All phrases › Can I take a message?

How to use “Can I take a message?”

When hotel, restaurant and casino staff say it, with an example and a quick practice question.

When to use it: when the person the caller wants is not available

“She's not at her desk. Can I take a message?”

From the B1 lesson How Can I Help? (guest requests and phone calls).

Quick check

When do staff use this phrase?

Teaching this phrase?“Can I take a message?” is part of a ready-to-teach lesson, with a model dialogue, three practice activities, role-play cards and a teacher answer key, in the B1 Hospitality and Casino English Bundle (6 lessons).
See the Hospitality English bundle

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Related phrases

Front desk, this is … speaking. How may I help you?to answer a phone call professionally
Certainly. / Of course.to agree to a request in a positive way
I'll send … up right away.to promise to deliver something to a room
Would you like me to …?to offer to do something for the guest
Shall I …?to offer help (a little more formal)
Could you hold the line for a moment, please?when you need a moment to check something
I'll put you through to …to connect the caller to another department
Let me just check that for you.to show you are working on the request
It should be with you in about … minutes.to give a realistic time