Mail Handling and Correspondence
Mail handling and correspondence covers inward and outward routines, remittance security and letter etiquette. The examiner looks for sequence, control registers and confidentiality.
Core rules
- Inward mail: receive, sort, open ordinary mail but not envelopes marked confidential or private, date-stamp, record in the inward register, route to departments, follow up and file.
- Outward mail: draft, approve, type and check, sign, record in the outward register, fold, address, stamp or send electronically, dispatch and file a copy.
- Remittances include cash, cheques and drafts. Record immediately, issue a receipt, restrict endorsement such as A/c payee where appropriate, keep cash secure, deposit promptly and reconcile with the cash book.
- Correspondence etiquette: clarity, conciseness, courtesy, correctness, completeness, promptness, proper salutation and close, one subject per letter, and confidentiality.
- Use cc for copies to others and bcc where addresses must not be disclosed.
Worked example
A cheque arrives with an order. The mail clerk enters it in the remittance register, gives a receipt, marks the cheque A/c payee, passes it to accounts for banking, and files a copy of the order. Reasoning: the sequence protects cash, creates an audit trail and links the payment to the customer record before dispatch.
Traps
- Do not open envelopes marked confidential.
- Do not delay recording or banking remittances.
- Do not use an informal tone in business letters.
- Do not send a copy to the wrong person by confusing cc and bcc.