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  • English at Work, Episode 17: Lemon-sized luxury boxes, How to place an order

  • Welcome to the offices of TipTop Trading..

  • Anna, are you going to answer that?

  • Er, well, no. It's stopped now anyway.

  • ... where Anna is behaving strangely.

  • I gave you a long lesson on how to answer the phone and you're still too scared!

  • It's not that.

  • For goodness sake!

  • Then what?

  • I recognise the number - it's Mr. Lime!

  • Ha! Old Slimy Limy! He must be absolutely desperate to get you to have lunch with him, Anna - even after your cruel rejection. Here, I'll answer for you.

  • No!

  • I'll answer. Hello, Tip Top Trading, Anna's phone... no, this is Denise speaking, Anna's busy at the moment. Can I take a message?

  • Yes... right... I'll pass that on to her then... thank you for calling. Goodbye.

  • Well.

  • Nothing about lunch. he wants each Imperial Lemon you deliver to come in a luxury green box - like the one you had at the presentation.

  • My goodness, we don't have many in stock, we'll have to order some. Erm...

  • Hello, this is Anna speaking from Tip Top Trading. I want some Imperial Lemon sized luxury boxes.

  • Woah, woah, woah.

  • What?

  • Let's make this order a bit more politely, okay?

  • Why are the English so obsessed with being polite?

  • Calm down Anna and listen to me. To put in an order for something, you need phrases like:

  • I'd like to place an order for...

  • We're going to need ...

  • Could you send...

  • Could we also have...

  • When can we expect to receive them?

  • Right... Hello, sorry about that... I'd like to place an order for some Imperial lemon-sized luxury boxes, please... we're going to need quite a few...

  • Could you send 300, please... yes... the green ones... could we also have the name of our company on the sides please...

  • When can we expect to receive them? Okay, thank you, goodbye.

  • There! How was that?

  • Good, well done!

  • You'd better phone back Mr Lime to confirm he can have his boxes!

  • Oh no!

  • He's your client!

  • Yes Anna, he's your client!

  • I'm scared he'll try and ask about lunch again.

  • Then send him an email.

  • Good idea!

  • Copy in me, Tom and Paul, so it's clear you only mean business.

  • Yes. Thanks Denise! An email is much safer.

  • Is it, Anna, is it? Hmmm...

  • Anyway, here are the phrases Anna used to place her order.

  • I'd like to place an order for...

  • We're going to need...

  • Could you send...

  • Could we also have...

  • When can we expect to receive them?

  • Let's see if Anna's email is really such a good idea. I have a bad feeling about it. Until next time!

English at Work, Episode 17: Lemon-sized luxury boxes, How to place an order

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