Refusing a request to change a contact

Ingenieurs Duval SA 22 Rue de Poitiers Le Havre France Dear Sirs, Thank you for your letter of 12 December 1996 requesting a change in our contract for 10 MT424 drilling machines. In your letter, you ask for the delivery date to be brought forward by two months. Whenever possible, we try to oblige our customers. In this case, unfortunately, we have examined our production schedule for the next three months and find we are fully committed. This makes it impossible to advance the delivery date we agreed on in our contract. To be fair to all our customers, we must stay with our original schedule. We hope you will understand our position. Yours faithfully,		Useful phrases Line 3 Whenever possible, we try to oblige our customers. Line 6 We find we are fully committed. Line 8 To be fair to all our customers, we must stay with our original schedule. Line 8 We hope you will understand our position. Notes Para. 1 Identify the reference and contract. Para. 2 Refer to the request, Para. 3 Reject the request and give the reason for the rejection. Para. 4 Appeal to the customer to understand your decision.
Comments This is a polite rejection of a request. The supplier gives a valid reason for the decision and makes it clear that the business is managed in a fair, straightforward manner.	Alternative phrases Line 1      I refer to your letter of . . . Line 1      ... which requests a change . . . Line 3      ... you ask us to advance the delivery date . . . Line 4      We always try to . . . Line 6      ... find that it is full. Line 8      We have to be fair to all our customers and therefore must keep to our . . .