Replies to Enquiry Letter | Business english | Đại học Khoa học Xã hội và Nhân văn, Đại học Quốc gia Thành phố HCM

lOMoAR cPSD| 40799667 Replies to Enquiry Letter
Business English (Đại học Khoa học Xã hội và Nhân văn, Đại học Quốc gia Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh) lOMoAR cPSD| 40799667
Replies to Enquires Letter 0. ACKNOWLEDGING AN ORDER
Thank you for your order No 236 (which we received today). We are now dealing with it and you may
expect delivery within the next three weeks.
Your order No.3654 is now being processed and should be ready for dispatch by next week. 0. ADVICE OF DISPATCH
When the supplier has made up the order and arranged shipment, the customer is informed of this in an advice.
Your order No 1265 has now been placed on board of the SS Mitsu Maru sailing from Kobe on 16 May
and arriving Tilbury, London, on 11 June. The shipping documents have already been sent to your bank in London for collection.
We are pleased to advise that the watches you ordered – No 22457 – were put on flight BA 165 leaving
Zurich 11.00, 9 August arriving Manchester 13.00. Please find enclosed airway bill DC 1254/9 and copies of invoice A112. 0. DELAYS IN DELIVERY
If goods are held up either before or after they are sent, you must keep your customer informed. Let him
know what happened, how it happened and what you are doing to correct the situation.
We are writing to tell you that there will be a three-week delay in delivery. This is due to a fire at our
Greenford works which destroyed most of the machinery.
We regret to inform you that there will be a hold up in getting your consignment to you. This is due to a
cut in supplies from Gara where civil war suddenly broke down last week. We have contacted a possible
supplier in Lagos and he will let us know if he can help us. If you wish to cancel your order, you may, but
I think you will find most manufacturers are experiencing the same difficulties at present. 0. REFUSING AN ORDER a) Out of stock
You may be out of stock of the product ordered, or indeed you may no longer make it. Note that, in either
case, you have an opportunity to sell an alternative product, but remember not to criticize the product you can no longer supply.
We are sorry to say that we are completely out of stock of this item and it will be at least six weeks before
we get our next delivery, but please contact us then.
We no longer manufacture this product as demand over the past few years has declined.
We received your order for ACB dynamos today, but regret that due to a strike at the ACB factory we are
unable to fulfill the order, and we realize that other models will not suit your requirements. a) Bad reputation
The customer may have a bad reputation of settling their account or, in the case of a retailer of, electrical
products, may have offer a poor after-sale service which could in turn affect your reputation. In these
cases, find a diplomatic way of saying ‘no’.
We would only be prepared to supply on a cash basic.
We only supply on payment against pro-form invoice.
As there is a heavy demand we have very few of these products in stock. It seems unlikely that we could
deliver within the next four months. lOMoAR cPSD| 40799667
As our plant is closing for the summer vacation we would not be able to process your order for the date
you have given. Therefore, regretfully, we have to decline it. a) Unfavorable terms
The supplier may not like the terms the customers has asked for, either for delivery.
Delivery could not possibly be promised within the time given in your letter.
Two months must be allowed for delivery, as ourselves have to get raw materials and rely on our suppliers. Or discount
It would be uneconomical for us to offer our products at the discount you suggest as we work on a fast
turnover and low profit margins.
The discount you asked for is far more than we offer any of our customers.
The usual trade discount is 15% in this country, which is 5% lower than the figure mentioned in your letter. Or payment
We only accept payment by letter of credit.
We never offer quarterly terms on initial orders, even to customers who can provide references. However,
we might consider this sort of credit once we have established a trading relationship.
Our company relies on quick sales, low profits, and fast turnover, and therefore we cannot offer long-
term credit facilities. a) Size of order ●
The quantity required might be too large.
We are a small firm and could not possibly handle an order for 20,000 units.
Our factory does not have facilities to turn out 30,000 units a week. ●
The quantity required might be too small.
We only supply orders for ball pens by gross, but suggest you try a stationary wholesaler rather than a manufacturer.
The shirts we manufacture are sold in one color and by the dozen. We never sell individual garments.
GUIDELINES FOR REPLIES TO ENQUIRIES
2.1. Opening => phải viết tên của khách hàng + cảm ơn (đề cập đến ngày của lá thư, trích một số
references mà nó xuất hiện
Mention your prospective customer’s name. If the customer signs the letter Mr. B. Green, then begin with
“Dear Mr. Green,”, not “Dear Sir,”, which indicates that you have not bothered to remember the enquirer’s
name. Thank the writer for his/her enquiry. Mention the date of his/her letter and quote any other reference that appears. th
Thank you for your enquiry of June 6 1984 in which you asked about …
I would like to thank you for enquiry of May 10 and am pleased to tell you that we would be able to supply you with the …
We were pleased to hear from your letter of 10 December that you were impressed with our selection of …
2.2. Confirming that you can help
Let the writer know as soon as possible if you have the product or can provide the service he / she is
enquiring about. It is irritating to read a long letter only to find that the firm cannot help.
We have a wide selection of sweaters that will appeal to all ages and in particular the teenage market which lOMoAR cPSD| 40799667 you specify.
Our factory would have no problem turning out the 6000 units you asked for in your enquiry.
We can supply from stock and will have no trouble in meeting your delivery date.
I am pleased to say that we will be able to deliver the transport facilities you require.
2.3. “Selling” your product
Encourage or persuade your prospective customer to do business with you. A simple answer that you have the
goods in stock is not enough. Your customer might have made ten other enquiries. So remember it is not only
in sales letters that you have to persuade. Mention one or two selling points (những điểm nổi bật làm cho sản
phẩm của mình khác so với các sản phẩm khác) of your products, including any guarantee you offer.
We think you have made an excellent choice in selecting this line, and once you have seen the samples we are
sure you will agree that this is unique both in texture and color.
Once you have seen the Delta 800 in operation we know you will be impressed by its trouble- free performance.
We can assure you that the Omega 2000 is one of the most outstanding machines on the market today, and
our confidence in it is supported by our five-year guarantee.
2.4. Suggesting alternatives
If you do not have what the enquirer has asked for, but have an alternative, offer it to him. But do not criticize
the product he originally asked for.
The model has now been improved, its steel casing has been replaced by plastic which is lighter, more durable and stronger.
Of course leather is an excellent material to work with the upholstering of furniture, but escalating costs
persuaded customers to look for something more competitive in price. Fortunately, Tareton Plastics have
produced an amazing substitute, “Letherine”, which has the same texture, strength and quality of leather, but
is less than a quarter of the cost. The samples enclosed will convince you …
2.5. Referring the customer elsewhere
It is possible, of course, that you may not be able to handle the order or answer the enquiry. Your
correspondent may be asking about a product you do not make or a service you do not give. If this is so, tell
him and if possible refer him elsewhere.
I regret to tell you that we no longer produce the type of stapler you refer to, since we find there is no longer
sufficient demand for it. I am sorry we can not be of help to you.
The book you mentioned is not published by us, but by Greenhill Education Ltd. If you would care to write to
them, their address is …
Even if the product is yours, you may still have to refer the enquirer elsewhere. I confirm that the product you
require is one of ours, but since we are only able to deal with wholesalers, not retailers, may I refer you to
R.L Depre SA, rue Montpellier 28, Paris … ?
Our agents in Italy are Intal S.p.A, Via Alberto Poerio 79, and they carry full stocks of our goods.
2.6. Catalogues, price-lists, prospectuses, samples
Make sure that you enclose current catalogue and price-list if you are sending them. And if prices are subject
to change, then let your customer know. It is a bad policy to suddenly send a letter telling him that prices have
been increased by 10% after you have quoted a firm price. And if you are sending samples, let your customer
know they will follow the letter immediately by separate post.
Please find enclosed our current catalogues and price-lists quoting CIF prices Kobe. The units you referred lOMoAR cPSD| 40799667
to in your letter are featured on pp. 31-34 under catalogue numbers Y32-Y37.
… and we have enclosed our price-list, but should point out that prices are subject to change as the market
for raw materials is very unstable at present.
2.7. Demonstrations, representatives, show room visits.
Certain products, eg. heavy equipment, machinery, installations, may need demonstrating. In these cases the
company might send a representative, or adviser if the equipment is to be installed. They could, however,
suggest that the customer visits their agent in his own country, or a stockist with a showroom.
We have enclosed all the details about the Laren welder, but feel that a demonstration will give you more of
an idea of its capabilities. We would therefore like to invite you to our center in Birmingham where the
equipment is set up so that you can see the machine in action.
We will be able to install the equipment within three months, but would like to send Mr. Griffith, our chief
engineer, to look over your plant and prepare a report on the installations, taking into account your particular requirements. 2.8. Closing
Always thank the customers for writing to you. If you have not done so at the beginning of the letter, you can
do so at the end. You should also encourage further enquiries.
Once again, we would like to thank you for writing to us and would welcome any further points you would like us to answer.
Please write to us again if you have any questions, or call us at the above telephone number.
We hope to hear from you once again, soon, and can assure you that your order will be dealt with promptly.