An order gets misunderstood
A fast conversation, an unfamiliar accent or a last-minute change leaves staff unsure what the guest asked for.
Practical English for Hospitality Teams.
Help your team communicate clearly with every guest.
Practical English training for international hospitality staff, built around the conversations that actually happen during a shift.
Book a Free Pilot SessionTry the approach with your team before committing.
Restaurants Hotels Cafés Bars
The pressure of a busy shift
They know the job. Sometimes the words get in the way.
A quick question from a guest can become a bigger interruption when a member of staff isn’t sure what to say.
A simple question feels difficult
Explaining an ingredient, checking a dietary request or answering the phone takes more confidence than staff feel they have.
You have to step in again
You leave another task to help with a complaint or an everyday conversation your team could learn to handle.
What your staff will practise
English they can use on their next shift.
Explore the conversations your team can practise. Choose a topic, then reveal an example response to see the kind of useful language we work on.
Example from a shift
Taking orders
Ask follow-up questions, clarify changes and confirm an order before sending it through.
A guest changes their order
“Could I have the burger without cheese, and swap the chips for a salad?”
See a helpful response
“Of course. That’s a burger without cheese, with a salad instead of chips. Is that right?”
Repeat the changes back so the guest can confirm before you send the order.
Example from a shift
Explaining dishes and ingredients
Describe what’s on the menu clearly and make recommendations that feel natural.
A guest asks about a dish
“What comes with the grilled fish?”
See a helpful response
“It comes with roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables and a lemon sauce.”
Practise explaining your own menu in clear, everyday language.
Example from a shift
Allergies and dietary requirements
Clarify a guest’s request, check with the right colleague and communicate the answer without guessing.
A guest mentions an allergy
“I have a nut allergy. Is this dish suitable?”
See a helpful response
“Thank you for letting me know. I’ll check with the kitchen before you order.”
Practise checking and passing on requests accurately, alongside your workplace’s allergy procedures.
Example from a shift
Handling complaints
Acknowledge the issue calmly, explain the next step and know when to bring in a manager.
A guest is unhappy
“We’ve been waiting a long time and our food is cold.”
See a helpful response
“I’m sorry about the wait and the food. Let me speak to the kitchen and find out how we can put this right.”
Acknowledge the issue, explain the next step and get the appropriate support.
Example from a shift
Phone bookings
Take details accurately, confirm dates and times, and explain availability over the phone.
Someone calls to book a table
“Can I book for six at half seven on Friday?”
See a helpful response
“Of course, let me check availability. That’s six people at 7:30 this Friday. May I take your name?”
Confirm the details before moving on to the rest of the booking.
Example from a shift
Understanding different accents
Build listening confidence with different voices, speaking speeds and everyday expressions.
A guest uses an unfamiliar expression
“Could we get the bill when you’ve got a sec?”
See a helpful response
“Of course. I’ll bring the bill over shortly.”
Practise listening to different voices and recognising everyday phrases such as “a sec”.
Example from a shift
Small talk with guests
Welcome people, check how things are going and keep a friendly conversation flowing.
A guest arrives for breakfast
“Morning! It’s our first day here.”
See a helpful response
“Good morning, welcome. How has your stay been so far?”
Build a small set of natural questions that suit your venue and your guests.
Example from a shift
What to say when you don’t understand
Ask someone to repeat or rephrase, and check the meaning instead of pretending to understand.
You miss part of a request
“Could you… [the rest is unclear]?”
See a helpful response
“Sorry, I didn’t catch the last part. Could you say that again, please?”
Practise asking for clarification comfortably instead of guessing.
Not sure where to start? Use the free pilot to focus on one challenge.
The difference for your business
Better conversations. A smoother shift.
Practical training with a clear purpose: help your people feel ready, and give you more space to manage.
Guests feel understood
Clearer explanations and confident checking help prevent misunderstandings and keep service moving.
Staff feel more confident
Practising real situations gives your team useful words to draw on when a conversation gets difficult.
You step in less often
Help staff handle routine conversations independently and recognise when they need your support.
Start with a free pilot session
See how it works with your own team.
A practical first step for managers who want to find out whether this approach is right for their business.
Tell us what’s happening
Share a little about your venue, your staff and the conversations that cause difficulty.
Try a real workplace situation
We agree a useful focus and arrange a free session so your team can try the training.
Talk about the next step
Review what was useful and discuss whether ongoing training would suit your team.
Book a Free Pilot Session
No commitment to ongoing training.
About MettaEnglish
Practical training. A human approach.
Matthew GeorgeFounder, MettaEnglish
MettaEnglish was founded in 2020, during the disruption of COVID-19, with a simple idea: language learning should feel human.
The name Metta comes from the idea of kindness and goodwill. It is a fitting foundation for a business built around helping people communicate with more confidence.
What began as one-to-one English support has evolved into practical communication training designed around real situations, real people and real outcomes. Today, the focus is on helping hospitality teams communicate more clearly with customers, build confidence in difficult interactions and deliver smoother service.
Founder Matthew George brings experience in English teaching, customer-facing work, quality assurance and professional communication. His practical teaching style focuses less on textbook English and more on what people actually need to say at work.
Let’s talk about your team
Clearer conversations start here.
Tell Matthew about your business, the size of your team and the communication challenges you’d like to work on.
Book a Free Pilot Session
Opens your email app. We’ll arrange the details together.
MatthewGeo.Work@proton.me