Inquiring About Holiday Hours
A customer wants to know if the store hours are different on an upcoming public holiday (e.g., Christmas, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving).
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
wondering
This is a polite way to say you are curious or want to ask about something. Use it in questions like 'I was wondering if...' to sound gentle and not too direct, especially when calling a store.
upcoming
Means something that is going to happen soon. For example, 'upcoming holiday' refers to a holiday that is coming next, like Christmas. It's useful for talking about future events.
holiday
A special day when people celebrate or take time off work, like Christmas or New Year's Day. In this context, it affects store hours. In the US, holidays often change business times.
closed
Means the store is not open for customers. Use it to ask or confirm if a business is shut on certain days, like 'closed all day' during holidays.
standard
Refers to the usual or normal way something is done. For example, 'standard hours' means the regular opening times, not special ones for holidays.
assist
Means to help someone. It's a polite word used by customer service, like 'Can I assist you?' to offer support in a store or over the phone.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
Hi there! I was wondering if you could tell me about your store hours for the upcoming Christmas holiday?
This is a polite opening to ask for information over the phone or in person. 'I was wondering if...' softens the request, making it sound friendly. Use it when inquiring about schedules to show respect. Grammar: Past continuous 'was wondering' for politeness.
Are they different than usual?
A simple follow-up question to check for changes. 'Than' compares to the normal situation. Useful for confirming variations in routines, like store hours. It's short and direct for intermediate learners to practice comparisons.
On Christmas Eve, December 24th, we'll be open from 9 AM to 6 PM.
This describes specific times using dates and clock times. 'We'll be open' means future availability. Practice this pattern for giving or asking about hours: 'from [time] to [time]'. Helpful for real-life scheduling.
Okay, so closed on Christmas Day. Got it.
A way to confirm understanding and summarize. 'Got it' is informal for 'I understand'. Use this to show you've noted the info and keep the conversation moving. Grammar: 'So' for summarizing key points.
What about New Year's Eve and New Year's Day?
This asks about additional similar topics. 'What about...?' is a natural way to extend the question. Useful in conversations to get more details without repeating the full inquiry.
For New Year's Eve, December 31st, we'll operate with our standard Sunday hours, which are 10 AM to 5 PM.
Explains hours using relative clause 'which are...' for more info. 'Operate with' means to follow certain rules. This sentence teaches describing routines; use it to respond to customer questions professionally.
Perfect, thank you so much for the detailed information! That helps a lot.
A grateful closing. 'Thank you so much' emphasizes appreciation, and 'that helps a lot' shows benefit. Use this to end positively after getting useful info. 'Detailed' means with many specifics.
You're very welcome! Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
Standard polite response and offer for more help. 'You're welcome' replies to thanks; 'Is there anything else...' keeps the service open. Essential for customer service roles or polite interactions.