Yoshiko's business English question of 06/17/00:

Now I need your advice. I often call or fax our suppliers about shipment. I would like to know an effective phrase that will urge them a prompt action. For example, we often use the phrase "please shorten the delivery time." Does it sound natural? For me it doesn't sound strong enough. I do not mean to threaten our suppliers with strong words, but I would like to know more effective way to deal with our difficult people abroad.

You sentence sounds natural to me, but it is very direct. Finding the most appropriate way to ask for a shorter delivery time is a difficult question, as there are many, many possible ways to phrase this statement. What you should say all depends on who you are dealing with, your relationship with that person, and how polite you want to be. A few polite phrases include:

• Would it be possible to get faster delivery?
• Is it possible to get faster delivery?
• Could you please deliver (the product) as quickly as possible?
• Prompt delivery would be very much appreciated.

If you really want to use stronger language, you might try one of the following sentences:

• Please send (the product) ASAP.
• Please deliver (the product) as quickly as possible.
• Prompt delivery is required.

Note that these are very direct!

I have one more question. We Japanese often say "we had a claim from our customers." But, in English a claim is not what we call a claim. It is a complaint, isn't it? What do you say "claim shori" or "claim taisaku" in English?

　

You're right--a claim is often actually a complaint, as the party that is complaining is not asking for compensation (money). I don't know the phrases you asked about, so I can't really guess how we would say them in English without seeing them in some kind of context. Please see claim in the Japanese-English archive for a review of "claim" and "complaint."

Is it all right to ask you such things here? I am just wondering...

Of course!