Discussing Insurance Coverage Options
The car rental agent explains the various insurance options available (e.g., CDW, SLI, PAI), their coverage, deductibles, and costs. The customer asks clarifying questions to decide which coverage to purchase.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
coverage
This means protection or insurance that pays for certain risks, like damage or accidents. In car rentals, it refers to what the insurance includes.
deductible
The amount you must pay out of pocket before the insurance starts to pay. For example, a $500 deductible means you pay the first $500 of any claim.
waiver
An agreement that gives up your right to sue or claim, often used in insurance like CDW to waive responsibility for damages.
liability
Legal responsibility for damage or injury to others. In insurance, it covers costs if you're at fault in an accident.
supplemental
Something added to basic coverage to provide extra protection. Like supplemental insurance that goes beyond standard policies.
partial
Not complete; only part of something. In insurance, partial coverage means it protects some but not all risks, often with a deductible.
recommend
To suggest something as a good idea. Agents often recommend insurance options to help customers make safe choices.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
We highly recommend considering additional protection.
This is a polite way to suggest something important. Use it in service situations to advise without pushing too hard. 'Highly recommend' emphasizes strong suggestion; 'considering' means thinking about it.
I want to make sure I'm adequately covered, but I don't want to overpay either.
This shows balancing needs and costs. Useful for negotiations. 'Make sure' means to confirm; 'adequately covered' means properly protected; 'overpay' means pay too much. The 'but' connects contrasting ideas.
The most common options are our Collision Damage Waiver, or CDW, which covers damage to our vehicle.
This introduces options clearly. Good for explanations. 'Or CDW' is an abbreviation; 'which covers' is a relative clause explaining what it does. Use this pattern to define terms.
With the full CDW, there's no deductible.
Simple statement of benefits. 'With the full CDW' specifies the type; 'there's no' is short for 'there is no,' common in spoken English. Useful for comparing insurance plans.
It's highly recommended, especially if your personal auto insurance doesn't extend to rental cars.
Gives advice with a reason. 'Highly recommended' suggests strongly; 'especially if' introduces a condition; 'extend to' means apply to or cover. Use this to explain why something is needed.
So, if I take the full CDW and the SLI, that's $43 a day.
This calculates total cost. 'If I take' means if I choose; 'that's' is informal for 'that is.' Helpful for summarizing purchases. Practice adding costs with 'and' for multiple items.
You might want to check if you're already covered.
Suggests verifying something. 'Might want to' is a soft suggestion; 'check if' means examine whether. Useful for giving helpful tips, like checking credit card benefits.