CORRESPONDENCE SHORT CUTS
Dictating by Number. One of the greatest time savers in handling correspondence is dictation by numbers. The plan is to indicate each letter by a number, instead, of requiring the stenographer to take down the name and address.
Probably 90 per cent of the letters dictated are replies to other letters. When the correspondent has his mail ready for dictation, he should write, or stamp with a numbering stamp, No. 1 on the first letter answered. To the stenographer he will say "No. 1," and, instead of the name and address, this number is entered in the stenographer's notebook. The original letter, from which the address is obtained, is turned over to the stenographer. A new series of numbers, beginning with No. 1, should be used each day, to run consecutively during the day.
Careful tests, made in different offices, show that in taking ordinary business correspondence dictation, the stenographer wastes about 20 per cent of the time writing the name and address. By the use of the numbering plan, practically all of this time is saved.
Form Paragraphs. A large per cent of the correspondence of the average business is a repetition of the things that have been said before. Day after day the same questions are asked and answered, the same complaints are received, the same arguments, formal acknowledgments, and requests form a large part of the dictation. Over and over the same paragraphs are used to say the same things, a repetition and waste of time for both correspondent and stenographer, which can be done away with by the use of form paragraphs.
For illustration, the acknowledgment of remittances is entirely formal, rarely necessitating a special letter. Many times, however, the letter of remittance asks for special information, which can be given in the same letter with the acknowledgment. If one or more form acknowledgment paragraphs are prepared to meet different conditions, one of these can be used, saving the time required for dictation.
Form paragraphs are especially applicable in answering complaints and in sales letters. Complaints can usually be divided into a few classes, and one paragraph will answer all complaints of the same kind. In sales letters, form paragraphs will answer all requests for certain information about the product, the terms of sale, the guaranty, etc.
Not only do form paragraphs save much time in dictation, but they result in stronger letters. It is the experience of every correspondent that he can write better letters one day than another. The best form paragraphs are found in the letters written on the correspondent's good days.
Form paragraphs should be arranged for ready reference. A very satisfactory method is to write them on sheets punched for filing in a binder. The paragraphs should be numbered consecutively, and indexed by subject. Copies should be supplied to all correspondents and stenographers who have occasion to use them.
Frequently a large part of the day's correspondence can be handled with form paragraphs, and through constant use the stenographer will become so familiar with them that he will be in a position to answer many letters without dictation. The really efficient stenographer—one of the kind who expects to advance to the position of private secretary—will make a careful study of form paragraphs, fitting himself to handle the minor correspondence, thereby saving the more valuable time of the correspondent.
Talking Machines for Dictation. Every year sees an increase in the use of the talking machine for dictation. These machines have now been brought to a state of perfection which makes their use feasible, and in many large offices they are used to the almost complete exclusion of shorthand writers.
An outfit for correspondence work consists, usually, of two machines—one for recording and one for reproducing dictation. The correspondent dictates his letters to the recording machine and passes the cylinders on which the record has been made to the stenographer, who transcribes on the typewriter direct from the reproducing machine. In small offices, one machine is made to answer every purpose, as it can be changed instantly from a recorder to a producer.
After the dictation on a cylinder has been transcribed it is shaved, and is then ready for a new record. This permits of the use of the cylinders until they are worn thin, and reduces the expense to a minimum.
Fig. 2. The Dictaphone
Columbia Phonograph Co.
The principal advantages claimed for this machine are that it saves all of the time of the stenographer usually required for taking dictation; the correspondent can dictate at any time without waiting for a stenographer; the work is more evenly distributed, and consequently finished earlier in the day. In the opinion of the writer, the chief advantage lies in having the machine at hand ready for dictation day or night.
While in some offices the shorthand writer has been almost entirely supplanted, the machine is more likely to be used as an auxiliary. It can never supply the brains of the human machine, and is not likely to lessen the demand for competent stenographers. Fig. 2 is an illustration of one of the well-known makes of correspondence machines.
Correspondence Requisitions. A considerable per cent of the letters to be answered in a business office are of such a nature that former correspondence must be referred to before an intelligent reply can be given. The unsatisfactory character of the replies to many letters can be traced to the fact that the correspondent did not take the trouble to first find out what had been written before.
To insure against the loss of correspondence, it should be most carefully filed, and every letter should be accounted for. Also, if a correspondent wants certain correspondence from the files he should state explicitly what correspondence or information he desires. This not only insures his getting the information needed to formulate an intelligent reply, but protects the file clerk.
The systematic method is to have a correspondence requisition, similar to the one shown in Fig. 3. On this requisition is noted just what is wanted—invoice, order, or letter—with room for special instructions. One of these requisitions should be sent to the files whenever any papers are wanted, and nothing should be delivered without such a requisition. By placing this requisition in the files, in place of the papers removed, the file clerk can always trace missing correspondence.
Fig. 3. Requisition for Correspondence
Complaints and Changes of Address. In some lines of business, complaints and notices of change of addresses are quite numerous. An example is the business of publishing a weekly or monthly periodical. Many complaints are received from subscribers who claim that they do not receive the publication regularly. The great majority of these complaints can be traced to carelessness on the part of the subscriber in failing to notify of change of address.
In some businesses, the handling of complaints requires the services of a correspondent, and a clerk to trace the complaint and gather the information necessary before an adjustment can be made. In a smaller business, the work of looking up the information usually falls on the stenographer. But no matter who gathers the information, the correspondent never should attempt to answer or adjust a complaint until he has made a thorough investigation. Not until he understands all of the causes leading up to the complaint, can he correctly judge of its merits.
The policy of having all complaints handled by one man is in keeping with approved business practice. A man who makes a study of the subject soon learns to handle complaints to the ultimate satisfaction of all concerned. Being independent of the selfish interests of a particular department, he is much more likely to serve the best interests of the house than any other man in the organization. The sales manager, for instance, is not the best man to adjust complaints of customers; he is likely to be more liberal than is warranted, because of his fear of losing trade.
When a complaint has been investigated, everything possible should be done to remove the cause, and to guard against a similar complaint in the future. The seemingly little precautions count for much. In the matter of changes of address, for instance, it is a small matter for the one who makes the change to see that it is made not only on the ledger but on the sales list, the collection card, and in every place where the address is permanently recorded. Failure to make the change in one place may lead to endless confusion.
Stenographer's Reference Index. Here is a suggestion for the special benefit of the stenographer. Keep in your desk a reference index of names, addresses, and telephone numbers. There are certain persons and firms to whom your employer frequently writes letters. These are not in reply to letters, but are written in the usual course of business. The names of these persons should be on your index so that when you are told to write to Mr. Hunter or Mr. Roberts you will not be obliged to ask the address.
Probably your employer will not ask you to keep such an index, but surely will appreciate your knowing the addresses. When he finds that you always know the telephone numbers of the printer, the bank, and other local houses with whom he does business regularly, as well as the addresses of prominent out-of-town correspondents, he will at least not place it to your discredit.
But do not keep the addresses on sheets of paper that surely will soon become confusing on account of changes and additions which make an alphabetical arrangement impossible. Ask for a small card tray, holding 3"×5" cards, that will go in the drawer of your desk, a set of alphabetical indexes, and a supply of blank cards. Such an outfit can be bought at any first-class stationer's for a dollar or two. When you want to preserve an address, write it on a card, and file it alphabetically. If your employer will not supply the outfit, cut slips of paper and indexes to fit one of the small compartments in the desk drawer. Have the index, even if you must devise your own method of keeping it; you will at least have the satisfaction of saving many minutes of your time. And in the formation of a systematic habit you will be adding to your equipment.
Making Corrections. All stenographers make mistakes, and no correspondent is entirely free from faulty dictation, which necessitates corrections in letters after they are written. But the time of the stenographer and, incidentally, expense to the house, can be saved if the correspondent will exercise reasonable care in indicating the corrections to be made.
Do not deface the letter so that neat corrections will be impossible, unless the mistake is so serious as to necessitate rewriting the entire letter. When the wrong word has been used, draw a light pencil line under it and write the correct word on the margin or the end of the letter; if the word is misspelled, underline it and write the correct spelling at the end of the line. This takes even less time than to deface the letter, and leaves it in such shape that corrections can be made quickly and neatly.
To the stenographer it is well to say, "If you find it impossible to make a neat correction, rewrite the letter." Nothing gives a more unfavorable impression of a house than an untidy letter, and your employer is more willing to overlook an occasional mistake than a letter filled with visible erasures.