Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford, 2003 – 345

7. Moscow City Committee for Tourism and Hotel Industry. Moscow Hotels market review, 2012 – 32.

8. International hotel chains in Russia – 2016 – 12.

9. Hotel Industry in Russia. IMAGE: HTTP://WWW.TOURISM-REVIEW.COM/DATA/FLAGS/142.GIF

10. www.youtube.com

11. Innovations Technologies Worldwide. http://www.innovationtw.com

12. International Hotel Chains in Russia. http://investinrussia.com/data/files/EY-international-hotel-brands-review-2016-eng.pdf

 

Автор-составитель

 

Петрашевская Екатерина Георгиевна

 

Professional English for Hospitality

Уровень 7

 

Учебное пособие с аудио и видеоприложением по дисциплине «Английский профессиональный язык» по направлению подготовки 43.03.03 «Гостиничное дело» профиль «Гостиничная деятельность»

Государственное автономное образовательное учреждение

высшего образования города Москвы

Московский государственный институт индустрии туризма

имени Ю.А. Сенкевича

 

 

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