Useful phrases
Salutation:
- Dear Mr Smith/Ms Taylor,
- Dear Sir(/Madam),
- Dear Sirs (if addressing a department)
- Dear Sir or Madam,
- Gentlemen,
To start:
- We are writing to inform you that
- I am contacting you for the following reason.
- I would be interested in (obtaining/receiving)
To refer to a previous contact:
- Thank you for contacting us.
- In reply to your request…
- Thank you for your letter regarding…
- With reference to our telephone conversation yesterday…
To make a request:
- We would appreciate if you (would)…
- I would be grateful if you could…
- Could you possibly send me…
Good news:
- We are pleased to announce/inform you that…
Bad news:
- We regret to inform you that…
Making a complaint:
- I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with…
- I am writing to complain about…
Apologising:
- We are sorry for the delay in replying…
- I regret any inconvenience caused…
Orders/quotations:
- Thank you for your quotation of…
- We are pleased to place an order with your company for…
Prices:
- Please send us your price list.
- You will find enclosed our most recent catalogue and price list.
- Please note that our prices are subject to change without notice.
Referring to payment:
- According to our records…
- Please send payment/make the payment as soon as possible.
- You will receive a credit note for the sum of…
Enclosing documents:
- I am enclosing…
- Please find enclosed…
Closing:
- If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know…
- If I can help in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me…
- For further details/information…
- Thank you for your help.
Referring to future contact:
- Looking forward to hearing from you…
- I would appreciate a reply at your earliest convenience.
Ending:
- (Yours) sincerely, – (for all customers/clients)
- (Yours) Faithfully – (if you know the addressee)
- Regards/Kind regards – (if you know the addressee and have a working relationship with them)