The document outlines the structure and types of business letters including inquiry, quotation, order, complaint, and claim letters, emphasizing the importance of clear communication and a courteous tone. It provides guidelines on essential elements such as a conclusion, complimentary close, signature, and enclosures. Specific formats and templates for inquiry letters and responses are also included.

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Conclusion: This is the final part of the contents. It again has to be very courteous and must solicit
appropriate action-oriented response. Some ways for starting the concluding paragraph are:
● You are requested to….
● We would be highly grateful …
● We would be highly obliged….
● Kindly look into the matter earliest possible and….
Complimentary Close: It is important to end the letter with a complimentary close. There are various
ways to close the letter depending on the purpose and audience.
Yours truly
Yours faithfully
Yours sincerely
But the one method that can be universally applied is Thank and Regards. It can be used for all kinds of
business writings irrespective of the purpose and audience.
Signature: A business letter must be signed off by the sender to

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maintain its authenticity. Signature is the proof of the letter being written by the sender so that he can
be held accountable for everything mentioned in the letter. Signature is followed by sender’s
name and designation.
Enclosures: One might have to attach certain documents along with the letter. Enclosures comprises of
the list of documents attached with the letter. The list must be prepared in the order of
sequence in which the documents are attached.

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KINDS OF BUSINESS LETTERS
Business letters can be classified on the basis of audience and purpose. Each category has its own
language, structure and style of writing. Different kinds of business letters are characterized by
different kinds of format. Business letters can be classified as follows:
I. Inquiry letters
II. Letters of quotation
III. Letters placing order
IV. Complaint letters
V. Claim letters
VI. Adjustment letters
VII. Credit letters
VIII. Sales letters
IX. Job Applications and Resume.
INQUIRY LETTERS
When one intends to buy a product, the general trend is to go to the market and buy it. Another
alternative that is usually followed by organizations is to inquire about the product details and rates
from different brands and then place an order with the one that is most suitable. For example an
institution wants to buy desktops for language lab. It would search out all the brands offering the
product, on the internet and write letters of Inquiry to all of them. Once the replies are received from
all the brands, it would place an order with the brand offering desktops suiting the requirements of
the institution, also taking cost and discounts into consideration.
A letter of inquiry must seek information about:
1. Rates
2. Product specification
3. Discounts available
4. Guarantee period
5. Warranty period
6. After-sales service
7. Installation charges
8. Transportation charges
FORMAT

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5. SAMPLE INQUIRY LETTER
ABC COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
NEW DELHI
WWW.ABC.COM
Ref.no. : ABC/07/13
Date : April 10, 2013
The Manager
ABC COMPUTERS
New Delhi
Sir,
Sub: ENQUIRY ABOUT DESKTOPS
024
We wish to install good quality desktops in our language lab.
You are requested to send us your quotation for the following,earliest possible.
S.No PRODUCT QUANTITY
1
2
3
HCL Desktops 15”
Compaq Desktops 15”
Samsung Desktops 15”
20
20
20
Kindly send the details about the following as well:
Discounts available
Installation charges
Transportation charges
Guarantee/ Warranty period
After-sales service conditions

6. We would be highly grateful if the quotation reaches us by the end of this week so that we might set up
our Lab well in time.
Thanks & Regards
ABC
Head – Department of English Language
025
QUOTATION LETTERS
Quotation letters are replies to letter of inquiry. They are statement of rates and product
specification , sent to the customers, along with other information sought regarding guarantee
period, warranty period , installation charges , transportation charges, after-sales service terms etc. A
quotation must be complete in all respects, implying that it must contain all the details sought by the
customer. It must be accurate in content and language to avoid any kind of ambiguity or confusion. A
well-framed, courteous quotation would definitely bring good business to the organization.
It must be reader oriented, giving due importance to the general concerns a customer might have in
mind, before placing an order.
A quotation must furnish all information about:
1. Cost of the product.
2. Product specification
3. Discounts/ Offers
4. Guarantee period
5. Warranty period

7. 6. Transportation charges
7. Installation charges
8. After sales service terms
026
A quotation can be supplemented with a brochure to add to the details mentioned
FORMAT
Heading
(Letterhead)
Ref. No:
Date :
Designation and
Address of the Addressee
Salutation
Sub:
Introduction: Reference to the inquiry letter
Main Discussion:

8. S.NO PRODUCT QUANTITY RATE PER. TOTAL
AMT
Grand Total:
Discount Offered:
Guarantee Period:
Warranty Period:
Conclusion: Requesting for an early order
027
Complimentary Close
Signature
Name
Designation
Enclosures: Brochures
SAMPLE QUOTATION LETTERS
ABC COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
NEW DELHI

9. WWW.ABCCOMP.COM
Ref.no : 123/AB/2000
Date : April 10, 2013
The Head
Department of English Language
ABC College of Engineering
New Delhi
Sir,
Sub: QUOTATION FOR DESKTOPS
This is in reference to your letter of inquiry (ref.no …………) regarding
028
desktops to be installed in your Language Lab.
The cost and other details are mentioned as follows
S.NO PRODUCT QTY RATE TOTAL COST
1
2
3
HCL DESKTOPS 15”
COMPAQ DESKTOPS 15”
SAMSUNG DESKTOPS 15”
20
20
20
Rs.18,000
Rs.18,000
Rs.18,000
Rs.3,60,000
Rs.3,60,000.
Rs.3,60,000
Grand Total: Rs.
10,80,000
Discount Offered: 10 %
Installation Charges: Rs.4,000
Transportation Charges: Rs.1,000
Guarantee Period: 4 years

10. Warranty Period: 1 year
After Sales Service: For 10 Months
Hope you find the terms and conditions mentioned in the quotation suitable. Please feel free to clarify
any queries regarding the product.
Looking forward to hearing from back from you.
Thanks and regards
ABC Sales Manager
Enclosures: Brochure
029
LETTERS PLACING ORDER
Once the quotation reaches the customer, he might place an order if he finds the quotation suitable in
all terms. A letter placing order is written in case an order has to be placed. It must be very accurate and
clear in all respects. A small error in numbers can lead to the whole transaction going wrong. It must lay
down the following details:
1. Product with specification
2. Quantity
3. Date of delivery
4. Timings of delivery
5. Venue of delivery

11. There must be a special request for ensuring proper packaging and transportation for this
consignment to avoid any flaws. The customer must also ask the seller to check the
consignment before delivery so as to avoid any hassles about returning the consignment and
packaging later on.
FORMAT
HEADING
(Letterhead)
Or
Senders Address
Ref.No:……………
Date :……………….
030
Designation and
Address of the
Addressee
Salutation
Sub:……………………………………………………………………………..
Introduction: 1. Reference to the quotation
2. Wishing to place an order
Main Discussion: 1. Placing the Order
S.No. PRODUCT QUANTITY

12. 2. Date of delivery
3. Timings of delivery
4. Venue of delivery.
5. Requesting to ensure proper packaging and transportation
Conclusion: Asking for action oriented response in time.
Complimentary Close
Signature
Name
Designation
31
Sample: Letter Placing Order
ABC COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
NEW DELHI
WWW.ABCCOMP.COM
Ref.no: ………………
Date :
The Manager
ABC College of Engineering

13. New Delhi
Sir,
Sub: Ordering Desktops
We are glad to inform you that we have found your quotation suitable in all terms. We would like to
place an order with you.
Kindly find the details of the order mentioned below
S.No
.
PRODUCT QUANTITY
1
2
3
HCL Desktops 15”
Compaq Desktop 15”
Samsung Desktop 15”
20
20
20
You are requested to ensure proper packaging and transportation of desktops to avoid any flaws in the
consignment. It is supposed to reach the above mentioned address between 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m.on
032
any of the working days i.e. Monday to Saturday. We would be grateful if all the desktops are checked
before delivery to do away with any chances of replacement later on.
Looking forward to the consignment.

14. Thanks & Regards
ABC
Head- Department of English Language
033
COMPLAINT LETTERS
Complaint letters are written to inform the seller about flaws in the consignment. After the order has
been received, if it is found that the product ordered is not functioning well or does not match the same
quality as mentioned in the letter placing order, it has to be brought to the notice of the seller. Since,
business communication is greatly dependent on courtesy, it is essential to maintain a gentle, polite

15. tone even in the writing of a complaint. It is also essential to have accuracy and clarity in complaint
letters as a little discrepancy in numbers and figures can render the letter flawed. A complaint letter
must lay down the following details:
1. Reference to the letter of order.
2. Specifying the flaw in the complaint.
3. Action required, repair or replacement.
4. Whether the product is being returned to the seller details.
5. Deadline for action-oriented response.
FORMAT
Heading
(Organization)
Or
Sender's
Address
Ref.No:…..
Date:………………….
034
Designation and
Address of the
Addressee
Salutation,
Sub:

16. Introduction: 1) Ref to the letter placing order.
2) Purpose of the letter.
Main Discussion: 1) Details of the flaw.
2) Action required.
3) Deadline.
Conclusion: Requesting for early action oriented response.
Complimentary Close
Signature
Name
Designation
Sample Complaint Letter
ABC COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
NEW DELHI
WWW.ABCCOMP.COM
Ref.no. :………………
Date :
The Sales Manager
ABC Computers Ltd
New Delhi
035
Sir,
Sub: COMPLAINT REGARDING FLAWED DESKTOPS
We would like to bring to your kind notice that we had ordered desktops for our Language Lab (Letter
No...). We received the consignment yesterday.

17. On checking the consignment, it was found that 10 desktops are not functioning at all. The specification
is as under
S.No. Product Quantity Complaint
1 Compaq Desktops 10 Dysfunctional
We would like to get them replaced. We are, hence, delivering the dysfunctional desktops to you today
by courier (details in the enclosures).
They would reach you by April 10, 2013. As soon as the flawed consignment reaches you, you are
requested to deliver us functional desktops of good quality.
We would be highly grateful if the consignment reaches us by the end of this week so that we may get
our lab functional well in time.
036
Thanks and Regards
ABC
Head – Department of English Language
Enclosures: Courier Receipt

18. CLAIM LETTERS
If the consignment reaching the customer is found flawed, it is attempted to get the money back from
the seller. The customer can claim the amount paid for the product and return the consignment.
Courtesy has to be maintained even in writing a claim letter. It must convince the seller that the product
is not fit enough to be used or repaired and that it is essential to return it. It must lay down the following
details:
1. Reference to the order.
2. Flaw in the consignment.
3. Details about returning the consignment.
4. Seeking the amount back.
5. Deadline for receiving the claim.
FORMAT
Heading
Letterhead
Or
Sender's Address