Englische Handelskorrespondenz Lernheft 7

Englische Handelskorrespondenz
Lernheft 7
Delays in Delivery
Content:
7.1
Introduction ............................................................................................
2
7.2
Reading Comprehension – Delays in delivery
(Comprehension Questions)..................................................................
2
7.3
Sample Letters ......................................................................................
4
7.4
Terms and Phrases (Exercises) ............................................................
6
7.5
Special Area – Supply Chain Management/ Logistics
(Comprehension Questions)..................................................................
9
7.6
Additional Vocabulary ............................................................................
13
7.7
Summary ...............................................................................................
14
7.8
Homework..............................................................................................
14
7.9
Answers to the Exercises and Comprehension Questions ...................
15
7.10
Bibliography ...........................................................................................
18
© Copyright Laudius GmbH
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Delays in Delivery
7.1
Lernheft 7
Introduction
In the last lecture you learned how to write letters with regard to deliveries. However,
sometimes deliveries are not effected within the time stipulated – due to various
reasons. In this lecture you will learn the legal consequences of a delay and you will
become skilled at how to react to delays in deliveries. Several sample letters will
exemplify different possibilities and will provide you with adequate vocabulary and
expressions regarding this subject. Exercises will ensure that you become eloquent in
this matter. The special area today focuses on supply chain management and
logistics. This is a topic greatly related to international trade you were already studying
in the last lecture and to today’s lecture on delays in delivery.
You will be informed about the pressures forwarding companies are currently facing
and the possible solutions in order to keep up with competitors and to keep
customers. Moreover, you will be able to decide the right transportation means for
different products and you will be in a position to justify your choice. A special
translation exercise on this subject will train you with regard to vocabulary and
expression.
Learning objectives:
At the end of today’s lecture you will be in a position to…
–
elucidate the legal consequences resulting from a delay in delivery
–
write reminders
–
illustrate the basics of Supply Chain Management
7.2
Reading Comprehension – Delays in delivery
(Comprehension Questions)
The offer has been accepted, the order made and the goods should be despatched
and delivered to the buyer. However, sometimes the seller is not able to deliver the
goods ordered on time due to different reasons. In such a case, the buyer usually
sends a reminder and it is expected that the seller sends a response, apologising for
the delay and explaining the situation. Read the following introductory text on delays in
delivery to find out more about them, as well as on reminders, sellers´ response and
missing consignments.
In case of a delay in
delivery...
the buyer sends a
reminder
the consignment may have
been lost in transit
on receipt of the reminder,
the seller sends a
response letter
Chart 1: Delays in delivery
Source:
own design
2
Delays in Delivery
Lernheft 7
If there are delays in delivery or if delivery is not effected at all this constitutes a
breach of contract by the seller. The only exceptions are unforeseen incidents such as
floods, earthquakes or hurricanes. The latter constitute an Act of God or have
happened due to force majeure. These are circumstances beyond the seller’s control.
However, if there are no such unusual circumstances, the buyer has the right to
demand compensation from the seller for the loss sustained. The buyer can even
bring action for damages and indeed, sometimes the parties themselves fix the
amount of damages payable in the event of delayed performance or non-performance
by the seller, when the contract is concluded.
If the seller fails to deliver the goods on time, the buyer will send a reminder or warn
the seller that the order will be cancelled unless the goods are delivered within a
certain period of time or by a certain date. It is customary to send one or more
reminders before a final deadline for delivery is fixed. However, if the buyer has
reserved the right to cancel the order in the case of any delay in delivery, the
allowance of additional time must not be granted.
In their reply to a letter from a customer complaining of a delay in delivery, a supplier
will apologise and explain the situation. However, instead of waiting for the first
reminder, it is always advisable to inform the customer right away if difficulties arise
regarding delivery. Suppliers should at all times tell their customers when they can
expect to receive the goods. In order to accommodate the buyers with a mutually
satisfying solution, the seller may send part of the goods and promise to deliver the
balance later. In order to induce customers to accept the goods when they are
delivered at a later date, sellers may offer a price reduction. Please note that if sellers
realise that they are unable to deliver the goods, they should ask the buyer to release
them from the contract. It is always better to seek a release than to commit a breach
of contract and face the possibility of legal action.
Sometimes it occurs that a customer complains of a delay in delivery, although the
goods have been dispatched and should already have arrived at their destination. In
such cases, investigations have to be made, of course. These investigations may
reveal that the consignment has been delayed, misdirected or lost in transit.
Occasionally, it is also discovered that the receiving department merely failed to notify
the purchasing department of the arrival of the consignment or that some other error
has been made.
Source:
adapted from Commercial Correspondence
Comprehension Questions:
1.
What does the non-fulfilment of delivery present legally?
2.
What is to be understood under “force majeure” and what does it mean for the
seller when his/her failure of delivery is due to “force majeure”?
3.
What factors might determine whether the buyer writes one or several reminders
to the seller if he/she does not deliver the goods?
4.
What possibilities does the seller have when he/she recognises that the fulfilment
of the contract is currently not entirely possible?
5.
Is it always the seller’s fault that reminders are received?
3
Delays in Delivery
7.3
Lernheft 7
Sample Letters
Below, you will find several sample letters. They exemplify what you have just read
about delays in delivery.
Sample 1: Reminder of delivery of photographic equipment:
Dear Sirs,
We are still waiting for the delivery of the 5,000 digital cameras as specified in our
order of 2 June 2009, which you acknowledged on 10 June.
We urgently need these cameras some of which have already been sold to our own
customers.
Please let us know immediately when we can expect the delivery.
Please reply without delay. Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
XXX
Sample 2: Outstanding order:
Dear Sirs or Madam,
Delivery of this order was due in the third week of May, but we are still waiting for
the instruments which you said you could deliver from stock.
We spoke to your Mrs Schmitz by telephone on 22 May. She promised to let us
have the exact delivery date on the same day, but we still have not received any
reply.
Should you not deliver the instruments by 5 June 2009, we will be forced to cancel
this order and buy the material from a stockist at higher cost. The extra charges will
have to be borne by you.
We are sending you a copy of this fax by separate mail.
Yours faithfully,
XXX
Purchasing Manager
4
Delays in Delivery
Lernheft 7
Sample 3: Buyer gives warning of cancellation:
Dear Sirs,
On 26 April we placed an order with you for 200 yds of Hally Silk, pointing out at the
time that prompt delivery was essential. In the meantime, almost three weeks have
passed, and we are still without the material.
As the silk is urgently needed for an export shipment, we shall be compelled to
cancel our order if the consignment is not received here by 1 June.
Yours faithfully,
XXX
Sample 4: Supplier apologises for delay in delivery:
Dear Sirs,
We regret having to inform you that departure of the vessel by which we have
arranged shipment of your recent order, and which had originally been scheduled to
sail on 15th December, was delayed owing to bad weather. This vessel is now
reported to sail from Southampton on 29 December.
We regret this delay very much, on which, however, we have no influence.
Yours sincerely,
XXX
Sample 5: Delay in departure of vessel due to force majeure:
Dear Madam/Sir
We have received your letter of 12 March and offer our apologies for the delay in the
execution of your order.
Unfortunately this order was unseen in the pressure of business, but we are pleased
to say that the goods are now ready for despatch. Shipment will be effected by M.V.
“Glasgow” on 16 April, and the consignment should reach you about 13 May.
We hope this delay has not caused you any serious inconvenience and assure you
that every effort will be made in future to ensure prompt delivery of your orders.
Yours faithfully
XXX
5
Delays in Delivery
Lernheft 7
Sample 6: Supplier asks to be released from contract:
Gentlemen:
We are very sorry that we will not be able to supply the garden chairs you ordered
on October 15.
Last week a fire broke out in our plant which destroyed our warehouse. We have
cleared away the debris, but it will probably be several months before we can
resume production. Under these circumstances we are compelled to ask you to
release us from the contract.
We are sure you will understand the difficulty of our situation, which is due to
circumstances beyond our control. You will hear from us as soon as we are in a
position to serve you again.
Cordially,
XXX
Source:
7.4
adapted from Commercial Correspondence
Terms and Phrases (Exercises)
Please learn the following terms and phrases, dealing with delays in deliveries and the
corresponding reminders, complaints and explanations as well as the seller’s
apologies.
Reminders and complaints concerning delays in delivery
The goods we ordered on … are …
days/weeks overdue/behind schedule.
Die am … bestellten Waren sind …
Tage/Wochen überfällig.
Despite your assurance that the work
would be completed/performed/carried
out by … we have to inform you that
this is not the case.
Trotz Ihrer Zusicherung, dass die Arbeiten
bis … fertig gestellt/ausgeführt sein
werden, müssen wir Ihnen mitteilen, dass
dies nicht der Fall ist.
Seller’s reply and explanations for delay
We are sorry for the delay and will do
our utmost to have the goods ready for
shipment by...
The acute shortage of qualified
labour/A strike in our factory/An error
on the part of...is making it difficult for
us to keep pace with the rush of
incoming orders.
On receipt of your letter we
immediately contacted/got in touch
with the shipping company, which
informed us that M. S. “Marta” had
been held up due to engine trouble.
The delay is due to/has been caused
by the exceptionally strong demand
during the past few months.
Die Verzögerung tut uns Leid und wir
werden unser Möglichstes tun, die Waren
bis zum … zum Versand bereitzustellen.
Der akute Mangel an qualifizierten
Arbeitskräften/Ein Streik in unserer
Fabrik/Ein Fehler seitens … bereitet uns
Schwierigkeiten, mit der großen Anzahl
der eingehenden Aufträge Schritt zu
halten.
Nach Eingang Ihres Schreibens setzten
wir uns sofort mit der Reederei in
Verbindung, die uns mitteilte, dass M. S.
„Marta“ wegen eines Maschinendefekts
nicht auslaufen konnte.
Die Verzögerung ist auf die
außergewöhnlich lebhafte Nachfrage
während der letzten Monate
zurückzuführen.
6
Delays in Delivery
Lernheft 7
Owing to a delay in the delivery of raw
materials, we will probably be unable
to carry out your order before the end
of June.
Wegen einer Verzögerung bei der
Lieferung von Rohstoffen wird es uns
voraussichtlich nicht möglich sein, Ihren
Auftrag vor Ende Mai auszuführen.
Unfortunately, equipment failure has
upset our production schedule, but we
are working overtime/to capacity to
catch up on the production lost during
downtime.
Betriebsstörungen haben leider unseren
Produktionsplan durcheinander gebracht,
aber wir machen zur Zeit Überstunden/wir
arbeiten zur Zeit mit voller Auslastung, um
die während der Ausfallzeit eingetretenen
Produktionsausfälle auszugleichen.
Your delay in delivery places us in a
difficult/embarrassing position.
Ihr Lieferverzug bringt uns in eine
schwierige/unangenehme Lage.
Please look into the matter and advise
us when the goods can be shipped.
Wir bitten Sie, der Sache nachzugehen
und uns mitzuteilen, wann die Waren
verschifft werden können.
We must ask you to give top priority to
all our outstanding orders.
Wir müssen Sie bitten, alle unsere
Bestellungen, bei denen die Lieferung
noch aussteht, als vorrangig zu
behandeln.
...to expedite delivery, as our import
licence will expire on...
...die Lieferung schnellstens auf den Weg
zu bringen, da unsere Importlizenz am …
ausläuft.
Should you fail to deliver the goods by
..., we will be forced/compelled to
cancel the order.
Falls Sie die Waren nicht bis zum …
liefern, sehen wir uns gezwungen, die
Bestellung zu stornieren.
...to obtain the goods elsewhere
...die Waren anderweitig zu beschaffen
...to hold you liable for any losses
incurred.
...Sie für alle uns entstehenden Verluste
haftbar zu machen.
...to cancel this and all outstanding
orders.
...diesen und alle ausstehenden Aufträge
zu stornieren.
...to discontinue our business relations.
...unsere Geschäftsbeziehungen zu
beenden.
Seller’s apology and reassurance
We apologise sincerely for the delay
which was unfortunately due to
circumstances beyond our control.
Wir entschuldigen uns aufrichtig für die
Verspätung, die leider auf Umstände
zurückzuführen ist, die außerhalb unserer
Kontrolle liegen.
We offer our apologies for the
inconvenience caused and hope you
will give us an opportunity to regain
your confidence.
Wir bitten Sie, die Ihnen entstandenen
Unannehmlichkeiten zu entschuldigen,
und hoffen, dass Sie uns Gelegenheit
geben werden, Ihr Vertrauen
wiederzugewinnen.
Table 1: Terms and Phrases
Source:
adapted from Commercial Correspondence
7
Delays in Delivery
Lernheft 7
Exercises
1.
Below you will see parts of three letters concerned with a delay in fulfilling an
order. Put the correct word or phrase in each blank. Choose from the following list
and use each item only once.
apologise for
deter
mislaid
refund
dealing
further delay
obliged
regret the delay
deducted
issue
passed
reply
despatching
matter
promised delivery
set
Letter A:
On 8th October we sent you an order for a _________ of five computer programs
which you had advertised in the October __________ of “Computer World”.
Although your advertisement __________ within 28 days, 6 weeks have now
__________ and we have still not received the programs. You must have
received our order as the EUR 800 we paid by cheque have been _________
from our bank account.
Would you please look into this __________ for us and send our order without
__________.
Letter B:
Two weeks ago we sent you a letter enquiring about our order of 3 October for
five computer programs which had not arrived.
We have received no _________ to our letter and the programs have still not
been delivered. We must ask you, therefore, either to send the order immediately
or to __________ our payment of EUR 800.
We hope we shall not be _________ to take this matter any further.
Letter C:
th
Thank you for your letter of November 14 . We ________ in _________ your
order for the five computer programs.
Unfortunately, we had problems with our new computerised system for ________
with orders and, as a result, your order was __________.
We have enclosed the five programs you ordered together with an extra disk
which we hope will go some way to making up for the delay.
Once again, we ________ the inconvenience. We hope that it will not _________
you from doing business with us in the future.
Source:
adapted from Wirtschaftsenglisch im Griff
8
Delays in Delivery
2.
Lernheft 7
Please translate the following correspondence
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
vor ca. 3 Wochen sandten Sie uns die anlässlich der letzten Hannover-Messe
bei Ihnen bestellte Bohrmaschine. Leider haben Sie jedoch den zum Antrieb
erforderlichen Elektromotor nicht mitgeliefert.
Obwohl wir die Maschine für unseren Betrieb dringend benötigen, steht sie jetzt
unbenutzt in unserem Lager, da wir auf die Lieferung des von Ihnen
vorgesehenen Spezialmotors angewiesen sind.
Bei unserem Besuch auf der Messe haben wir Ihren Verkaufsleiter, Mr. Hardie,
ausdrücklich darauf hingewiesen, dass unsere Bestellung nur unter der
Voraussetzung pünktlicher Lieferung erteilt wird. Mr. Hardie sagte uns die
Lieferung der kompletten Maschine innerhalb von 4 Wochen verbindlich zu.
Mehrmalige Anrufe bei Mr. Hardie führten leider auch zu keinem Ergebnis. Sie
werden unseren Unmut darüber verstehen, dass die Maschine jetzt mehr als
2 Monate nach Auftragserteilung immer noch nicht einsatzbereit ist.
Wir setzen Ihnen nunmehr eine Nachfrist bis zum 31. dieses Monats. Sollten
wir bis dahin nicht im Besitz des Motors sein, lehnen wir die Annahme ab und
senden Ihnen die bereits gelieferte Maschine zu Ihren Lasten zurück. Die
geleistete Anzahlung in Höhe von … bitten wir Sie in diesem Fall auf unser
Konto bei der Dresdner Bank in Ingolstadt zu überweisen
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
7.5
Special Area – Supply Chain Management/
Logistics (Comprehension Questions)
Logistics is concerned with the inbound and outbound transport of raw materials and
supplies between production locations as well as movements within a plant. More
simply, well-functioning logistic systems ensure that the right products reach the right
place in the right quantity at the right time. Nowadays, with the continuing
development of worldwide supply chains, manufacturers, retailers and other
companies are demanding more from global logistics. There are two reasons for this:
–
International trade has grown twice as fast as global economic output over the
past decade, with many US multinationals earning more than half their revenues
from overseas sales.
–
Globalisation means that more parts and products are being supplied by
manufacturers in many different countries, complicating the coordination and ontime delivery of inbound freight.
9
Delays in Delivery
Lernheft 7
Multinational shippers have recognised the growing importance of global logistics and
also the need to look for cost savings.
These include:
–
choosing cheaper transport modes to meet customer requirements;
–
selecting competitive carriers;
–
maximising direct routing opportunities (e.g. cutting out stops at intermediate
distribution centres).
Buyers demand fast and reliable delivery services, especially for high-value products
such as computers, electronic equipment and automotive parts. At the same time,
they want these services made available at the lowest possible cost.
Companies are finding that the best solution to their logistics problems often lies in
better planning and coordination by all parties concerned. A consignment whose
departure from the factory is delayed is likely to involve extra freight costs and might
still be delivered late. Improvements in supply chain management can be achieved by
developing closer links between purchasing and logistics and also by determining
electronically the optimum balance between production scheduling, load planning and
inventory holding.
Source:
adapted from Englisch in Wirtschaft und Handel
Comprehension Questions:
1.
Give a brief explanation of the following terms from the text just read: In order for
you to find them easier, they have been underlined in the text.
1
output
=
2
inbound freight
=
3
consignment
=
4
inventory holding
=
Some information...
Different modes of transport
Read the following information to get to know more about different modes of transport.
You will learn what characteristics are inherent to the different modes.
Seaborne freight:
ferries over short and medium distances, fixed
timetables, roll-on/roll-off facilities;
cargo liners, usually container vessels on fixed
routes, fast scheduled services;
bulk carriers and tankers for commodities like iron ore
and crude oil
10
Delays in Delivery
Lernheft 7
Inland waterways:
barges for bulk cargoes and bulky items like
transformers
Road haulage:
trucks and trailers
Multimodal transport:
road vehicles frequently equipped with swap bodies,
easy to load onto railway flatbed wagons; trailers or
entire trucks carried by train (piggyback service)
Railways:
for bulk cargoes either in full trainloads or in individual
box or tank wagons;
also for the transport of containers and palletised
loads
Airborne freight:
used for parcels, special pallets and air containers
Pipelines:
liquids and gases
Picture 1:
Picture 2:
Picture 3:
Picture 4:
Picture 5:
Picture 6:
Picture 7:
seaborne freight
inland waterways
road haulage
piggypack service
cargo railways
cargo plane
pipeline
11
Delays in Delivery
2.
Study the information above and say how the following commodities can best be
transported. Give reasons.
a.
200 newspaper from Glasgow to Frankfurt
b.
900,000 barrels of crude oil from Kuwait to Ingolstadt
c.
a transformer measuring 25ft by 22ft by 15ft from Stafford (near Birmingham)
to Esch (Luxembourg)
d.
regular consignment of pharmaceuticals (50kgs) from Ingelheim
(near Mainz) to Telford (near Birmingham)
Source:
3.
Lernheft 7
adapted from Englisch in Wirtschaft und Handel
There are many airplanes (cargo airlines) flying daily across the world just to
deliver the goods we are in favour of punctually. However, there are also regular
as well as charter airlines, which make sure that we humans are transported to
the places we want to and at the time we wish. Competition between regular and
charter airlines is keen; it is indeed comparable to the competition between
logistics companies as they too have to optimise routes in order to keep costs low
etc.
Translate the following text about competition in the airline business:
Scarcely anywhere else is competition as keen as in the airline business. Only
very few airlines are making profits nowadays. In most cases governments have
to compensate for the financial losses of the companies.
The deficit of regular airlines is due to the fact that on an average fewer than
50 % of the seats are taken while charter flights are mostly fully booked up. The
fares for charter flights often amount only to 30 % of the normal fares. That’s
certainly why charter flights are particularly popular with those passengers who
cannot afford to pay the full fare. Many passengers are prepared to put up with
less comfort, if they can take advantage of special fares instead.
In order to be able to keep up with their competitors, regular airlines are forced to
reduce their costs to a certain level. There is, however, a limit to all efforts to cut
down costs. The demand for safety has absolute priority. Therefore regular
airlines try to draw especially the wealthy passengers´ attention to their special
services by effective advertisements in newspapers and magazines. They
promise to do their utmost to satisfy their customers, they assure their
passengers of first-class service and refer to their additional services which the
passenger can also make use of after the flight.
12
Delays in Delivery
7.6
Lernheft 7
Additional Vocabulary
Here you find some further vocabulary for you to refer to and/or to learn. It covers
words and expressions dealing with delays in deliveries that might be appropriate to
know for your professional commercial correspondence. You can also refer to them
when doing your exercises:
constitute a breach of contract
einen Vertragsbruch darstellen
to demand compensation
Entschädigung verlangen
to bring action for damages
Schadenersatzklage einreichen
to sustain a loss
Schaden erleiden
to dispense with sth
auf etwas verzichten
to release s.o. from the contract
jmd. aus dem Vertrag entlassen
in-house stock control system
firmeninternes Lagerkontrollsystem
reminder
Mahnung
to mislay sth.
etwas verlegen
deter s.o. from sth.
jmd. von etwas abhalten
drilling machine
Bohrmaschine
the electric motor required to drive the
machine
der zum Antrieb erforderliche
Elektromotor
to lie idle in stock
unbenutzt im Lager stehen
to understand the annoyance
Unmut verstehen
to grant a final deadline
eine Nachfrist setzen
to reject acceptance
die Annahme ablehnen
at your cost
zu Ihren Lasten
deposit
Anzahlung
barge
Binnenschiff; Lastkrahn
transformer
Transformator
swap body
Wechselbrücke
engine failure
Motorschaden
to compensate for
für etwas aufkommen
Table 2: Additional vocabulary
Source:
own design
13
Delays in Delivery
7.7
Lernheft 7
Summary
Delays in delivery might happen due to various reasons and do practically constitute a
sound reason for trouble. Therefore, they should be dealt with very carefully and both
parties should always remain very courteous until the cause for the reason has been
identified. Usually, solutions can be found either in form of a price concession or some
other advances on the part of the “culprit”. Sometimes, however, it is impossible to find
a commonly satisfactory conclusion – in this case it is best to ask to be released from
the contract.
Supply Chain Management has become highly complex due to the economic
globalisation taking place on the earth. It is the management of the flow of goods and
other resources between the point of origin and the point of consumption. It ensures
that the consumer´s requirements are met and competition in this business is quite
high due to the pressure of saving costs and offering top-quality services. Logistics
does not only include transport but also inventory, warehousing and packaging.
7.8
1.
Homework
Draft a letter, taking reference to the following information:
Firma Susupp OHG, Bismarckweg 353, 47389 Ober-Schlunden, Deutschland
Morales Garcia SA, Rua das Camelias 52, Chacara Primavera, Campinas 5489304, Brazil
Firma Susupp OHG informiert die brasilianische Firma Morales Garcia, dass die
von ihr bestelle Maschine versandbereit ist und am 13. Juli auf die MS Superstar
verladen werden sollte, die dann am 15. Juli planmäßig nach Rio de Janeiro
auslaufen sollte. Soeben hat sie allerdings von ihrem Spediteur erfahren, dass
MS Superstar aufgrund eines Motorschadens nicht auslaufen kann. Das nächste
verfügbare Schiff nach Hamburg, die MS Shining Star, wird erst Anfang August
den Hafen von Rio de Janeiro verlassen. Firma Susupp weist die Firma Morales
Garcia darauf hin, dass die geplante Ankunftszeit Mitte August daher nicht
eingehalten werden kann. Das genaue Lieferdatum wird sie so schnell wie
möglich mitteilen; aber wohl wird es sich mindestens um einen Monat nach hinten
verschieben. Sie bittet den brasilianischen Kunden um Verständnis, denn sie
konnte auf diese Verspätung leider keinen Einfluss nehmen.
2.
Write approximately 100 words on modern logistics, covering the following points:
•
the importance of globalisation,
•
controlling the supply chain,
•
cost savings,
•
a comprehensive service package.
Source:
adapted from Englisch in Wirtschaft und Handel
14
Delays in Delivery
7.9
Lernheft 7
Answers to the Exercises and
Comprehension Questions
Reading Comprehension – Delays in delivery – Comprehension Questions
1.
The non-fulfilment of delivery is legally a breach of contract where the buyer has
the right to claim damages.
2.
Force majeure is called an event that takes place beyond the seller’s control.
Fires, strikes or political and societal upheaval represent events that the seller
cannot control or influence. If the seller is unable to fulfil delivery due to these
events taking place, the non-delivery is due to force majeure. In this case, the
seller is not held responsible for the breach of contract and cannot be subject to
legal action taken by the buyer.
3.
Generally, the buyer can write several reminders. Factors determining whether
one or numerous are sent to the seller might depend on the order’s total price,
the urgency of the goods ordered to be delivered or on previous experience with
the business partner etc
4.
The seller should always send a note to the buyer informing him/her about why
delivery can temporarily not be executed. Thereby it is essential for the seller to
apologise for the delay. To anticipate the buyer, the seller can offer a price
discount. Ultimately the seller can ask for a release in order to avoid being taken
legal action against.
5.
No, sometimes the buyer’s company has made a mistake, for instance in the
receiving department. Reminders are then sent although the goods have been
received. Alternatively, the goods due might have also been lost in transit; in this
case, investigations must be undertaken.
Terms and Phrase Exercises
1.
Letter A:
On 8th October we sent you an order for a set of five computer programs which
you had advertised in the October issue of “Computer World”.
Although your advertisement promised delivery within 28 days, 6 weeks have
now passed and we have still not received the programs. You must have
received our order as the EUR 800 we paid by cheque have been deducted from
our bank account.
Would you please look into this matter for us and send our order without delay.
Letter B:
Two weeks ago we sent you a letter enquiring about our order of 3 October for
five computer programs which had not arrived.
We have received no reply to our letter and the programs have still not been
delivered. We must ask you, therefore, either to send the order immediately or to
refund our payment of EUR 800.
We hope we shall not be obliged to take this matter any further.
15
Delays in Delivery
Lernheft 7
Letter C:
th
Thank you for your letter of November 14 . We regret the delay in despatching
your order for the five computer programs.
Unfortunately, we had problems with our new computerised system for dealing
with orders and, as a result, your order was mislaid.
We have enclosed the five programs you ordered together with an extra disk
which we hope will go some way to making up for the delay.
Once again, we apologise for the inconvenience. We hope that it will not deter
you from doing business with us in the future.
2.
Dear Madam, dear Sir
About three weeks ago you sent us the drilling machine we had ordered at the recent
Hanover Fair, but we are still waiting for the electric motor required to drive the
machine, which was not included in the consignment.
Although the machine is urgently needed in our factory, it is now lying idle in our
warehouse, as we depend/we are dependent on the special motor required to
operate it.
When we visited your stand at the fair we expressly pointed out to your sales
manager, Mr. Hardie, that punctual delivery was an essential condition for our order.
Mr. Hardie gave us his unqualified assurance that the complete machine would be
delivered within four weeks. Several phone calls to Mr. Hardie did not, unfortunately,
produce any results. You will therefore understand our annoyance about the fact that
more than two months have passed since the date of the order and the machine is
still not operational.
st
We now grant you a final deadline until the 31 of this month. Should you fail to
deliver the motor by then, we will reject acceptance and return the drilling machine to
you at your cost/expense. In this event, we would have to ask you to refund our
deposit of … by remitting this amount to our account with Dresdner Bank in
Ingolstadt.
Yours faithfully
Comprehension Questions – Supply Chain Management/Logistics:
1.
1
output
2
inbound freight
3
consignment
4
inventory holding
=
the productivity or the amount produced by the global
population
=
the cargo or the shipment that is entering/coming into a
country in order to be sold there
=
a quantity of goods dispatched/sent off
=
kind of bookkeeping; a detailed list of the things (such
as goods and products etc) currently stocked or
possessed by the company
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Delays in Delivery
2.
a.
Lernheft 7
200 newspapers from Glasgow to Frankfurt
Airborne freight because the newspapers must be delivered fast in order to
keep their topicality.
b.
900,000 barrels of crude oil from Kuwait to Ingolstadt
Pipelines because these are best for liquids and gases.
c.
a transformer measuring 25ft by 22ft by 15ft from Stafford (near Birmingham)
to Esch (Luxembourg)
Inland waterways are best for the transportation of bulky items such as
transformers.
d.
regular consignment of pharmaceuticals (50kgs) from Ingelheim
(near Mainz) to Telford (near Birmingham)
Either seaborne freight in form of ferries which have a fixed timetable
(must be loaded on trucks to arrive at final destination) or road haulage due
to the relatively small size of the consignment.
3.
Translate the following text about competition in the airline business:
Es gibt kaum eine Branche, in der der Wettbewerb so stark ist wie in der Branche
der Fluggesellschaften. Heutzutage erzielen nur sehr wenige Fluggesellschaften
einen Gewinn. In den meisten Fällen müssen die Regierungen die Unternehmen
für ihren finanziellen Verlust entschädigen.
Das Defizit der Linienfluggesellschaften entsteht aus der Tatsache, dass im
Durchschnitt weniger als 50 % der Plätze besetzt sind, während Charterflüge
meistens komplett ausgebucht sind. Die Preise der Charterflüge betragen oft nur
30 % der normalen Preise. Das ist sicherlich der Grund, warum Charterflüge
hauptsächlich bei den Personen beliebt sind, die es sich nicht leisten können,
den ganzen Betrag zu bezahlen. Viele Passagiere sind bereit sich mit weniger
Komfort abzufinden, wenn sie stattdessen einen Vorteil aus Sonderpreisen
ziehen können.
Um in der Lage zu sein, mit den Konkurrenten mithalten zu können, sind die
Liniengesellschaften dazu gezwungen, ihre Kosten auf eine gewisse Ebene zu
senken. Bei allen Bemühungen die Kosten zu senken gibt es jedoch eine Grenze.
Die Forderung nach Sicherheit hat absolute Priorität. Deswegen versuchen die
Linienfluggesellschaften hauptsächlich die Aufmerksamkeit der reichen
Passagiere, mit effektiven Werbeanzeigen in Zeitungen und Zeitschriften, auf
ihren Sonderservice zu lenken. Sie versprechen alles zu tun, um ihre Kunden
zufrieden zu stellen, sie versichern ihren Passagieren einen erstklassigen Service
und weisen auf ihre zusätzlichen Leistungen hin, von denen der Passagier nach
dem Flug Gebrauch machen kann.
17
Delays in Delivery
7.10
Lernheft 7
Bibliography
Books:
Flower, J., Wirtschaftsenglisch im Griff, Stuttgart, 2000, p. 34
Geisen, H.; Hamblock, D.; Poziemski, J. and Wessels, D., Englisch in Wirtschaft
und Handel, Berlin, 2002, pp. 78 – 81
Sachs, R. and Abegg, B., Commercial Correspondence, Ismaning, 2001,
pp. 129 – 143
Pictures:
Image Source (if not listed below image): istockphoto
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