• two mistakes, two unhappy guests – and an important lesson from the General Manager

Tom works as a waiter in a five-star hotel. Today was a difficult day for him. He made two mistakes while serving guests.

The first problem happened during lunch. A family of four came into the restaurant. Tom showed them to their table and gave them the menus. They ordered food and drinks. Tom wrote down their order, but he was very busy and forgot to send it to the kitchen.

After twenty minutes, the family asked about their food. Tom checked his notes and saw his mistake. He said sorry and sent the order to the kitchen. The family was unhappy because they had waited a long time.

The second problem happened in the afternoon. A guest ordered tea and asked for milk on the side. Tom was in a hurry and brought the tea without the milk. The guest called him back and told him about the missing milk. Tom felt stressed. Instead of listening to the guest, he said that he was very busy and would bring the milk later. The guest became even more upset.

At the end of the day, the General Manager (GM) asked Tom to come to his office. He knew about the two problems and wanted to talk about them. Tom explained what had happened and accepted that he had made mistakes. The GM told him that good service was important, even when the restaurant was busy. He also said that Tom needed to listen carefully and check every order.

At home, Tom thought about the day. He decided to write down every order immediately and read it back to the guest. This would help him check that everything was correct and that he had not forgotten anything. Before sending an order to the kitchen, he would check it again.

He also decided to listen more carefully when guests ordered. When a guest had a problem, he would stay calm, listen without interrupting and say sorry if he had made a mistake.

Tom knew that everyone could make mistakes. But he wanted to learn from them and give better service the next day.

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Infinitive	Past Simple	Past Participle
be	was/were	been
make	made	made
come	came	come
give	gave	given
write	wrote	written
forget	forgot	forgotten
send	sent	sent
see	saw	seen
say	said	said
have	had	had
tell	told	told
feel	felt	felt
bring	brought	brought
become	became	become
will	would	—
know	knew	known
read	read	read
think	thought	thought
can	could	been able to

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Vocabulary:

Word / phrase	Definition
to serve guests	To give guests food and drinks in a restaurant or hotel.
the menu	A list of food and drinks in a restaurant.
to check one’s notes	To look at what you have written to make sure it is correct.
a mistake	Something that is not correct.
to be in a hurry	To need to do something very quickly.
to miss something	To forget to give or do something that is needed.
to feel stressed	To feel worried because you have too much to do.
instead of	In place of something or someone.
to be upset	To feel unhappy or angry about something.
to explain	To tell someone why or how something happened.
to accept	To say that something is true or right.
to check an order	To look at an order and make sure everything is correct.
to decide	To choose what you want to do.
immediately	At once; without waiting.
to stay calm	To be quiet and not get angry or worried.
an interruption	When someone stops you while you are speaking or doing something.

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Match the words with the definitions

Words

1. to serve guests
2. the menu
3. to check one’s notes
4. a mistake
5. to be in a hurry
6. to miss something
7. to feel stressed
8. instead of
9. to be upset
10. to explain
11. to accept
12. to check an order
13. to decide
14. immediately
15. to stay calm
16. an interruption

Definitions

A. To choose what you want to do.

B. A list of food and drinks in a restaurant.

C. To feel worried because you have too much to do.

D. At once; without waiting.

E. Something that is not correct.

F. To look at an order and make sure everything is correct.

G. In place of something or someone.

H. To give guests food and drinks in a restaurant or hotel.

I. When someone stops you while you are speaking or doing something.

J. To tell someone why or how something happened.

K. To need to do something very quickly.

L. To look at what you have written to make sure it is correct.

M. To feel unhappy or angry about something.

N. To forget to give or do something that is needed.

O. To say that something is true or right.

P. To be quiet and not get angry or worried.

_____________________________

Answer key:
1–H, 2–B, 3–L, 4–E, 5–K, 6–N, 7–C, 8–G, 9–M,
10–J, 11–O, 12–F, 13–A, 14–D, 15–P, 16–I
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Match the definitions with the words

Definitions

1. To look at what you have written to make sure it is correct.
2. To feel unhappy or angry about something.
3. To give guests food and drinks in a restaurant or hotel.
4. At once; without waiting.
5. To choose what you want to do.
6. Something that is not correct.
7. To tell someone why or how something happened.
8. A list of food and drinks in a restaurant.
9. To need to do something very quickly.
10. To look at an order and make sure everything is correct.
11. To say that something is true or right.
12. To forget to give or do something that is needed.
13. To be quiet and not get angry or worried.
14. In place of something or someone.
15. When someone stops you while you are speaking or doing something.
16. To feel worried because you have too much to do.

Words

A. to decide
B. an interruption
C. to feel stressed
D. the menu
E. to stay calm
F. to explain
G. immediately
H. to miss something
I. to serve guests
J. to be in a hurry
K. to accept
L. a mistake
M. instead of
N. to check one’s notes
O. to check an order
P. to be upset

_______________________________

Answer key:
1–N, 2–P, 3–I, 4–G, 5–A, 6–L, 7–F, 8–D, 9–J, 10–O,
11–K, 12–H, 13–E, 14–M, 15–B, 16–C
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Multiple-choice questions, choose the correct answer

1. Where does Tom work?

• A. In a small café.
• B. In a five-star hotel.
• C. In a family restaurant.

2. How many mistakes did Tom make?

• A. Two.
• B. Three.
• C. One.

3. How many people were in the family at lunch?

• A. Three.
• B. Five.
• C. Four.

4. What did Tom give the family?

• A. The bill.
• B. The menus.
• C. Their drinks.

5. What did Tom forget to do?

• A. Send the order to the kitchen.
• B. Give the family a table.
• C. Bring the menus.

6. When did the family ask about their food?

• A. After ten minutes.
• B. After thirty minutes.
• C. After twenty minutes.

7. How did the family feel?

• A. They were excited.
• B. They were unhappy.
• C. They were relaxed.

8. What did the guest want with the tea?

• A. Sugar.
• B. Lemon.
• C. Milk on the side.

9. Why did Tom forget the milk?

• A. He was in a hurry.
• B. He did not hear the order.
• C. He had no milk.

10. What did the guest do?

• A. Left the restaurant.
• B. Called Tom back.
• C. Asked for the bill.

11. What did Tom say to the guest?

• A. He would bring the milk later.
• B. He had forgotten the tea.
• C. He could not find the kitchen.

12. Who asked Tom to come to the office?

• A. The head waiter.
• B. The restaurant manager.
• C. The General Manager.

13. What did Tom do when he spoke to the GM?

• A. He blamed the guests.
• B. He accepted his mistakes.
• C. He left the office.

14. What did the GM say was important?

• A. Good service.
• B. Fast work.
• C. More staff.

15. What did the GM want Tom to do?

• A. Work longer hours.
• B. Serve fewer guests.
• C. Listen carefully and check every order.

16. What did Tom decide to write down?

• A. Every guest’s name.
• B. Every order.
• C. Every table number.

17. What would Tom do after writing down an order?

• A. Read it back to the guest.
• B. Give it to the GM.
• C. Wait for another guest.

18. What would Tom do before sending an order to the kitchen?

• A. Ask another waiter.
• B. Read the menu again.
• C. Check it again.

19. How would Tom react when a guest had a problem?

• A. He would leave the guest alone.
• B. He would listen without interrupting.
• C. He would explain that he was busy.

20. What did Tom want to do the next day?

• A. Give better service.
• B. Work in another restaurant.
• C. Avoid serving large families.

______________________________

Answer key
1–B, 2–A, 3–C, 4–B, 5–A, 6–C, 7–B, 8–C,
9–A, 10–B, 11–A, 12–C, 13–B, 14–A, 15–C,
16–B, 17–A, 18–C, 19–B, 20–A

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True or false

1. Tom works in a five-star hotel.
2. The family asked about their food after ten minutes.
3. Tom decided to write down every order immediately.
4. The guest ordered coffee with milk on the side.
5. The GM asked Tom to come to his office.
6. Tom remembered to send the family’s order to the kitchen.
7. Tom wanted to read the orders back to the GM.
8. The family at lunch had five people.
9. Tom brought the tea without the milk.
10. The GM told Tom to work faster and speak less.
11. Tom said sorry to the family.
12. Tom thought that people could never learn from mistakes.
13. The guest was happy with Tom’s answer.
14. Tom would check every order before sending it to the kitchen.
15. The GM said that good service was important.
16. Tom wanted to leave the hotel and find another job.
17. Tom told the guest that he was very busy.
18. Tom did not accept that he had made mistakes.
19. Tom wanted to listen without interrupting.
20. Tom wanted to give better service the next day.

______________________________

Answer key:
1–T, 2–F, 3–T, 4–F, 5–T, 6–F, 7–F, 8–F,
9–T, 10–F, 11–T, 12–F, 13–F, 14–T, 15–T,
16–F, 17–T, 18–F, 19–T, 20–T.
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Cause and effect – match each cause (1–10) with the correct effect (A–J)

Causes

1. Tom was very busy during lunch.
2. Tom forgot to send the family’s order to the kitchen.
3. The family had waited a long time.
4. Tom was in a hurry in the afternoon.
5. Tom brought the tea without the milk.
6. Tom said he was very busy and would bring the milk later.
7. The GM knew about the two problems.
8. Tom wrote down every order immediately.
9. Tom read the order back to the guest.
10. Tom listened carefully and stayed calm.

Effects

A. The guest became even more upset.

B. He forgot to send the order to the kitchen.

C. The family became unhappy.

D. He brought the tea without the milk.

E. The guest called him back.

F. The GM asked Tom to come to his office.

G. He could check that everything was correct.

H. He could give better service.

I. The family waited twenty minutes for their food.

J. He did not bring the milk with the tea.

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Answer key
1–B, 2–I, 3–C, 4–D, 5–E, 6–A, 7–F, 8–G, 9–G, 10–H
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Exercise 1 – Complete the sentences

Use the words in the box. There are three extra words.

busy – kitchen – milk – mistakes – order – office –
read – sorry – stressed – twenty – immediately –
calm – guest – afternoon –
listen

1. Tom forgot to send the family’s __________ to the kitchen.
2. The family waited for __________ minutes.
3. Tom said __________ to the family.
4. The guest wanted __________ with the tea.
5. Tom felt __________ when the guest called him back.
6. The GM asked Tom to come to his __________.
7. Tom accepted that he had made __________.
8. Tom decided to write down every order __________.
9. He would __________ the order back to the guest.
10. Tom wanted to stay __________ when guests had problems.
11. Tom was very __________ during lunch.
12. The family came into the restaurant and ordered food and __________.
13. The guest became even more __________ after Tom’s answer.
14. Tom wanted to __________ more carefully when guests ordered.
15. Before sending an order to the kitchen, Tom would __________ it again.

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Answer key:

Answer key: 1–order, 2–twenty, 3–sorry, 4–milk, 5–stressed,
6–office, 7–mistakes, 8–immediately, 9–read, 10–calm,
11–busy, 12–drinks, 13–upset, 14–listen, 15–check

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Put the events in the correct order

Number the sentences from 1 to 8.

A. Tom decided to listen more carefully to guests.

B. The guest ordered tea with milk on the side.

C. The GM asked Tom to come to his office.

D. Tom sent the family’s order to the kitchen.

E. The family waited twenty minutes for their food.

F. Tom brought the tea without the milk.

G. Tom thought about his mistakes at home.

H. The family told Tom that their food had not arrived.

____________________________

Answer key:
1–B, 2–F, 3–H, 4–D, 5–C, 6–G, 7–A, 8–E

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Interview with Tom – match the 12 questions with the correct answers.

Questions

1. Can you tell us about your job?
2. What happened during lunch today?
3. How did you notice your mistake?
4. How did the family react?
5. What happened with the tea order?
6. Why didn’t you bring the milk immediately?
7. What made the guest even more upset?
8. Did you speak to the General Manager?
9. What did you tell him?
10. What advice did the GM give you?
11. How will you avoid similar problems in the future?
12. What will you do differently when a guest has a problem?

Answers

A. I will stay calm, listen without interrupting and say sorry if I have made a mistake.

B. I explained what had happened and accepted that I had made mistakes.

C. The family asked about their food after twenty minutes.

D. I was in a hurry and felt very stressed.

E. I work as a waiter in a five-star hotel.

F. He told me to listen carefully and check every order.

G. A guest asked for milk on the side, but I brought the tea without it.

H. I will write down every order, read it back to the guest and check it before sending it to the kitchen.

I. They were unhappy because they had waited a long time.

J. Yes, he asked me to come to his office at the end of the day.

K. I said that I was very busy and would bring the milk later.

L. A family of four ordered food and drinks, but I forgot to send their order to the kitchen.

_____________________________

Answer key:
1–E, 2–L, 3–C, 4–I, 5–G, 6–D, 7–K, 8–J, 9–B, 10–F, 11–H, 12–A
____________________________

Correct version:

1. Can you tell us about your job?
I work as a waiter in a five-star hotel.

2. What happened during lunch today?
A family of four ordered food and drinks, but I forgot to send their order to the kitchen.

3. How did you notice your mistake?
The family asked about their food after twenty minutes.

4. How did the family react?
They were unhappy because they had waited a long time.

5. What happened with the tea order?
A guest asked for milk on the side, but I brought the tea without it.

6. Why didn’t you bring the milk immediately?
I was in a hurry and felt very stressed.

7. What made the guest even more upset?
I said that I was very busy and would bring the milk later.

8. Did you speak to the General Manager?
Yes, he asked me to come to his office at the end of the day.

9. What did you tell him?
I explained what had happened and accepted that I had made mistakes.

10. What advice did the GM give you?
He told me to listen carefully and check every order.

11. How will you avoid similar problems in the future?
I will write down every order, read it back to the guest and check it before sending it to the kitchen.

12. What will you do differently when a guest has a problem?
I will stay calm, listen without interrupting and say sorry if I have made a mistake.

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Remember how babies
learn a language:

Babies learn a language by listening.
They use their ears to hear sounds.
Their brain remembers these sounds.
Babies connect sounds with people and things.
They listen to their parents.
Then they copy the sounds they hear. They imitate words.
Slowly, babies learn to speak.

So,
LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN………………

SMFrockZ@gmx.a