Company to Company Teachers Book

52Unit 4

4.6Letter practice

As with previous letter practice sections, you can set this task as homework after reading through the instructions with the students.

Example letter:

Dear Mr Wang

Re: post as Sales Supervisor

Thank you for your letter. I must apologise for not replying before now but, unfortunately, I have been ill.

I would be grateful if you could give me some more information about the post. In particular, I would like to know the number of days' holiday, the working hours and the starting salary.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

(name)

4.7 Telexes

Read the telexes and notes with the students, discussing what the abbreviated words mean.

Answers:

1 ATTN attention; RQST request; ASAP as soon as possible; LC letter of credit; THK U thank you; K'BORR Kraftborr (type of drills); LTR letter.

2Haga Verktyg cannot supply the drills because the company has closed down.

The numbers at the top of a telex show the time and day it was sent (e.g. 0835 JUN 18). This is followed by the number that the telex is sent to and the number that it was sent from. After each number is the 'answerback', some letters that show the sender that he or she has dialled the right number.

3Allow the students to work on the two practice exercises alone or in pairs before going through the answers.

Answers:

PLUS

ASAP

TLX

INFO

PLS

U

4Possible answers:

a)RE YR ADVERTISEMENT IN NEWSPAPER PLS SEND CATALOGUE PLUS PRICES.

b)RE YR TLX ORDER DTD 16 JUNE, REGRET WE NO LONGER PRODUCE CH6 MOTOR.

c)PLS CANCEL OUR ORDER 6 PEACH COMPUTERS. LTR TO FOLLOW.

4B Activity section: From quote to sale

1 Read through the introductory paragraph and the letter with the students. Explain that quote and quotation both mean the same thing: the price that a company says it would charge for some goods or services. 'C & F' means that the price quoted also includes the cost of transporting the goods to the buyer. Other ways of quoting prices are 'FOB' (free on board): the price includes the cost of the goods and the cost of transporting the goods to the ship/airport, and CIF (cost, insurance and freight): the price includes the cost of the goods, transport all the way to the buyer and insurance.

2Move straight on to the telex. Answer:

The telex could be made shorter like this:

ATTN: SALES DEPT, HANSTON ELECTRICS

PLS SEND QUOTE FOR 20000 MTRS 13 AMP CABLE C & F ATHENS PLUS

DELIVERY TIME ASAP.

THKU

H M AMATZIDI, TAVRIDIS LTD

The sequence of the cards is as follows:

Tavridis Ltd: 13 - 55 - 44

Midtec Cables Ltd: 1 0 - 7 1 - 3 3

Hanston Electrics: 61—26 — 38

Plot and example letters

Note: Once the students have finished working on the first cards, the letters they write after that may be slightly different from the letters shown here. This is because they may have already received a letter from another group.

The activity opens with Tavridis sending telexes to both companies, asking them to reply as soon as possible (card 13).

0926 OCT 23

934589 HEL [943628 MCL]

4190 TVD

REF OUR TLX [LTR] 18 [16] PLS SEND QUOTE FOR 20000 MTRS OF 13 AMP CABLE, C&F ATHENS, ASAP.

THK U

H M AMATZIDI, TAVRIDIS LTD

4190 TVD

934589 HEL [943628 MCL]

We are able to deliver the cable eight weeks after we have received your letter of credit.

Looking forward to receiving your order,

Yours sincerely

(name)

Hanston Electrics

Once they have the information they need, the next card for Tavridis tells them to choose one of the companies. Since Hanston Electrics is the cheaper, they will send a telex order to them and a rejecting letter to Midtec (card 55).

0945 (date)

934589 HEL

4190 TVD

THK U FOR YR LTR OF (date). WE WOULD LIKE TO ORDER 20000 MTRS 13

AMP CABLE. PLS SEND DETAILS OF HOW TO PAY. LTR TO FOLLOW.

YOURS

H M AMATZIDI, TAVRIDIS LTD

4190 TVD

934589 HEL

Exeter

England EX4 9DT

Dear (name)

13 amp, cable

Thank you for your letter of (date), giving us a quote for 20,000 metres of the above cable.

I regret to inform you that we have decided to order the cable from another company.

Yours sincerely

H M Amatzidi

Manager

Meanwhile, however, Midtec receives some good news. The price of the cable has been reduced. They therefore write to Tavridis to tell them (card 71).

103-10 Athens

Greece

Dear Mr Amatzidi

13 amp, cable

Further to my letter of (date), concerning the above cable, I am delighted to tell you that the price has been reduced.

The cable now costs 20p a metre, less any normal discounts. This means that the total cost for 20,000 metres C & F to Athens is now £3,932.

Please can you tell us as soon as possible if you now want to order. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

(name)

Midtec Cables Ltd

At the same time, Hanston Electrics has to write to Tavridis giving them some bad news (card 26).

Dear Mr Amatzidi

13 amp, cable

I am writing with reference to my letter of (date), concerning your order for the above-mentioned cable.

I regret to advise you that a fire has destroyed part of the factory that supplies us with plastic covering for the 13 amp. cable. This means that there will be a delay of at least six weeks in the delivery of your order.

Please accept our apologies. We hope that this will not cause you any inconvenience.

Yours sincerely

(name)

Hanston Electrics

The final card for Tavridis (card 44) tells them to expect news from both companies. When the bad news from Hanston and the good news from Midtec arrive, therefore, Tavridis decides to order from Midtec instead.

1205 (date)

943628 MCL

4190 TVD

THK U FOR YR LTR OF (date) WITH THE NEW PRICE FOR 13 AMP CABLE. WE WOULD LIKE TO ORDER 20000 MTRS. PLS SEND DETAILS OF HOW TO PAY.

LTR TO FOLLOW.

YOURS

H M AMATZIDI, TAVRIDIS LTD

4190 TVD

943628 MCL

Thank you for your letter of {date), concerning our order for 20,000 metres of 13 amp. cable.

I was sorry to hear that there is a delay in the delivery. As we need the cable urgently, I regret to inform you 1that we must cancel the order.

With apologies,

Yours sincerely

H M Amatzidi

Manager

Meanwhile, if Midtec has not heard from Tavridis they send them a telex (card 33).

1435 (date)

4190 TVD

943628 MCL

ATTN H M AMATZIDI, MANAGER, TAVRIDIS LTD

PLS CAN U TELL US ASAP IF YOU NOW WANT TO ORDER THE 13 AMP

CABLE.

THKU

(name) MIDTEC CABLES

943628 MCL

4190 TVD

While Midtec Cables and Tavridis are making an agreement, Hanston Electrics writes with some good news (card 38).

Dear Mr Amatzidi

13 amp, cable

Further to my letter of (date), I am pleased to inform you that we have been able to find a new supplier for the plastic covering for the 13 amp. cable.

Delivery time is therefore back to normal. I am sorry to tell you, however, that there is a small increase in price. The cable now costs 201/2p a metre, less the normal discounts.

Please can you tell us if you now want to order.

Yours sincerely

(name)

Hanston Electrics

Unfortunately, Hanston Electrics' letter not only arrives too late, but their new price is higher than Midtec Cables'. The activity therefore ends with Tavridis ordering from Midtec.

Feedback

See pages 7—8 for general guidance on the feedback stage. Particular points for attention in this activity are the areas covered in Units 1—3, telexes requesting action and information, and apologising.

UNIT 5

.

5A Study section: making a mild complaint, making a point, warning, making a strong complaint

5.1 Intercity Bank writes to complain

Look back at pages 4 and 24 with the students to remind them of the situation between Intercity Bank and Jakarta Furnishings. Then read through the questions with them and let them read the two letters silently.

Answers:

1Mr Long complains by saying 'Unfortunately,

2Mr Basuki wants Mr Long to look at the Terms of Sale.

3Mr Basuki will not refund Mr Long's money because he says the delay in delivering the cabinets is not his fault.

5.2 Making a mild complaint

Go through the explanation and the instructions for the two exercises before getting the students to work on them alone or in pairs.

1Answers:

(a)-(f), (b)-(e), (c)-(g), (d)-(h)

2Possible answers:

b)Unfortunately, the photocopier that you sold us has broken down. We would appreciate it if you could come and repair it without delay.

c)Unfortunately, the secretary you sent us does not speak English. We would be grateful if you could send us a new secretary as soon as possible.

d)Unfortunately, we keep receiving letters for X. Please could you tell your postmen to check the names on the letters.

5.3Letter practice

As with previous letter practice tasks, this can be set as either a homework or an in-class assignment, after you have discussed it with the students.

Minachi Office Equipment Ltd

11-4-67 Nishiyami-dai

Sayama-cho

Osaka-Fu 288

Japan

DearMrOnaka

Invoice No. 5654AH

I am writing in connection with the above invoice for an MX3 Electronic typewriter.

We received this machine yesterday. Unfortunately, the cover for the typewriter is missing. We would be very grateful if you could send us one as soon as possible.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

[name)

5.4 Making a point

Tell the students to look back at the letter from Jakarta Furnishings in 5.1. Ask them exactly how Mr Basuki says that he cannot refund Mr Long's payment ('I should like to point out that...'). Then look through the explanation and phrases in 5.4 with the students and get them to write their answers (only one sentence is required for each one).

Possible answers:

a)I would like to remind you that the parking space in front of the main door is reserved for the Managing Director.

b)I should like to draw your attention to the fact that we can give you a 25% discount for large orders.

c)I hope it is not necessary to remind you that work starts at 9.30.

d)I should like to point out that our prices are the lowest in town.

As you go through the answers, ask the students what else they would write in the letter or memo. For example, memo (a) could be completed as follows:

I would like to remind you that the parking space in front of the main door is reserved for the Managing Director. Please could you use the car park at the back of the factory in future.

5.5 Intercity Bank has to write again

As a change of pace, read through the letter with the students and then look at the questions.

Answers:

1Mr Long is not making a mild complaint now. We can tell because he says that they are still waiting for the cabinets and he insists that Jakarta Furnishings deliver them at once.

2If he does not hear from them, he will take legal action.

5.6 Warning

Look at the phrases in the box with the students and then ask for suggestions for appropriate warnings.

Possible answers:

a)Unless you pay our bill at once, we will be forced to cancel your new order.

b)If you do not park your cars somewhere else, we will be forced to call the police.

c)If you do not come to work on time in future, we will be forced to dismiss you.

d)Unless you collect your tools this week, we will be forced to throw them away.

5.7 Making a strong complaint

After reading through the explanation, establishing the four possible components of a letter of strong complaint, let the students work silently on the two mixed-up letters. Encourage them to check with a neighbour when they have finished.

Answers:

1 (c) — new paragraph - (e) — (b) — (a) — new paragraph - (d) 2 (c) - new paragraph - (e) - (a) - (d) - new paragraph - (b)

5.8 Letter practice

Again, this task can be set in class or for homework.

Example letter:

I am writing to complain about the loud noise from your office.

We rent the office next door to you and all day and every day you play very loud music. It is impossible for us to work. I should like to remind you that the contract for the office says 'no radios'. I really must insist, therefore, that you stop making this noise immediately.

If you do not do this, I will be forced to contact the landlord.

Yours faithfully

(name)

1 Tell the students that this activity is about an explosion in a factory and that the owners want to get compensation (see gloss) for the damage. Then ask them why they think the activity is called 'Who's responsible?'. Establish that the activity is about responsibility for the damage and responsibility for paying the compensation. Direct the students' attention to the four questions and the glosses before you ask them to read the text. When they have finished, go through the answers:

Answers:

a)Perfecta's stock was valued at £400,000.

b)Perfecta is going to claim compensation from Bauer.

c)Bauer installed the heating that exploded.

d)Aqua Warm has asked a surveyor to find the cause of the explosion. Once you have gone through the answers, ask some further questions, such as:

Was anybody hurt in the explosion? (No.)

Why did Perfecta write to Aqua Warm before the heating exploded? (They heard a strange noise.)

Is Perfecta still working? (No.)

Why not? (It is too cold to work in the factory.)

Does Aqua Warm think it is their responsibility? (No.)

Why not? (This is the first complaint in over 20 years.)

2The basic situation should now be clear to the students. Divide them into groups and set them working on their first cards. See pages 5—9 for general guidance on running the activities.

-

The sequence of the cards is as follows: Perfecta Ltd: 2 4 - 1 9 - 1 5

Aqua Warm BV: 45 - 72 - 57 Bauer AG: 29 - 65 - 68

Plot and example letters

Note: Once the students have finished working on the first cards, the letters they write after that may be slightly different from the letters shown here. This is because they may have already received a letter from another group.

Perfecta Ltd begins by writing to Bauer AG, making a strong complaint and demanding compensation (card 24).

Last night the central heating system that you installed in our factory exploded. The explosion caused extensive damage and our complete spring stock has been destroyed.

I should like to remind you that we wrote to you on 9 December because the heater was making a strange noise. We received no reply.

We really must insist, therefore, that you replace the heating system immediately and pay for our damaged stock, valued at £400,000.

We look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully

{name)

Production Dept

Meanwhile, Aqua Warm is worried that the explosion will give them a bad name. They want to find out exactly what happened so they write to Perfecta (card 45).

AQUA WARM BV

Beulingstraat 23

Amsterdam

Holland

.

Perfecta Ltd (date) 61 Bath Road

Worcester

England WR5 3AB

Dear Sirs

We are writing in connection with the recent explosion at your factory.

We would like to point out that we have been manufacturing heating systems for over 25 years and we have never had a complaint before. We have therefore asked a surveyor to find the reason for the explosion.

We would be grateful if you could give us the address of the company

that installed your heating.

We look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully

(name)

Consumer Relations Dept

At the same time, Bauer writes to tell Aqua Warm that they will not install their heating systems any more (card 29).

Central heating systems

We are writing in connection with the recent explosion of one of your central heating systems.

We regret to inform you that we have decided not to install any more of your systems until you can show that they are absolutely safe.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

(name)

Project Planning Dept

Since Perfecta's factory is closed and they are losing a lot of money, they need a new heating system quickly. They write to Aqua Warm to ask if they can help (card 19).

PERFECTA LTD

61 Bath Road

Worcester

I am writing in connection with one of your central heating systems.

Last night, the system exploded and caused extensive damage to our factory. We have been forced to close the factory because of the cold. This is costing us over £10,000 a day. It is, therefore, extremely important that we get a new heating system as soon as possible.

We would be grateful if you could tell us when you could deliver a new system and at what price.

We look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully

[name)

Production Dept

Aqua Warm, meanwhile, writes to Bauer to make sure that the heating was installed correctly (card 72).

Dear Sirs

Thank you for your letter of (date), concerning [We are writing with reference to] the explosion at Perfecta Ltd.

We should like to point out that we have been manufacturing heating systems for over 25 years and we have never had a complaint before. We would be very grateful, therefore, if you could check that you followed our installation instructions.

In the meantime we have asked an independent surveyor to make an inspection to try to find the cause of the explosion.

We look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully

(name)

Consumer Relations Dept

Bauer, however, is certain that the explosion is not their fault. They write to Perfecta to tell them this (card 65).

I am writing with reference to the recent explosion in your factory.

We have now checked through our records of the work that we did at your factory. I should like to point out that the heating system was checked three times before it was turned on.

We suggest that you contact Aqua Warm and claim compensation from them.

Yours faithfully

(name)

Project Planning Dept