. 14. Prof George C Ostrander Syracuse N Y General delivery 15. Mr Peter Henderson Detroit Mich Transient 16. William W Duncan Fayerweather Hall Yale University New Haven Conn Deliver to addressee only 17. Mr Washington Howe Houston Texas After one week P M will please forward to Dallas Texas 18. Mr Howard C Hoyt Ziebland Strasse 13 München Germany via Steamship Caronia 19. Rev Cuthbert W King in care of Wellington M Tinker American Consul at Chefoo China via Shanghai 20. William L Downs Room 672 Lords Court Building 27 Williams St New York 21. Frederick M Pease Esq /。 American Express Company 2 Waterloo Place London Eng After Jan 26 forward to Thomas Cook & Son Florence Italy V. LETTERS ORDERING GOODS INEXACTNESS, incompleteness, and lack of method in letters ordering goods are, day after day, the cause of a vast, and yet at the same time wholly unnecessary, amount of misunderstanding, delay, annoyance, and financial loss. The complexity of modern business requires the most painstaking care in handling this important branch of business correspondence; for, to be negligent about the very definite requirements of a letter ordering goods is not only to impose needlessly upon the time and good nature of your correspondent, but is also to subject yourself to serious inconvenience in case of misunderstanding or mistake. Letters containing such vague statements as "Please duplicate our last month's order of tan shoes at your earliest convenience" compel the receiver to accept, perhaps at a considerable waste of time and labor, the responsibility of determining the exact nature of your previous order. And that is not his business. It is the duty of the writer to make clear his needs, and he should always remember that his carelessness in this particular direction must ultimately be his own misfortune. Nothing can be more exasperating than to receive a shipment, with heavy charges for express or freight, only to find that it does not contain the styles, sizes, or particular articles that in the business need of the moment are most required. But if the original order had been precise, complete, and painstaking in arrangement, it is extremely probable that such a costly mistake would never have been made. At all events, if the writer is sure that he has taken all possible care to make his order perfectly adequate, he can also be sure that the entire responsibility rests upon the one who makes up the shipment. Essential Points.- Letters ordering goods should meet all the requirements which have been previously indicated with reference to commercial letters in general; in addition there are five essential points that should never under any circumstances be neglected: 1. A letter ordering goods should contain a clear, precise, itemized list of the goods required. Each separate item should occupy a single line or sentence by itself. The arrangement of an order in an itemized column is doubly important, because it not only presents the whole order in a clear and compact form, but also facilitates the labor of filling it, since each item can then be checked off when it is ready to be shipped, and the chance of omission thereby minimized. 2. The quantity, shape, style, and size should be stated according to the system employed by the firm from whom the goods are ordered. If a catalogue is used for reference, the number and date of that catalogue should be given, to avoid possible confusion with earlier or later editions. 3. Definite directions should be given, stating how and where the goods are to be sent, unless a previous satisfactory arrangement covering this point has been made with the shipper. When, as often occurs, it is more convenient or less expensive for the buyer to receive his goods from some particular express company or railroad, this fact should be made clear. When particular directions have been given, and an order is sent in some other way, any resulting loss falls upon the shipper. From the shipper's point of view, it is important also to notice that delivery to a carrier designated by the buyer is equivalent to delivery to the buyer himself. 4. In the case of a first order, the letter should contain (a) a remittance covering the cost of the goods ordered, or (b) satisfactory provisions for payment upon delivery, or (c) a statement of affairs, or satisfactory references as to financial responsibility, or both. 5. When it is necessary, the letter should state the time limit within which the goods must be received. The following letter shows the correct form in ordering goods: Please send to our New York warehouse the following: 2 tons,25 X 38, 60-pound, Light Natural Super. 9 reams, 17 X 22, 24-pound, White Laid Mimeograph, sealed in packages of 1000 sheets each. 100 reams, 19 X 24, 24-pound, Brookside Writing, unsealed, markers between the reams. Kindly make the shipment by N. Y. N. H. & H. fast freight and place the cost upon our account. Yours truly, COY, HUNT & COMPANY. Wm H. Simbom! Manager. Observe that numerals are employed in giving orders, and that it is customary to capitalize the name of each of the articles specified. Referring to a recent conversation in our New York office, we The patterns will go hand you, herewith, our order No. 49153 for 3 castings each, from patterns We should be glad if you would make these as soon as convenient, and after having done so, name us the price on these castings, together with the price for similar ones for 8 in. X 6 in. and 10 in. x 12 in. cylinders. In filling this order, kindly place some distinguishing mark or letter on the pattern, so that your castings will not be confused with those made by another foundry. Orders for Manufacture. Orders for goods that are to be manufactured are usually made out on forms provided for that purpose. Such orders call for a very specific description of the articles wanted. The foregoing genuine letter supplements an order for articles to be manufactured. |