Unit 8

Reminders, complaints and letterS of apology

I. Letters of reminding and apology

Companies do not usually send (covering) letters with invoices or statements. However, if accounts are not settled within the agreed period, a company will send a polite first reminder to its customer. If it is not answered, a company may send a second and a third request for payment, the latter is usually called a final demand.

There are occasions when you should apologize for a mistake, error or oversight. Do it promptly with an explanation but without any lame excuses. Express your regrets and assurances that it will not happen again.

1. Look through these letters and find the matching expressions:

1. to state that something has not been done

2. to threaten legal action

A.

Timeright Watches Plc Tel: (061) 836142

Time House Fax: 663321

Fell Road

Manchester M6 8LK

J Gomez Ltd Your ref: JG/MR

60 Rua Braancamp Our ref: HN/DL

Lisbon

Portugal 23 June 20__

Dear Sir

Statement – 1 April

On 10 May we reminded you that your April account for £8825.04 had not been settled. According to our records we have not yet received payment and I therefore enclose another copy of the statement.

Please give this matter your immediate attention and let us have your remittance by return.

Yours faithfully

H NEWMAN

Henry Newman

Chief Accountant

Enc: 1

B.

Timeright Watches Plc Tel:(061) 836142

Time House Fax:663321

Fell Road

Manchester M6 8LK

J Gomez Ltd Your ref: JG/MR

60 Rua Braancamp Our ref: hn/dl

Lisbon

Portugal 1 August 20__

Dear Sir

Statement – 1 April

We have sent you two reminders for your April account for £8825.04, but we have neither received your remittance nor any explanation of why the account has not been settled.

We regret to inform you that, unless you settle the account by 10 August, we shall be forced to place the matter in the hands of our solicitor.

Yours faithfully

H NEWMAN

Henry Newman

Chief Accountant

Enc: 1

2. Compare these letters and find out in what ways they are similar and in what ways they are different. Which of them sound more formal? What are the reasons for the delay in replying?

A.

Dear Sir or Madam

On 19 July I wrote to you and requested details of your trade discounts. On 3 August I wrote again but have still not received a reply.

If I do not receive your reply by return, I will be forced to approach an alternative supplier.

Yours faithfully

B.

Dear Sir or Madam

On 19 July I wrote you a letter requesting details of your special trade discounts but I have not yet received your reply.

The details are required urgently and I should be grateful if you could send them without further delay.

Yours faithfully

C.

Dear Sir

Thank you very much for your letter of 3 August, which we received this morning.

I must apologize for the delay in replying to your letter of 19 July. Unfortunately a number of our staff have recently been off sick. This, at a time when several of our employees take their annual holiday, has resulted in unavoidable delays in replying to letters.

I enclose the details of our trade discounts as requested and look forward to receiving your order.

Yours faithfully

D.

Dear Sir

Thank you very much for your letters.

We sincerely apologize for the delay in replying to this and your previous letter. We have recently moved our main office to a new location in the north of the city and this has resulted in some considerable delay in replying to enquiries. The move has now been completed and I can assure you that there will be no more delays in the future.

The details you require are enclosed and I hope that you will now continue to use us as your main supplier.

Yours faithfully

Which words in these letters correspond to the following: inquired; compelled; to look for; another; personnel; yearly; answering; caused; finished; make sure; chief.

3.Here are the extracts from three reminders and a final demand. Organize the extracts into the correct letters.

1. We are concerned that this matter is still unresolved and would be grateful to receive your cheque in full settlement of the outstanding sum without further delay.

2. We would like to remind you that the sum of $3500 is still outstanding on your account.

3. Since we have received no replies to our earlier letters, we have no option but to inform you that unless we receive a cheque for the outstanding sum of $3500 within seven days of the date of this letter; we shall place the matter in the hands of our solicitors.

4. I wrote to you on 1^st July regarding your unpaid account, amounting to $3500.

5. Clearly, this situation cannot be permitted to continue, and we must urge you to take immediate action to clear the indebtedness.

6. If you are satisfied with the goods supplied to you, we would ask that you kindly settle the account as soon as possible.

7. We have now reminded you twice regarding the outstanding sum of $3500 on your account, but to no avail.

Reminder 1:	Reminder 2:	Reminder 3	Final demand
1._________ 2._________	1._________ 2._________	1._________ 2._________	1. ________