A study on improving the skill of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints for senior students of english faculty at thuongmai university

Afterrealizing the practicality of Business Correspondence in recent commercial activities,the author hopes to find out the status of the writing skill of business letters ofstudents, di

THUONGMAI UNIVERSITY ENGLISH FACULTY

UNIVERSITY

HANOI - 2020

The study was conducted with the aim of improving the skill of writing replyletters to enquiries and complaints for senior students of English Faculty Afterrealizing the practicality of Business Correspondence in recent commercial activities,the author hopes to find out the status of the writing skill of business letters ofstudents, difficulties and some common mistakes they often make and suggest feasiblesolutions to better that skill In fact, Business Correspondence is considered as one ofthe hardest subjects in English Faculty at Thuongmai University The main reason forthis is that business correspondence consists of many different types and each one hasits own writing style Therefore, students often have troubles when writing businessletters However, due to the time limitation, the author could not analyze and describethe difficulties and popular errors of all the kinds of letters Instead, the author onlyfocused on studying reply letters to enquiries and complaints The research entitled:

“A study on improving the skill of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints forsenior students of English Faculty at Thuongmai University” may be much useful.The research was supported by 102 senior English-majored students atThuongmai University Via data collected from the survey questionnaires, the authoranalyzed and pointed out the status of the students’ writing skills, difficulties andcommon mistakes that students often make, and gave some suggestions for studentsand lecturers to deal with the problems and improve the skills

Also, I would like to show my sincere thanks to all the lecturers of EnglishFaculty for teaching me valuable lessons

Finally, I want to give my special thanks to my friends for their great help andcomments as well as senior students of English Faculty for taking part in my research.They are my sources of spiritual energy to keep me going even when I was in thehardest time

Hanoi, 20 th April, 2020

Hong Hoang Bich Hong

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iii

LISTOF ABBREVIATIONS v

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES vi

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1

1.1 The rationale of the study 1

1.2 Previous studies 2

1.2.1 In the world 2

1.2.2 In Vietnam 3

1.3 Aims of the study 4

1.4 Research subjects 5

1.5 The Scope of the study 5

1.6 Research methodology 5

1.7 Organization of the study 6

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 7

2.1 Introduction 7

2.2 Background knowledge of business correspondence 7

2.2.1 The meaning of correspondence 7

2.2.2 The importance of correspondence 8

2.2.3 Types of business correspondence 10

2.2.4 Essential qualities of good business correspondence 10

2.2.5 Parts of business correspondence 12

2.3 Business Enquiry letter 14

2.3.1 The meaning of enquiry letters 14

2.3.2 Methods of enquiries 14

2.3.3 Some types of inquiry letters 14

2.3.4 Replying to letters of enquiries 15

2.3.5 Points to be kept in mind when writing reply letters of enquiries 18

2.4 Complaint letters 19

2.4.1 The meaning of complaint letters 19

2.4.2 Some types of complaint letters 19

2.4.3 Replying to letters of complaints 20

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH FINDINGS 22

3.1 The status of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints of senior students of English Faculty 22

3.2 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints 24

3.2.1 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing the opening part of reply letters to enquiries 24

3.2.2 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing the body part of reply letters to enquiries 25

3.2.3 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing the closing part of reply letters to enquiries 31

3.3 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing reply letters to complaints 32

3.3.1 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing the opening part of reply letters to complaints 32

3.3.2 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing the body part of reply letters to complaints 34

3.3.3 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing the closing part of reply letters of complaint 39

CHAPTER 4: RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS 41

4.1 Solutions to improving the skill of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints for senior students 41

4.1.1 Solutions for lecturers 41

4.1.2 Solutions for senior students 43

4.2 Suggestions for further study 48

CONCLUSION 49 REFERENCES

APPENDIX

LISTOF ABBREVIATIONS

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES

Diagram 3.1 The ability of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints 23 Diagram 3.2 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing the opening part of reply letters to enquiries 24 Diagram 3.3 Some common mistakes in writing the body part of reply letters to enquiries 27 Diagram 3.3 Some common mistakes in writing the opening part of reply letters to complaints 33 Diagram 3.4 Difficulties in writing the body part of reply letters to complaints 34 Diagram 3.5 Some common mistakes in writing the body part of reply letters to complaints 35 Diagram 4.1 Solutions for lecturers to help students improve the skill of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints 41

Table 3.1 Difficulties in writing the opening part of reply letters to enquiries 25 Table 3.2 Common mistakes in writing the closing part of reply letters to enquiries .31 Table 3.3 Difficulties in writing the opening part of reply letters to complaints 32 Table 3.4 Difficulties in writing the closing part of reply letters to complaints 39 Table 4.1 Solutions to improving the skill of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints for senior students 43

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY

1.1 The rationale of the study

It is evident that English is considered as one of the most vital languages in thetoday’s world Many countries have declared English an official language at the local

or regional level It is estimated that about more than three million people speakEnglish as their first or native language Besides, many other people speak it as aforeign language which is an indispensable means of communication in our daily lives.Nowadays, due to global integration trend, the business world has need for theglobal language of English Many countries not only focus on operating in thedomestic market but also expand their scope of business overseas Therefore, it ismore necessary for everyone, especially people who work for foreign companies, tohave a good command of English to communicate with their customers as well aspartners around the world Currently, one of the most popular means ofcommunication in business is business correspondence Due to the geographicaldistance, it is not feasible to have face-to-face meetings with other parties Meanwhile,compared to other kinds of communication such as telephone or fax, it is a moreconvenient and economical way to exchange information evidently and keep contactwith customers and partners

As a senior student of English Faculty at TMU, who will engage in the labormarket in the near future, I realize that improving the skill of writing business letters is

a crucial issue that helps every student to meet the demands of employers, and as aresult, they can expand their professional opportunity in the increasingly competitivemarket like nowadays There is a variety of business correspondence types but one ofthe most difficult letters to write is reply letters to enquiries and complaints

From the above reasons, in my research, I will investigate some difficulties inwriting reply letters to enquiries and complaints of senior-English - majored students

at Thuongmai University as well as provide feasible solutions to sharpen their writingcorrespondence skill Therefore, I would like to conduct my research entitled: “Astudy on improving the skill of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints forsenior students of English faculty at Thuongmai University” I hope this thesis willhelp them find out their common mistakes and obtain some suitable methods toenhance their writing skill

1.2 Previous studies

Although there are many previous studies on business correspondence, the oneconcentrating on improving the skill of writing particular letters for senior English-majored students is restricted However, I have found some researches that couldsupport my study and provide me with some useful information which makes mystudy more evident and reliable

1.2.1 In the world

In study of Harrison McJohnston named “Business Correspondence” which waswritten in 1918, he mentioned how to write effective inquiries and requests In

particular, he pointed out that “it is frequently the inquirer’s fault when he gets an

unsatisfactory reply to his inquiry His letter may be incomplete or inaccurate or indefinite, or it may have the wrong tone, or in some other way show lack of consideration for the reader’s point of view”, and “it is decidedly important to develop the good-will of the seller” Besides, in his study, he also emphasized to describe why

letters fail and why letters make good, which is really useful to help many people,especially students know how to improve their writing business correspondence letter

skill He showed some main reasons that led to a failed letter: “When a writer of sales

letters deliberately avoids general conclusions and general statements of his own opinions, he makes it just so much easier to fill his letter with punch, in other words, with facts, clearly and interestingly presented, which will influence his addressee to reach the desire conclusion When he states conclusions as well as facts he usually makes the mistakes of telling the reader something which the latter already knows”.

“Another most common cause of failure is lack of good salesmanship.”

The other authors who also contributed to this topic are F.I.L (Ger) and D.Ann

Cr “English Business Letters for Foreign Students” was the research they did andcompleted in 1991 They showed some common mistakes when quoting cataloguenumbers or typing figures in the quantity column They pointed out that clarity was avery important factor to constitute a good reply letter

Another research that was famous in the world is “Ford Handbook ofCommercial Correspondence” written by A Ashley in 2007 It has been designed toprovide a comprehensive guide and reference to the essential writing skills needed inthe commercial world She presented the ways to write a good reply letter of enquiry:

“let the enquirer know near the start of your reply if you have the product or can provide the service he or she is asking about It is irritating to read a long letter only

to find that the supplier cannot help.” Besides, she also said that “if you do not have what the enquirer has asked for, but have alternatives, offer that But do not criticize the product he or she originally asked for.” When writing replies, she emphasized that

it is necessary to mention one or two selling points of product, including anyguarantees, special offers, and discounts

1.2.2 In Vietnam

One of the most well-known researches in Vietnam in this topic is “TheLanguage of business Correspondence in English” written by Professor Nguyen TrongDan In the 6th, edition (2010) the research presented some points that should be noted

when writing enquiries as well as reply to inquiries He pointed out that enquiries

should be answered, even those that cannot for some reason be given a complete response”, and “if the information requested cannot be provided at all, if it is confidential you should explain this in your letter” Besides, he provided some

samples of reply letters to make it clear for readers More importantly, he also did aresearch on writing reply letters of complaints and claims In particular, he analyzedsome rules that everyone should observe to deal with a complaint such as expressingyour regret and promise to put matters right or never trying to excuse yourself byblaming any of your staff

“English for Commercial Correspondences” (2006) was the book written byNguyen Bich Ngoc and Dao Thi Huong It is an important material for business people

and aims at meeting the needs of all students in Commercial English department at theHanoi Commercial and Tourism College, and at the same time, it can serve as a handbook for those who are engaged in foreign trade transactions in Vietnam This bookalso gave everyone useful instructions to write an effective letters as well as the ways

to improve their writing skill

In general, the mentioned studies could help students have a full understanding ofbusiness correspondence and point out the way to write these kinds of letters moreeffectively I also hope that my study can allow students, especially senior students ofEnglish Faculty to realize their popular mistakes in writing reply letters to enquiriesand complaints and, therefore, they can find out the most suitable solutions to improvetheir skill

1.3 Aims of the study

It is clearly evident that business correspondence is an important tool for businessactivities’ communication or exchange information, especially to senior English-majored students at TMU, who will often use it for their jobs in the future This is whythe thesis is aimed to design a study on improving the skill of writing reply letters toenquiries and complaints for senior students of English faculty at TMU Throughoutfinding the status and difficulties senior students often encounter when writing thesereply letters, the study would suggest some possible solutions to those difficulties.This will be very helpful for teachers to motivate their students in writing class Thesesuggestions also wish to help the students develop their writing correspondence skill Furthermore, the ambition of this thesis is actively, directly and effectively tocontribute to the further research, development and implementation of writing businesscorrespondence This thesis can be seen as an overall picture that allows students tohave a full understanding of common mistakes in writing particular business lettersand enhance this skill

There are three following questions of this research:

What is the status of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints for seniorstudents of English Faculty at Thuongmai University?

What are the most common difficulties and mistake that senior English-majoredstudents at TMU tend to meet and make when writing reply letters to enquiries andcomplaints?

What are the solutions to help students avoid these mistakes and difficulties aswell as enhance their skill?

1.4 Research subjects

This study is about the skill of writing reply reply letters to enquiry andcomplaints as well as solutions to enhance this skill for senior students whose major isEnglish at TMU Thanks to enthusiastic support from senior students of EnglishFaculty at TMU, this study has been completed successfully

1.5 The Scope of the study

Because of the limitations of time and knowledge and the shortage of materials,this research only focuses on finding out the status and some common mistakes anddifficulties in writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints and then suggestssuitable solutions for senior students of English Faculty at TMU to improve their skill.The result of this paper was based on the survey questionnaire given to English-majored students of K52N at TMU It is a product of a long researching process with aseries of activities unfolding overtime It involves a number of steps such as thecollection of data, the evaluation of results, and so on

1.6 Research methodology

In order to perform this study as well as acquire more accurate and reliable

results, I mainly applied survey research According to Aysha Mohd Sharif, “survey

research designs are procedures in quantitative research in which investigators administer a survey to designs a survey to a sample or to the entire population of people to describe the attitudes, opinions, behaviors, or characteristics of the population Survey studies describe trends in the data rather than offering rigorous explanations Survey help identify important beliefs and attitudes of individuals towards national trends or policies.” The ultimate goal of survey is to learn about a

large population by developing a survey I also use online surveys as they are popularand more convenient and made available on the Internet

Steps in conducting the study:

Firstly, I started to gather all opinions and studies, researches and books of

famous authors who had studies on business correspondence as well as necessaryarticles on the Internet selectively

After that, I gave senior students of English Faculty some questionnaires

including some popular difficulties and mistakes they often meet when writing replyletters to enquiries and complaints They completed them by putting sticks on pointsthat are their difficulties At the end of each questionnaire, students were encouraged

to suggest feasible solutions to solve the problems When students completed thesequestionnaires, I collected them and thanked them for engaging in my study

Finally, I started to analyze data that I had collected This step helped me to find

out the main points as well as acquired accurate results as my expectation The givenfigures were based on the data collected from questionnaire and presented in charts

1.7 Organization of the study

The study is divided into four parts:

“Chapter 1: Overview of the study” is the introduction dealing with the

rationale, previous studies, aims of the study, research subjects, the scope of thestudy, research methodology and the organization of the study

“Chapter 2: Literature review” provide a general overview of business

correspondence and theoretical background related to reply reply letters to enquiriesand complaints

“Chapter 3: Research findings” presents the results of the study and discussion

including the status, difficulties and common mistakes in writing reply letters toenquiries and complaints and a brief summary of the research

“Chapter 4: Recommendations and suggestions” suggest some solutions to

improve the skill of writing reply letters for inquiry and complaint for senior students

of English Faculty at TMU and make some suggestions for further study

Besides, the study also includes the conclusion which summarizes the contents ofthe paper explored in the study

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

*****

2.1 Introduction

Before starting doing a research on improving the skill of writing reply letters toenquiries and complaints for senior students of English Faculty at TMU, we have tohave a full understanding of business correspondence, especially enquiry letters andcomplaint letters It is very important because when we have an overview of nature ofthese kinds of business correspondence, it is much easy for us to find out difficultiesand common mistakes as well as solutions to deal with these problems that seniorstudents often encounter For this reason, this chapter will demonstrate clearlyknowledge related to business correspondence, including the background knowledge

of business correspondence and then concentrating on business enquiry letters andcomplaint letters

2.2 Background knowledge of business correspondence

2.2.1 The meaning of correspondence

There are some different ways to define business correspondence as well asmention its meaning

According to Wikipedia, “business correspondence means the exchange of

information in a written format for the process of business activities Business correspondence can take place between organizations, within organizations or between the customers and the organization The correspondence refers to the written communication between persons Hence oral communication or face communication

is not a business correspondence”.

From Cambridge Dictionary, “Business correspondence means letters and other

methods of communication between businesses”.

According to Business Dictionary, business correspondence is any written or

digital communication exchanged by two or more parties” Business correspondence

comes in the form of letters, emails or text messages”.

In the Business Correspondence Textbook of TMU, the meaning of businesscorrespondence is also mentioned clearly According to this textbook,

“Communication through exchange of letters is known as correspondence.”

“Business correspondence or letter is a written communication between two parties”.

Therefore, it may be “defined as a media or means through which views are expressed

and ideas or information is communicated in writing in the process of business activities.”

In conclusion, nowadays, business correspondence is an essential part of anybusiness transactions in the world It is the way people keep in touch with customersand partners, provide and exchange information, ideas or thoughts together Forexample, customers can write letters to suppliers of goods to ask them moreinformation about the products they are interested in such as the size, price, color andpayment Suppliers may write reply letters to customers’ complaints as well as enquiryand job application letters are also business correspondence In other words, anycommunication in the form of the letters is correspondence

2.2.2 The importance of correspondence

The integration trend of economy helps business operations occur everywhereand in every country all over the world It means that business operations are notlimited in any nation or locality Customers can place order of goods not only fromdomestic companies but also foreign companies Suppliers also have a chance to selltheir products for many customers in other nations to expand their brand as well aspromote their business efficiency Therefore, it is not easy for both customers andsuppliers to have face-to-face meetings all the time as it will waste their time andmoney In other words, one of the most useful features is the ease of reaching andcommunicating with different parties

2.2.2.1 Maintaining proper relationship

As mentioned above, business activities are not restricted to any one locality orarea Compared to the past, nowadays, although production can be held in one placeconsumption can occur everywhere Therefore, customers as well as sellers arescattered around the world As a result, it is quite difficult for both customers andsellers to encounter in person whenever they want due to the time and money.Meanwhile, maintaining the relationship with customers or partners is really importantfor each company because they are the people who decide the turnover company can

receive Thus, business correspondence plays a vital role in helping them keep in touchtogether or keep on business in the near future In particular, instead of meeting face-to-face, businessmen can write letters to provide more details about their products forcustomers as well as send them quotations After purchasing, customers also can writeletters or emails to give feedbacks or ask for other goods to continue to buy

2.2.2.2 Economical and convenient mode of communication

In comparison with other means of communication such as fax, telephone, telexetc., business correspondence is considered the cheapest and convenient way to provide,exchange information, ideas as well as maintain relationship with customers andpartners Because people do not need to waste time and money to meet others in personand the only they have to do is just writing letters or emails and send them quickly

2.2.2.3 Creating and maintaining goodwill

Besides the above important roles, business correspondence also helps to createand preserve goodwill Letters or emails that are sent to customers are not only used toprovide customers information of products but also utilized to enquire aboutcomplaints and suggestions of their customers or sometimes inform the customersabout the availability of a new brand product Thus, they can enhance and build a goodrelationship with customers, hence enhance goodwill of the business

2.2.2.4 Serving as evidence

The history of any transactions is very important because it can be evidencewhen disputes occur Actually, it is difficult for traders to memorize all informationincluding facts or figures in a conservation between businessmen Sometimes, if theyjust make transactions via words without any written reports, when having conflicts,there is no real evidence for each party to demonstrate that they are right Therefore,letters or emails are often used to keep a record of all facts and serve as evidence inany cases

2.2.2.5 Helping in expanding business

Information in business such as promotion, prevailing prices, marketingactivities, etc is very important to the expansion of a business To collect information,

it is not feasible for the trader to move from a place to others because he will end updoing nothing and this leads to loss of time and affects work efficiency Meanwhile, he

can use this loss of time to do other necessary things for company In this case,business correspondence will help traders to be able to make all enquiries about theproducts and the markets or even receive orders from customers around the world,which enhances sales.

2.2.3 Types of business correspondence

Business correspondence is written with different purposes, which depends onwho writes and in which cases it is written For example, the purpose may be anenquiry of a product to know its price, size, quality and this is written by customers.These kinds of letters are called enquiry letters Therefore, with each purpose, we havedifferent types of business correspondence as below:

 Business enquiry letter

 Quotation letter

 Order letter

 Recovery letter

2.2.4 Essential qualities of good business correspondence

A letter has to demonstrate the intention of the writer of the content In otherwords, a letter should serve the purpose for which it is written If a customer wants toreceive some information of products from the supplier, that letter should consist of allthe necessary details such as sizes, colors, modes of payment, preferable lead time, etc.Everything should be presented clearly and coherently, which helps to avoidmisunderstanding between customers and suppliers Meanwhile, it is not easy foreveryone to be able to write a good business letter, especially in the first time In order

to write a good business correspondence, at first, we have to learn about its importantqualities The qualities of business correspondence are divided into two types: innerqualities and outer qualities

2.2.4.1 Inner qualities- it refers to the quality of language and how it is presented

in the letter

a Simplicity: the first inner quality of a business letter is simplicity Difficult

words should be avoided and using easy language is preferable because it will take ustime to check new words on dictionary and nobody like doing this

b Clarity: The language used in the letter should be clear, unambiguous, so the

reader can understand all the information written easily and correctly A failedbusiness correspondence is the one which leads to misunderstanding between twoparties

c Accuracy: the accuracy is a dispensable quality that everyone should keep in

mind all the time The content should be accurate to, the best of the sender’sknowledge It means that there is no mistake in grammar, spellings, punctuations aswell as the way presented

d Completeness: It means that the letter has to provide all the information that

the receiver asked and wanted to know For example, when writing reply letter forinquiry, the writer should provide and mention features of the products such as shape,size, color, price as well as modes of payment, etc

e Relevance: The letter should only provide necessary information that the

reader wants to know to keep the letter clear and brief Other unrelated informationshould not be mentioned as it can make reader confused or even annoyed

f Courtesy: Some words such as “like”,” thank you”, etc are encouraged to use

when writing business correspondence to build the goodwill of reader

g Neatness: The neat letters are always appreciated by readers It can easily

attract reader, especially prissy readers In any cases, a letter should have a goodappearance and presentation It is important to avoid using long sentences or words

2.2.4.2 Outer qualities- it means the appearance of the letter including quality of

paper, the color of paper, sizes of paper, folding of letter or even envelope

a Quality of paper: the quality of paper show the economic status of the

company as nowadays, the cost of paper is not cheap at all Therefore, we should usegood paper for originals and ordinary paper for duplicate copy

b Color of paper: we should use different color to identify different kind of

business correspondence It is very useful for receiver to recognize and replyimmediately

c Size of the paper: (A4) is the standard size for business correspondence The

size of paper has to fit with the size of envelope

d Folding of letter: The letter should be folded promptly and uniformly It also

should fit to the size of the envelope

e Envelope: The size and quality of envelopes should be focused by the writer.

Its size should be in accordance with the size of paper There are many kinds ofenvelop For example, some have windows so there is no need to write receiver’sinformation on the outside Others made form easy damaged materials should givemore extra protection

2.2.5 Parts of business correspondence

There are 12 essential parts of each business letter as below:

2.2.5.1 Heading

The heading of business letter includes name, postal address of the business, mail address, website address, telephone number, fax number, trade mark or logo ofthe business

2.2.5.4 Inside address

It includes the name, full address of the person or the company to whom the letter

is to be sent It is written on the left side, below reference number Letters should beaddressed to the responsible head

2.2.5.5 Subject

The subject is a brief statement and indicates the matter of the latter It can helpthe reader know the main content of the letter and attract the receiver’s attentionimmediately For example:

Subject: Quotation of Homeware crafts lampshade

Subject: Inquiry about hot trend coconut bowls

2.2.5.6 Salutation

The salutation is below the inside address, followed by a comma There are somedifferent forms of salutation

For example: Sir/Madam: for official and formal correspondence

Dear Sir/Madam: for addressing an individual

Dear Sirs/ Madam: for addressing a firm or a company

2.2.5.7 Body of the letter

After salutation is the body of the letter It is divided into three parts

a Opening part is the introducing part of the letter In this part, the reader’s

attention should be drawn to the previous correspondence

b Main part contains the subject matter of the letter.

c Concluding part contains a statement of the writer’s attention, hopes and

expectations Besides, the writer should always look ahead for positive respond At theend, it is necessary to use some words such as “Thank you”, “With regards”, “Bestregards”, etc

2.2.5.8 Complimentary close

It is a polite way of ending a letter It must fit to the salutation above

For example:

2.5.5.9 Signature

Signature lies under the complementary close and is written in ink and should belegible Moreover, the full name of the writer should be types right after the signature,followed by designation The name of the firm could be included below thedesignation of the sender

2.5.5.10 Enclosures

This is required when some documents like cheque, draft, bills, etc are attachedwith the letter These documents will be listed in serial numbers For example:

(i) the list of the products received

(ii) A draft sales contract for Mr James

2.5.5.11 Copy circulation

This is required when sending copies to persons apart of the addressee It isdenoted as C C

For example: C.C (i) The Sales Manager, Homeware crafts Company

2.5.5.12 Post script: This is required when the sender wants to add other

information, which is not mentioned in the body of the letter, called P.S

For example: P.S.- we will send you sales contract to confirm in this afternoon

2.3 Business Enquiry letter

2.3.1 The meaning of enquiry letters

Enquiry letters are ones of the main types of business correspondence It is theletter that buyers write to ask for more information of the products they are interested

in, including the quality, the size, color, shape, price, delivery term and payments, etc

2.3.3 Some types of inquiry letters

Due to different purposes, the inquiry letter is also divided into some main types

as below

a Inquiry letters of catalogues, price-lists, prospectuses: when asking for

catalogues, booklets, or brochures, you just need give necessary information aboutyourself, not all information The letter should be kept brief as mentioned above Thiscan be done by postcards but it is really important to provide your address, phonenumber, telex and fax number

For example: “I would appreciate your sending me an up-to-date price-list for

your building materials.”

b Inquiry letters of details: it is necessary for you to make clear statements to

point out what you want when asking for goods or services In particular, if you reply

to an advertisement of recruitment, you should mention the newspaper, the date, and

quote any box number or department number given For example: “I am interested in

your advertisement of recruiting a new manager in New Life newspaper yesterday I

would like to know more about job description which you offered.”

c Inquiry letters of samples, patterns, demonstrations: Sometimes, with

intention of placing a large order, the buyer may want to buy a sample to check thequality of the product Therefore, you can write a letter to ask them to send you asample, patterns or even ask them whether you can visit their showrooms or not

For example: “We would appreciate it if you could send me some samples of the material so that we can examine its quality?”

d Inquiry letters of terms, methods of payments and discounts: Firms

sometimes state the prices and conditions in their advertisements However, you can writeletters to ask them more about modes of payment, the quantity that they can buy to receivediscounts or other terms such as delivery term This letter is very important because if youcan persuade the seller to reduce prices for you, you can save a lot of money

For example: “We intend to place a substantial order, and would therefore like

to know what quantity discounts you allow.”

e Inquiry letters of goods on approval or sale or return: sometimes

wholesalers and retailers want to see how a line will sell before placing a form orderwith the supplier by getting goods on approval or a sale or return basis The supplierwill also place a time limit on when the goods must ne returned and paid for

f Inquiry letters of an estimate or tender: Estimates are quotations to

complete a job of work, for example, putting a new roof on a factory or installingmachinery Tenders are similar quotations, but they are in a written form and oftenused when the job is much larger

2.3.4 Replying to letters of enquiries

To be able to write a good reply letter, especially reply letters to enquiries, wehave to have a full understanding of how to write them correctly As other kinds of

business letter, a reply letter to enquiries also consists of three main parts: opening,body and closing part.

2.3.4.1 Opening

In this part, you must mention your prospective customer’s name to indicate thatyou have paid more attention to remember the enquirer’s name For instance: Dear MrJames, etc

After that, you should thank the writer for his/ her inquiry as well as mention thedate of his/ her letter and quote other references that appear

“Thank you for your enquiry of March 25 th 2020 in which you asked me about….”

“I would like to thank you for enquiry of January 21 st and I am pleased to tell you that we would be able to supply you with the….”

2.3.4.2 Body part

a Confirming that you can help

It is important for you to confirm whether you can provide products or servicesthat customers are asking you or not

“We can supply products that you asked me before…”

“I am pleased to say that we are able to supply you with the ….”

b Selling your product.

Let’s encourage and try your best to persuade customers to buy your products.After confirming you can supply products that customers are interested in, you shouldmention one or two selling points of your products such as about quality, price, etc.Because as you know, customers might have made many enquiries to othercompanies, so you have to demonstrate the reason why they should buy your goods,not other firms’ goods

“We can assure you that this product is one of the most outstanding ones on the market today, and our confidence in it is supported by our 3-year guarantee.”

a Suggesting alternatives

In case you do not have the products that customers are interested in, you cansuggest them other ones for their conferences

“Unfortunately, due to the cost of material, we have stopped to manufacture these kinds of products However, we have many other nice and high quality ones which will be able to meet your requirement…”

b Referring the customer elsewhere

If you may not be able to handle the order or answer the enquiry, let’s tell himand if possible refer him elsewhere

“I regret to say that we no longer produce the products you asked me since the cost of material is much more expensive than before I am so sorry we cannot be of help to you.”

c Catalogues, price-lists, prospectuses, samples.

It is necessary to enclose your current catalogues and price-lists if you aresending them If you are sending samples, let customers know they will follow theletter immediately by separate posts

“…and we have enclosed our catalogues, so please check and tell me the models you are interested in…”

“When ordering, could you please quote these numbers? The samples you asked for will follow by separate post.”

d Demonstrations, representatives, showroom visits.

Some kinds of products such as heavy machinery, installations, may needdemonstrating Therefore, the company may send a representative, or an adviser if theequipment is to be installed or even suggest the customer to visit their agent in his owncountry, or a stockiest with a showroom

2.3.4.3 Closing part

In this part, remember to thank the customer for writing to you if you do not do

in the beginning Besides, you should encourage further inquiries

“Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.”

“I look forward to hearing from you, and can assure that your order will be dealt with promptly.”

“Once again thank you for your inquiry and would welcome any further points you would like us to answer.”

2.3.5 Points to be kept in mind when writing reply letters of enquiries

There are some main points that we have to keep in mind when writing replyletters of enquiries

Firstly, it is very important that the reply letters of inquiries not only provides

information of products or goods that the buyer asked about, but also shows the kind

of your firm is to help them have a good understanding of you and your company

Secondly, some openings such as: “We are in receipt of your inquiry” or” With

reference to your enquiry”, etc should not be used as it makes the letter sound coldand not natural

Next, some phrases such as “We are talking the liberty of sending you.” or “We

hasten to reply to go esteemed enquiry of the 10th inst.” They can make other peoplethink that your firm should have been bankrupt a century ago

Moreover, in order to sell your products, you must have faith in them You also

make sure that you have provided all the information that the buyer wants to know,and have supplied the printed matter that you think will help customers

Besides, one of the ways to make you appear at best desperate, or worse is using

“It was with the utmost pleasure that we receive…” or “We deeply regret that wecannot supply you with…” Instead, you can use “Thank you for …” “I am sorrythat…” is enough

More importantly, a reply to the first inquiry of customers plays a vital role and

has a considerable bearing on initial customer’s impression on your products as well asyour company Therefore, a direct approach, telling the customers what the productsare, why he should buy them and their cost, etc will leave a strong impression of anefficient company that can handle his order smoothly

Finally, it is necessary to check the letter again after writing it to ensure that you

have answered all the customers’ questions, and included the points you wanted tomake The best test of all, of course, is to ask yourself if you would order somethingfrom a firm that has sent you the letter you have written

2.4 Complaint letters

2.4.1 The meaning of complaint letters

A complaint letter is a type of business letters written by purchasers whenpurchasers do not find the goods up to his satisfaction It is used to inform the seller andcomplain that he/she has receives wrong, detective, damaged goods or receives incorrectquantity of goods Complaint letters are used to raise the supplier’s concern or any parties

or announce of detective or damaged goods and seek a productive outcome

2.4.2 Some types of complaint letters

 Depending on the level of an organization or an individual, complaint letters can be divided into two types:

 Personal complaint letters: when a letter written at a personal level by anindividual it is called Personal complaint letters These letters are written byconsumers to get a refund, replace a product etc

 Professional complaint letters: when letters which are written on behalf of anorganization are called Professional complaint letters These letters are mostly related

to professional items and services

 Depending on the content of complaint letters, complaint letters can be divided into some following types:

 Complaint letters of wrong delivery

 Complaint letters of damage: when the goods are damaged, customers want toknow the main reason for this problem as well as want to receive a solution to dealwith this Complaint letters in this case are used frequently

the customer can only complain as the fault occurs But they still should complainimmediately

 Complaint letters of non-delivery: Sometimes, the delivery is not on time astwo parties discussed Therefore, when non-delivery happens, the customer can write aletter to complain about this

2.4.3 Replying to letters of complaints

There are three main parts of a reply letter to complaints:

2.4.3.1 Opening

In this part, you have to acknowledge that you have received the complaints ofcustomers Therefore, at least, before mentioning other things, you should thank yourcustomers for informing you

“Thank you for your letter of 7 April informing us that…”

“We would like to thank you for informing us of damaged lampshades you bought from us last month.”

2.4.3.2 Body part

a Getting time to investigate the complaint

Customers can complain about many things such as damaged good, non-delivery,late delivery, etc Meanwhile, there are some matters you cannot deal withimmediately, so do not leave your customer waiting, but tell him what you are doingstraight away

“Due to the complicatedness of this matter, I have to check with logistics company and promise to reply you immediately once having answer.”

“Would you please return damaged products you received yesterday, and I will send them to our factory for tests?”

b Explaining the mistake

After justifying the complaint, you should explain why and how the mistakehappened It is important to remember that you should not blame your staff and takeresponsibility for their actions

“The mistake occurred during the process of delivery…”

“It is unusual for this kind of error to arise but we have dealt with that problem.”

c Solving the problem

Having acknowledged your responsibility and explained the reason of themistake, you must suggest solutions to tackle the problem

“The bamboo bowls have been painted with the colors you want, and I will send them to you within this week.”

“The material you complained about has now been withdrawn We have replaced by a new brand material which is popular in the market.”

d Rejecting a complaint

In case you think the complaint of customers is unjustified, you can be firm andpolite to inform customers Although the mistake is not your responsibility, you shouldtry to explain the reason customers to understand

“After checking with our factory, we inform you that the mistake occurred due to the wrong maintenance If you look at instruction booklet on machine that we sent you, you will see that it is vital to take care of….”

2.4.4 Points to be kept in mind while writing reply letters to complaints.

Firstly, the main purpose of complaint letters is the request of correcting

mistakes or faults as well as knowing the reason why the problems happened.Therefore, you should write calmly, clearly and present all the information related tocustomers’ complaints and make some suggestions to put the matters right

Secondly, when answering a complaint, it is necessary to apologize for the

mistake and thank customers for informing you Besides, you must explain the reasonwhy the mistake occurred but do not blame for your staff

In case you need more time to find out the reason and solutions, please let your

customers know If the complaint is unjustified, you should inform them in a politeway but sympathize with the inconvenience it has caused

More importantly, whether your customer’s complaints are right or wrong, they

are still your customer and their comments about you to other people when workingwith you can either improve or damage your reputation

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH FINDINGS

*****

This chapter will emphasize to describe and analyze the data that were collectedfrom online questionnaires and completed by 120 senior students of English Faculty atTMU The findings related to research questions were analyzed to determine, clarifythe status of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints, difficulties as well assome common mistakes which senior students often made and then find out suitablesolutions to improve the writing skill for senior students

3.1 The status of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints of senior students of English Faculty.

Nowadays, business operations are not restricted to any locality, state or nation,which leads to the fact that the importance of business correspondence has increasedaccordingly As senior students of English Faculty at TMU, we are not only providedwith necessary English skills such as reading, speaking, writing and listening skills,but also have chances to learn specialized knowledge of business Moreover, thanks toBusiness Correspondence subject that we learned in the previous semester, we hadchances to have a general understanding of writing letters as well as practicing ourwriting skills This is a practical subject that is necessary for us before entering in thelabor market Of course, this subject is not easy at all because when writing a businessletter, there are a lot of things the writers need to concentrate on Therefore, despitehaving an opportunity to access Business Correspondence subject, many seniorstudents sometimes have difficulties in writing business letters, especially reply letters

to enquiries and complaints

Through research survey with online questionnaires, I collected the data of the status

of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints of final-year students who are majored

in English at TMU These data are described clearly in the following pie chart

The pie chart consists of two main parts: “proficiency” and “no proficiency”which indicate the ability of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints of seniorstudents

70.00%

The ability of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints

Diagram 3.1 The ability of writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints

(Source: Students’ questionnaires)

As can be seen from the chart, it is clearly evident that the percentage of studentswho are proficient in writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints is reported to be30%, followed by 70% of students who are not good at this skill It means that 36students who took part in answering questionnaires confirmed that they were able toreply to letters of enquiry and complaint well without making any mistakes.Meanwhile, 84 students said that they could write these kinds of letter at the basiclevel In particular, with regards to people who are not proficient, there are 50 studentswho admitted that they had had general general knowledge of writing reply letters, andcould write a letter with a full 12-part structure with some common mistakes Besides,

34 students reported that they sometimes forgot some parts of a reply letter of enquiryand complaint such as subject, date, enclosure, etc as well as often had difficulties inwriting main parts including the opening part, the body part and the closing part

In general, all the students know how to write a reply letter to enquiries andcomplaints from the basic level to the proficient level The number of students whohave a good writing skill is 40% less than the number of people who are not competent

at this skill

Through these data collected via online survey with questionnaires, we can seethat thanks to Business Correspondence subject, most of the students have an overallunderstanding of how to reply to letters of complaint and enquiry However, many ofthem still often make some mistakes with different degrees when writing these letters.Therefore, improving this writing skill for senior students is very important, which isdeterminant to their success in the future Because the skill of writing reply letters toenquiries and complaints is playing a dispensable role in each company and becoming

a prioritized condition during recruitment processes

3.2 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing reply letters to enquiries and complaints.

3.2.1 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing the opening part of reply letters to enquiries.

As other types of business letters, the opening part is considered as a determinant

to the first impression of the readers Actually, the opening part seems to be the easiestpart out of three, but many students still have difficulties and make some basicmistakes when writing letters to reply enquiries

Diagram 3.2 Difficulties and some common mistakes in writing the opening part of

reply letters to enquiries

(Source: Students’ questionnaires)