Office correspondence

1. Meaning of Correspondence

For every organization, there must be an incoming and outgoing mail. Letters that come into the organization or company are referred to as incoming mail while those going out are coming outgoing mail. The volume of the incoming and outgoing mails depend on

1. The size of the organization
2. The nature of the business

The incoming and outgoing mails should be handled promptly and efficiently. The success of a company depends on how properly its mail is handled.

Mails come into the organization by hand, through the post or through electronic means (internet). Mail goes out of the organization or company by hand, by post or through the internet.

1. Types of Mail

• Incoming mails
• Outgoing mails
• Internet mails

1. Procedures for handling mails

Incoming mails

A company and its employees can perform their functions well if incoming mail are properly and efficiently treated.

Incoming mail contains the following

1. Enquiries about the company’s activities
2. New orders for the company’s product
3. Cheques from customers
4. Complaints from customers
5. Report
6. Information from individuals, business organizations and government

Postage Book: The postage book shows the following information about the letters posted, it contains the address, reference number, and the cost of postage.

1. Outgoing mail

The outgoing mail has to do with the information sent out from one organization to another organization.

Communication and interaction with the outside world is so important to the progress of companies. Hence, it must be handled well.

Mail Outward Book

Mail outward book is used to record letters that are going out of the organization. The mail outward book records outgoing mails for ensure that mail actually left the organization for their destination. Example

1. Treatment of Outgoing Mails

Letters going out of the company will usually be sorted into two categories:

1. Those to be sent by hand
2. Those to be sent by post

• Outgoing mails must be recorded in the outgoing mail register for reference
• Letters to be delivered by hand will be entered into the dispatch book.
• The letters are weighed, sealed and stamped depending on their destination

Some of the equipment used in treating outgoing mails are

1. Stamp fixing machine: stamp fixing machine is used to fix stamps on envelops. The stamps are bought and put in the machine, which means that the fixing stamps is faster and neater.
2. Postage book: After fixing stamps on envelopes or printing of the amount on envelop, the letters are then recorded in a postage book. The postage. The postage book shows the addressee, his address, reference number and the cost of postage.
3. Internal Mails

Internal mail refers to letters written by the organization either by an individual, unit head or the head of an organization directed to other member of the same organization.

Internal mail includes

• Application for leave
• Letter reporting a sick worker to the personnel manager
• Letters of promotion
• Termination of appointment etc.

Internal mails are entered into dispatch books and signed for at its destination in the office and they are always given immediate treatment.

Test and Exercise

1. Internal mail include the following except (a) application for leave (b) letters of promotion (c) letter of employment in another company (d) termination of appointment
2. Outgoing mail should be (a) recorded in the dispatch book (b) thrown in the waste bin after reading (c) left unread (d) all of the above
3. The information sent out from one organization to another organization is called (a) incoming mails (b) internal mails (c) outgoing mails (d) all of the above
4. The mail sent from one department to another within the same organization is called (a) incoming mail (b) outgoing mail (c) internal mail (d) none of the above
5. ———-book is used to record letters that are going out of the organization. (a) mail outward book (b) mail inward book (c) postage book (d) dispatch book