Asking questions and taking notes
Watch the video to see some examples of how you can open a conversation and ask your colleagues for suggestions and ideas.
Speaker 1: Hello, Ren. How are you?
Speaker 2: Hi, Very good. Yourself?
Speaker 1: Yeah, good, thanks.
Speaker 2: Good, good.
Speaker 1: We've had some good news on the planning front.
We've already got permission for this section of wall here, as we know.
So what we'd like to understand is what the cost implications might be for us if we were to extend this wall, then, as per the permission, from here across to meet the old wall over there…
Speaker 2: Yes.
Speaker 1: And making it kind of a seamless join, um…
So I don't know what your thoughts on that are…
Speaker 2: Yeah. No problem at all.
Speaker 1: …with a similar-height wall.
I don't know what height this is. It's probably about 700-800mm high.
Speaker 2: It is, yeah, 750 high.
Speaker 1: There we go. Maybe slightly curve?
So, it's quite a lot of stone, I know, and it's quite a manual process, the old dry-stone walling.
Speaker 2: That's no problem. Are we going to do a flaunching like the rest of the wall?
Speaker 1: I think it would make sense to keep it sympathetic with the old wall over there, I suppose.
Speaker 2: That's brilliant.
Speaker 1: Great.
Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks, Steve.
Speaker 1: OK.
Speaker 2: I'll get that sorted for you.
Do you want to have a chat about the variation…
Speaker 1: Oh, yes.
Speaker 2: …on the plasterboard in the garage over there?
Speaker 1: Great. Let's go.
Speaker 2: Because on the original spec, it shows a fireboard only on the ceiling.
Speaker 1: OK.
Speaker 2: And we're looking to put a plastered finish…
Speaker 1: Ah, yes.
Speaker 2: …aren't we? Going to put plasterboard up there.
Speaker 1: OK.
Speaker 2: And skim finish to it down to the plate there.
Speaker 1: Great.
Speaker 2: Now I'll have to put a variation of cost together for you for that…
Speaker 1: OK, sure.
Speaker 2: …which I will get home tonight and do…
Speaker 1: That'd be brilliant.
Speaker 2: Ready for you in the morning.
Speaker 1: Fantastic.
Speaker 2: That okay, Steve?
Speaker 1: Yeah, great.
Speaker 2: Take care. Bye-bye.
Speaker 1: Bye-bye then.
Pick the right response
Now you've watched the conversation, test your knowledge with this activity.
Writing a quote and proofreading
Watch the video to see some examples of how you can open a conversation and ask your colleagues for suggestions and ideas.
Speaker 1: (TO AUDIENCE) The most important thing about writing up a quote is that the customer understands what you're quoting for.
Spelling and punctuation I'm not brilliant at, to be honest.
But, luckily, there's spell check on computers.
And my wife, I always get her to look over my quotes when they're finished to make sure they make sense.
Speaker 1: (TO OTHER PEOPLE) Hi, Steve.
Speaker 2: Hi Ren. Nice to see you again.
Speaker 1: And you.
Speaker 2: How are you?
Speaker 1: Good, thank you, good.
Speaker 2: Good. Thanks for sending through these quotes and variations.
Speaker 1: That's alright.
Speaker 2: They're all great and lovely and clear and it makes sense exactly what's on there. Just a couple of questions.
Speaker 1: The price isn't too bad?
Speaker 2: It's more money but we knew that anyway.
Speaker 1: Absolutely.
Speaker 2: So the main thing is that we know what we're paying for, we know what we're getting.
Speaker 1: Exactly right.
Speaker 2: Just a couple of questions on the quote. For the wall…
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So where the new wall meets the old wall…
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: …will some of the old stone be used in the new section of the wall at all?
Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll try to knit the old in with the new as it meets up there.
Speaker 2: OK.
Speaker 1: So we'll use both to blend it in.
But it will be new stone on all the rest, obviously.
Speaker 2: Lovely.
Speaker 1: Is that OK?
Speaker 2: That'd look great, I'm sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: And just on the other… the garage variation quote.
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Have we accounted for the fact that we won't be using the original fireboard quote?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I haven't shown the deduction on there but the deduction's been made…
Speaker 2: Great.
Speaker 1: …for not using the fireboard.
Speaker 2: Fantastic.
Speaker 1: Is that OK?
Speaker 2: Great. Looking forward to it…
When can we get it done?
Speaker 1: We'll crack on. Absolutely. Cheers, Steve. Thank you.
Speaker 2: See you soon. Bye-bye.
Speaker 2: (TO AUDIENCE) I think the relationship with the builder is a lot about trust.
So it's important for us that we feel like we've got a good relationship and I think quotes and statements and so on from the builder help to back up that relationship.
Spot the spelling mistakes
Now you've watched the conversation, test your knowledge with this activity.
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