As a clerical assistant, I deal with incoming post on a daily basis and am constantly surprised by the lack of references on letters and documents which are sent to us.
We can receive items in the post, lacking both our reference or the recipients name and department. The senders name on a letter may be missing or illegible. Photographs that give no clue as to who they have been sent to us by, and why, are all too common arrivals in my in-tray.
The lack of an identifying reference, the recipient or client’s name and details can mean a lot of time is spent on the computer system tracking down elusive information. This means those vitally important letters and other documents we receive can eventually reach the appropriate person for their attention.
A reference is not an insignificant detail to be ignored. Its presence and accuracy helps to prevent delays to work in progress on files and helps us to avoid costly problems such as missed deadlines, appointments or overdue payments.
So if you want to communicate with us and receive our prompt response, please don’t forget our reference - it’s more than just a pretty string of letters and numbers at the top of the page. It’s the most efficient way to get your document where you need it to be.
By Jean Stewart