Lesson 26: Unit 52 HELPING PEOPLE

Lesson 26: Unit 52 HELPING PEOPLE

David: Today helping people.

Natalie: We look at how to deal with people.

David: And how to solve their problems.

Kevin: And we meet this woman. Tina Sonnier who works at University in Florida.

Natalie: I had a problem this morning.

Kevin: That’s right. You were late for work.

Natalie: I know. My grandmother telephoned me. She wasn’t feeling very well.

David: I’m sorry to hear that.

Natalie: And she needed my help. She wanted me to go shopping with her.

David: So what did you do?

Natalie: I took her shopping in my car. The trouble is I nearly had a crash.

Kevin: And what if you had had a crash?

Natalie: What do you mean?

Kevin: What would we have done here if you’d had an accident?

Natalie: Look! I had to help my grandmother. If I hadn’t taken her shopping, she wouldn’t have had any food.

David: Well, Natalie went to help her grandmother, and she was late  for work. What would you have done in her position?

1.    I would have done exactly the same.

2.    I would have phoned the school to tell them I was going to be late.

3.    I would certainly have taken my grandmother to the shops. I think people do have obligations to their relatives, and particularly elderly relatives.

4.    I would have explained to my grandmother that I had to be on time.

5.    I would have run the office made some excuse and taken my grandmother to the shops.

6.    I’d have taken my grandmother to the shops.

Mighty man: This is a job for Mighty Man. What’s the matter?

Mary: My washing machine has gone wrong.

Mighty Man: Oh dear. I’m sorry to hear to hear that. But don’t worry. I’ll soon mend it… It’s all right, no job is too hard for me…. Do you know something? If I’d known you had a problem, I would have brought my tools… There you are! Now, what would you have done if I hadn’t arrived?

Mary: I would have asked her to mend it.

Mighty Man: Oh dear!

If I’d known.	If I’d known, I would have brought my tools.	I would have asked her to mend it.
If I had known.	What would you have done, if I hadn’t arrived?

Universal Studios  Florida is a theme park and it’s also the largest working motion picture studio outside of California. Here we have many rides and shows based on different movies or television series that may now be in progress and we also do a number of productions such as commercials and movies right here on our back lot. You’re gonna have a lot of fun today so let’s say smile. Ok. To go to 18 right now we’re right here all you do is walk up Hollywood Boulevard, sir, just make a right at the stop sign and continue walking past Mel’s Dinner to our world expo area . it’s a very good place to start.

Our Guest Relations Department is set up to assist our guests with whatever needs they may have throughout their day here at Universal. We do everything from warming baby bottles to assisting guests that may get sick throughout the day; giving out information whether it be foreign language information or just assisting people with planning their day throughout the park.

I also try to find out from our guests where they’re from if this is their first trip or their second trip usually if it’s their first trip then they need to get familiarized with our studio and so I suggest ways that they can familiarize themselves by either taking our production tram tour are by walking a certain path that will give them a bird’s-eye view of everything that they need to do or may want to see. Our production towards a 15 minutes informational and so what it will basically do is it will take you around the studio and just show you where everything is. OK, thank you very much. You’re welcome. Have a good time.

We get a great many people here from foreign countries who do not speak English. And it’s very hard sometimes to communicate with these people. But oftentimes people can speak just very few words of English; or… three seems to be always someone available to speak, whether it’s a few words of French or Spanish or Portuguese, or whatever it may be to be able to assist that guest.

We also have a great number of people here that are deaf, and we all don’t know sign language; and so sometimes it comes down to them writing down what they need; and we write back to them.

But also very often it’s gestures. It’s –well, you know- “How can I help you?” “I don’t know”. “Maybe”. And, you know: “Come whit me”. “Is this what you want? Pointing.

Gestures

Sign language

We would have done the same thing as far as the VIP pass. However, she wouldn’t have been able to fully enjoy her day here, go back to the hotel and then come back that night, because there would have been no night events to come back to.

The toughest part about working in Guest Relations is being yelled at relentlessly. Oh gosh… I have not always been in Guest Relations; and it is very hard to sometimes listen to some of the things that people have to say to you, because they are just so frustrated and they  are so mad; they are going to get it out of their system, and they don’t care what they’re calling you or what they’re saying. This is how they feel and you have to stand there and listen. And it used to be very, very hard; but I think, because I’m becoming more accustomed to it, it’s OK now. I understand that they’re just venting, and I know not to take it personally. But it’s hard. It’s very hard.