Formal vs informal

In this blog post, I will show you two opposite examples of dialogues I've participated to/overheard during my internship: a formal one and an informal one.

The formal dialogue

As I interact with people mostly by telephone to remind them that their books are late, I have a formal script I use to keep in mind how my sentences must be structured and the specific words (or their synonyms) that I must use. Here’s a transcription of this script:

“Hi, this is a message for Mrs. /Mr. Smith.
I’m calling from the Atwater library. I wanted to remind you that your books/DVDs are overdue, they were due on _______.
Please call us to renew them or return them at your earliest convenience.
If you have any question, call Aude at _______. Thank you and have a nice day!”

Of course, if they answer, I adapt the script.

I've noticed that in a formal dialogue, it is required to use proper words or else it won’t sound professional at all. I think it’s even truer when the interaction is happening on the phone mostly with English-speaking seniors. I've learned that the titles “Sir” or “Mrs.” are indispensable and that you should always use terms such as “at your convenience” or “would you mind”, or else it might appear as if you “rush” the client… and clients don’t like to be rushed, even though their books are late!

To conclude the formal part, I will repeat it again: on the phone, when all that represents you and consequently the work place is your voice, one must be extremely careful with the chosen words and expressions as well as with the tone of voice.

The informal dialogue

I overheard colleagues talking to each other and it really made me see the difference between the formal and the informal dialogue. First of all, the tone changes: it is more relaxed and when people laugh, their eyes do as well. The words that are used also show that people are having a personal/everyday conversation. Expressions such as “screw up” or sentences like “It was, like, five bucks, so I was like “okay” are good examples. Here’s the conversation I've heard:

Colleague #1: Hey, I totally screwed up yesterday.

Colleague #2: Why, what’s up?

Colleague #1: My girlfriend wanted a Starbucks coffee and it was, like, five bucks, so I was like “okay” so I got my wallet out of my pocket and I realized I spent it yesterday with my mates! 

As for me, I've learned is that the word “like” should never be used when speaking in a formal manner because it isn't a proper form of speaking, unless it’s with your friends.

In conclusion, a simple word can make that a formal conversation becomes an informal one. One must be careful with words like “like” because this imaginary line that exists between formal and informal is easily crossed and sometimes, we don’t even notice.