Order Letter

What is an Order Letter?

Anyone can write an order letter, then be it any company or an individual. This type of a letter is
written by the concerned authorized person who wants to place an order or place a purchase
request to an another company. If you are planning to write an order letter, then first it is
important for you to carry out some research work related to desired products or services. Having
detail information can provide you with the clear picture of placing on order via order letter.

It is important for you to know the details about the term “order”. If you are placing an order,
then it is an expense to you and if you are receiving an order, then it is an income to you. There
are lots of commitments involved with this type of a letter and so it is important to draft it
carefully. There are several things, which can be included in an order letter like order details,
quantity, quality, delivery time, after sales services etc. You should write an order letter, only
when the detailed study is done from your side related to the goods.

Before drafting an order letter, it is important for you to write down the terms and conditions
related to purchases that can be beneficial to both the parties.

Factors to consider while drafting an order letter

Now you know, that the order letter is the one that conveys the message for a supply of goods.
The formal request is placed related to the supply of goods, in this type of a letter. It is the formal
way of carrying out the communication between a buyer and the seller. Here are the few factors
that you need to consider while drafting an order letter:

 It is essential for you to include the detail description of the goods that are to be ordered.
 You should be specific while mentioning the delivery time in such a letter.
 You should provide detail information about the product while adding product
specifications.
 The product specification can be related to many things like colour, style. Size, quality etc.
 What is the mode of transportation you prefer to have? What is the mode of payment you
prefer to have? Give the answers to these questions in your order letter.
 Are there any discount factors involved? If yes, then mention details about it in an order
letter.
 Make a formal request at the end of a letter related to asking for a timely delivery.
 Also, mention the desired receipt date and the shipping location.

When it comes to adding the information about the items, you need to add few things like:

 Name of the product

 Product brand name
 Required quantity
  Catalogue number
 Weight of the product
 Model number of the product
 Add unit price
 Mention size and colour details

How to write an order letter?

 Make use of the business letterhead to compose this type of a formal letter.
 It is advisable to make use of the standard business format while drafting such a letter.
 Write the short letter in a concise manner by adding all honest facts.
 The body of such a letter can be divided into three paragraphs.
 It is important to add the date and mention the subject line.
 Never add too many things in a subject line. Write it in a short and meaningful way.
 Include formal salutation and address your letter directly to the concerned person.
 What are your needs? On the basis of your needs, you can add the brief description about
the consignment.
 Add consignment related details like product code, delivery date, amount to be paid etc.
 If you need more services or products, then provide clear details about each and every
product as well as services.
 It is essential to handle the money matters with the utmost care.
 Mention the facts related to the advance payments, if any.
 Have you asked for the samples before? If yes, then are you happy with the provided
samples? It is essential for you to mention the details about it, in your letter.
 Add essential details about the payment structure and the mode of payment.
 Add details about the terms and conditions for which you have agreed, in the order letter.
 Add your contact information, so that the recipient can find it easy to get in touch with you
when required.
 If you want to give any kind of reminder, then give it in the last paragraph.
 You can also highlight the most important facts related to the order, in this letter.
 Be thankful to the recipient, while closing a letter.

Format of an order letter

 Date
 Name of the sender
 Name of the company
 Street address
 City and zip code
 Name of the recipient
 Subject line
 Salutation
 Body of the letter
 Closing of the letter
 Closing salutation
 Signature
  Your name
 Name of the company

Seal your letter properly and place a stamp.

Tips for writing an order letter

When it comes to a business deal, it is important for you to get a better response and this can be
done when your formal communication is done in an appropriate way. Here are the few tips that
you need to consider while writing a formal order letter:

 Follow proper business letter writing format, while writing such a letter.
 Create a memo that is clear and easy to understand.
 Make use of right font style and size.
 In the opening paragraph of the letter, you need to mention the purpose of writing a letter.
 In the middle paragraph of the letter, you should add some comprehensive instructions like
quantity, mode of payment, order number, delivery date, payment structure etc. Pen down
all the terms and conditions in the middle paragraph.
 Add clear instructions about the deadline in the closing paragraph. Mention details
regarding an execution of the order in the closing paragraph.
 Add notation related to the enclosures.
 Proofread your letter carefully, before submitting it.

Complaint Letter

What is a Complaint Letter?

You feel like complaining when you do not receive the things as per your desire. In businesses,
people prefer to write a complaint letter when they feel disconnected towards a particular product
or a company. Some of the people are afraid to write a complaint letter because they don’t feel
good to be argumentative. Understand, that in such a letter you don’t have to express your anger
or show any kind of negativity. The complaint letter is a request for an adjustment and so write it
accordingly. In this letter, you can describe mistakes, errors or any kind of damage that you have
faced in the past.

Today, businesses are expanding overseas to a greater extent. Hence, unintentional mistakes are
bound to happen and so you must know the right way to deal with it. As a buyer, if you are
suffering from the bad quality of services or any kind of financial loss, then you have the right to
complaint. The complaint letter is written in such a scenario to the serve the purpose of
complaint. It is important for you to make use of the polite tone while writing a complaint letter.

Things to Include in Your Complaint Letter!

When it comes to the complaint letter, here are the few things that you need to include:
  First, it is important for you to describe your problem appropriately.
 Once you are done with describing your problem, your next step will be to state the
outcome that you are expecting out of the complaint letter.
 It is important for you to include dates related to purchases of goods or services.
 You should also include the date when the problem occurred.
 Describe, if any kind of action you have taken from your side to fix the problem.
 Describe the actions that you may take if the problem is not resolved.
 State the time by which you want the concerned authorities to revert back to you.
 If required, you can attach the supporting documents.

Few Causes of Drafting a Complaint Letter

Here are the few causes of drafting a complaint letter:

Goods not delivered properly

There can be many problems related to the delivered goods like they are defective, underweight,
old-fashioned, unfinished etc. Buyer can claim to the seller, only when the delivered goods are
not up to the mark or the wrong package has been delivered to you.

Wrong pricing details

Sometimes seller can make a mistake in preparing an invoice for the shipped goods. You can
complain about the same by writing a complaint letter.

Improper packaging

Faulty product or improper packaging of the product can give you the reason to write a
complaint letter.

Violation of terms and conditions

If the seller has violated any kind of terms and conditions, then you can get the valid reason to
write such a letter.

Problem with insurance coverage

When it comes to insurance coverage, if it is not made as per your instructions then you can
consider writing such a letter.
Whatever may be the reason for writing such a letter, but it is important for you to make use of
decent and polite tone.

Different Reasons When Buyer Makes Complaint Against Seller

 Sending defective goods to you

 Delivering wrong products
 Delaying your consignment
 Delivering damaged products
 Sending wrong parcel to you
 Mistake with the delivered quantity of goods
 Unsatisfying services
 Wrong goods delivered at wrong place
 Improper behaviour of the staff members or salesperson
 Defective packaging that leads to damage of goods
 Billing mistake
 Dispatching wrong product in terms of colour, pattern, brand etc.

Features of Good Complaint Letter

What is the good complaint letter? The good complaint letter is the one that does not show any
kind of confrontation or aggression. However bad you may feel, but it is important to maintain
good tone while writing such a letter. Here are the features of good complaint letter:

 It is important for your complaint letter to be concise. Writing the letter in a concise
manner can make it easy for the reader to understand your motive behind writing a letter.
 The confidently and convincingly written letter can have more credibility. Such
professionally presented letter are taken more seriously.
 Write a realistic letter by adding details related to products or services. You can also add
details related to the dates, requirements etc. Adding realistic information in your letter can
make it easy for the recipient to resolve your complaint.
 Your letter should be constructive so that it can encourage the reader to take the required
action. For this, it is important for you to add positive statements in your letter.
 You need to write such a letter in a friendly manner and this is possible by using
cooperative and complimentary tone.

Two Types of the Complaints Letter

There are many types of complaint letters written in the business world but mainly these are
divided in to two categories. These two categories are:

 Routine complaint letter

 Persuasive complaint letter
If there is any kind of routine mistake done by the seller, then you can write the complaint letter
which falls in the routine category. The routine mistakes are those which can be quickly rectified
in short time span. For instance, if the quoted amount for a particular product is $30 but the
amount charged by the supplier is $35, then such mistakes can be easily rectified.

The complaints which fall in the persuasive category are difficult to justify. The related seller
may or may not pay attention to this kind of complaints. For instance, you ordered a particular
product for $30 but after placing an order you saw that the price has been reduced to $25. When
you bring this to the notice of seller by writing a complaint letter, then the seller may or may not
pay attention to it.
Appeal Letter

What is Appeal Letter?

Do you think that you have been treated unfairly in a particular situation? If yes, then in such
situation you can consider writing a letter of appeal. If any kind of wrong decision is made
against you, it becomes important for you to state your side of the story. This can be done by
writing an appeal letter. It is advisable to make use of business letter format while writing such
letters.

Reasons for appeal can be anything like:

 Denial of unemployment
 College suspension
 Wrong decision of housing board
 Wrong decision of any association

Reasons can be anything, but it is important for you to make the most out of your letter because
it gives you a second chance to present yourself. If you want to overturn any decision or
situation, then it becomes important to state your side of the story. Even if you are arguing in
such letter, it becomes important to argue sensibly by clearly presenting your thoughts in front of
concerned authorities.

Don’t show your hatred or anger in an appeal letter. Using a tone of anger may not work in your
favour.

How to Write an Appeal Letter?

 It is essential for you to format a letter in a business style. Some things that you must
include in your letter are like address, name, date, salutation, etc.
 In the start of the letter, it becomes important for you to introduce yourself. Show that you
are writing a letter in order to appeal against the particular situation. Opening paragraph
has to be good because it can grab the attention of the reader.
 Ensure that you write in such a way that reader can find it easy to understand your side of
the story. It is important to show your confidence in the letter but that does not mean you
can make use of argumentative wordings.
 Whatever event took place against you, summarize it properly in a letter. Explain the entire
circumstances to educate the reader about the situation that you had to face. The clear and
concise letter are always loved by the reader.
 Mention details about the facts that may have been overlooked in the past. You can also
add additional documents to your letter if required.
 Do you need any answer in return of your appeal letter? If yes, then don’t be blunt by
saying that you need an answer by so and so date. Instead, you can use sentence like, “you
 want to meet the deadline and so you need an answer by so and so date”. It becomes
important to give the valid reason if you are asking for any kind of answer in your letter.
 Always be thankful to the reader in the end, because he or she took efforts to take out time
and read your letter.

Tips to Write Original Appeal letter

Don’t do copy and paste work with your appeal letter. It is important to write an original letter in
order to aptly explain your situation in front of the recipient. Here are the few tips that you need
to follow in order to write original appeal letter:

Show your honesty

It is essential to show your honesty in the letter because many people are afraid of being honest.
Being honest does not mean that you are allowed to be blunt. Showing honest without any fear
may allow you to win over the situation.

Don’t give warm-up of the story in the initial paragraphs

Generally, people give warm-up of the story in the initial paragraphs which is wrong. You need
to write an appeal letter in such a way that your first 2 to 3 paragraphs should allow a reader to
get involved in your story.

Write attention grabbing headline

The headline should be attention-grabbing so that recipient can show interest in reading your
letter further. If you see some good headline in a newspaper or magazine, then include it in a
headline in your own way. Stealing headline is fine!

Try not to include numbers and facts

Numbers and facts generally create confusion in this type of letter. Add figures if they are
absolutely necessary or else you can skip it. Talk about the story, rather than going in detail
about statistics. The statistic may not give that punch to your letter.

Use short sentences

Using short sentences can make it easy for a reader to go through your letter. See to it that your
appeal letter does not look like any kind of grant proposal.

Beginning and end of the letter should be appealing

Start your appeal letter with a bang and end it with a bang so that it can put a good impact in the
mind of a reader. The reader should find it easy to understand your consequences through such a
letter.

Don’t go vague

Write to the point in your letter rather than going vague. Vague information does not attract a
reader.

Appeal Letter Layout

Layout of your appeal letter should be like:

 Letterhead – use your letterhead and if you don’t have it then create it. In letterhead, it is
important to include your name, address, email details and phone number.
 Date – write the full date, instead of using abbreviation form.
 Inside address – Inside address includes recipient name, title, a name of an organization,
mailing address etc.
 Write reference line – reference line is nothing but the subject of your letter
 Salutation – Make use of recipient title and last name in the salutation.
 Body of letter – Generally, body of the letter includes opening paragraphs, second
paragraph, third paragraph and closing paragraph.
 Closing – Closing of such letter should be done in a formal style. Words that you can use
in closing are like respectfully, sincerely, cordially etc.
 Signature – Your sign is important after closing the letter.
 Provide notations – You should provide notations if you are adding any additional
documents.

While writing opening paragraph of the letter, ensure that you establish the purpose of writing a
letter. Explain why you are appealing to particular action or decision. Tell your entire story in the
second paragraph. Write story in the chronological order. Ensure that you make use of correct
tone while describing your story. State the reason for which the reader should grant your appeal
in the third paragraph. In the closing paragraph, you need to summarize main points and state
your requirements.

Criticism Letter

The offensive behavior or an inappropriate action of an individual can compel you to write the
criticism letter. You can write this letter to a person with whom you share a close bonding or to
someone at your workplace. Definitely, such a letter brings out a negative expression but it is
advisable to write it for the betterment. Don’t lose your temperament while writing a criticism
letter but don’t be afraid to show your objection or disagreement. Such a letter is like giving a
silent warning to someone.
It is tough to take criticism and also to criticize someone. People have the mindset that criticism
is always related to finding unwanted mistakes. But, this is not true. If criticism showed in a
proper manner, can prove to be constructive and encouraging. Criticizing is not easy but a true
critique is the one who criticizes only after having the perfect knowledge about the entire
situation.

It is important to understand the purpose of criticism. Criticism is not all about finding faults and
hurting someone but it is moreover related to improvising the mistake. Before criticizing, it is
important to create a positive environment. Select the right words to criticize someone, in order
to add the motivating factor to your letter. This will not make the reader feel degraded.

Letter of criticism writing tips

 Don’t make your criticism letter look insulting by exaggerating too much. In order to make
your point clear, it is advisable to give examples related to the mistakes. Don’t make the
reader feel like, he or she is cornered. Whatever may be your motive behind criticizing
someone but it is suggested not to make any kind of comment on the character of the
person.
 Don’t start your letter with the negative sentence. Starting the letter with the positive
aspects can make the reader feel that, apart from the criticism his or her good behavior is
also noticed.
 Don’t go vague with your negative comments. Give an appropriate reason for criticizing
someone and you can also give a backup to it by providing few examples. In such a letter,
strictly you are not allowed to define the wrong behavior of the recipient by providing
opinions of others.
 If you are criticizing someone in such a letter, then it is your duty to also offer a proper
solution to the problem. Don’t be too lenient or too harsh with your negative comments. In
your letter, at any point in time don’t make fun of the reader. Say no to long and confusing
sentences and don’t make use of tough vocabulary.
 Don’t include the opinion of the third party. Make use of serious tone while writing such a
letter and avoid using stylish font or a colorful paper.
 Don’t make use of bold letters or an underlined word to describe the mistake of a person
because doing so can create a negative impact.
 If you want your letter to be effective, then don’t make it too lengthy.

How to Write a Criticizing Letter?

 Take some time to analyze the situation before writing a criticism letter. Sometimes, this
can make it easy for you to understand your own mistake. If you dig out the mistake of the
recipient, then take some time, say around 24 hours to allow the emotion of anger to fade
away.
 Don’t get biased with the situation.
 Always start your criticism letter with the proper salutation.
 Start the letter with the positive tone and it can be done by complimenting something
about the recipient.
  Make use of neutral and honest tone while drafting such a letter. In the paragraph, where
you want to include the mistake should be clear and concise. Outline the entire scenario
properly so that the reader can find it easy to understand the situation.
 If you find that the acknowledgment of mistake has been unintentional then do mention it
in your letter. In order to prevent any kind of mistake in the future, you can also make
some suggestions.
 What kind of result are you expecting from such a letter? State that result in your criticism
letter that you are expecting and can also state the steps for repairing the damage.
 You can also offer the assistance by continuing working with the same person or by
appreciating a few other things.
 At the end of the letter, you need to summarize the entire situation.
 Add proper salutation, sign and add your name while ending the letter.

How to Give Constructive Criticism in the Criticism Letter?

Here are the few ways to give the constructive criticism in the criticism letter:

First is, the feedback sandwich method

In this method, PIP is used that is Positive-Improvement-Positive. The name itself states that
your feedback process is divided into three segments. You can start the letter by describing the
strength of the person. After that, you can criticize the point which you did not like and show the
scope of improvement. Lastly, you can give the feedback by adding some positive comments. It
is called the feedback sandwich method because you wedge your criticism between the opening
and closing layer of positive comments.

Second is, don’t focus on an individual but focus on the situation

Focusing on the entire situation is important, rather than just focusing on the person. In order to
apply this method in your letter, you need to follow the below mentioned tips:

 Take the person out of the situation and focus on the behavior and an action.
 Give your comments on the problems and not on the person. For instance, if you find the
clothes dirty then mention that the clothes are dirty, rather than saying you are dirty.
 Strictly say no to the personal attacks. Don’t give comments like you are lazy or you are
stupid in your letter.
 Make use of the passive voice rather than using active voice in the letter.

Third is, be precise or specific with your feedback

 Speak more on the neutral points and don’t try to add personal opinions.
 Break down the key points related to the mistakes properly.
 Point to point feedback can make it easy for you to write a letter.
Fourth is, don’t make assumptions

Constructive criticism cannot be provided on the basis of assumptions. Make criticism on the
basis of facts and not assumptions. Giving feedback on the basis of assumptions can make things
worse.

Normally this is not a regular norm in the organizations to write criticism letter as it does not
sound professional, but sometimes circumstances forced the person to write such letter. A
criticism letter is being written to put the bad deeds of the reader in writing and warn him
regarding the same. Though these situations hardly occur in an organization, but when it happens
the concerned authorities have no option than to criticize the person in writing.

Confirmation Letter

What is a confirmation letter?

Do you know that the confirmation letter can also work as a formal document? Yes, it can work
as a formal document because it basically summarizes the verbal agreement that was previously
made between the two parties. People in the business world, usually make use of such a letter as
a formal document in order to maintain it as a record and acknowledge a particular task. Though,
it is a known fact that such letters have many variations. The confirmation letter can be related to
different things like:

 Confirming the receipt of an order

 Confirming the schedule of an appointment
 Confirming some travel arrangements
 Confirming reservations
 Confirming appointment of a new employee, etc.

What is the main objective of the confirmation letter? The main objective of such a letter is to
determine that two parties that are dealing with a particular thing are on the same page. This can
avoid all possible confusion that may arise in the case of the verbal communication. The
confusion can be related to any things like time, venue, date etc.

In order to type such a letter, the letterhead of the company is used and things included in such a
letter are like a date, salutation, a name of the recipient, address of the recipient, terms and
conditions of an agreement, signature etc. Whenever any kind of conflict arises, such a document
can prove to be of great use as an evidence because it can determine aptly the person who is at
fault. You can follow a simple business letter writing format, to write such a letter.

How to Write a Confirmation Letter?

Using a letterhead is very important

Is your confirmation letter dealing with business matters? If yes, then using the letterhead of the
company is important to write such a letter. Using a letterhead can make it easy for you to further
use this letter as a formal and official document of the company. It is important to include full
name and address of the recipient, just above the salutation. Add a proper title to the letter, to
increase its impact.

In case, you are writing such a letter to the company to deal with personal matter, then you can
make use of other good quality of the paper and not the letterhead. Whichever paper you may
use, but it is important to maintain the business letter format.

Start the letter with an appropriate salutation

The right salutation showcases your greeting and acknowledgment. In the confirmation letter,
you should always make use of a formal salutation. Your salutation should follow with the name
of the recipient and the title. “Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms.” Can be used in the salutation, following by the
last name of the person. Before adding Mrs. to the salutation, it is important for you to confirm
that the recipient is married. You can make use of the first name of a person if you are writing
such a letter to serve your personal purpose.

Get straight to the point in the first paragraph

Now whether you are writing such a letter to attain business or personal matter, it is important to
write the letter to the point. Don’t add lame sentences in the first paragraph of the letter. In such
a letter you don’t have to go in detail with the introductory information. Make use of the first
paragraph of the letter to outline typical details related to the confirmation subject. Be specific,
while adding information related to the date, time and location in the first paragraph.

Few examples of starting the first paragraph of the letter are like:

 I am writing to confirm
 This letter is to confirm
 I would like to confirm

In case, you are sending a confirmation for receiving a particular product then mention details
related to it in the first paragraph.

In the second paragraph, address other important details

Add all the relevant details related to the confirmation subject, in the second paragraph of the
letter. Generally, terms and conditions related to the agreement, responsibilities of different task
etc. are discussed in the second paragraph of such a letter.
If you want to request the recipient to take a particular responsibility and it is advisable to ask for
the confirmation in return. In such matter, you should specify that you need the confirmation in
writing. Include all the required details related to the confirmation in this paragraph, because this
can avoid future complications or misunderstandings.

Ask for the follow-up

In the last paragraph of the letter, it is important for you to ask for the follow-up. Lines that you
add in such a paragraph should encourage the recipient to get in touch with you. Make the
recipient feel comfortable to discuss problems or issues with you, if any.

Close the letter appropriately

In order to close such a letter, you can make use of the terms like:

 Sincerely
 Thank you
 Regards
 Respectfully, etc.

After using any of the mentioned terms, you can include your name and add your signature
further.

Confirmation Letter – Proofreading is Important

 Now whether this kind of letter used as a formal document is a personal matter or not, but
it is important to proofread it. You should check missing words, spelling errors, grammar
errors, sentence punctuation etc.
 You may look more responsible towards certain matter if you write an error-free letter.
 Check the font you have used and the margins that you have added. To write such a letter,
you can make use of a standard font like Times New Roman or Arial.
 The font size can be 12 and don’t make use of bold or italic style. If you are leaving
margins, then ensure that it is 1 inch on each side.
 If you are writing details in brief, in such a letter then ensure that you don’t add unwanted
stuff. It is important to write things, to the point.
 Strictly the content of the letter should be related to the “confirmation” subject.
 See to it that, the tone you make use of in such a letter is formal but that does not mean
you forget to show your enthusiasm and gratitude.

Types of confirmation letter

Here are the different types of the confirmation letter:

 Employment confirmation letter
 Job confirmation letter
 Interview confirmation letter
 Salary confirmation letter
 Volunteer confirmation letter
 Work experience confirmation letter