Initial Service Inquiry and Quote
A customer calls a moving company to inquire about their services, provides basic details like origin/destination, and asks for a preliminary quote.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
inquire
To ask questions about something, like services or products, often when seeking information or help. Use it when calling a company for details.
preliminary
Something initial or first, done before a final decision. It's useful for estimates or plans that might change later.
quote
An estimated price given by a company for a service. In moving, it's the cost they suggest before the actual job.
address
The full details of a location, like street name and number, used to describe where you live or where something is.
apartment
A self-contained living unit in a building with multiple units. Common in cities; say 'two-bedroom apartment' to describe size.
estimate
An approximate guess of cost, time, or size based on information. It's not exact but helps plan; often used in services like moving.
schedule
To arrange or book a time for an event or appointment. Use it when setting up meetings, like 'schedule an estimate'.
availability
The times when someone or something is free to be used. Ask about it when booking, like 'What's your availability?'
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
I'm calling to inquire about your moving services and get a preliminary quote.
This is a polite way to start a service call. It uses 'inquire about' for asking information and 'get a preliminary quote' for an initial price estimate. Useful for any business inquiry; practice for phone conversations.
To give you an accurate preliminary quote, could you please tell me your current address and where you'll be moving to?
A professional response asking for details. 'Could you please' is polite for requests; 'current address' means present location. Use this pattern when needing more info from a customer.
I'm currently at 123 Maple Street, Apartment 4B, and I'm planning to move to 789 Oak Avenue, House A.
Describes locations clearly. 'Currently at' specifies now, and 'planning to move to' shows future intent. Include full details like street and unit; essential for giving addresses in English.
Roughly how many bedrooms is your apartment?
Asks for approximate size. 'Roughly' means about, not exact; 'how many' with countable nouns like bedrooms. Useful for estimating space in moving or renting.
Based on a two-bedroom apartment move within the same city, without specialty items, a preliminary estimate would be between $800 and $1200.
Gives a price range. 'Based on' explains the reason; 'would be' for hypothetical estimates; 'between...and' for ranges. Practice for quoting costs in services.
Would you like me to schedule a free in-home estimate for a more precise quote?
Offers next steps politely. 'Would you like me to' suggests help; 'in-home' means at the customer's place. Use in customer service to propose appointments.
What's your availability next week?
Asks about free times. 'What's your' is informal for questions; specifies 'next week' for clarity. Common when booking meetings or services.
We have openings on Tuesday afternoon, or Thursday morning. Which one works better for you?
Provides options. 'Openings' means available slots; 'or' connects choices; 'which one works better' asks preference. Useful for scheduling with alternatives.