Sometimes when you are looking for a job or in a corporate meeting, an executive will promise you new work or relocation. Knowing that somebody on a higher level will look after your career lessens your worries, however saying it verbally is not enough. An oral agreement can easily be forgotten. That is why you have to confirm an oral agreement through a formal letter.

A confirmation letter is a formal corporate letter to remind the person about an agreement. It is also used to acknowledge the terms that you both agreed on. State the terms as far as you remembered and allow the person to notify you if there is something needs to be revised.

Attach documents if it is necessary. Be precise and straightforward in making your letter and put it in a clean paper and envelope.

Here is an example of a supplier’s letter of confirmation of an oral agreement:

SAMPLE

January 5, 2009

John Hall
President, Poe Machine Enterprises
1563 Poe Lane
Kansas City, KS 66101

Dear Sir,

I am writing this letter to confirm our conversation over the phone last December 29, 2008. According to our conversation, I will be the main office supplier of your company effectively on January 12, 2009. It will be providing you with carbon papers, staplers, pencils, point pens, paper clips and envelops. Every month, you have to pay me the amount of the supplies that you will request.

If this agreement is not of your understanding, feel free to contact me. You can call me at my office phone number at 401-309-5323 from 8:00am – 6:00pm or email me at oscarsellers@diamondpapersinc.com. You can also send me a post letter with the address on this envelops.

Thank you and I am looking forward to have business with you.

Sincerely,

Oscar Sellers
Diamond Papers Inc.

Buying goods online is a good way to save time. But sometimes, if you haven’t received your order within the specified shipping date, you need to make contact with the seller to confirm an order you made through a letter.

An Order Confirmation

Letter is a good memo to inform the store about your late order. It is a good tangible evidence when you only made the transaction by phone or on an online payment form.

To write this letter, you must be accurate in detailing your orders. You can also put the specifications of the product if you asked for a customized order or state the special discounts and coupons you are using if applicable.

Here is a following example letter to confirm an order that you have made:

SAMPLE

March 13, 2010

Roy Norman
Direct Seller
TheElectronicShop
2399 Melm Street
Providence, MI 02903

Dear Sir,

This letter is to confirm my order for the following: Samsung LCD TV 21” screen, Ipad and PlayStation 3 priced at $300, $700 and $400 respectively, for a total of $1400. I placed the order on March 5 through an online payment form from your site. The confirmation email says that I will receive the following items after three days but until now I haven’t received any. I have attached a printout of the confirmation email for further proof.

I am expecting for your immediate action. These are to be delivered to 2328 Florence Street, Dallas TX. I am also expecting to receive a discount of 10% of the total value as stated on the late shipment discount on your website.

If you have further questions, please call me at my home number at 420-481-5312 or email at BerthaWToribio@sweetie.com. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours truly,

Bertha Toribio

The letter of complaint about a neighbor which may be coursed to a homeowners’ association (HOA) or a landlord expresses the inconvenience experienced by a tenant over violations of agreed-upon rules of conduct in the residential area.

When verbal requests for a neighbor to modify inappropriate behavior (like making a lot of noise at night until the wee hours of the morning or engaging in illegitimate activities) fall on deaf ears, a formal letter of complaint may be sent to the landlord or HOA.

The letter may reasonably state the details pertaining to the breach of protocol while in the residential area, where homeowners or tenants have paid a premium to live in tranquility. Here’s a sample letter of complaint about a neighbor addressed to the property manager:

SAMPLE

December 2, 2010

Mr. Glenn Adams
Property Manager
Capitol Apartment Complex
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 08264

Dear Mr. Adams,

I recently moved into the Capitol Apartment Complex, Unit 2008, and have enjoyed my stay the first few days. However I do have a concern about my next door neighbor.

It has come to my attention that occupants of Unit 2009 have let relatives to take up residence in their area, thereby causing a commotion late at night and in the wee hours of the morning. Moreover, my next door neighbor has been allowed to park multiple cars in the ground floor area fronting the residential units. This goes against two items in the lease agreement stipulating that no more than two individuals may occupy each studio unit at any given time, and vehicles must be parked at the space allotted for cars in the second floor of the residential complex.

I suggest that a firm reminder be issued to the residents of Unit 2009 on certain regulations that unit occupants need to comply with.

Hoping you can address these concerns at the soonest possible time

Sincerely,

Merrill Harrow

A letter of complaint about harassment expresses how a person may have felt intimidated or offended by another individual’s behavior. For example, a colleague may have made offensive sexual advances.

Whether the request for sexual favor or other forms of conduct of a sexual nature that unreasonably interferes with the concerned employee’s work and causes anxiety, is distasteful and frowned upon in most work settings.

The next logical step may be to write a formal letter of complaint that is assertive but not emotional, addressed to the Human Resources Department head or office manager. Usually, a reasonable timetable to allow an investigation and interviews on the people concerned may be set.

This is necessary before the aggrieved party considers other options. Here’s a sample letter of complaint on workplace harassment:

SAMPLE

December 2, 2010

Ms. Lizanne Uychaco
Human Resources Department Head
Empire Investments Company
New York, New York 12345

Ref: Harassment in the Department

Dear Ms. Uychaco,

I am writing this letter to inform you about the harassment I was subjected to by my colleague, Mr. Robert Smith.

On various occasions in the past, Mr. Smith has been making lewd jokes before corporate meetings and casual encounters in the office. Last evening, though, he went a step further while I was busy rendering overtime work, touched me in private parts, and then forcibly kissed me. This offensive conduct is unwelcome. The harassment went way beyond my tolerance levels.

In all the 10 years that I have been working for the company, this is the only time I have encountered such a problem. It has caused me emotional distress. I therefore request that your office look into the matter, issue a warning to Mr. Smith, and consider possible change of work assignments for myself or for him.

I hope you can attend to this matter at the soonest possible time and take the necessary action.

Sincerely,

Andrea Solis

Have you been invited to an interview or an appointment? Isn’t it nice to grab this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show off your creative skills? But it will be much better if you have tangible proof that you are indeed included in the scheduled meeting.

If you have been invited, don’t hesitate to send them a Confirmation Letter.

If you have been invited to an interview or a meeting, it is courteous to send the person a confirmation. It will not only be used to confirm the appointment, meeting or interview, but also to let him know that you understood the details of your meeting fully.

The letter should be in a formal and direct tone. It also has to be brief because unnecessary words would make the reader uninterested. Check the letter’s punctuation marks and grammar before you submit it. You can easily put it in a clean sheet of paper and envelop or send it by email (make sure that it is formatted).

If you are writing this letter to your close colleagues, you don’t need to be very formal. A simple friendly tone is fine if you are having an informal appointment.

Here is a following sampleletter on a formal meeting confirmation:

SAMPLE

October 15, 2009

Mr. Tommy Brown
Creative Department Head
Maternity Consultant Corporation
4294 Boone Crockett Lane
Port Angeles, WA 38362

Dear Mr. Brown,

I am looking forward to seeing you on October 18, 10:00 am at our office at Port Angeles to discuss about the marketing plans on our latest dress designs. Our Sales Department Head, Georgia Miller, and Senior Manager, James Thomas, will be joining the meeting.

If you need to reschedule our meeting, please do call Mary, my secretary, at 765-555-3651. Until then, I will be looking forward to see you at the meeting.

Yours Sincerely,

Harry Wall
CEO
Maternity Consultant Corporation

Sometimes, an employer or top employee needs to take a decision that will change the company management. It is either the company needs to amend the benefits of an employer or change the operation time; or an employee wishes to resign his current job.

It is best to put all of these decisions in writing for letter reference. That is why someone has to confirm a directive or decision.

This confirmation letter is used to ensure that the stated decisions are of the whole company’s understanding. It is also used to give the person some important paper works for the decision to be effective. The letter must be in a formal tone and states the directive clearly and effectively.

Here is a sample letter to confirm a manager’s decision to leave:

SAMPLE

June 11, 2010

Grace Vannatter
674 Brooklyn Drive
Beaumont, Texas 77701

Dear Grace:

I am writing this letter to verify your resignation as the IT Department Head effectively on June 30, 2010. You have stated yesterday in our meeting that you want to live as a housewife and live a stress-free life.

Attached to this letter are the documents and instructions to get your separation pay and your last month salary. Evaluation sheets are also included for you to evaluate your IT Assistants who are Donald Ybarra, Sara Tracy, Andrew Hafer, and Sharon Collins. Your evaluation sheets will be the company’s guideline to select the assistant to be promoted to your position.

I would like to grab this opportunity to thank you for the time and effort that you have given to the company. We are proud to say that our company has prospered because of you. As a representative of the CProq Analyst Ltd., I give you best wishes on your chosen path and to all of the good things to come in your way in the future.

If you still have questions, please feel free to contact me at 925-827-8714 or at ShakiaSStarr@cproqanalyst.com.

Truly yours,
Shakia Starr
Human Resource Department
CProq Analyst Ltd.

A letter of complaint about a faulty product cites defects of flaws in a product that has just been purchased, and which in no way was caused by the consumer. The flaw may reflect that the product was in poor condition or had a defect, even before the purchase was made.

The purpose of the letter is to ask the company to rectify the situation by replacing the faulty merchandise with one that’s in good working condition, or refund the customer.

To write an effective letter of complaint about a faulty product and get the desired action, express your points concisely and politely, and be ready to substantiate your complaint.
A letter of complaint about a defective product must include what the item is, the date of purchase, the retail store or branch address where the item was purchased, and what the defects are. Here’s a sample of a letter of complaint about a faulty product:

SAMPLE

,
January 01, 2011

Nancy Hampton
Suite 2508, 25th Floor
Pacific Plaza
410 Des Vex Road West
Hong Kong, Alaska 99873

Ms. Ana Liu
Customer Service Head
Union Department Store
3/F., Block 2, Tai Ping Industrial Centre,
Juneau, Alaska 99873

Dear Ms. Liu:
Last November 28, I bought an electric tie rack at Union Department Store — the TR200 Electronic Rotating Tie Rack. After setting it up at my house on the day I purchased it, I discovered that the built-in light of said tie rack does not automatically switch on at the touch of a button, the way it’s supposed to do after the first try. Moreover, instead of a quiet, powerful motor, the device makes a jarring sound. Attached is a photocopy of my receipt.

The TR200 electronic rotating tie rack that I purchased from your store did not live up to its claims. Hence, I am requesting for a replacement in good working condition. Otherwise, I would like a refund.
Sincerely,

Nancy Hampton

Listening to the radio and watching TV shows are some of the pastimes of people when they are at home. The problem is, there are times when the show presented in an immoral matter.

To stop the show from airing, a person can submit a letter to complai

n about a radio or television broadcast.

A Complaint Letter is essential to inform inappropriate shows to any TV or Radio Stations. If these shows present violence, sex and religion in a ridiculous matter, then people can submit letters as long as it was sent 20 days after these shows are first aired.

You need to write down all the inappropriate parts of the show and what apology do you wish for the broadcaster and station to do.

Here is an example on a complaint letter about a TV show and its content:

SAMPLE

,
September 9, 2009

Donna Carter
TV Host
LIT TV
1206 Upton Avenue
Portland, ME 04101

Dear Ma’am,

I send you this letter to inform you how dismayed I am after seeing your TV show “The Donna’s Show” last September 5 on 5:00pm. One of your show segments features “Lucy”, a single mother who is addicted to drugs and sex. I don’t like the portrayal of women in your show about single mothers that always love sex and having fun. I also think that the woman is swearing in front of the camera saying things like “bull_ _ _ _”, “mother_ _ _ _” and “_itch”.

Truly, I am offended because I am a single mother myself. The segment was not edited fully because I can still see how the words come out of her mouth and hear the ending syllables. I and my kids loved the show, so it was very devastating for me to see such a thing.

I would like to see the station making an apology about the show segment. Please also show the proper warnings and edit the segment more fully next time.

Thank you and I hope to take action as fast as possible.

Sincerely,

Jasmine Wood

You might have a hard time looking for a suitable employee if you are an employer. You have to go through a process of reading resumes, picking the best ones, and setting interview schedules with them. But when you have found someone that will fit the vacant position, it is best to grant an appointment to him through a letter.

An Appointment letter is a congratulatory letter for the new employer. It can be also used to familiarize the reader to the new terms in his employment. This letter is very essential especially to remote employers or the home-based employers.

Granting appointments is not hard. All you have to do is to congratulate the person about getting the vacant position. You need to have a warming and pleasant tone in your letter so that the reader will not get intimidated.

Write down your gratitude now that the person works for you. Also ask the receiver to sign and return the letter for you to know that he has confirmed the appointment, if needed. You can also state the terms of his employment, but it is not necessary.

Here is an example of a letter to grant an appointment for an interview:

SAMPLE

July 17, 2009

Darlene Ledesma
359 Birch Street
Noblesville, IN 46060

Dear Ms. Ledesma,

Congratulations, you had been appointed as one of the Difficult Storage Incorporation’s Insurance Sales Agent. You have passed the probation period that we given you three weeks before. Thank you for considering us to be a part of your career milestone.

You will be working effectively on July 23 at 7:00 am. Attached in this letter are your documented benefits, the terms and conditions of the company and your employee contract. Familiarize yourself with these documents.

Please sign at the bottom of the last page and return this letter before July 19 if you have agreed on the terms. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to call me at 509-555-1057 or send an email message at DebraCMathis@difficultstorage.com.

We are looking forward to seeing you in our main office premises.

Sincerely yours,

Debra Mathis
HR Director
Difficult Storage Inc.

Sometimes, companies need to find ways to know what new products need to be created. Nothing comes closer than knowing the needs of the customers by surveys and conducting studies.

But before you conduct your study, you need to have an approval from a higher official. This is where a letter to authorize a study or report is written.

A Study or Report Authorization letter is a formal letter from a higher official that grants you to conduct it. You cannot conduct a study without the knowledge of an authorized official or they might file a legal case against you. Once you are given the authorization, you can start conducting the study without worries.

This letter must be very brief and formal. State your rules and boundaries so that there will be no confusions and misunderstandings. Also state what kinds of people or things will act as the study subjects, the start and end date of the study and when to give their initial reports if applicable.

Lastly, give them your contact details so they can be able to reach you for their concerns and inquiries.

Here is a sample letter to authorize a study or report:

Sample

August 22, 2010

Grant Yates
2752 George Street
Gainesville, FL 32601

Dear Mr. Yates,

We have reviewed the contents of your proposal that you sent to us on August 10. We authorize you to make the study about the choices in foods and ingredients of our employees here in Muphysical, effectively on August 24. We will only allow you to make the study on our HR and Sales Department team. We also require you to send us weekly reports and the final copy of the report on September 17.

Please keep in mind that you can only conduct the study on our employees during their break time in the company’s premises. We have already informed these employees about the study. Kindly proceed as you have outlined your proposal.

If you still have questions and concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us at 559-617-7144 or at my email address at douglascato@muphysical. We look forward to see you first initial report next week.

Sincerely,

Douglas Cato
Vice President
Muphysical Corporation