Be it a job offer or an invitation, a polite refusal can be a very tricky job. Therefore, just to make sure that you do it the right way, a few samples and guidelines have been provided in this Buzzle article.
A refusal letter is meant to convey rejection of a job offer, an invitation for a seminar or event, a business proposal, etc. As this letter contains something negative, people who are responsible for writing such a letter usually find themselves in a fix. This is because they have to find a way of writing through which, they can convey the message without hurting the sentiments of the addressee. Hence, it is important to choose appropriate words while drafting a rejection letter.
Rejection Letter Examples
A rejection letter can cause problems for the writer, if it is not written with utmost care. To make your task simpler, here are a few samples of rejection letters which you can refer.
Refusal of a Job Offer
Ms. Mary Hopkins Director – Human Resources Media-men Company 100, Wellington Street New Albany Dear Ms. Mary Hopkins, I am delighted to receive the offer to join as a Senior Manager – Human Resources, in your company. Although I found the position very interesting and challenging, I will not be able to accept the offer as I have already accepted a similar position in another company. It was a pleasure to receive an opportunity to visit your company and discuss my career possibilities. I wish you and Media-men Company, all the best for the future. Best Regards, |
Refusal of Membership
Ms. Jennifer Ricardo President of Writer’s Association 121, Park Street New York Dear Ms. Jennifer Ricardo, I am absolutely honored to receive an invitation to become a member of your prestigious Association. I am greatly thankful to you and the other members to give me such an honorable offer. I understand that being part of your association would require me to put in my quality time and effort which I am quite willing to. However, I am already committed to various projects for more than a year and hence, I will not be able to do justice as a member of the association. Therefore, I kindly request you to look for another person who is worthy to be a member of your esteemed association. Best wishes for the future. Best Regards, |
Rejecting Proposal of a New Vendor
Mr. Joshua Mason Sales manager – Servicepro 135, Willow Street Boston Dear Mr. Joshua Mason, Thank you for offering an interesting proposal for the servicing and overhauling of machinery in Acetek Company’s new manufacturing facility. Our vendor management team has reviewed your proposal carefully to ensure that it meets our requirements. However, we regret to inform you that we will be unable to take it ahead, because of our company’s stringent vendor and cost policies. We already have a pool of vendors who are offering us similar services at cost-effective rates. We hope that we will be able to work together in the future. We once again thank you for investing your time and interest in Acetek Company. Sincerely, |
Rejection of an Interview Candidate
Mr. John Adams 12, Braxton Street California Dear Mr. John Adams, We thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to participate in the hiring process for the Project Coordinator position with Anderson Projects. Our employee selection team enjoyed meeting and interacting with you. We are sorry to inform you that you have not been selected for the current opening. We have already chosen our candidate for this position, as his experience and qualifications are most suitable for the job requirement. We appreciate your interest in the position and our organization. We want to emphasize that we want you to apply for future openings at Anderson Projects. Thank you once again and wish you professional success. Sincerely, |
Refusal of Credit to Vendor
Mr. Will Taylor Purchase Manager – Zoom Motors 17, Jackson Street Los Angeles Dear Mr. Will Taylor, We thank you for your application requesting an extension of your credit for the payment of $100,000 against 20,000 spare parts supplied in November, 2012 for a duration of three months. We regret to inform you that under the current situation of the economy, we will not be able to give you any further credit. As you know, we have already offered you flexible payment terms of 60 days, post the date of delivery. However, owing to the market downturn, we have revised all our credit policies and have resorted to work on “immediate payment” basis, as we are also obligated to pay our dues on time. We, at Axlepro Company, value your long-term support and acknowledge that you have always adhered to our payment terms without defaulting. As soon as the economy shows an upward trend, we will resume our credit policies as earlier. We sincerely hope that you will consider our situation, and continue to share a strong business relationship. Sincerely, |
Refusal Letter from Publishers
Ms. Jean Cook 21, Morgan Street New York Dear Ms. Jean Cook, We thank you for giving us an opportunity to read the manuscript of “A major minor problem”. However, we regret to inform you that our editors have gone through the book and decided that we will not be publishing the same. While we loved the plot of the story, we do not find the characters interesting enough to captivate the imagination of the readers. We wish you all the best in your search for a publisher. Best Regards, |
Here are some guidelines that you have to keep in mind while drafting a letter of rejection.
Letter Writing Guidelines
Many people avoid writing a rejection letter because they do not want to hurt other’s feelings. However, it is important to write a rejection letter because the receiver must be waiting for an answer, and not replying may cause problems for him. For instance, you have been offered a position in a good company. Though you like the job, you have decided not to join the company due to some personal reasons. In such circumstances, you have to write a rejection letter immediately, so that the company can continue with the recruitment process.
Check out the following points.
► Your rejection letter should begin with a pleasant remark. However, make sure that you are genuine and are not overdoing it. The rejection letter format is similar to the business letter format and should be followed correctly.
► The words you use in the rejection letter are also very important. Avoid being rude to the receiver, and make sure that you do not use any negative words. This is because you may have to deal with the person in the future and any negative remark can cause you trouble.
► The rejection letter should be short and to-the-point. You should not forget to mention the reason for your refusal. If possible, back-up your reason with adequate proof.
► Apart from this, it is also crucial to thank the person for giving you the offer. Also, make sure that you end the letter on a good note by wishing the person good luck.
Remember, that your and your organization’s reputation is at stake, hence frame your sentences wisely. Once you are done with the letter, check for typos, spelling errors and grammatical mistakes thoroughly before sending the letter.