Harry’s Hire CompanyExampleHire for: birthday partyEquipment Hire: Day an

M: Hello, welcome to Harry’s Hire Company. How can I help you?
W: Oh, hi, yes, I’ve come in to find out about renting stuff for a 21st birthday party.
M: Yes, of course... First of all, what date is the party?
W: It’s next Saturday. That was the closest we could get to the actual birthday, which is the 22nd of November. Gosh, it’s hard to believe it was 21 years ago, seems like yesterday...
M: So, the 18th of November?
W: No, sorry, I meant the following Saturday, the 25th.
M: OK, we have just about everything here; tableware, marquees... you name it, we rent it!  What size of event are we talking about here? W: Yes, that’s a good question. We were planning to have about 40 people, but you know how these things grow and it went up to 60 at one stage...  umm...  I think it’s back to 55 now. Yes, that’s right.  It was all getting a bit out of hand.
M: Ok, and what kind of catering and entertainment are you having? We can help with entertainment hire, too, you know, if you need microphones or a sound system.
W: Oh, that’s good!    We’ve booked a catering company, and they’re providing a meal.  It’s nothing elaborate, just finger food snacks and then a simple buffet meal, so we’ll need all the usual dinner plates and bowls... I suppose 5 dozen of everything, oh and knives and forks too, 5 dozen sets.
We won’t need any cooking equipment, because the caterers will do that, and they’re providing tea and coffee as well.
M: I see, and do you need any tables or chairs?
W: Well, not tables, because we wouldn’t have room for them, but I suppose some extra chairs might come in handy. What type do you have?
M:  Come over here and I’ll show you.  We have a couple of different kinds. We do have folding wooden ones,  like these,  but the most popular ones are just those stackable plastic  garden chairs, we rent a lot of those...
W: Yes, the plastic ones look great. Maybe 40 of those.
M: Ok...  I’m making a list here as we speak.  Was there anything else? Oh, do you want small or medium glasses? People generally want both sizes.
W: Yep, better get both kinds. Four dozen of each. Umm... and what else? The caterers are supplying a punch bowl, so that’s OK. Oh, I know, what about six ice buckets, for keeping the drinks cold? We’re providing all the drinks because I have a friend who is helping us with that. Umm... I suppose this is going to get very expensive.

M: Well, let’s talk about our packages and rental deals. Firstly... what day do you want to collect the equipment?
W: Oh, I’m not sure. Does that make a difference to the price?
M: Well... the weekend package deal is to pick up after 5 p.m. on Friday, and drop off before 10 a.m. on Mon-
day. That will be 1600 dollars plus tax. If you want to save a bit of money, you can collect the equipment on the day of the party before 5 p.m., and drop off on the Monday before 10 a.m., and that will be 1350 dollars plus tax. That’s called the same-day package. Your party numbers come between our small and medium price packages, I’m afraid, so in fact you could rent a few extra of everything for the same price.
W: I see. Well, we’re not inviting more guests! I think we have quite enough already... umm... are there any other hidden charges with those packages?
M: No, not really. But if you want us to drop off and pick up at your house, there is an extra home delivery charge of $50, provided you live within 10 km of here. Oh, and if you want to take out breakage insurance, that’s a $60 flat fee. Otherwise, you pay for every item you break, at the replacement cost.
W: Wow, so how much is that then? I bet that soon adds up.
M: Well, yes, it does a bit. Let’s see... tableware is $3.55 a piece, small glasses are $3.50 and medium glasses are $4.40. Oh, and if you break a chair, they’re expensive: $15 each, and you’d be surprised at what happens when the party gets going!
W: Yes, insurance sounds like a good idea, and I think I’ll take the weekend package deal, thanks. It’s much more convenient, isn’t it? And not much more expensive.
M: OK, so let’s take a few details then. Your name?
W: Oh, it’s Susan Millins.
M: Um... Is that Miller?
W: No, it’s M-I-L-LI-N-S.
M: Right. And your address, please?
W: 28B Sandstone Close, Martins borough.
M: And just to confirm the order; the medium-size party weekend package with breakage insurance, and did you want to collect this yourself? W: Yes, thank you. I do live within 10 km, but I don’t want to pay any extra charges. I’ll get my son to help me.
M: OK, we’ll need an emergency contact number, just in case anything goes wrong. Oh, and credit card details, of course.
W: Oh, yes, of course, the phone number is 084 398 7695.
M: OK, thank you, and now the credit card...