eee ferme ! Quotations, Orders and TenAers "Proper procedure smooths the path of ‘commercial ae ce. The subsequent chapters deal This chapter discusses some important types of business correspondent quotations orders, and with each of them separately. Let us first take up correspondertce regarding tenders. . INVITING QUOTATIONS =—— You may write letters to organizations and individuals on a number of subjects, but perhaps the most ceintnon of all will be the Lefer of enquiry in which you ask them to quote their rates and terms of payment for the goods your firm or company wishes to buy from them. m8 re : Itis customary for a business organization to invite quotations from several sellers before placing an order. The purpose is to find out the cheapest and best source of supply of goods required. There isa saying “goods well bought are half sold”. Hence, great care is necessary in drafting such aletter so that you can quickly get the information you wish to collect and also locate the right <-ller. To achieve these objectives you should proceed in a systematic manner as follows: ; __ (i) Describe your needs clearly and precisely. Give detailed specifications such as the shape, size, quality, make, ete. of the goods you require. é ee (ii) Request the seller to quote his prices and terms of payment. ; (iii) Ask him for a sample, if necessary. (»)- Give an idea of the quantity you intend to buy. ren (v) Indicate the time by which you would like the goods t i eed determine whether during the period available he an ee . a tet (vi) Ask ifthe goods are guaranteed and if'so, for what period. Also ask the a emand. the normal expected life of these goods. ime seller to give a idea of (vii) Ask what accessories and spares, if any, would be supplied ; Hany, pplied and-how much wo ald they cost. Scanned with CamScannerIM-98Y 8 S81105 ssaulsng “SENDING QUOTATIONS (vii) Ifthe goods you are ordering need installation, ask the seller the cost of doing so and also the repair facilities offered by him. (ix); As the proéessing of a purchase proposal takes some time, ask the seller to indicate the period _ for which his quotations will be valid. yisttbagi > Helpful Hints The nature of enquiry will determine how you open and close your letter. However, to help you, ‘examples of a few opening and closing senterices are given'as follows: : . Opening Sentences _ (i) Please quote your lowest rate for the following items. (i) We should be grateful if you would kindly inform us of the terms and conditions for the supply of...: Gi) We intene'to buy the following items next month for our nei-branch in... Tshould be grate if you would kindly guote your lowest rate for' them. The eal specifications are given below. _ (iv) May we request you to let us have your lowest rates for the iawn ie which we require "in November?” * ‘ ap Tea el ay esate ax aly pi __Closing Sentences: ~() We look forward to hearing from you soos If your quota i ssulable we shall be happy to buy all our requirements this season from you. (i) On hearing from you, we shal place a firm order with you: “Gii) We hope the terms and conditions you quote will be. salsfacto happy to order all our requirements from you. _.. (iv) AS we'need these goods urgently, we shall be grateful for an nly ey ts WW We look forward to Plog an order with you.~!: i nel shall, of couse, be Your response to a letter inviting quotations should be cateflly drafted and should fully take note of each item in the enquiry. Treat it asa sales letter and handle itin the: gir date ith Chapter % “Do not forget to mention: (i) Mode and terms of, pijtient~ (ii) Place’and time of delivery. (iii) Method of transport. ' (iv) Charges on account of sales tax, octroi, freight and i insurance, (v) Packing and forwarding charges. aS Scanned with CamScannerPLACING OnpERS . ‘After! you ‘accept a’quotation, the next step'is to order the goods: To ensure efi ~ handling of your order bear the following in mind. : (i) Place a clear and firm order. It is the only thing which interests the gage b n : oe (i) Even if it amounts;to-repeating, do.not hetitate,to, give, a detailed, accurate, ant ane es description of the items you wish tosbuy. Mention the size: colour, quality, make, i reference to catalogue or identification number, if any. But make sure. these descriptio . not vary from those given in the original letter inviting quotations. iii). The next important thing i isto specily the quantity you want, ‘Also item. + tl Indicate the mode. and terms of payment. If you have been getting “opal supplies from a -seller you may omit this information because, he would. automatically debit your account and | approach you for payment according. to the mode mutually agreed upon. In other cases, » sTespect the wishes of the'seller.as far-as possible and send the payment in the mode he desires. He may, for-example, demand a certain percentage in. advance. Do not:hesitate to let him have it because‘you have accepted his quotation after carefully ering his s standing is inthe market and-the quality of goods he has offered for sale. -{v) In most quotations the mode of transport viz. passenger train, gpods train, “be stated, But if itis not, do mention the’ way) you. want it “ at i 4 When you place an order, you expect the goods to arrive wit ich « However, it is always b better to: spell out what you consider in en pio com Sometimes you need goods urgently and j |youmay have, in fact, indicated: this th sr your earlier correspondence. But to remind him it is necessary, to mention it rt my “ (vii), State the full address of the place where you want'the Goods delivered, ven, i) Normally proper packing is the responsibility of the sellex and its cod DG i —~~*quotation. But if you want a is incl diet 7 fetes 7 a a eee eee ‘refed top ney mt and prompt OW. i > the price per unit of "Scanned with CamScannerGiven below are three examples of g (Exhibit 6.1-6.9), Example 1 Inviting Quotations spondence exchanged for Plbcing, on. opr We.wish to buy the following items of electronics equipment for our language laboratory. We should be grateful if you would kindly quote your lowest rates for these items, giving full particulars and technical details. The quantity we propose to buy is mentioned against each tap Soe the processing of the purchase proposal takes quite. some time, it would be* helgtul if you could quote rates which may remain valid for at least three months. > beeeysk Quantity: Parliculars *”~* TAT Tutor headsets: ‘Student headsets ni * Top 1/2 track record/play head DR/RP 338° Lower 1/2 track record/play heads DR/RP/33A Oscillating erase heads ? Bridge rectifier rec. 28A * Bridge rectifier rec, 20A 0 Capstan motors "2° r Rewind motors ~. Také-up motors _" Transformer for master tape recorder Levet meter, V-4038 - Lipel, Student recorder-knobs Stop key buttons Buttons other than stop key Mini lamps Rev. counter belts. adit 2 We want to set up:the Jab.by.the,end of June:so that it can function when the university feopens in July. We would; therefore;-like the equipment to be delivered ,to us latest by: 45 June. Please let us know whether'you will be able. arrange the supply by this date." Please let us also know.the guarantee period and any after-sales facility offered by you, We look forward to hearing ftom you soon. Sea Rada a Ba Bee a2 SBBy * Yours faithful, “RN. Vaish Purchase Offic cael Scanned with CamScannerDear Sir, EN 7 XX A Thank you for your letter No. :.. dated ... We have pleasure in submitting the following quotation for your consideration: We con- firm that the prices will remain valid for three months. +A SiNo. ‘item Description" , Net Price Each, oe she a ‘ Ex. Works ) = ae a: Rs. nye Tutor headsets.” ‘ge 40 | “2 Stutient headsets)” W aslo Stet ning gth "vif | 3. Top 1/2 track record/play head DRIRPIS3A Pe 120 | 4. Lower 1/2 track record/play head DR/AP/33A.... >, = 120 5. Oscillating erase head 3 } 6. Bridge rectifier rec. 284 ‘ T.: Bridge rectifier rec, 20A, a Capstan motor we Rewind motor Je ~~ Take-up motor 1 Transformer for master tape recorder 426V, 150 ~ 12. Level meter V-4038 a 13, Student recorder knobs — 14, Stop key button Z ~) 15 Buttons other than stop key. ee Mini lamps, 14 V (orange, green, white 17. Rev. counter belts { Sales Tax. 123% i Transportation -02% . Packing charges and other duties and taxes are in : Since the equipment is breakable ‘and expensive; we would ‘strongly advise you td’get it r “insured. If ¥du agree; we shall do it for'you at an extra charge’ of 1/2 per cént on the quoted i price: The equipment will be'sent by:goods tiain.within a monthiof the receipt of your. ofder. : Allitems are guaranteed for three years. i iy Lab if necessaly, we shall repair or. ; | replace any item at our cost, ai \ We do not require any advance but: would like ts Ontos tobe made by crossed cheque drawn on the State Bankof India, within 15 days of the receipt of equipmeht:"” a , We look forward to receiving your order.soon. If you need any further information, Blensa| do not hesitate to write to us. : Narain Shitole Sales Manager ‘Scanned with CamScannerSTS ‘Orders and Lenders 67 Paty the Order 1 ‘Dear Sirs, : Thank you for your letter No... dated. We are pleased to place &N order for the following items on the terms and conditions | agreed upon. Please send thé equipment ‘duly insured aM include the itr charges in your | bill. @ | SLNo. ‘item Description’ -’ 1 1. “Tutor headsets 2: feo, 2 Student Fieddsets a ‘Top 1/2 track recdrd/play heads DR/RP/33A Lower 1/2 track record/play heads DR/RP/33A. Oscillating erase heads Bridge rectifier rec. 28A, \T.SBridge rectifier rec. 20A = -; Capstan motors Rewirld motors Take-up motors “—-—-~-=>-——----—-. “6, Transformer for master tape.recorder 2 Level meter V-4038 2 Student recorder knobs SSopkeyplene ‘Buttons other than stop key = . Sprit :Mini lamps. ra Rev. counter belts : : We'note that the equipment will be sent by goods train a reach us whi ‘onie month of the fecéipt of this ofder. We shall make the payment, f equi ment... 24 by. Croged ct cheque as desited mf you soon ater the arrival Exhibit 635; Braap] } Wei intend to b the fotos items of furniture for our new branch to be opened shorty i * lease ea lowest rates ‘and also indicate the terms 609 of tiny 10} tna NM Quantity°°item - Sena : Seumgers!) ingle pedestal steel Length 60” i" grey-coloured desks Width __—40” ?.2(Contd.) Scanned with CamScannerwe _ a! Busta Corapndec & Report Writing ~ Sn Height: 287 6 Double pedestal stee! Length 62” {grey-coloured desks. Width ...48" on, uo : sic Height ;-- 28"... > ¢ 8 NE 9 erat © Nets U" i. :eTypist’s posture steel chairs Height 16” (adjustable up-to 20") with seats and backrests Width 17” |” sopadded with foam Length 12” (rom back to front) i Depth of backrest 8”. 7 ! ie Width of backrest 10” °° : We look forward to hearing from you S00f, i 1 Yours faithfully, ORT. Mahesh “1° Purchase Officer Exhibit 6.4 a Sending Quotations [Deersi, Many thanks for your letier No... dated..."We are pleased to quo the fumiture You fedUltes ee ogy Item Description Single pedestal steel grey-coloured desks (x40 Double pedestal steel grey-coloured desks (62” x 48” x 28 ypist’s posture stee! chairs with seat and backrest padded ith foam (height adjustable from 16” to 20” ; width 17”; -lengthi:42”. (from. back to front); depth of backrest 5”; width. _ cof backrest 10”; colour sky blue) Sales Tax @ 73% Packing and transportation charges from our Works to ‘Subhash Market and other and taxes are included in the price quoted above. enaacad We hope to receive your order soon and Help you to furnish-you new branch office without delay. We assure-you of our prompt services and shall deliver the goods within a fortnight of the receipt of your orders. ic rt sath Figs? 6 ud : - folder describing the LASTWELL fumiture we manufacture is.enclo Vénient for you to select any other items you may wish to buy now.orin fut Scanned with CamScanner _Quotations, Orders and Tenders * @ ‘Placing the Order . Dear Sirs, Thank you-very much for your quotation No... dated... We should be grateful if you ‘could arrange fo deliver the following items-at '327-B Subhash Market, Jariakpuri (Opposite Police Chowki) within a fortnight. : _ + Particulars Quantity 4. Single pedestal see! grey-coloured desks (60” x 40" x28").._95 i 2. Double pedestal steel grey-coloured desks (62” x 48” x 28”) 6 dehinis 3. Typist’s posture steel chairs with seat and backrest padded with jam (height adjustable from 16” to 20”, width 17”; length 12”. (trom back to front); depth of backrest 5”; width of backrest 10”; colour: sky blue) : Itis very thoughtful of you to have sent us your.folder. We shall certainly use it for ‘our future transactions with you, 5 secbrtal ‘Our bankers are United Commercial Bank, Janakpuri Branch.and we propose ‘to pay you _ bya crossed cheque drawn-on them. Please.confirm that this arrangement suits you.” Yours faittuly, RT. Mahesh | Purchase Manager | ‘Exhibites Example Is... vio vce ct. dopannr eh OTT ._, Birla, Education, Trust. (Building Department) Pilani-(Rajasthan) “FetNo. BET: MO: TR7600 2554 Nyémbeh 200%" Messrs Hengers (INDIA)'PrivaterLimited: 298.21 sty ooninel P.O. Gobindpur, Distt. Dhanbad (Bihar), 10) Dear Sirs, ‘Sub.:Quotation for 300 KVA Transformer; , | We are interested in buying one 300 kVA transformer the details of which are given Below. We shall be glad if you will please send us your lowest quotation together with all detals, date of delivery, etc. at an early date, : (Contd) Scanned with CamScannerClaim Letters Delayed shipments, damages to goods, misunderstandings, grrors in filling orders, and other problems occur between the most well-run companies. When such problems arise you will need to make a claim against another firm. You find ena bbiecncs in writing a claim letter: to settle the claim to your satisfaction and to preserve the cordial relations between you and the other fii ian artia:hiaicremcnme ° ~~ Make your claim accurately and tactfully, Assume in your letter that your claim will be granted and that the other firm will attempt to make a satisfactory adjustment. Avoid threats, accusations, or veiled hints about what you will do if the matter isn’t sett led promptly. If possible, address your claim to a specific person in the companiy: the head of customer- relations: or customer service, the salesperson who took your order, the executive who heads the department where you bought the ‘ merchandise or service. You may even want.to send your complaint directly, to the president of the conipany, This tactic is often an effective strategy, particularly if the company’s small} Go directly to the source that can pro- vide the most help. Sy. pee as a : 5 In reporting your claim, give the company accurate and complete infor- mation so they can investigate the matter and offer a fair adjustment. Make sure you include the following: avo? 1. All pertinent dates. Indicate Purchase and shipping dates and a purchase such as invoices or receipts,” 2. A description of the problem. giving all the details such as the like. State your points one by one, model number, type of service; and ts + snned with CamScanner‘Claim Letter : (Full Block Format) 7 January 15, 19-— Mr. James Jordan Jordan Productions 901 Avenue C Stamford, Connecticut 06902 Dear Mr. Jordan: After receiving 10,000 copies of our Summer’ '94 brochure from the printer, we discovered several typos and a major content error in the ¢ text. = We feel that these errors resulted from an oversight on both our parts. Although we gave final approval to the graphic design and copy that your staff developed, careful, proofreading ‘ of the text was included as part of your services. The brochures must be corrected and reprinted at an estimated cost of $3,000. We believe, that your firm and ours should share the cost of the correction, As a result, we will deduct one-half of the printing charges ($1,500) from thé invoice you submitted to us. Should you differ with our solution or have an alternative suggestion, please tall me. Twill ~ be happy to discuss the matter with you. We realize that mistakes can happen. This situation will not affect the fine relationship we have enjoyed in the past nor prevent us from using your. excellent services in the future. Sincerely yours, : ‘ Alice Davis Creative Director aw 4 , Scanned with CamScanner-integri “iHEclient’s problem, you establish “Tesponsibility for the problem; You also can offer Adjustment Letters The primary purpose of adjustment letters is to handle customer com| laints and problems while being fair to all parties involved. A reputation for handling customer claims quickly and fairly is a powerful public relations tool for any firm. Most companies tend toward generous settlements whenever possible, giving the customer every benefit of the 1e doubt. A company must walk the thin line between preserving a client's goodwill and maint ining the fir . Customers should not feel shortchanged, yet at th ‘the sai same ti y should not take advantage of a company’s desire to mai ntain go od customer telati ions. about the problem was the right thing to do. ee ate ing.atti-. tude, even if the customer is initially angry or hostile. By sympathizing with for a just settlement. Accept repbiaesn firm’s 's integrity in the customer's eyes. At_times the claim_may.. involve a‘third party, such as a distributor or, i solicy that simply replaces _ the goods y: In other ¢ cases, on their own. ins si tances,. ‘you may.act as.go- -between. for the client. ers legal assistance to make their claim. . . The format for an effective adjustment letter generally follows these steps. ~ 1. Assure the customer that telling yc step to take. Es vathig Bd Esplin our policy of hain g customer claims. 3. Des the. e the.results of. fyour investigation into the and concisely as possible. You can itemize your | 5. Close with a positive statement.f you have had to ref claim, offer an alternative solution; A jew sen servi or product, or Hf you are Sranting™ ibstitiite; may. solve th the : adjustment, close with a statement ex, express the customer will continue to enjoy. v.the sewers B the hope that” _ your firm, and Products of .. fuse > the. Scanned with CamScanner_ Adustment Letter (Bick Format) ,, J i 4 June 30, 19-- Ms. Dorothy Markle 37 Parke Road Madison, Wisconsin 53711 Dear Ms. Markle: We deeply regret that the bulbs and flowers you ordered in early March were received too late for spring planting. — We have enclosed a refund check for $43.56, which covers the purchase amotint plus your shipping costs for returning the order. You: mentioned that you had to,.purchase your bulbs and flowers from a retail florist because - you did not receive the order you placed with us. We understand that you spent $10 more for the retail order. : Unfortunately, we cannot reimburse you for the added expense you incurred by purchasing at retail. However, we are including two complimentary lilac bushes, perfect for fall planting... Jin you for your: patience in this matter. We hope you enjoy the lilac bushes and that you, accept our sincere apologies for the. delayed shipment. Sincerely, BLOSSOM GARDENS, INC. A. Jane Reading Customer Relations AIR: iw Enclosure Scanned with CamScanner