How to Write Letters (Formerly The Book of Letters) Part 36

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, Ma.s.s.

September 25, 1922.

Mr. Louis Wright, Quincy, Ma.s.s.

Dear Sir:

Our warehouse headquarters have just informed us in reply to our telegram, that your order No. 263 of September 6th was s.h.i.+pped 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, Ma.s.s.

June 7, 1923.

Mrs. Ralph Curtis, 5928 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Ma.s.s.

Dear Madam:

We are sorry to learn from your letter of June 5th that you found two b.u.t.tons missing from your suit. We have no more b.u.t.tons 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 b.u.t.tons in the entire set, we will send you a complete set of b.u.t.tons 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, Ma.s.s.

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, Ma.s.s

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 LETTERS

Business 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 fas.h.i.+on 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 a.s.set 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" att.i.tude. Every customer is an a.s.set; every prospective customer is a potential a.s.set. 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?