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Car Availability
Listen
to the Entire Lesson
When you travel, it is common to rent a car. You
will either call and make a reservation, or you will rent one by walking up to
the counter. We will cover both scenarios here.
At the Counter
If you are at the airport, you can ask an airport employee, "where
is the rental car booth?" or "where
can I rent a car?"
After you arrive at the place, you will ask if you any cars are available. Here
is a common script.
"Hi.
I would like to rent a car."
"Do
you have any cars available?"
They might ask, "Did
you make a reservation?" In this scenario, you didn't
so you can answer, 'no.' If they don't have any cars available, they will say,
"I'm
sorry, we do not have any cars available today."
If that is the case, then go to the next counter. Most airports have numerous
car rental booths so you can keep asking until you find a company that has a
car available. If you are going during peak vacation periods, it might be good
to call and reserve one. But let's continue with this scenario.
If they have a car available, they will ask what type of car or what size.
"What
size car would you like?"
"What
type of car would you like?"
"What
type of car do you need?"
"What
sizes do you have?"
"What
are my options?"
"We
have compact, midsize, full size, luxury, SUV, and a minivan."
"How
much is the full size car?"
"How
much is the midsize car?"
"How
many does the full size car seat?"
"How
many can fit in the midsize car?"
"I'll
take a midsize car."
Duration and General Questions
In order to verify if they can give you the car you
requested, they need to know how long you will need the car for.
"How
long will you be needing the car?"
"How
long will you be renting the car?"
"When
do you need the car till?"
"I'll
need the car for two weeks."
"I
want to rent it for one week."
"I
need it for 4 days."
"I
need it for just a day."
They might ask you to fill out a form, or they might ask you many questions.
"What
is your last name?"
"What
is your first name?"
"Are
you a United States resident?"
"What
country are you from?"
"What
is your address?"
Insurance and Driver License
Before giving you a price, they will then ask if you
would like insurance or if you have insurance. The price varies. Last time I
checked it was approximately $15 a day for insurance.
"Would
you like insurance on the car?"
"How
much is insurance?"
They will also ask who is going to be the driver.
"Who
is going to be the driver?"
"How
many people are going to drive?"
"Are
all the drivers at least 25 years old?"
You will have to provide a driver's license. If you are from a different
country then you should at least have an international driver's license
prepared from your country.
"Can
I see your driver's license?"
"May
I have your driver's license?"
"I
will need to see your driver's license."
Price and Rules
Finally, they will tell you the price and you will
have to pay with a credit card.
"The
total will be $184.19."
At this time, you can give them your credit card.
After you pay, they will tell you some rules.
"The
gas tank is full. You should fill it up before you return the car. If you do
not, then we charge $3 a gallon."
"You
can pick up your car downstairs. Just show them the invoice and they will have
your car ready for you."
"You
will need to return it by 4pm on the 16th. We charge an additional $8 for every
four hours that you are late. Return it to the same place you picked up the
car."
"Please
keep this form in the car. Bring it with you when you return the vehicle."
The price of $8 is just an example. Make sure you find out if you are not sure
you will be late or not.
"How
much do you charge if I am an hour late?"
After this process, you should have your car and you are ready to drive away.
Making a Reservation
You will be calling the company you are renting
from. When you call, you should verify if the rental car company has a location
at the airport you are flying into.
"I
need one at Los Angeles Airport."
"I
am flying into Los Angeles Airport."
If they have one, they will say they do and start asking you similar questions
we already covered. We will not repeat them here, but I will have a practice
session giving an example dialog on making a reservation below.
They might ask you for a credit card number on the phone. If you don't call and
cancel, you might be charged. So if you need to cancel, remember to call and
cancel at least 24 hours before the date. I am not sure if it is 24 hours. You
should ask and verify.
"If
I need to cancel, when should I do that by?"
"As
soon as possible, but in order to avoid a charge you should call 24 hours
before the date."
When you arrive at the counter, you will tell the person that you have a
reservation.
"Hi,
I have a reservation under last name Lee."
"Hi,
I have a reservation for a midsize car."
After that, they will confirm your information. They might ask you some
duplicate questions, but we should have covered most of it already.
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Car Rental - Interactive Practice
Click on
Listen All and follow along. After becoming comfortable with the entire
conversation, become Person A by clicking on the Person A button. You will
hear only Person B through the audio file. There will be a silence for you to
repeat the sentences of Person A. Do the same for Person B. The speed of the
conversation is native speed. Use the pause button if the pause between each
sentence is too fast for you. After practicing several times, you will be
able to speak as fast as a native.
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1
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Listen All |
Person A |
Person B
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A:
"Hello, ABC Car Rental. How can I help you?"
B: "Hi, I wanted to make a reservation."
A: "What location would you like to rent from?"
B: "I am flying into Los Angeles Airport. Do you have a booth
there?"
A: "Yes we do. What date are you flying in?"
B: "I am arriving on June 22nd."
A: "What time is your arrival time?"
B: "I am scheduled to arrive at 2 pm."
A: "How long would you like to rent the vehicle?"
B: "I will need it for 10 days."
A: "What size car would you like?"
B: "A midsize car please."
A: "Can I get your name?"
B: "Yes. My name is Sang Min Lee."
A: "Can you spell that?"
B: "Last name is L E E. First name is S A N G. Middle initial is
M."
A: "Great. Thank you. I have reserved a midsize car for you for June
22nd until July 1st. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
B: "That will be all."
A: "Thank you for calling."
B: "Thank you. Bye."
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2
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Listen All |
Person A |
Person B
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A:
"How can I help you today?"
B: "I would like to rent a car."
A: "Do you have a reservation?"
B: "No."
A: "That's alright. Let's see what we can find. We have several cars
to choose from. What size are you looking for?"
B: "What are my options?"
A: "A compact car, midsize car, and a minivan."
B: "How much are they?"
A: "Compact is $2.1.95 a day, midsize is $27.95 a day, and a minivan
is 35.95 a day."
B: "I'll take a midsize car."
A: "How long will you be renting the car?"
B: "One week."
A: "How many people will be driving the car?"
B: "Just myself."
A: "Would you like insurance?"
B: "How much is it?"
A: "It is $14.95 a day and it covers everything regardless of
fault."
B: "Yes please."
A: "Can I have your name?"
B: "Last name is Lee. L E E. First name is Sang. S A N G."
A: "You address please?"
B: "I am from Korea. Would you like my address in Korea?"
A: "Just the city name."
B: "Seoul, Korea."
A: "Can I see your driver's license and a credit card?"
B: "Sure. Here it is."
A: "Great. That will be $324.92. Would you like me to charge it on
this card?"
B: "Yes. That will be fine."
A: "Please sign here. You can pick up your car downstairs. Your
expected time to return the car is June 29th. That is exactly one week.
Show the attendant this invoice. When you return the car, bring this
invoice with you. Also, the gas tank is full, you should fill up the gas
tank before you return. If you don't want to, we can do it for $3 a gallon.
Is there anything else I can do for you?"
B: "That will be all. Thank you."
A: "Thank you. Good bye." | | |