First impressions last a life time, or at least until the guests check out, so it is important to make a good first impression. There are numerous expressions that can be used when first greeting people. Some are very formal and appropriate for greeting guests and some are more informal and should only be used with friends or co-workers. Obviously, employees of the hotel industry should use the more formal expressions, however the less formal expressions will also be presented to give learners a well balanced repertoire to choose from.  

     Formal Expressions      

           Good morning (sir/ma'am)

           Good afternoon (sir/ma'am). Welcome to (name of hotel/shop, etc)

           Good evening (sir/ma'am)     

           How are you this morning (afternoon, evening, today)?

     Less Formal Expressions

           Hello

           Hi

           What's up?

           How's it going?

Of course, after the greeting, the dialogue must be continued, and what is said then depends on the situation. When interacting with hotel guests that continued interaction usually involves determining what the guest wants or needs. A couple of standards that can be used in the hotel industry are:

      How can I help you today Ma’am (sir)?

      Can I be of assistance?

      How may I assist you?

      May I assist you with anything?

      What can I do for you today?

Dialogue 

Staff: Good morning Ma’am. Welcome to the (...Spa)

Guest: Thank you.  

Staff: How can I help you today?

Guest: I’m here for a (....massage).

Practice

Practice using the above expressions by having a dialogue similar to the ones above with a partner, one partner taking the role of the guest and the other the role of the staff. For additional practice, switch roles. Practice the dialogue several times, trying to use all of the expressions noted above.

          Remember that one the of best was to improve your English

          skills is to use the language over and over again. It may be

          boring and tedious but it works to make the language readily

          accessible for use when needed.

In normal social situations, to continue an interaction after a greeting, it is customary for people to introduce each other by giving their names (assuming of course they are meeting for the first time). But remember, that not all hotel employees would normally exchange names with a guest. For example, a bell man would not usually tell a guest his name, but a waitress in a restaurant may, as part of the standard restaurant greeting (such as "Welcome to the Beef House. My name is Rebecca and I'll be your waitress tonight"). Guest service representatives who interact with VIP guests may be more inclined to make a formal introduction as part of the extended service provided VIP's.

There are several expressions that can be used to accomplish these introductions. Look at the examples below.

Dialogue- introducing yourself

Staff: Hello, I’m Ms. Jabdee.                                     

Guest: Hello, Ms. Jandee, I’m Susan Appleton.

Guest: My name is John Grey.                        

Staff: Nice to meet you Mr. Grey, I’m Mrs. Sukjoy.

Guest: I’m George Franks. What's your name?                

Staff: My name is Sopida, Sopida Hakam. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Franks.
 

Guest: Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Frank Jeffers.

Helen: I delighted to meet you Mr. Jeffers. My name is Pornpan Orasa.

             This last example is a very formal introduction and would not

             be used unless meeting a very, very important person in a very

             formal situation (such as a ball in the government mansion while

             meeting the governor).

On occasion, you may find yourself in a situation where you have to introduce one person to another. Look at these possible expressions that are used for this.

Dialogue- introducing others

Peter: Sam Kellog, I would like to introduce Miss Helen Cranston. 

Sam: Hello Miss Cranston, nice to meet you.

Helen: Nice to meet you too Mr. Kelloog.      

Bob: Min Ju, this is my friend Betty Watson.

Min Ju: Hi Ms. Watson, a pleasure to meet you.

Betty: Same here.   

Alice: Harry, let me introduce my supervisor, Mr. Lee

Harry: Mr. Lee, it’s good to meet you.

Mr. Lee: Good to meet you too. But please, call me Sammy.

      Point to remember

         Many beginning learners use the expression "Nice to meet you",

         even when they interact with a person they have been introduced

         to before. This expression (Nice to meet you) is only used at a first

         meeting, not after that. Instead the person could say "Nice to see

         you again".

Practice

Practice using the above expressions by having a dialogue similar to the ones above with a partner, one partner taking the role of the guest and the other the role of the staff. For additional practice, switch roles. Practice the dialogue several times, trying to use all of the expressions noted above.

After the introductions it is only natural to continue the conversation in  some way. Many people inquire about your well being, especially with friends, acquaintances, and co-workers. Several expressions can be used for this, and the responses to these inquiries depend on how you actually feel. Look at these examples

IF GOOD

How are you?                                 Great.

How’s it going?                              Couldn’t be better.

How has your day been?               Fantastic.

 IF SO-SO

How have you been?                     Could be worse.

How’s the family?                           Fair to middling.

Did you have a good day?            I can’t complain.

IF BAD 

How do you feel?                            Not too good.

How was your day?                        I’ve had better days.

Have you had a good day?           No, it was lousy.

Goodbyes

After greeting, introductions, and polite conversation people will go their separate ways. There are numerous expressions that can be used when giving farewells. Some are more formal than others. Obviously the more formal expressions are more appropriate when interacting with guests. Look at the examples below.

     More Formal expressions

          Goodbye

          Thank you for coming. Have a pleasant day.

          Goodbye, please come again.

          Goodbye, I hope to see you again.

     Less Formal Goodbyes

          See you later (soon)           So long

          Good bye                             Bye

          I have to run                          I have to be going now

          Catch you later                    Later

          See you again                     Please come again

The informal expressions above can be used among friends and co-workers, but would be too informal to use with guests.

      Point to remember

         Bye-Bye is an expression that very young children use when they

         are first beginning to talk, or on rare occasions by women, but

         almost never by adult males.

Ok, you have greeted the guests, completed the necessary business (such as checked the guests in, asked them to have a seat while their table in being prepared in a restaurant, or given them their order at the bar). Now What?

People, being the social animals they are, many times feel uncomfortable just standing around and not interacting in anyway. Let's face it, almost nobody likes to be ignored. But how do you continue social interactions during these awkward  moments? Chit chatting is the solution.

Chit chatting is a natural and very common form of communication between strangers. With some one you know, continuing a conversation is easy. You would naturally talk about things you both have in common, such as the job, other friends, sports, etc.

With strangers, such as guests, chit chatting becomes a little more difficult. It is harder to find common areas of interest. Also some topics should not be asked about because they would be too personal. Such topics include: Are you married? How much money do you make? What is your religion or political affiliation?

These types of topics are too personal and should be avoided, unless of course the stranger brings them up first. Even then, be leery.

So what can you talk about? Below are a few safe suggestions. 

          Is this your first trip to (....Thailand)?

          Are you enjoying your stay so far?

          How do you like the weather (...on the island)?

          What country are you from?

          What’s the weather like in your country?

          What have you done so far since being here?

          Are you getting a lot of good photographs? (if the person has a camera)

          Have you been to any interesting places since you arrived?

          Have you had any local dishes that you particularly like?

          Have you purchased many souvenirs yet?

          Have you been to many (...beaches on the island)? Which was your

              favorite?

          How was the flight here? (for a guest first arriving, but don't ask this if

              they have been in the hotel for five days)

To continue a conversation in a natural manner it is important to listen to the other person very carefully. Many times, what they say will give you ideas or suggestions about what you should say or ask next. Look at the following dialogues.

Staff: How do you like the weather on the island?

Guest: It’s very hot, much hotter than I expected.

Staff: So, what's the weather like now in your country?

Guest: It’s cold and snowy.

             * Note that the staff’s second question was a natural follow-up to

                what the guest first said.

Staff: (seeing a guest with numerous shopping bags): Did you have a good

           time shopping?

Guest: Yes, I spend all morning in Patong.

Staff: Were you buying souvenirs for the folks back home?

Guest: That, and a few personal items.

          * Note that the staff’s second question is a natural follow-up from

            the guest’s first response. Just be sure NOT to ask too personal

            questions- such as what specifically they bought.

Practice

Practice using the above expressions by having a dialogue similar to the ones above with a partner, one partner taking the role of the guest and the other the role of the staff. For additional practice, switch roles. Practice the dialogue several times, trying to use all of the expressions noted above.