Replies to enquiries: offers

A reply to an enquiry from the regular customer is normally fairly brief and does not need to be more than polite and direct. If the supplier is in a position to meet the potential buyer’s requirements, his reply will be as follows:

1) Thank the writer of the letter of enquiry for the letter in question. Mention the prospective customer’s name. If the customer signs the letter Mr.J.White, then begin Dear Mr. White, not Dear Sir, which indicates that you have not bothered to remember the enquirer’s name.

2) Supply all the information requested. Let the enquirers know as soon as possible if you have the product or can provide the service they are enquiring about. It is irritating to read a long letter only to find that you cannot help.

3) Encourage or persuade your prospective customer to do business with you. It means that a simple answer that you have the goods in stock is not enough. Mention one or two selling points of your product, including any guarantee you can offer.

4) Provided you do not have what the enquirer asked for but have an alternative, offer it to him. Never criticize the product he originally asked for.

5) If you may not be able to handle the order, then refer him, if possible, elsewhere.

6) Make sure that you enclose current catalogues and price-lists if you are sending them. If your prices are subject to change, then let your potential customer know about this. It is not so good policy to suddenly send a letter telling him that the prices have been increased by 5% after you have quoted a firm price.

7) Certain products such as heavy equipment and machinery may need demonstrating. In these cases the company might send an adviser or representative if equipment is to be installed. The customers could, however, suggest that they send their representatives and experts.

8) Thank the customer for writing to your company. If have not done it at the beginning of the letter, you can do so at the end. You should also encourage further enquiries.

 

Answer the following questions:

1. How do you open the reply to enquiry?

2. What does a prospective seller have to confirm a potential buyer in his reply?

3. Why is it advisable to mention some selling points of the product?

4. What does a prospective seller do if he doesn’t have the product requested by the enquirer?

5. Why does a seller have to send the latest catalogues and price-lists?

6. Why is it necessary for a seller to mention that the prices are subject to change?

7. When does a seller send a representative or an adviser to the buyer?

8. What are the closing lines of the letter of reply to an enquiry?

 

Vocabulary

in reply to sth в ответ на ч-л

to meet sb’s requirement удовлетворить ч-л.

in question о которой (котором, которых) идет речь

to enquire about sth сделать запрос о ч-л.

to do business with sb. сотрудничать с к-л.

to have sth. in stock иметь ч-л. в наличии

alternative замена

to handle the order обрабатывать (выполнять) заказ

current catalogue последний каталог

to refer sb. somewhere направить к-л. куда-либо

to be subject to sth. подвергаться ч-л

а dviser представитель, консультант, эксперт

to install устанавливать, монтировать

further enquiries дальнейшие запросы

 

  Exercise 1. Read and translate the sentences paying attention to the words and phrases in italics.

Opening lines

 

1. We thank you for the letter of 5 July, in which you enquire about …

2. Replying to enquiry of 7 May we have pleasure in confirming, that we can offer you immediately all the goods required from stock.

3. We thank you for your enquiry, and are pleased to inform you that our Argentinean agents hold stocks of all our products.

4. In reply to your enquiry of 10 February we are enclosing full particulars of our export models and our revised price-list.

5. We thank you for your letter dated 11 April and have sent you today, by separate post, full range of samples of our hand-made lines.

6. You will find enclosed with this letter a sample of our goods.

7. We have pleasure in submitting the following quotation.

8. We can supply from stock and will have no trouble in meeting your delivery date.

 

Prices and terms

 

1. Our prices are quoted c.i.f Hamburg (f.o.b St.Peterburg, f.a.s Liverpool).

2. The net price of this article is £ 10.00 to which must be added VAT at 12%.

3. Prices are subject to variation without notice in accordance with market fluctuations.

4. Owing to the slump in commodity prices we can offer you these goods at cost price (on very favourable terms).

5. The prices quoted above are provisional, since we may be compelled to do this by increased costs of raw materials.

6. We can offer you a price of $7.39 per item, firm for 24 days, after which the price will be subject to an increase of 3%.

7. Our terms are net cash (spot cash),(cash within a fortnight)(cash on delivery).

8. Payment for initial order would be required on pro-forma invoice.

9. We should require payment by banker’s draft on acceptance of your order.

10. Our terms of payment are settlement by last day of the month of receipt of our statement.