How to Write Letters (Formerly The Book of Letters) by Mary Owens Crowther (interesting novels to read txt) π
The mechanical construction of a letter, whether social, friendly, or business, falls into six or seven parts. This arrangement has become established by the best custom. The divisions are as follows:
1. Heading 2. Inside address (Always used in business letters but omitted in social and friendly letters) 3. Salutation 4. Body 5. Complimentary close 6. Signature 7. Superscription
1. THE HEADING
The heading of a letter contains the street address, city, state, and the date. The examples below will illustrate:
2018 Calumet Street or 1429 Eighth Avenue Chicago, Ill. New York, N.Y. May 12, 1921 March 8, 1922
[Illustration: In the business letterhead appear the name of the firm, its address, and the kind of business engaged in]
When the heading is typewritten or written by hand, it is placed at the top of the first letter sheet close to the right-hand margin. It should begin about in the center, that is, it should extend no farther to the left than the ce
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Very truly yours,
Wells & Sons.
WELLS & SONS
29 SUMMER STREET
BOSTON, MASS.
May 11, 1923.
Mrs. Julia Furniss,
29 Oak Street,
Somerville, Mass.
Dear Madam:
We have received your note of May 8th in regard to the bathroom scales on your bill of May 1st.
We do not send these scales already assembled as there is considerable danger of breakage, but we shall send a man out to you on Wednesday the twelfth to set them up for you. The missing height bar will be sent to you.
Very truly yours,
Wells & Sons.
THE STERLING SILVER CO.
2800 FIFTH AVE.
NEW YORK
December 17, 1923.
Mrs. Daniel Everett,
290 Washington Square,
New York.
Dear Madam:
We regret that it will be impossible to have your tea spoons marked as we promised. Marking orders were placed in such quantities before yours was received that the work cannot be executed before December 28th.
We are, therefore, holding the set for your further instructions and hope that this will not cause any disappointment.
Very truly yours,
The Sterling Silver Co.
REX TYPEWRITER CO.
20 SO. MICHIGAN AVE.
CHICAGO, ILL.
November 6, 1922.
Mr. John Harris,
Wayside, Ill.
Dear Sir:
We are in receipt of the damaged No. 806 typewriter which you returned, and have forwarded a new typewriter which was charged to your account.
Please mail us a freight bill properly noted, showing that the typewriter which you returned was received in a damaged condition, so that the cost of repairs can be collected from the transportation company and the proper credit placed to your account.
Very truly yours,
Rex Typewriter Co.
WELLS & SONS
29 SUMMER STREET
BOSTON, MASS.
September 25, 1922.
Mr. Louis Wright,
Quincy, Mass.
Dear Sir:
Our warehouse headquarters have just informed us in reply to our telegram, that your order No. 263 of September 6th was shipped on September 14th by express direct.
We regret the delay, and hope the goods have already reached you.
Very truly yours,
Wells & Sons.
WELLS & SONS
29 SUMMER STREET
BOSTON, MASS.
June 7, 1923.
Mrs. Ralph Curtis,
5928 Commonwealth Ave.,
Boston, Mass.
Dear Madam:
We are sorry to learn from your letter of June 5th that you found two buttons missing from your suit. We have no more buttons like the one you enclosed and cannot get any, as the suit is an import. But if you will let us know the number of buttons in the entire set, we will send you a complete set of buttons as nearly like the sample as possible.
I hope this will be a satisfactory solution.
Very truly yours,
Wells & Sons.
A routine letter of adjustment
HALL BROTHERS
500 FOURTH STREET
DAYTON, O.
January 28,1923.
Mr. Philip Drew,
480 Milk Street,
Boston, Mass.
Dear Sir:
We have received your letter of ______ and regret to learn that ______. We will carefully investigate the matter at once and within a day or two will write you fully.
Very truly yours,
Hall Brothers.
WELLS & SONS
29 SUMMER STREET
BOSTON, MASS
January 2, 1923.
Mr. George Larabee,
Sunnyside, Vt.
Dear Sir:
In compliance with your request of December 27th we shall mail our check to-morrow for $16.98 for the humidor which you returned. We regret very much the delay in this matter. Our only excuse for it is the holiday rush in our delivery department which prevented the delivery of the humidor in time for Christmas.
We hope you will overlook the delay and give as another opportunity to serve you.
Very truly yours,
Wells & Sons.
Credit and Collection LettersBusiness is done largely on credit, but comparatively few men in business seem to understand that in the letters concerning accounts lies a large opportunity for business building. The old-style credit man thinks that it is all important to avoid credit losses; he opens an account suspiciously and he chases delinquent accounts in the fashion that a dog goes after a cat.
Business is not an affair of simply not losing money: it is an affair of making money. Many a credit grantor with a perfect record with respect to losses may be a business killer; he may think that his sole function is to prevent losses. His real function is to promote business. The best credit men in the country are rarely those with the smallest percentage of losses, although it does happen that the man who regards every customer as an asset to be conserved in the end has very few losses.
Therefore, in credit granting, in credit refusing, and in collection, the form letter is not to be used without considerable discrimination. It is inadvisable to strike a personal note, and many firms have found it advantageous to get quite away from the letter in the first reminders of overdue accounts. They use printed cards so that the recipient will know that the request is formal and routine.
Another point to avoid is disingenuousness, such as "accounts are opened for the convenience of customers." That is an untrue statement. They are opened as a part of a method of doing business and that fact ought clearly to be recognized. It does not help for good feeling to take the "favoring" attitude. Every customer is an asset; every prospective customer is a potential asset. They form part of the good-will of the concern.
Tactless credit handling is the most effective way known to dissipate good-will.
To open a charge account
4601 Fourth Avenue,
New York,
May 3, 1922.
Hoyt & Jennings,
32 East Forty Eighth Street,
New York.
Gentlemen:
I desire to open a credit account with your company.
Will you let me know what information you desire?
Very truly yours,
Harold Grant.
or, according to the circumstances any of the following may be used:
I desire to open a line of credit _______________________________
I desire to open an account _______________________________
I desire to maintain an open account _______________________________
I desire to maintain a charge account _______________________________
Replies to application for credit
HOYT & JENNINGS
32 EAST 48TH ST.
NEW YORK
May 8, 1923.
Mr. Harold Grant,
48 Dey Street,
New York.
Dear Sir:
May we thank you for your letter of May 3rd in which you expressed a desire to have an account with us?
We enclose a copy of our usual form and trust that we shall have the privilege of serving you.
Yours very truly,
(Handwritten) F. Burdick,
Credit Manager,
Hoyt & Jennings.
HOYT & JENNINGS
32 EAST 48TH STREET
NEW YORK
May 18, 1923.
Mr. Harold Grant,
48 Dey Street,
New York.
Dear Sir:
We are glad to notify you that, in accordance with your request, a charge account has been opened in your name.
At the beginning of our new business relations, we wish to assure you that we shall try to give satisfaction, both with our goods and with our service. Whenever you purchase an article, it is simply necessary that you inform the sales person waiting on you that you have a charge accountβand then give your name and address.
As is customary in our business, a statement of purchases made during the preceding month will be rendered and will be due on the first of each month.
We are awaiting with pleasant anticipation the pleasure of serving you.
Very truly yours,
(Handwritten) F. Burdick,
Credit Manager,
Hoyt & Jennings.
Refusing credit
(This is one of the most difficult of all letters to write and one in which extreme care should be used for it may happen that the references have not replied accurately or that there may be somewhere an error. Many people entitled to credit have never asked for it and therefore have trouble in giving references. A brusque refusal will certainly destroy a potential customer and is always to be avoided. The best plan is to leave the matter open. Then, if the applicant for credit has really a standing, he will eventually prove it.)
HOYT & JENNINGS
32 EAST 48TH STREET
NEW YORK
Mr. Harold Grant,
48 Dey Street,
New York.
Dear Sir:
May we thank you for your letter of May 5th and for the names of those whom you were kind enough to give as references?
The information that we have received from them is unfortunately not quite complete enough for the purposes of our formal records. Would you care to furnish us with further references in order that the account may be properly opened? Or perhaps you would rather call in person.
Very truly yours,
(Handwritten) F. Burdick,
Credit Manager,
Hoyt & Jennings.
Where an order has been sent in by one who has not opened an account
GREGORY SUPPLY CO.
114 MAIN STREET
BALTIMORE, MD.
July 13, 1923.
J. K. Cramer & Brothers,
New Sussex, Md.
Gentlemen:
We write to thank you for your order of July 10th, amounting to $320 and we are anxious to make shipment quickly.
Our records do not show that we have previously been receiving your orders and hence unfortunately we have not the formal information desired by our credit department so that we can open the account that we should like to have in your name. For we trust that this will be only the first of many purchases.
Will you favor us by filling out the form enclosed and mailing it back as soon as convenient? The information, of course, will be held strictly confidential.
We are preparing the order for shipment and it will be ready to go out.
Yours truly,
(Handwritten) B. Allen,
Credit Manager
Gregory Supply Co.
Letters to References Given by the ApplicantTo a bank (A bank will not give specific information)
GREGORY SUPPLY CO.
114 MAIN STREET
BALTIMORE, MD.
July 25, 1923.
Haines National Bank,
Baltimore, Md.
Gentlemen:
We have received a request from Mr. Cramer of New Sussex, Md., who informs us that he maintains an account with you for the extension of credit. He has given you as a reference.
Will you kindly advise us, in confidence and with whatever particularity you find convenient, what you consider his credit rating? Any other information that you may desire to give will be appreciated.
We trust that we may have the opportunity to reciprocate your courtesy.
Very truly yours,
(Handwritten) B. Allen,
Credit Manager,
Gregory Supply Co.
To a commercial house
GREGORY SUPPLY CO.
114 MAIN STREET
BALTIMORE, MD.
July 25, 1923.
Bunce & Co.,
29 Vine Ave.,
Baltimore, Md.
Gentlemen:
We shall be much obliged to you if you will kindly inform us concerning your credit experience with Mr. J. K. Cramer of New Sussex, Md., who desires to open an account with us and who has referred us to you.
We
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