Lesson Two Guest Refuses to Acknowledge Meter Reading

G：There's a mistake here

C：Really? Can you show me,please? What seems to be the mistake?

G：I was charged for an hour for a phone call I made to Japan, but I talked for only nine minutes. I don't know why I was charged for an hourPlease correct this charge

C：I'll get the meter reading from the operator and we can check it together. Could you come back tomorrow sometime?

G：I'd really like to settle this todayI'm going out of town tomorrow

C：All right. How about if I call you in your room as soon as I get the records together? Will you be in your room this afternoon?

G：I'll be in and out this afternoonBut never mind,just keep trying,okay?

C：All right(Later)

C：Hello,MrCruthers?

G：Speaking

C：This is the Finance Department. We have the meter reading for the phone call in question. Would you like to come down and see it?

G：OkayI'm a little busy right nowI'll be down in about an hour,okay?

C：That's fineSee you then

G：Hello Mr Cruthers. Here's the meter reading for the phone calls made on March. This is your call to Japan.This is the starting time and the time you hung up the phone. This is the number you called.

G：But this is impossibleI talked only a few minutes,really. I don't know why,but this is wrong.

C：It's possible you didn't hang up your phone properly. If the receiver was ajar,the line would not have been disconnected

G：(silent a moment)Well,I don't know what to say, but it doesn't seem right to have to pay for a phone call I didn't make

C：I'm sorry,sirI understand. But the fact is the records show you did make this call, so I'm afraid you are responsible to pay for it.

G：HmmI'm sorryI just can't agree. I believe your records are wrong, I refuse to pay for this call, I mean I'll pay for how long I talked,which was ten minutes, I'll even pay for fifteen minutes and give you the benefit of the doubt, although I didn't talk for fifteen minutes, I distinctly remember timing the call, and it was exactly nine minutesBut I will not pay for an hour. I never in my life made an overseas call for an hour. So the mistake is your mistake and I'm afraid. I'm just not willing to pay for your mistake

C：In that case,I think perhaps you'd better talk to our manager about this. I don't have the authority to remove the charge without her approval

G：That's fine

C：Just a moment,pleaseI'll get her

G：MrCruthers,this is Mary Ma,the assistant manager of the Finance Department.