RECEPTIONIST (Australian): Hello and thank you for calling Party on Wheels, Australia’s only mobile bar service. How can I help you?
CUSTOMER (Australian): Hi. I’d like to have a holiday party catered at my house next month in December. What type of options do you offer for private parties?
RECEPTIONIST: Great, I’d be happy to help you. We offer several types of packages for private parties. First of all, what’s your name?
CUSTOMER: My name is Tim McKenzie. M-C-K-E-N-Z-I-E.
RECEPTIONIST: Thank you. And what date are you looking for, Tim?
CUSTOMER: December 17 th.
RECEPTIONIST: Time of day?
CUSTOMER: I’d like both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks to be served from 9:00PM until 2:00AM, if possible.
RECEPTIONIST: Sure, no problem. We have that date available. Now, how many guests are you expecting?
CUSTOMER: Hmmm . . . I’m expecting around 120 guests, but that’s not set in stone. Is it possible to adjust that number when we’re closer to the date of the event?
RECEPTIONIST: Yes, that’s no problem. I’ll put down 120 for now, but we do need an accurate estimate at least seven days before the event so that we can guarantee enough staff for the event.
CUSTOMER: Sounds good. Do you offer any types of party packages?
RECEPTIONIST: Sure. We have two main options. The first is an open bar that is all prepaid. The advantage of an open bar package is that your guests will not need to pay for anything all night long.
CUSTOMER: Does that include any type of beverage?
RECEPTIONIST: Yes. It includes non-alcoholic drinks, liquor, beer, wine and champagne.
CUSTOMER: What about the other option?
RECEPTIONIST: The other option is a cash bar. Cash bars offer the same types of drinks as the open bar, but guests will pay for each drink, just like a public bar. We bring in cash registers and credit card machines, and the prices for each drink are set before the event.
CUSTOMER: Hmmm . . . I don’t want my guests to have to pay for anything. How much would the open bar cost for 120 people.
RECEPTIONIST: The open bar option for 120 people would cost $3,000.
CUSTOMER: Is there a separate cost for the staff or any of the supplies?
RECEPTIONIST: No. That price includes all of our services, staff and beverages.
CUSTOMER: OK, that sounds good to me. I’d like to make a reservation for the open bar.
RECEPTIONIST: Great. I’ll need a 50 percent deposit up front. The remaining balance must be paid in full seven days prior to the event, which is when we’ll confirm the number of guests.
CUSTOMER: OK. Can I use my credit card to pay the deposit?
RECEPTIONIST: Yes, of course, but unfortunately we don’t take payments over the phone. You must sign in to our website and enter your credit card information there.
CUSTOMER: No problem, I can do that.
RECEPTIONIST: As soon as you pay your deposit, you’ll get a confirmation message from us that your payment has been received. You will also receive an outline for the scheduled event. Typically, our servers arrive 45 minutes prior to the start of the event to set up their serving stations. We guarantee enough bartenders to serve all of your guests in a timely manner. We also guarantee that we can clean up 45 minutes after the event has ended. All of our staff is professionally trained and will be dressed in company regulated uniforms.
CUSTOMER: Sounds perfect. Thanks for your help.