Материал: 4809
81
Read the dialogue
Marsh: Jimmy, thanks for meeting me. Are you very busy?
Mo: No, that’s OK. I have to be somewhere in twenty minutes, but what can I do for you?
Marsh: Can we have a quick chat about Marketing’s proposals for improving catering on European flights?
Mo: Of course. I know your objections are pretty wide-ranging.
Marsh: Well, to cut a long story short, my department’s view is that we can’t afford them. Have you considered the implications from a cost point of view? Remember, you’re talking about a major improvement for 38 flights per week.
Mo: But we’re losing money on flights through low load factors.
Marsh: I agree, but we still feel the cost of these improvements will prove to be too high.
Mo: We believe it will prove to be money well spent.
Marsh: Well, we’ll have to see about that. Have you thought about the extra staffing costs? The Board may decide against that.
Mo: In our view the Board have no real choice.
Marsh: You seem to forget that we’re operating on tight financial margins on these routes.
Mo: Yes, I know that, but the way to widen margins is to attract more passengers.
Marsh: That’s fine in theory, but we have to operate within the present budgets, which are strictly controlled. My department’s view is that we can’t afford your proposals.
Mo: Well, we’ll need evidence of that.
Marsh: The evidence is on every page of our accounts.
Mo: Well, I’d like to see some figures.
Marsh: Very well, you shall. I’ll send you detailed costings. I think you will find them sobering.
Mo: Yes, well, it’ll be good to have a discussion based on facts for a change.
Marsh: Exactly ...
Now listen to the recorded conversation.
82
Exercise 1. This is a summary of the arguments put forwards by Jimmy Mo.
The costs of the Marketing Department’s wide-ranging proposals will be high, but the major reason why profit margins on European routes are so tight is that there is a low load factor on these flights. Orientair, therefore, need to attract more passengers to improve on present performance. Money spent on attracting more passengers will, therefore, be money well spent.
Write a summary of Marsh’s arguments.
Θ Exercise 2. Gary Marsh sends the following costings to the Marketing Manager, as promised. When he receives them Jimmy Mo calls the Financial Director with some queries. Listen to the call and complete the memo.
MEMO
From: G.D. Marsh, Financial Director
To: J.K. Mo, Marketing Manager
Re: COSTING OF CATERING IMPROVEMENTS
(..............(a)
In response to your request for a statement of costs, I am pleased to submit the following
initial estimates ........................................................................... |
(b) |
|
$ million |
Staffing |
2.09 ....................... |
|
....................... |
Cost of upgrading menus |
3.42 |
Marketing |
|
Additional to present budget |
8.35 |
TOTAL |
13.86 |
Please note that the above figures represent approximately 1% of our turnover, and that we will need to increase load factors on European routes by at least 1.5% to maintain the present level of operating profit.
83
Θ At the Board meeting on the 28th August, discussion of the Marketing Department’s proposals ends in deadlock. The matter is referred to a sub-committee. Two days later, the sub-committee meets. Marketing Director, Tony Chan, is in the chair.
Read the text of the discussion.
Chan: Gary, could you clarify a point for us?
Marsh: I’d be glad to.
Chan: Is your objection to the cost of the proposals or to the proposals themselves?
Marsh: In fact, it’s to both.
Chan: As you know, my department’s proposals were based on careful research. Since you reject them, perhaps you would like to put forward some alternative ideas.
Marsh: Well, Tony, that’s not really my job. I’m not a marketing expert, you know.
Chan: I see ...
Mo: We seem to be going round in circles again.
Chan: Yes, can anyone suggest a new angle on the problem?
Kwon: Yes, I have a suggestion I’d like to discuss.
Chan: Go ahead.
Kwon: Marketing isn’t my field, but it strikes me that the recent survey was based on the views of people who already use Orientair. The people we need to know more about are the ones who don’t use us.
Marsh: Getting their views would be a long and expensive exercise.
Kwon: I’m sure you’re right. But there is a category of potential customers, a very large category, which we are ignoring – and so are our competitors, as far as I know.
Chan: And they are?
Kwon: Asian families abroad. Marsh: Families?
Kwon: Yes, there are thousands of Asian families living in Europe, North America and
Australasia. Now, as we know, Asians have strong family ties. I’m sure that with a little encouragement, some of those families could be persuaded to travel by Orientair when they fly home to visit their relations.
Chan: That’s a very interesting idea ...
Now listen to this part of the recorded discussion.
84
Θ Exercise 3. The Board goes on to discuss Alice Kwon’s idea. Listen to the recording and write down the names of the people who make the following statements.
We should offer group discounts to families. – Kwon
a)We could become the world’s first family airline. ...
b)Business customers are crucial to the success of any airline. ...
c)We could introduce a scheme to combine family and business bookings. ...
Exercise 4. Notice how Alice Kwon expresses what is on her mind:
“I was thinking we might offer group discounts ...”
You can use this structure, the past continuous, to express ideas that are not fully formed yet.
Notice also that in this situation, Alice Kwon cannot say:
“I was thinking of offering group discounts ...” because the decision is not hers alone.
But in this situation she could use either form:
“I was thinking I might go home early.” or ...
“I was thinking of going home early.”
Now express the following as ideas that are not fully formed yet.
We might offer group discounts.
I was thinking we might offer group discounts
a)We could start a family club.
________________________________________________________________
b)We might show special videos.
________________________________________________________________
c)We could issue game packs.
________________________________________________________________
d)We might introduce special menus.
________________________________________________________________
e)We could carry a selection of comics.
________________________________________________________________
85
Now work through the recorded exercise.
Exercise 5. You can find out how the case ends by listening to the recording. Before you listen give your own ideas about the end of the case.
Answer the questions:
1.Were Business Class bookings up or down?
2.What made the sales go through the roof?
3.What explains Orientair’s dramatic success?
4.What does rule one in the Family Club rule book say?
5.What benefits does the Gold Card give business travellers?
Revision of the file
Exercise 1. Find the sentences in which the words from the glossary list are used, paraphrase them and translate.
Exercise 2. Give English equivalents for the following words and use them in the sentences (short situations) of your own.
Пункт повестки; многочисленные возражения; правильно потраченные деньги; дополнительный затраты на персонал; расширить рамки ограничений; работать в пределах существующего бюджета; строго контролируемый; подробный расчёт (исчисление) издержек; отрезвляющие цифры; коэффициент прибыли; прибыль от основной деятельности; зайти в тупик; передавать вопрос на рассмотрение; выдвинуть идею; ходить по кругу; новый взгляд на проблему; поражать (удивлять); долгое и дорогое занятие; тесные семейные связи; очень важное (решающее) значение; групповые скидки; предварительный расчёт; запустить (проект), организовать (предприятие), открыть (клуб).
Exercise 3. Give the summary of the file.