A reminder letter is a letter sent by a professional organization to remind a customer about necessary action to be taken in relation with the company. This could be about contract renewal or delayed payment. Given here are tips on writing such letters along with samples of the same.
Writing reminder letters is pretty sensitive, particularly if they are meant to remind the receiver about late or overdue payments. The language has to be impeccably diplomatic, and the letter has to be short. It does not have to sympathize with the reader for not being able to take necessary action on time. However, it can contain some probable reasons why the person may have forgotten to take action. Paying due attention to language is essential because good customer care ensures continued relations with a client. Clients can be put off by almost anything – poor communication, or poor service, for instance. Whether it is for overdue credit card payment, or for a policy that has to be renewed, here are some tips on writing a reminder letter, followed by a sample of the same.
How to Write?
Given below is an outline of a reminder letter that will serve as a template that you can follow when writing one yourself.
- Start by providing all your details so that the client is aware of the sender. Ideally, a professional letterhead should be used for this purpose.
- Since it is a reminder letter, put in a ‘subject’ line that is a short description of what the letter is about.
- In the first paragraph, state that this letter is a reminder for (specific reason). If any amounts are to be paid, these will be mentioned in the first paragraph. It is possible that this may not be the first reminder you are sending across. If this is the case, ensure that you state that you have sent several reminders before this one.
- In the second paragraph, you may or may not include what you think the reason may be for the delay. This depends on what the letter is a reminder for. For instance, if it is for delayed payment, you can write the previous reminder may have been misplaced in the mail, or that it may have been overlooked by the client. For any other reason, it may not be necessary.
- Include a line that the letter should be disregarded if the necessary action has already been taken.
- End the letter by mentioning the last date for the necessary action to be taken, and provide your contact details should the client have any further inquiries.
- Sign off with your signature, your name, and your designation.
Having provided this outline, we will now take a look at some samples that will give you a fair idea about how these should be written.
List of Samples
Sample I
| Reminder Letter Sample for Delayed Payment |
| March 21, 2011
Your Name, Subject: Late Payment Reminder for Credit Card Number XXXX-XXXX Dear Ma’am/Sir, This is a reminder for your overdue credit card bill for the period February 5, 2011 to March 5, 2011. The total bill amount is $1350 and a copy of the bill has been enclosed along with this letter. You are requested to make the payment before April 01, 2011 to avoid any charges for delayed payments. If you have already cleared the bill, kindly disregard this notice. You may call us on our customer care number should you have any further inquiries. Thank you for your cooperation. Regards, (Your Signature) Dayana Miller |
Sample II
| Reminder Letter Sample for Contract Renewal |
| March 21, 2011
Your Name, Subject: Reminder for Renewal of Vehicle Policy Number XXXX-XXXX Dear Ma’am/Sir, This is to remind you that your vehicle insurance policy expires on April 15, 2011. You are requested to renew it before the said date, the amount for which is $600, to prevent the policy from lapsing. If you have already renewed the policy, kindly disregard this notice. You may call us on our customer care number should you have any further inquiries. Thank you for your cooperation. Regards, (Your Signature) Susan Miller |
Sample III
| Final Reminder Letter Sample for Overdue Bill Payment |
| March 21, 2011
Your Name, Subject: NOTICE BEFORE LEGAL ACTION Dear Ma’am/Sir, Despite several previous reminders, we find that our invoice number XXXX-XXXX remains unpaid. You are requested to make the full payment before April 15, 2011 along with accrued interest and charges for delayed payment to date, in order to avoid any legal action from our side. I am sure that such stringent action will not be necessary, and that you will make the necessary payments before the due date. A copy of the invoice has been enclosed for your records. You may contact me on (contact number/email address) should you have any further inquiries. Thank you for your cooperation. Regards, (Your Signature) Christopher Miller |
As you can see, a reminder letter is short, simple, and to the point. If the letter is particularly meant to inform the receiver about legal action, for not taking the necessary action, it is important that only this be highlighted in the subject. This will help the receiver of the letter clearly understand what is in store. Use these samples to draft an effective reminder letter.