How to Write Letters (Formerly The Book of Letters), Mary Owens Crowther [book series to read txt] 📗

was picked? Do you know Golden Bantam or is corn just corn? Do you think that string beans are just string beans? And do you know about stringless string beans?

I grow only the thoroughbred varieties. I pick them when they are tender—just right for the palate. And I send them to you the same day that they are picked.

I arrange hampers according to the size of the family. The prices, quantities, and selections are on the enclosed card.

I will deliver at your door (or send by parcel post) every day, every second day, or as often as you like. You can have the best that is grown in its best season and as fresh as though you were living on a farm.

Try a hamper and know what vegetables are!

Very truly yours,

Henry Raynor.

Storage service

HOWARD MOTH PROOF BAG CO.
WINSTED, CONN.

May 2, 1922.

Dear Madam:

Have you ever taken your best coat to an "invisible mender" and paid him ten dollars to have him mend two moth holes?

Have you ever gone to your trunk to take out your furs and found that the moths had got into them? Sometimes they are so badly eaten that they are utterly hopeless and must be thrown away.

All this trouble, disappointment, and expense can be avoided if you will only take the precaution this spring to put away your clothing and furs in the Howard Moth Proof Garment Bags. Strongly constructed of a heavy and durable cedar paper, and made absolutely moth-proof by our patented closing device, the Howard bag provides absolute protection against moths.

As the Howard bag comes in several sizes, from the suit size, ranging through the overcoat, ulster, and automobile sizes, and as each bag has room for several garments, you can surely have protection for all your clothing at small cost. The hook by which the bag is hung up is securely stapled in place by brass rivets. This bag is so strong and so well designed for service that it will with care last for several years.

Very truly yours,

The Howard Moth-Proof Bag Co.

A type of Christmas sales letter

THE PINK SHOP
40 MAIN STREET
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.

November 28, 1922.

Dear Madam:

This is your opportunity to get a lot of fine Christmas stockings at very low cost—if you order at once.

The "Camille" is made of beautiful thread silk richly hand embroidered. It comes in black or white, all silk.

The "Diana" is a silk stocking with lisle top and soles. It is a fine wearing stocking and comes in all street shades.

The "Juliet" is especially attractive as a gift for a girl friend. These stockings are clocked and have all silk feet and lisle tops. The colors are black, beige, and taupe. They are especially good looking worn with saddle pumps.

The "Evening Mist" is a fascinating stocking for evening wear. It is sheer, almost cobwebby, and will enhance any evening gown. The colors are gold, silver, light blue, corn, pale green, black, and white. It is splendid for a gift stocking.

The "Priscilla" is an excellent stocking for everyday hard wear. It is of heavy lisle, full fashioned and fast color—black or tan.

Send your order off now. You will have the advantage of an early selection. Attractive prices are quoted in the circular enclosed. The big holiday rush will soon be on.

Make up your order for stockings for Christmas giving, attach remittance for amount and mail to-day. Your order will be filled promptly and if everything does not fully satisfy you, you may return it and get your money back.

Yours very truly,

The Pink Shop.

An automobile announcement

MEMPHIS AUTO SUPPLY CO.
29 MAPLE AVENUE
MEMPHIS, TENN.

March 16, 1924.

Dear Sir:

Just a few weeks and spring will be here. That means pleasure motoring.

When you are getting ready for this new season, you may find that you will need certain things for your car—perhaps a new tire, or a pair of pliers, or an inner tube. But whatever it is, remember that our new stock of accessories is here and we believe that we can supply you with anything you will need.

In inviting you to give us part of your trade, we give you this assurance: If any article you buy from us is not entirely right, we will return your money.

We hope to see you soon.

Yours very truly,

Memphis Auto Supply Co.

Changing from a credit to a cash plan (Should be in the nature of a personal letter)

PELLETIER & CO.
142 CASCO STREET
PORTLAND, ME.

February 1, 1922.

Mrs. John Troy,

14 Ocean Ave.,

Portland, Me.

Dear Madam:

When this store was opened ten years ago, we believed that our service would be the most effective if we operated on a credit basis. Therefore we solicited charge accounts, of course taking extreme care that only people of known integrity and substance should be on our books. We have had the privilege of serving you through such an account.

There are two fundamental methods of conducting a retail business. The one is on the cash and the other is on the credit plan. In the cash plan all goods are either paid for at the time of purchase or at the time of delivery. In the credit plan, those who have not credit or do not care to use credit pay cash; those who have credit rating charge their purchases and bills are rendered monthly. Credit was not extended by the store as a favor; it formed part of a way of doing business. The favor is on the part of the customer. The charge system has many advantages, principally in the way of permitting the store to know its customers better than it could otherwise. The disadvantage of the credit basis is the expense of bookkeeping which, of course, has to be added into the price of the goods sold. Our losses through unpaid bills have been negligible. Our customers are honest. But it has seemed unfair that the customer who pays cash should have to bear the cost of the credit accounts.

As our business has worked out more than fifty per cent. of our whole trade is on the cash basis. After careful consideration we have finally decided to go entirely upon a cash footing in order that we may further reduce our costs of doing business and hence our prices to you. We think that in such fashion we can better serve you. Therefore, on July 1st, which marks the end of our fiscal year, we shall go upon an exclusively cash basis and no longer maintain charge accounts.

We think that you will agree when you see the savings reflected in lower prices for the highest grade of goods that the change in policy is a wise one and that you will continue to favor us with your patronage.

Very truly yours,

Pelletier & Co.,

(Handwritten) C. Brown,

Credit Manager.

Keeping the Customer

Thanking a new customer

LARUE BROTHERS
SAINT LOUIS, MO.

October 4, 1923.

Mrs. Lee White,

29 Main Street,

St. Louis, Mo.

Dear Madam:

The purchase which you made yesterday is the first that we have had the pleasure of recording for your account and we want to take this opportunity to thank you for the confidence that you repose in us and to hope that it will be the beginning of a long and happy relation.

We shall, from time to time, send you bulletins of our special offerings and we believe that you will be interested in them.

Very truly yours,

(Handwritten) J. M. Briggs,

Credit Manager,

Larue Brothers.

Where a charge account has been inactive

S. BLACK COMPANY
28 WASHINGTON STREET
BOSTON, MASS.

February 5, 1921.

Mr. Tudor Sweet,

24 Commonwealth Ave.,

Boston, Mass.

Dear Sir:

We have just been looking over our books and are sorry to learn that you have not given us your patronage for some time past.

We feel that something may have gone wrong to have caused you to discontinue trading at our store.

If you are not fully satisfied with anything you bought from us, remember that we are always eager and ready to adjust the matter to your satisfaction. We shall certainly appreciate it if you will write to us and tell us frankly just what the trouble has been. Will you use the inclosed envelope to let us know?

Yours truly,

S. Black Company,

(Handwritten) George Sims,

Credit Manager.

A. B. SWEETSER & CO.
4000 MAIN STREET
COLUMBUS, O.

June 8, 1922.

Mrs. Arthur Thomas,

25 Spruce Avenue,

Columbus, O.

Dear Madam:

Does our store please you? Sometime ago it probably did and you had an account with us, but we find with regret that you have not used it lately. If we disappointed you, or if something went wrong and possibly your complaint was not properly attended to, we are extremely anxious to know about it.

Perhaps there was some lack of courtesy, some annoying error in your bill which we were exasperatingly obtuse in rectifying? Were we stupid in filling some order or did we delay in delivery? Perhaps we did not have just what you were looking for, or our prices seemed higher than elsewhere.

Whatever the difficulty, we do want you to know that we try to stand for good service—to supply promptly what you want at the price you want to pay, and always to conduct our business with an unfailing courtesy which will make your shopping a pleasure.

Being a woman I may understand your point of view a little better. Will you be quite frank and tell me why you do not buy from Sweetser's now? Either write or call me on the telephone; or, better still, if you are in our neighborhood, can you come in to see me?

The information booth is at the door and I can be found in a minute. It might help to talk things over.

Sincerely yours,

(Handwritten) Mrs. Margaret B. Williams,

Courtesy Manager,

A. B. Sweetser & Co.

MEYER, HASKELL & CO.
230 ELM STREET
BLOOMFIELD, ILL.

March 8, 1923.

Mrs. Bruce Wells,

19 Dwight Ave.,

Bloomfield, Ill.

Dear Madam:

We very much regret that you do not use more often your charge account at our store, and we hope it is not due to any lack on our part of prompt and intelligent service.

We know that with our large and well-assorted stocks of merchandise and competent organization we ought to be able to supply your needs to your complete satisfaction. One of five stores, we have great opportunities for advantageous buying and we can continually undersell others.

In this connection permit us to call your attention to our newly installed telephone order department. This department is in charge of competent house shoppers, whose duty it is to satisfy your every want, thus enabling our charge patrons to shop by telephone with perfect certainty.

We feel that these advantages may appeal to you and result in our receiving your orders more often.

Very truly yours,

(Handwritten) T. Hunter,

Credit Manager,

Meyer, Haskell & Co.

Selling Real Estate

There are two phases in the writing of letters concerning the sale of real estate. The first phase has to do with the presentation of the