French/English Business Correspondence

Correspondance Commerciale Francais/Anglais

Nathalie McAndrew Cazorla, Stuart Williams

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781136179266
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Languages
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

French/English Business Correspondence is a handy reference and learning text for all who use written French for Business.
Eighty written communications are simply presented covering memos, letters, faxes and resumes. The situations covered include:
* arranging meetings
* acknowledging orders
* enquiring about products
* applying for jobs.
With full English translations, this book is suitable for both students and professionals and can be used for either reference or class use.

1 Enquiry about a product

Augustin SA

Z.I. de l’Empereur

F-19200 Ussel

France

Dear Sir/Madam

RE: TOOTHPICK MAKING & PACKAGING MACHINE

We represent a major distributor of foodstuffs and related materials in Kenya.

We have found your name in Kompass under the category of suppliers of toothpick-making machinery. Our present requirement is for a special toothpick-making and packaging machine. If you do produce such equipment or can supply it we would be pleased to receive your earliest quotation CIF Mombasa, prices for this machine and its equipment, together with a stated delivery time.

Please would you also quote for the installation of this machine in the Ususu factory in Mombasa.

We look forward to your earliest reply and remain

Yours faithfully

John Mason

Technical Director

1 Demande d’information concernant un produit

Augustin S.A.¹

Z.I. de l’Empereur²

19200 Ussel

France

Agrate Brianza, le–/–/199-³

Objet: Fabrication de cure-dents et machines à conditionner⁴

Madame, Monsieur,⁵

Nous représentons l’un des plus grands distributeurs de produits alimentaires et produits associés au Kenya.

Nous nous sommes procuré votre nom par l’intermédiaire du Kompass⁶ dans la catégorie ‘fournisseurs de machines à fabriquer des cure-dents’. Ce que nous recherchons actuellement est une machine spéciale capable de fabriquer et conditionner des cure-dents. Si vous produisez un tel outillage ou êtes en mesure de le fournir, nous serions heureux de recevoir votre devis CIF⁷/Mombasa dans les meilleurs délais (prix pour cette machine, l’outillage ainsi que la mention d’une date de livraison).

Nous vous serions également reconnaissants⁸ de nous indiquer le coût de l’installation de cette machine dans l’usine d’Ususu à Mombasa.

Dans l’attente de votre prompte réponse, je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de mes salutations distinguées.⁹

Gianni Mussini,

Directeur technique¹⁰

1 Addressee on the right.

2 Z.I.: zone industrielle.

3 It is standard practice to give place and date.

4 Subject of the correspondence, before the ‘Dear Sir, etc’.

5 No word for ‘dear’ is included, unless there is a real friendship.

6 A business reference book.

7 CIF is the international code. It can translate into French as CAF: coût, assurance, fret.

8 The usual word for ‘grateful’.

9 A standard ending.

10 Typically, the writer’s position in the company.

2 Enquiry about prices

Bandani Detergenti SpA

Via A. Lamarmora 75

20093 COLOGNO MONZESE (MI)

Italy

Dear Sir/Madam

RE: QUOTATION RMS34/16 JAN 199-/TOILET CLEANSER

On 16 January we received a quotation from your company for the supply of 4,000 litres of industrial toilet cleanser and disinfectant. We were unable to justify ordering this at the time, because we had sufficient stocks remaining from our previous order at the end of last year.

We would like to enquire now if the prices quoted at the time are still valid for this commodity.

If you are unequivocably able to confirm that this is the case, please take this letter as an order for a further 10,000 litres. If there has been any increase in these prices, please fax this to us or phone the undersigned to enable us to proceed and agree a price in due course.

Yours faithfully

Dick DeZwart

Buyer

2 Demande de renseignements au sujet des prix

Détergents Bandini S.A.

10 promenade du Fort

14000 Caen¹

France

Lauwe-Menen, le–/–/199-

Objet: Devis² RMS34/16 jan 199-/Détergent pour toilettes

Madame, Monsieur,

Nous avons reçu de votre part, le 16 janvier dernier, un devis pour la fourniture de 4000 litres de détergent et désinfectant industriels pour toilettes. Nous ne pouvions pas justifier une telle commande à l’époque pour la bonne raison qu’il nous restait de notre commande de l’année précédente des stocks suffisants.

Nous aimerions savoir si les prix indiqués à cette époque sont toujours en vigueur pour ces produits.

Si vous pouvez confirmer sans équivoque que cela est le cas, veuillez considérer cette lettre comme une nouvelle commande de 10 000 litres. Si ces prix ont été sujets à une augmentation, veuillez les télécopier ou téléphoner au soussigné afin que nous puissions³ aviser⁴ et nous mettre d’accord sur un prix en temps voulu.⁵

Vous en remerciant par avance, nous vous prions d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur,⁶ l’expression de nos salutations distinguées.

F. DeZwart

Responsable des achats

1 Postcode (indicatif) and town.

2 Un devis: ‘a quote’, ‘an estimate of cost’.

3 ‘So that we might’: subjunctive.

4 Aviser: ‘to consider’, ‘to take stock’.

5 En temps voulu: a useful translation for ‘in due course’.

6 Madame, Monsieur: you must reproduce exactly the form of address used at the beginning of the letter.

3 Enquiry about a company

Giardin Prati spa

Via Cassia Km 89

Val di Paglia

53040 RADICOFANI

Siena

Italy

Dear Sir/Madam

RE: ORDER LAWN-IND/CZ28

We refer to your quotation...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• French business correspondence
• 1 Enquiry about a product
• 2 Enquiry about prices
• 3 Enquiry about a company
• 4 Enquiry about a person
• 5 Enquiry asking for a specific quote
• 6 Soliciting an agency
• 7 Requesting information about agents
• 8 Giving information about agents
• 9 Request for a business reference
• 10 Favourable reply to request for a business reference
• 11 Unfavourable reply to request for a business reference
• 12 Evasive reply to request for a business reference
• 13 Placing an order
• 14 Cancellation of order
• 15 Confirming a telephone order
• 16 Making an order for specific items of office equipment
• 17 Acknowledgement of an order
• 18 Payment of invoices – Letter accompanying payment
• 19 Payment of invoices – Request for deferral
• 20 Payment of invoices – Refusal to pay
• 21 Apologies for non-payment
• 22 Request for payment
• 23 Overdue account – First letter
• 24 Overdue account – Final letter
• 25 Job advertisement – Letter to newspaper
• 26 Newspaper advertisement
• 27 Asking for further details and application form
• 28 Job application
• 29 Curriculum vitae
• 30 Unsolicited letter of application
• 31 Interview invitation
• 32 Favourable reply to job application
• 33 Unfavourable reply to job application
• 34 Requesting a reference for an applicant
• 35 Providing a positive reference for an employee
• 36 Acceptance letter
• 37 Contract of employment
• 38 Enquiring about regulations for purchase of property abroad (memo)
• 39 Advising of delay in delivery (telex)
• 40 Seeking clarification of financial position (fax)
• 41 Reporting to client on availability of particular property (fax)
• 42 Complaining about customs delay (fax)
• 43 Stating delivery conditions
• 44 Confirming time/place of delivery
• 45 Checking on mode of transportation
• 46 Claiming for transportation damage
• 47 Enquiring about customs clearance
• 48 Undertaking customs formalities
• 49 Informing of storage facilities
• 50 Assuring of confidentiality of information
• 51 Informing a client on conditions of loans/mortgages available
• 52 Circulating local businesses with property services available
• 53 Advertising maintenance services available for office equipment
• 54 Arranging a meeting for further discussions
• 55 Reservations – Enquiry about hotel accommodation (fax)
• 56 Reservations – Confirmation of reservation (fax)
• 57 Reservations – Change of arrival date
• 58 Reservations – Request for confirmation of reservation
• 59 Insurance – Request for quotation for fleet car insurance
• 60 Insurance – Reminder of overdue premium
• 61 Insurance – Submission of documents to support claim
• 62 Insurance – Taking out third party vehicle insurance
• 63 Insurance – Refusal to meet claim
• 64 Considering legal action
• 65 Requesting information on setting up a plant abroad
• 66 Complaint about delay in administering an account
• 67 Complaint about mail delivery
• 68 Complaint about wrong consignment of goods
• 69 Complaint about damage to goods
• 70 Informing customers that a company has been taken over
• 71 Informing customers of change of name and address
• 72 Informing customers of increased prices
• 73 Requesting information about opening a business account
• 74 Requesting information about opening a personal bank account
• 75 Letter re overdrawn account
• 76 Bank’s letter to customer
• 77 General query about banking
• 78 Enquiry about post office banking facilities
• 79 Enquiry about opening a post office account
• 80 Opening poste restante