Correspondence

 

Introduction

Handling correspondence is one of the routines of an office. It is creative and challenging functions to be performed by an office assistant. Correspondence is a written form of communication which formalizes all the official activities of an organization. It is considered as the formal agent, which speaks and gives messages on behalf of the office. An effective letter is a strong tool for motivating people, changing their attitude and maintaining and developing good relations with them. It is used for making an inquiry, giving replay, placing an order, making complaints, settling compliant and attracting potential customers. It gives a positive impression to the customers and helps in increasing goodwill of an organization. so, the successful or failure of the organization mostly depends upon efficiency in handling correspondence.

Definition:
Correspondence is the most useful means of written communication. It is the process of exchanging official information between individuals and organizations of different places. It is the process of receiving and sending letters for achieving a definite objective. It may also take place in the form of a report, circular, telegram and electronic mails. The following is a definition of correspondence:

"Correspondence can be defined as communicating in writing on subjects of mutual interest either within the organization or with an outsider. " - S.P Arora

According to this definition, we say that correspondence is the process of exchanging written information between individuals and organizations of different places for carrying out different official activities.

Need and Importance of Correspondence:

1. Exchanges information
   Correspondence is the safest, cheapest, most convenient and popular means of exchanging information for all individuals, business organizations, government offices, and social organization.
   
   
2. Enhances goodwill
   Effective letter writing creates a positive impression upon the customers. It helps to develop positive attitude and impression about the activities and products, which ultimately helps to enhance the goodwill of the organization.
   
   
3. Determines responsibility
   Correspondence is a written document which is signed by the writer. It makes the receiver responsible for doing the job as specified in the letter.
   
   
4. Provides evidence
   Correspondence maintains written record which can be produced as an evidence for the transactions performed and contract done. Such evidence is useful for settling disputes and misunderstanding.
   
   
5. Makes communication reliable
   Correspondence is the most reliable means of communication. It is the authentic means of communication which formalize all the activities of an organization.
   
   
6. Provides written records
   Correspondence provides written records for all the activities of an organization for future reference. It provides the written records for the transactions performed, decisions were taken and contract and agreement done.
   
   
7. Maintains public relation
   Correspondence is a strong means of communication for maintaining and developing a warm relationship with customers, suppliers, financial institutions and governmental bodies. It helps in changing the interest and attitude of the customers and promoting sales.

Objectives of Correspondence

1. To keep permanent records of important activities regarding activities the transactions, contracts, an agreement made and decisions taken.
2. To settle the misunderstanding and disputes regarding different matters of the organization by providing written evidence.
3. To provide the valuable information to the concerned parties at the time of necessity.
4. To maintain present and attract potential customers and to promote.
5. To fulfill legal formalities as per the requirement of the concerned act.

 

 

Qualities of a Good Letter

A letter is written with a definite objective. The achievement of such objectives depends upon the effectiveness of the letter. An effective letter gives the positive impression and impels the receiver to do the job as the writer wants. This note explains about the qualities of a good letters and different parts of a letter.

 

Qualities of a Good Letter

A letter is written with a definite objective. The achievement of such objectives depends upon the effectiveness of the letter. An effective letter gives a positive impression and impels the receiver to do the job as the writer wants. The effective letter is one which possesses following qualities:

• Clearness
  The effort of letter writing is meaningless if the matter of the letter is not clear to the reader. In order to make clear to the reader, it should be drafted by using simple, short, sweet words and sentences. The intention of the writer can be understood by the reader only when the letter is written clearly.
  
  
• Correctness
  The clearness of the letter depends on its correctness. The letter should be correct in terms of language and information. The writer should draft the letter by using correct spellings, words, grammatical structure, sentences and giving the correct information, data, and figures.
  
  
• Completeness
  A letter, on one hand, should be concise and, on the other hand, it should be complete. The letter should include all the information that the reader wants. An incomplete letter adds confusion, wastes time money and efforts.
  
  
• Conciseness
  A letter should be as short as possible. The writer should never write more than what makes the meaning of the letter clear to the reader. An unnecessary discussion should be avoided and economy of words should be enforced.
  
  
• Attractiveness
  The letter should be attractive in its appearance. The proper document design plays a prominent role to make the letter attractive. It should be folded properly and should be put in a right-sized envelope.
  
  
• Coherence
  Effectiveness of a letter depends to a great extent on its coherence or unity. Coherence means writing the matters of the letter in a sequential manner. One information should be followed by other information in a sequence and one paragraph should be supported by another paragraph.
  
  
• Courtesy
  A letter should be written by giving due respect to the feeling of the reader. Courtesy or politeness is achieved by showing attitude and friendly behavior towards the reader. A courtesy letter always helps in increasing goodwill and maintaining warm relations. It costs nothing but pays many things.
  
  
• Creativeness
  Effectiveness of a letter depends to a great extent on its coherence or writer should not try to copy the phrases, sentences, and style from others. Only creative and original writing helps in impressing and convincing the receiver.
  
  
• Effectiveness
  An effective letter is one which achieves its objectives. It impels receiver to do just what the writer wants. If the letter possesses all the qualities discussed above, it is regarded as an effective letter which fulfills the purpose of it writing.

·         Parts or Structure of a letter

A letter is made up of its different parts. These parts should be arranged properly and orderly to make the attractive, meaningful and effective. An effective letter generally contains the following parts in a sequential order:

1. Heading

Heading is the first part of the letter. It consists of name, address, e- mail address, website address, telephone number, fax, number and post box number of the organization, which writes the letter. It also includes the date and reference number of the letter. The heading is found in printed from on top of the letter which is also known as letterhead. This is the example of heading:

2. Inside address

Inside address is the second part of the letter. It consists of name and address of the receiver to whom the letter is written. The inside address should be exactly the same as the address of the receiver written envelope. It is written in three lines. The first line consists the name of the firm or person, the second line contains the name of the street and the third line contains the name of the city. The name of the firm and person used in the inside address must have proper courtesy titles like Mr., Mrs, Dr., prof. , etc.For Example:

The Chairman

Star Saving & Credit Co-operative Ltd.

10/21, Chabahil

Kathmandu

The following is an example of inside address of a person:

Dr. Ananda Jha

13/ 30, Jorpati

Kathmandu

3. Salutation

Salutation is the third part of the letter. It is the greeting or honor given to the receiver by the writer. The words of salutation tone used in the letter depend upon the receiver by the writer. The words of salutation like Respected Sir, Dear Sir etc. are used for honoring the receiver.

·         4. Subject heading

Subject heading is the fourth part of the letter. It is written for informing the receiver about the subject or theme of the letter at a glance. It helps the reader to know exactly at very first sight, what the letter is about. The following is the example of subject heading of a government letter:

Subject: About the SLC Exam

The following is an example of the subject heading of a business letter:

Subject: Order for Books

5. Body

Body is the fifth part of the letter. It is the most important part of the letter from the viewpoint of the writer and reader. It relays the whole message to the receiver clearly, concisely, completely, correctly and courteously. It is divided into three paragraphs. The first is inducted or paragraph which begins with friendly expressions like "We are happy to....." We are pleased to...", etc. The second is the main body which deals with the main subject matter of the letter. The third is concluding paragraph which concludes the message of the writer. The letter is concluded with the words like " We look forward to....", "We are always pleased to..." etc.

6. Complimentary closing

Complimentary closing is the sixth part of the letter. The act of concluding the letter by giving due respect to the receiver is called complementary closing. It must agree with the salutation. When the salutation is"sir", "Dear Mr. Pandey", 'Your Sincerely' should be the complementary closing.

7. Signature

Signature

A signature is the last part of the letter. It contains a signature, name, and position of the writer. The writer must sign the letter for its validity and must write his name and position for his identification.

 

Types of letter

A letter is written by different organizations for various purposes. Letters are different from one another on the basis of objective and importance or priority. Hence, the letters can be classified as follows:

On the basis of objectives

The letters are written with different objectives. Some of the letters are written with the objective of carrying out government activities, some of the letters are written with the objective of carrying out business activities, etc. The following are the types of letter classified on the basis of objectives:

Government letter

The letter which is drafted by a government office is called government letter. It is exchanged between central level office and operating level office of the government. It is written by a central level office to the operating level office for giving notices, information, decisions, instructions, and orders. It is written by the operating level office to the central level offices for reporting budget expenses, performance, progress, achievements, and problems. According to Administrative Job Clearance Act, 2026, the government letters are classified into urgent, most urgent, ordinary, most confidential and non-confidential letter on the basis of their priority.

Business letter

The letter which is drafted by a business organization is called business letter. It is written by the business letter to its branches, present and potential customers and the suppliers of the goods. It is written with the purpose of buying and selling goods and carrying out the other activities of the business. It is written for making the inquiry, giving replay, placing the order, confirming the order, making compliant and collecting dues.The following are the types of business written for achieving different objectives:

1. Inquiry letter
   The letter which is written by a buyer to a seller asking for the information about the goods to be purchased is called inquiry letter. It is written for making the inquiry about the goods, discount offered, terms of payment, means of payment and transportation, delivery date, etc. It helps the buyer to find out the best supplier from whom goods can be purchased at the lowest cost and in the most favorable terms and conditions.
   
   
2. Reply letter
   The letter which is written by the seller to the buyer by giving the information about the goods to be sold is called reply letter. It is written in response to the inquiry letter stating quality, price, discount offered, terms of payment, place of delivery, means of transportation. Since the seller quotes the price of goods at which he sells them, it is also known as quotation letter. While giving a reply to the inquiry, the seller should give information correctly and completely. The quality of the reply letter helps to be the best supplier.
   
   
3. Order letter
   The letter which is written by the buyer to the seller to place the order for goods is called order letter. It is written in response to the reply of quotation letter giving details about the goods to be purchased. It is a contract between the buyer and seller of the goods to be bought and sold understated price and terms and conditions. While placing the order for goods, the buyer should give clear information to the seller stating type and price of goods, quantity, discount, terms of payment and place and date of delivery for the effective execution of the order.
   
   
4. Confirmation letter
   The letter which is written by the seller to the buyer confirming or acknowledging the order received is called confirmation letter. It is written in response to the order which knowledge the order placed by the buyer. While trying the confirmation letter, the seller should state that the order letter has been received and the goods as per the order will be delivered as early as possible.
   
   
5. Complaint letter
   The letter which is written by the buyer to the seller making complaint against the goods delivered is called complaint letter. If the buyer does not receive the delivery of goods as per the order placed, he writes the complaint letter to the seller. The letter is written if goods are of inferior quality, high price, excess quantity and late delivery. The complaint should not be made unnecessarily without making sure the facts found are right. The buyer should be polite and positive while making the complaint to the seller.
   
   
6. Adjustment letter
   The letter which is written by the seller adjusting the complaint made by the buyer is called adjustment letter. It is written in response to the complaint letter. If the seller finds that the complaint made by the buyer is reasonable, he should adjust either by accepting the goods returned or adjusting the amount in the account of the customer.
   
   
7. Dunning letter
   The letter which is written by the seller to the buyer for collection outstanding amount is called dunning letter. It is written by the seller for collecting the due amount of goods sold. It is reminder letter sent to the debtor requesting to settle his account. It should be written politely just to remind the customer and break the trade relation.

Employment letter

The letter which is written by a candidate for getting employment in an organization for a given post is called employment letter. It is also known as the letter of application for a post. It is generally written in response to an advertisement. The effectiveness of the employment letter determines whether in response to an applicant is selected for the interview or not. The applicant should write the employment letter by giving his details honestly using effective language. While writing the letter, the applicant should state his academic qualification, experience, training, age, health, hobby, reasons for applying the post and leaving the post occupied in a sequential order.

Personal letter

A letter which is written by an individual for the family members, friends, relatives describing personal matters and relevant events is called personal letter. This type of letter is written to give information about the health, economic condition, family situation and problems, progress etc. It is written for love and affection and for maintaining personal and family relation. It can be written on any matter and has no any fixed form or structure.

On the basis of Priority

All the letters are not equally important. These are different from one another on the basis of their importance and priority. The office should process and clear the letters in order of priority. Priority should be fixed on the basis of the nature of work and degree of importance. According to the Administrative Job Clearance Act, 2026 of government letters are classified in the following groups as per their importance:

1. Immediate letter
   The letter marked with the word Immediate on the envelope is called immediate letter. These letters must be processed and cleared immediately. If the letter submitted to the higher level, the concerned authority must submit it on the same day. In case the office hour is over, the letter has to be submitted the next day at the earliest hours.
   
   
2. Most urgent letter
   The letter marked with the words Most Urgent on the envelope is called most urgent letter. Such letter should be cleared by the concerned authority within 3 days. If the letter is to be submitted to the higher level, the concerned authority must it on the same day.
   
   
3. Urgent letter
   The letter marked with the word Urgent on the envelope is called urgent letter. Such letter should be cleared by the concerned authority within 5 days. If the letter is to be submitted to the higher level, the concerned authority must submit to the higher level within 2 days.
   
   
4. Ordinary letter
   The letter without any mark on the envelope is called ordinary letter. Such letter does not contain any word of priority. It has to be cleared by the concerned authority within 7 days. If the letter is to be submitted to the higher level the concerned authority has to submit it within 3 days.

 

Handling Mails and Office Information

Handling mail is a process of receiving, recording and dispatching the receiving and sending letters and documents in properly. The incoming mail is received and recorded by the office in the entry book or register book. The outgoing mail is drafted by the office in the dispatch book. This outgoing mail is dispatched by the office through the post office or messenger. Handling mail is also known as 'Darta Chalani'. Handling mail is one of the important routine functions of every office which should be performed by the office assistant efficiently.

Handling Incoming mail

The process of receiving all letters and documents and recording them in entry book in a systematic way is called handling incoming mail. The process of handling incoming mail are as follows:

1. Receiving the mail
   The incoming mail is received by the mailing department brought to the office by the postman or messenger. Such mail may also be collected by the employee from the post box.
   
   
2. Recording the mail
   The mailing department records the incoming mail in a book called entry book.
   
   
3. Stamping the mail
   The mailing department stamps on the top of the first page of the letter. The stamp contains the information relating to the reference number, entry number, and date.
   
   
4. Disturbing the mail
   The mailing department distributes the letters to the concerned selection or authority for processing and clearing them.
   
   
5. Clearing the mail
   The concerned section or authority processes and clears the letters on the basis of their importance and priority.

Handling outgoing mail

The process of drafting the letters and documents and sending them to the concerned office or authority after recording in dispatch book in a systematic manner is called handling outgoing mail. The processes of outgoing mail are as follows:

1. Drafting the mail
   The outgoing mail is prepared by the concerned section or authority. The letter is typed on a computer. It is signed by the responsible officer for its validity.
   
   
2. Collecting the mail
   The mailing department collects all the outgoing mail from concerned section or departments. The concerned section can also send the outgoing mail to the mailing department for final dispatch.
   
   
3. Recording the mail
   The mailing department records the letters in a separate book called dispatch book. The dispatch book is a primary record of all the letters dispatched by the office to different persons and offices.
   
   
4. Stamping the mail
   The letter is folded and inserted in a sized envelope. The address of the receiver is typed and the envelope is sealed with gum, adhesive or cello tapes. A letter should be stamped which are being sent through the post office. The amount of postal ticket differs according to the weight of the letter, type of the letter and distance.
   
   
5. Dispatching the mail
   The letter is dispatched to the concerned person or office by the mailing department through the post office or messenger. The message issued by an office or organization on a given topic for the knowledge of people inside or outside the organization is called office information. It is found in written form. It basically includes notices, circular and mandatory order.

Notice

Notice is an act of giving information on a given topic to the concerned people inside or outside the organization. It is effective means of passing short messages to a group of people. It contains essential information on a subject which is displayed attractively in order to get their cooperation. It is found in both written and oral form. The notice is issued by the social organization, educational organization, business organization, and governmental organization for informing people on different matters for different purposes. While drafting and designing a notice the following basic guidelines should be considered:

1. The notice should be as short as possible.
2. It should contain a clear heading.
3. It should contain sub- heading to break up the main information.
4. It should be printed with different font size.
5. It should display the message attractively.
6. It should contain the name of the writer, position and date at the bottom.

Kinds of Notice

1. Social notice
   The notice issued by a social organization like red cross society, Maiti Nepal, Nepal scout, etc. is called social notice. Such notice is issued for informing social, cultural, religious and political environment activities. It aims at uplifting the social, cultural, religious and political environment through a number of welfare activities for the people and society.
   
   
2. Geographical notice
   The notice issued by an organization addressing the people of a particular geographical area is called geographical notice. Such notice is issued by the different organization to the people of a particular locality like village, districts, and region to inform social, educational, health, business and government activities.
   
   
3. Physical notice
   The notice issued by the social organization for the purpose of making people aware of their health and physique is called physical notice. Such notice is issued to inform the concerned people for the activities being carried out to take care, maintain and improve the condition of their health and physique.
   
   
4. Educational notice
   The notice issued by an educational institution like a school or campus or university is called educational notice. Such notice is issued for informing the matters relating to academic, circular and extra circular activities to the students, teachers, guardians and other concerned parties.
   
   
5. Business notice
   The notice issued by a business organization is called business notice. Such notice is for informing about the matters relating to business activities like launching a new product, opening a new branch, changing the design, quality and price of the product and appointing a new agent.
   
   
6. Government notice
   The notice issued by a government office like ministry, department, constitutional body, government project and district level offices about the matters relating to public interest, welfare, and security. It is also issued for giving instruction to clear task to the general public.

Circular

A circular is one which is sent out to many people or offices at the same time. It is issued by the head office to its branches or by the central level office to its operating level offices instructing to do or not to do the things as mentioned in it. It passes the information from the top level to middle level to lower level; it is also known as downward communication.

Importance of Circular

1. It should be as short as possible.
2. It should be drafted in a particular letter head.
3. It should be drafted using simple, polite and correct language.
4. It should contain all parts like inside address, salutation, body, signature and position of the concerned officer properly.
5. It should be drafted mentioning the instruction as it is requested to follow the statement mentioned below in stepwise circular after writing the full text of circular received the upper-level office.

Types of Circular

The circular issued by the head office to all its branches directly or through its different levels. The circular can be classified as follows:

1. Direct circular
   A direct circular is one which is issued and distributed to all the branches or the head office itself. The central level office of the government or the head office of a business circulates the message to all operating level office branches directly.
   
   
2. Stepwise circular
   A stepwise circular is one which is issued and distributed to all the branches through different levels. It is an indirect circular in which the message is passed from the first level office to second level office, second level office to third level office and so on until the message reaches the lowest level office.

Mandatory order

The mandatory order is an instruction given by concerned authority to his subordinate staff to take action as per concerned rule for the written request made by an individual or organization on a specified work. Once the order is issued by the chief in writing, it becomes a compulsion for the subordinate staff to take appropriate action as soon as possible. The mandatory order is also known as 'Tok Aadesh'.