INDUCTION LETTERS

While aspects of these standards will be of interest to those outside the ABS, they were developed for internal use. As such, some information contained in these standards will not be applicable to an external audience. ABS staff should refer to the Corporate Manuals database for the most recent version of these documents, as some details (names, phone numbers etc.) have been removed from the online version.

Contents

• Introduction
• Due date
• Contact details
• Example of induction letter

Introduction

Contact details are often necessary before despatch of the survey to ensure that the survey reaches the most appropriate person in the organisation. The best way to get the correct contact details is to send out an induction letter. The letter briefly informs the respondent as to the topic of the survey and requests that they fill-in the contact details as soon as possible and return them to the ABS.

For letter details common to all letters, see Common Content. The remainder of this document deals with the areas specific to induction letters.
Due date

Letters should explicitly state the request being made. One of the most important indicators of a request and an expectation is the presence of a due date. Usually the due date for return of contact details is accompanied by an instruction to use the "reply paid envelope". The due date for return of contact details requested in the induction letter should always be "as soon as possible".
Contact details

The contact details allow the ABS to correctly select the most appropriate contact person to complete the survey form. Collecting these details prior to the survey's despatch ensures a smoother and perhaps quicker survey response.
Example of induction letter

This one page (double-sided) induction letter informs providers that they have been selected in an ABS survey, and requests contact details. Respondents are also advised that they can either fill out a form monthly, or provide data over the phone. Obtaining the best time to call the business's contact person in advance assists the call centre to operate efficiently.

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