Firm of question - inversion versus est-ce que

Question

The speakers in this dialogue (a tutor and an adult student who already know each other) used the inversion form to pose questions. Wouldn’t we expect them to use the less formal « est-ce que » form in these circumstances?

Accepted Answer

Rhonda, 
it is quite possible/likely, as in this example, that an adult student and tutor would continue to ‘ vouvoyer’, especially if their relationship is predominantly through this connection, rather than as close friends. Apart from noticing the continued use of ‘ vous ‘ amongst work colleagues in programs like ‘ Profilage ‘, I also heard this first hand recently at a French village hairdresser. Despite having worked together for a decade or  more and being of similar age, the 2 staff still used ‘ vous ‘ to each other, at least in the salon.
 https://progress.lawlessfrench.com/revision/lessons/saying-tu-or-vous-that-is-the-question
Regardless, this is a ‘ professional/business/formal ‘ type call to request professional services, and more formal speech and questions are still the norm in such interactions, to my observation, at least among the ‘ older ‘ generations. 
Whether planning to use the formal patterns or not, it is essential to know and understand them as they are not rare in important situations, written or spoken.