GUIDE FOR BETTER BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

GUIDE FOR BETTER BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE SUCCESS OF BETTER WRITING SHARIFAH HANIS ELLYA HASNINA

IN THIS ISSUE 2 NOTES ON 6 SAMPLE OF QUALITIES OF ROUTINE BUSINESS GOOD BUSINESS LETTER QUALITIES OF GOOD BUSINESS FORMAT FOR ENQUIRY LETTER MEMO OF ENQUIRY FORMAT OF MEMO EMAIL OF ENQUIRY FORMAT OF EMAIL LETTER OF ENQUIRY FORMAT OF BUSINESS LETTER EMAIL REPLY TO ENQUIRY LETTER REPLY TO ENQUIRY 19 SAMPLE OF BAD PROCUREMENT MEMO OF PROCUREMENT MESSAGE LETTER EMAIL OF PROCUREMENT LETTER OF PROCUREMENT FORMAT OF COMPLAINT LETTER EMAIL REPLY OF PROCUREMENT MEMO OF COMPLAINT LETTER REPLY OF EMAIL OF COMPLAINT PROCUREMENT LETTER OF COMPLAINT EMAIL OF ADJUSTMENT LETTER OF ADJUSTMENT LETTER OF RESIGNATION 28 AUDIENCES FOR GOODWILL LETTER

INTRODUCTION A good business letter is one that gets results. The best way to get results is to develop a letter that, in its appearance, style, and content, conveys information efficiently. To perform this function, a business letter should be concise, clear , and courteous. The business letter must be concise.

PART A

Qualities of Good Business Letters THIS IS THE QUALITY OF BUSINESS LETTER SHOULD HAVE NOT TOO LONG TACTFUL COURTEOUS (ONE PAGE ONLY) CLEAR CONVERSATIONAL PERSONAL INTERESTING EVERY BUSINESS LETTER IS A SALES LETTER. THIS IS BECAUSE YOU ARE SELING A PRODUCT, A COMPANY IMAGE, IDEAS OR YOURSELF 2

Normally used for FORMAT communicating policies, procedures, or related official 1. HEADING business within an organization 2. PURPOSE 3. SUMMARY Purpose is often to 4. BACKGROUND/ inform, but it occasionally includes an element of DISCUSSION persuasion or a call to 5. CONCLUSION/ACTION action. USES 1. To persuade action 2. To issue a directive 3. To provide report 4. To request for help 5. To give suggestions TYPE OF MEMO 3 • request memo • confirmation memo • periodic report memo • ideas and suggestions memo • informal study results Memo

SUBJECT LINE SALUTATION • Make the subject line specific, • Addressing the recipient in a simple, and to the point. manner fitting the relationship • The subject line should be short. you have with them. • Keep the most important and • For unfamiliar, use Dear sir/madam. informative words in the • For senior officials, stick to their beginning of the subject line. name or designation. • Use markers like Fwd, Reply, • Do not skip the salutation Urgent, or Notice to further narrow down the subject. It SIGNATURE informs your reader about the • Sign off with a simple word or nature of the email. phrase, which conveys respect. BODY OF THE EMAIL For example, Best Regards, Kind • The opening paragraph should set Regard or Thanks. • Furnish your name with contact the tone and reason for the information such full name, email. work address and contact • Elaborate on your concern, details. question, or response as comprehensively as possible. 4 • Write in a way that is easy to understand • The closing of the email should also support the nature and format of a formal email.

BUSINESS LETTER LETTERHEAD NAME AND ADDRRESS Most companies have a specific Writer should address the person that the letter should letterhead that you will need to type go to, even if he has to call to find it out. letters on. REFERENCE DATE This gives a short description of the purpose of the This is the date that letter was written. letter is. It should out such as January15, 2020 SUBJECT SALUTATION First paragraph should have a friendly opening and If writer do not know the person, use a state the purpose of the letter. Subsequent formal one, such as Dear Sir/Madam. paragraphs should support the purpose. CLOSING SIGNATURE The closing should be “Thank You”, Actual signature of the person the letter is from. “Sincerely” or something similar 5 ENCLOSURES List here anything else you may be sending such as samples, brochures, etc

PART B

ENQUIRY LETTER A letter written to enquiry Must contain all the It should be written the information related to aspects of the enquiring concisely and clearly something such as buying an item or wants to go a item. trip. FORMAT FOR ENQUIRY 1.The sender’s details 5.Salutation such as name and address. 2.Date 6.Content 3.The receiver’s details 7.Complimentary such as name and closing address. 4.Subject 8.Signature of sender 7

SAMPLE MEMO OF ENQUIRY Unique Fabrics & Fashions Gazipur, Dhaka Date Interoffice Memo : 15 August, 2014 To : All officials From : Zahirul Islam, General Manager Reference : 316/LM Subject : Festival Bonus for All Employees This is to inform you all with pleasure that the authority has taken decision to distribute Festival Bonus to all employees of the company. This decision is the result of the overall profit of the company. Bonus will be equal to every employee's one month's basic salary. 8

SAMPLE EMAIL OF ENQUIRY Dear Kenneth, Concerning our telephonic conversation, we are writing to enquire whether your company can send us the catalogue for the latest types of slab casting machines. We would like to see which type will suit our organization. If we found any specific machines design and features, then we are looking forward to purchasing the same from you. We have some outdated slab casting machines at our factory side which are still in the working position can you give us a discount on the replacement of these machines. On the receipt of the information, we would place an order for your machines. Please send your representative at our factory side to check out the place where these machines would be placed & to check out the outdated machines. Please send us a detailed catalogue of the machines with the price list. We hope to hear from you soon. Yours Sincerely, ___________ Max A. Webster. (Marketing Manager) 9

SAMPLE LETTER OF ENQUIRY To Star Enterprises, 98, Abids, Hyderabad Dear Mr. Kamal, This is concerning our telephonic conversation last week. We had discussed on various equipment which your company manufactures. Now we are writing to you to know if your company can send a catalogue with details of the latest equipment. We want to see which ones will suit the requirement of our organization. We have a huge requirement in our company, and we also want to know whether you will be able to meet our necessities within the stipulated time. In case we find a suitable design and features of the equipment, we look forward to placing an order with you. We have some machines which are outdated and need a replacement immediately. We would also like to know whether you can offer a discount on the replacements of this equipment. We shall discuss all the matters after you send your catalogue. We look forward to hearing from you. Yours Sincerely, ____________ Rohit Sharma 10

SAMPLE EMAIL REPLY TO ENQUIRY Dear Rachel, Thank you for your interest in our coconut oil. We are excited to hear from you. In response to your enquiry, please find attached to this email our product catalogue. We hope the information provided in it answers your query. However, please do not hesitate to contact us for further clarification if need be. We look forward to your patronage. Best wishes, Antonio McGuire Regional Manager, Rainbow Farms 11

SAMPLE LETTER REPLY TO ENQUIRY Newfangled Safety Equipment Co. 62 Seven Towers, 99 Shun Koo St. Hong Kong MX17-001 Tel: +853 2255 4423 FAX: +852 2277 4945 Email: [email protected] 15 Jun 2012 Mr. Tom Lee Manager Sun Lee Wholesalers Ltd 248 Yuen Fa Street M Kowloon Dear Mr. Lee, Thank you for your enquiry about our newly developed range of fire safety and prevention products. I have enclosed our most recent catalogue, and you will find that we have quite a comprehensive inventory, including our most recently released range of construction related products. We offer our existing customers a 10% discount on all orders of products from our new range of construction related products. We would be happy to extend this offer to you if you register an account with us before June 30, 2012, and additionally as a new customer you will receive a further 5% discount on your total order. I hope you will find the information I have provided useful. I would be happy to have one of our account managers contact you with a view to establishing an account with us, or if you have any further questions about our products or services, you may call me directly on 2255 4423 ext 001. Thank you for considering Newfangled Safety Equipment Co. as your safety product provider, we look forward to doing business with you. Sincerely, Cindy Choi Merchandising Manager 12

PROCUREMENT LETTER This letter must include the A letter that you write to Must include relevant sender’s contact details, purchase items or service details and must be address or email address at after making some understood by the supplier. the beginning of the letter. considerations upon the details of purchase The officer should keep This letter reflects a great letter brief and direct to representation of the the point. company you write from. 13

SAMPLE MEMO OF PROCUREMENT To: Widgets Inc. Pittsburg Office Accounting Department From: Widget Inc. CorporatelT (ISD) Date: 9/12/2011 Re: New Computer ISD has received to purchase new computers for the Pittsburg’s Accounting department. However, not all of the requests have been made through Widgets procurement/chain web site. We like to stress that using the new chain supply websites is easy and allows for quicker turnaround time. As we learned in the training session, the websites are easily accessible from our internal Widget internet via the “Chain Supply” link. To use: 1. From your desktop Click the “intranet” icon 2. Log into the Widget Intranet using your user name and password 3. In the upper right-hand corner click “Chain Supply Form” 4. Fill out the form with your requests, information such as name, address and phone will auto complete. Thank you for supporting out new system! 14

SAMPLE EMAIL OF PROCUREMENT Dear Mrs. Maddox, With reference to our telephone conversation on 5th January 2020 on the inquiry of office chairs, we would like to confirm that the order for 50 office chairs has been approved. We hope that you begin production immediately as we wish to have them delivered on 5th February 2020 to our office address 4 Longfellow Ave. Severn, MD 21144. Please find the specifications of the order below. Item Colour Piece Amount Conference Chair Black 10 $70 Per Executive Chair Maroon 5 $80 Per Ergonomic Chair Black 10 $100 Per Guest Chair Brown 5 $60 Per Stacking Chair Silver 10 40 Per Please see the check for $20,000 attached herewith, we would appreciate if you confirmed receipt. The remaining payment will be paid upon delivery. Kindly also see the terms and conditions for the order attached for your reference. If you have any questions or there is any other information required, please contact me through [email protected]. Please handle this order with priority as the goods are required urgently. We hope for a long business relationship with your company. Thank you. Best regards, Millard Yates 15

SAMPLE LETTER OF PROCUREMENT Mr. Michael Pereira ABC Auto Spares Pvt. Ltd. South Avenue Atlanta Date: 20 November 2020 Peter Braganza Marketing Head ANC Automobiles South Avenue Atlanta Sub: Purchase order letter Dear Mr. Pereira, With reference to our meeting on 14th December, we would like to inform you that the order of 20000 horn covers has been approved. You have to deliver the same in 30 days. Please find below the details on colour and number of pieces: Item Colour Piece Amount Horn Covers Grey 10000 $250 per piece Horn Covers Beige 10000 $250 per piece I am enclosing a cheque of $ 20000 as advance payment. Rest payment will be made after delivery. Please feel free to contact me if you need any sort of clarification. Please dispatch the goods latest by 14th January. We hope to have a long-term business association with you, Yours truly, ___________ Peter Braganza 16

SAMPLE EMAIL REPLY OF PROCUREMENT Dear Samuel Steven, It is my pleasure to inform you that your email was received. I am Martha Jones, the sales representative at Acadia Farms Limited. Your request for a list of all available poultry product in our farm is currently unavailable but will be available to you before the close of today’s work. Thank you for your time. Yours faithfully, Martha Jones [email protected] 0700 7753 6565 Onoriode, E. (2018, August 22).How To Respond To Email Introduction From A Potential Customer. Retrieved from-introduction-from-a-potential-customer/ 17

SAMPLE LETTER REPLY OF PROCUREMENT [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Contact Information] [Date] [RecipientName] [Recipient Address] Dear [Recipient Name], We acknowledge the receipt of your purchase order number [123456]. We are pleased to accept your order and look forward to doing business with you. As per the terms outlined in our quote, delivery is from four to six weeks from the date of the order. Additionally, 50% of the purchase amount is due at the time of order as you already know. Our bank account details are listed at the end of this letter. You may also get in touch with our accounting department for any financial issues. Should you have any queries regarding your order, please call our customer support number or get in touch with me directly. Thank you again for your order and business. Sincerely, 18

PART C

COMPLAINT LETTER A written letter in which someone reports a bad experience or situation to complain. HOW TO WRITE EFFECTIVE COMPLAINT LETTER 1. Be clear and concise 2. State exactly what you want done 3. Don’t write an angry, sarcastic, or threating letter. 4. Include copies of relevant documents 5. Include your name and contact information. FORMAT FOR COMPLAINT LETTER 1.Sender’s address 4.Subject 7.Complimentary closing 2.Date 5.Salutation 8.Signature 3.Receiver’s 6.Body of letter 20 address

SAMPLE MEMO OF COMPLAINT o: All Staff From: The Manager Date: May 27, 2010 Subject: Inappropriate use of time on Google Doodle games Co-workers, It has come to my attention that many in the office have been spending time on the Google home page microgames. This memo is a reminder to use your work hours for work. According to a recent article, the estimated daily cost of people collectively playing these games instead of working is over $120 million—which is calculated based on the daily average increased time spent on the Google home page (36 seconds). If these estimates are applied to our 600 office employees, this results in a nearly $700 weekly loss. This is a conservative estimate considering the extensive discussions that occur about beating the office's current high score. The extra cost quickly adds up. Of course, we don't want you to view our organization as a place of drudgery and draconian rules. I encourage a fun and competitive environment, and I recognize that we certainly won't be profitable if you are unhappy or dissatisfied with your jobs. This is just a reminder to be careful with your use of company time. Thank you, The Manager Reference: Wright, Tony. (2010). The Tragic Cost of Google Pac-Man – 4.82 million hours. Retrieved May 26, 2010 from: https://blog.rescuetime.com/2010/05/24/the-tragic- cost-of-google-pac-man-4-82-million-hours/ 21

SAMPLE EMAIL OF COMPLAINT To: [email protected] Subject: Complaint regarding cookies and chips with receipt number T 6789 Dear Mr. Howard, I had purchased a box of cookies and a packet of chips from your outlet located at 23 Regina High Road, New York, New Jersey 4578 on 10th of March 2012. The receipt number of the purchase is T 6789. When I reached home and opened the box of cookies I found that they were all crushed and as a result I could not eat the cookies and throw them in the dustbin. I have been purchasing products from your outlet since last two years but have never faced such problem. I am very dissatisfied this time and I want a complete refund of my purchase. I would be highly grateful if you could look into the matter and make an arrangement for the refund of my purchase amount. I would request you to take immediate action. Regards, Scott Ridley 22

SAMPLE LETTER OF COMPLAINT 122, Arjun Nagar New Delhi February 20, 2019 Secretary Resident’s Association New Delhi Sir Subject- Complaint regarding the issue of bad parking habits in the locality. I would like to drive your attention to the bad parking habits of residents in our locality. It is resulting in a lot of chaos and no place for parking for those who come back late. Despite defining the area assigned to each vehicle, cars are parked amidst two parking spots. One vehicle occupies the space for 2-3 vehicles leading to mismanagement. Two- wheelers are placed nowhere near the allotted zone. This creates problem for other people as they have to then spend a lot of time finding parking spots in other localities. It induces frustration and tension for safety of vehicles. Various notices and warnings have been given to the rule-violators, but to our dismay, no betterment can be seen. I request you to take strict action as this is leading to fights between the residents. An effective and speedy action is expected considering the depth of the situation. Yours Sincerely Sanjeet A concerned citizen 23

SAMPLE EMAIL OF ADJUSTMENT o: Martin Si ([email protected]) From: [email protected] Date: 20 May 2014 Subject: Re: Complaints about a day trip Dear Mr Si Re: Complaints about a day trip Thank you for your email dated 18 May, regarding the day trip on 9 May. We very much regret that you are so dissatisfied with our service. We have investigated your complaint about the driver arriving late at the pick-up point. The driver has explained that his watch was out of order, but of course, he should have consulted the office clock, and has been given an official warning not to let this happen again. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to your company and the tourists. We will take every step to make sure that this does not occur again. In the email, you also mentioned that the air-conditioning system only worked sporadically during the bus trip, making the passengers uncomfortable. We are terribly sorry about that. It is due to the lack of maintenance. Therefore, after the trip, we immediately examined and fixed the air-conditioning system and other parts of the bus. We have also enforced our policy to examine and fix the buses more frequently. Please accept our apology. I would also like to apologize for not having booking for lunch in the restaurant. It is our fault that we did not communicate with the restaurant well. We should have double-checked with the restaurant before the trip. For this, we have already officially talked to the related staff and let me assure you that it will not happen again. For your inconvenience, we would like to offer a partial refund to all the passengers, as you have suggested. However, before that, I would like to clarify a few points first. I greatly regret the trouble that your company has been put through due to the delay of the tour, and I fully understand the dissatisfaction of the passengers, but it is not 24

our policy to cancel or skip any activity listed on the itinerary. We admit that the guide might be a bit impolite. However, he was just doing his duty to ask the passengers to do some shopping because shopping at the jewellery shop was listed on the travel schedule. Therefore, I am sorry we cannot agree to offer a refund amounting to a total of $2,050. Instead, we would offer a total of $1,025 to all the passengers. May I once again express our regret about the inconvenience caused to your company and all the passengers, and thank you for taking the time to write to us. Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time if you have any further criticisms or suggestions. We look forward to serving you again in the near future and guarantee our best services at all times. Yours sincerely Chris Wong Customer Service Representative 25

SAMPLE LETTER OF ADJUSTMENT Richard Brooke 8th End Street, London 17th January 20XX Centerville Bicycle Corporation London Ref – Complaint dated 15th January 2018 Dear Richard This is in reference to your complaint dated 15th January 2018. We are very sorry that a broken bicycle had been delivered to your address. We take these things very sincerely and can sympathize with you for the inconvenience caused to you due to us. In the meantime, we would like to replace your bicycle with a brand new bicycle of the same brand with no shipping costs to you. Our delivery boy will come and collect the defective product and deliver the brand new bicycle. Also, we would like to gift you a $100 gift card which can be used in any store, for the inconvenience caused to you due to us. We hope that you will continue shopping with us. Thanking You Yours sincerely Joe Mendes PFA – $100 Gift Voucher, it can be used anywhere. 26

SAMPLE OF LETTER OF RESIGNATION AJ Bergman 209 20th St NW Grand Forks, MN, 56300 (407) 554-8922 February 16th, 2017 Tessa Mae YMCA Family Center 211 Demers Ave Grand Forks, MN, 56730 Dear Ms. Mae, I, AJ Bergman, present to you this letter of resignation from my current position of children’s counselor at the YMCA Family Center, effective February 30th, 2017. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the years of enjoyable and fulfilling employment. I have learned a lot during my time here and will be leaving with many great experiences and fond memories. I would be happy to help find a replacement and train them, as I know this is somewhat short notice and out of the blue. I hope you realize my quitting is in no way a reflection of your ability to manage, but I must move on for personal reasons. Best regards, AJ Bergman 27

AUDIENCES FOR CUSTOMER GOODWILL • A person who buy goods or services LETTERS from the company and who give the business become more SUPPLIER successful. • A business that provides a products or • A letter is written to customer to services to another entity. inform on the special promotion or incentives provided by the • Some of the issues that will be company. discussed in the goodwill letter are regarding late payment and • Company may give feedback from products received PUBLIC • The goodwill letter will be explained the reasons of the issues. • Maintain a good public relation with the public can increase the • This will maintain good relationship. company reputation. • The stock of the company will increase as the reputation increase. • It helps the company to grow more as the public continue to have faith in the company. EMPLOYEE • Compliment to the employees may be in the written form. • The situation usually happens when the employee achieves outstanding performance in work. • The satisfied employees will work harder and do their best in dealing with clients and perform in the work. 28