Chapter 1 - 8

08 Service Encounter

Listen to a conversation between a student and a university employee. Fill in the diagram with the information that you hear.

M: Hi, I was hoping you could help me out with something.

W: Sure, what do you need?

M: Well, OK, I really need to get into the library. I have this really big test tomorrow, and everything I need for the test is in there, and if I don’t get to study then I’m probably going to fail.

W: Um, I’m sorry, I really can’t let you into the library after hours. It’s already, um, it’s already past one a.m. We can’t let students study in there when it’s closed.

M: But if I don’t get my stuff, I can’t study, and if I don’t study, I’ll fail. It’ll only take, like, five seconds, I promise.

W: Wait, what do you mean, “get your stuff”?

M: Oh, sorry… I’m a little panicked, as I’m sure you can see. Let me slow down. I was studying in the library earlier tonight… before the library closed.

I realized it was getting late and I hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch, so I decided to go to the cafe and grab some food.

Well, once I got back, the library had already closed, and I left my backpack in there, along with my notes, my textbook, all of that stuff.

W: Oh, OK, that makes a lot more sense now. Actually, I bet one of our guards already brought your stuff here. We do a meticulous inspection of every building nightly to check for lost items, and we bring them here to the Lost and Found.

Let me check. Oh, I guess it would help to ask you what your backpack looks like. Was there anything else you left?

M: No, I packed everything in there before I left. And it’s dark blue… the straps are black… or brown.

W: Let me check in the back. No, it doesn’t look like we have it here. The only bag we have came from the science building, and it’s pink.

M: So do you think it might still be in the library?

W: Well, I doubt it. Our security guards are usually really good about finding things at night. Where in the library did you leave it?

M: Just next to one of the tables. It was in a pretty obvious place. Can I just take a look in there for a few minutes? I know exactly where I left it. I’ll be in and out in two minutes.

W: I really can’t let you do that. Maybe one of our officers is on the way back here with it. You could hang around for a while to see if one of them comes back with it. I think we still have two or three guards doing their nightly rounds. They’ll be back within… oh. maybe thirty minutes.

M: I really don’t think I can wait that long. It’s already late, my test is at eight.

W: Well, let me see if I can radio any of the guards to ask if they’ve picked it up and are on their way back.

One second. Well, none of them has seen it. I’m not really sure what to tell you. Are you sure you left it in the library?

M: Yeah, I’m positive. There’s nowhere else it could be.

W: OK, well, the only idea I have is to see if one of the guards would be willing to take another look in the library. I think one of our guards should still be in the area. I’ll radio him and ask him if he’d be able to look again. Where did you say you left a backpack?

M: Um, it’s by a table, it’s over in the north wing, by the reference section. Kind of to the left−uh, west of the computers there.

W: Let me contact one of the officers and see what I can find out. Hey, I have good news. The officer checking the library was actually still in there, and he found your backpack right away. He said he’d get here as soon as possible with it.

M: Oh, phew. When do you think he’ll be back?

W: Hard to say for sure, but I doubt it will be more than a few minutes. You can feel free to have a seat over there if you’d like to.

M: OK, great. Thanks so much for your help.

1) What is the main topic of the conversation? 2) Why does the student initially go to the campus security office?