“Thank you for the inquiry (enquiry)” — Meaning & Examples

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You asked a question to a service provider and you got an email response starting with “thank you for the inquiry,” followed by the answer you’re seeking.

This particular line caught your attention. You checked the time and found out it was still a quarter before lunchtime.

You asked yourself whether the person did really want to thank you for making him spend time and effort to address your concern.

(What a perfect way to spend the last fifteen minutes to twelve.)

Welcome to Linguaholic! The site where you can find definitive answers for language-related whatnots. 

 

What does “thank you for the inquiry mean?”

“Thank you for your inquiry” is an expression that represents how people convert the concept of politeness into words. It is used to demonstrate gratitude to the message recipient for asking a question or an inquiry. As business correspondence is expected to be formal and inoffensive, this verbiage is widely used as an introductory remark for a response concerning updates, instructions, and clarifications.

 

Thank you for the inquiry in further detail

The power of gratitude creates wonders and miracles that are necessary for attaining social balance and harmony.

We express gratitude in the form of verbal language by using phrases as short as “thanks” and as sincerely as “thank you very much.”

In business correspondence, the act of thanking people is more of an unwritten rule that glues relationships together.

And, appreciative words are common in addressing business-related questions or queries to set a professional tone and impression.

Let’s have a look at the nuances behind this expression in ample detail.

 

The meaning of “thank you for the inquiry”

“Thank you for the inquiry” is similar to saying “thank you for seeking a particular information” or, put simply, “thank you for asking that question.”

Using the definitive article “the” in this verbiage suggests that the message sender is referring to a specific inquiry that has been asked beforehand.

Also, a person doing an inquiry has a concern or issue in mind that needs to be addressed and solved by the right individual, such as customer service and sales representatives.

The information being sought is often related to the details of a particular product or service such as pricing, subscription plans, or delivery schedule.

Or, it may also be a procedure that has not been fully understood by the inquirer who wants to augment his or her know-how for some reason.

 

The function and importance of “thank you for the inquiry”

Based on the perspective of the correspondent using the phrase, this verbiage usually serves as an introductory remark to an email response or spoken discussion.

Apart from that, the aim of explicitly expressing politeness through comprehensible words is also another angle to look at.

This means that this gratitude verbiage is strategically used to subconsciously inform the reader that the person behind the email or call embodies professionalism.

Being prompted this way consequently creates a positive impression on the organization as a whole, as long as the inquiry is also successfully addressed.

Failing to begin the business correspondence with a gratitude message does not necessarily mean that the organization or the person involved is rude.

But, it is worth noting that the act of expressing gratitude alone, regardless of how genuine it is, is still more likely to leave a positive emotional perception.

This is at least the general unwritten rule that most people adhere to, whether in the formal or even in casual discourses.

Speaking of the formality of the topic being discussed, let’s also have a glimpse of the context in which “thank you for the inquiry” can be used.

 

The formality level and the context in which “thank you for the inquiry” can be used

As you may have observed, the preceding paragraphs were inclined towards explaining this expression from the business perspective.

That said, we can understand that using “thank you for the inquiry” is a common practice in the commercial arena.

The use of the term “inquiry” suggests a formalistic connotation, which can be reduced into using “question” in less formal conversations instead.

This means that it will apparently be strange or awkward to use this expression when your best friend asks whether she could borrow your book or bike.

Obviously enough, we may do so when we have the intention of injecting humor in the utterance.

If not, then we may simply “thanks for asking” or answer the question affirmatively or negatively.

 

The usage of “thank you for the inquiry” and example sentences

Interestingly, the usage of “thank you for the inquiry” has been fluctuating within the last two centuries, having its peak in the 1930s.

Comparatively speaking, this expression is less likely used at present than in the past, which is perhaps because more and more information has become searchable online.

However, in case you need to use this expression either in your emails or in a live chat, here’s how we can do it.

And, here’s how it can be used in the spoken context, particularly in a pre-recorded script.

 

Alternatives and variations of “thank you for the inquiry”

This phrase may also be restructured to appear more personal to the reader or listener.

We can achieve this by explicitly mentioning the receiver in the expression or by changing the definitive article “the” into “your.”

Here are some of its variations.

 

Thank you for your inquiry

The choice of words may also increase or decrease the enthusiasm of the message.

So, instead of using a definitive article, we can use a determiner, particularly the possessive adjective “your,” to recalibrate the tonality of the expression.

This will turn it into a more personal one because it shifts the focus to the message receiver, thereby making it more about them instead.

 

Take a moment to thank you for your inquiry

Another way to thank a person for a query is by saying “take a moment to thank you for your inquiry,” an extended format of the earlier expression.

Expressing information at length is a common characteristic of the formal register that demonstrates the use of more cognitive effort.

Therefore, we can use this strategy when the purpose is to show more politeness, effort, and professionalism through language use.

 

Thank you for your recent inquiry

Another possible word to add within the verbiage is “recent,” which can be done to make an indefinite remark to an inquiry that happened not long ago.

This could happen when the message creator may not know when the inquiry was exactly made but is certain that it happened sometime close to the present.

 

In response to your inquiry

Lastly, we may also observe the expression “in response to your inquiry” as another related variation to  “thank you for the inquiry.”

This phrase means “as a reply to your inquiry” or “to answer your question,” which can also be used right after a simple gratitude message before the main part of the message.

 

Synonyms for “thank you for the inquiry”

The arbitrariness of language and the awkwardness of redundant language use may prompt us to use alternative expressions or synonyms.

Doing so depicts linguistic competence which, in turn, keeps the listener or reader intrigued and interested.

 

Pleasure to receive your inquiry

Another way to say “thank you” is through the word “pleasure,” therefore, we may also say “It’s my pleasure to receive your inquiry.”

This phrase is a politeness marker that aims to elicit a positive or warm atmosphere towards dealing with inquiries.

Start-up businesses often make use of such strategies as they are still establishing their reputation to their consumers.

 

Pleased to receive your inquiry

Since “pleasure” denotes happiness, it’s adjective form “pleased” may also be used to describe the person’s feeling.

This means that we can also say “pleased to receive your inquiry,” which similarly means “thank you for the inquiry.”

Here’s an example for better understanding.

You may have noticed the presence of the subject “we” and the linking verb “are” in the example above.

Adding these sentence elements suggests more caution and formality, and thus, doing so is considered more effective.

Although omitting them does not cause misinterpretation, writing in complete sentences is still more preferable in any formal correspondence.

 

 

Truly appreciate your inquiry

Alternatively, we may also use “truly appreciate your inquiry” as a formal yet personal introductory remark.

Although it has been implied in this post that language can be used as a strategic tool, it would still be best to use appreciative words when we really mean what we say.

 

Thank you for your interest in

Finally, “thank you for the inquiry” may also disguise itself behind “thank you for your interest in.”

This expression suggests that we want to show appreciation to someone paying attention to a product, service, or piece of information.

Oftentimes, this is a common response to inquiries related to job postings, service details, or information requests.

 

Frequently Asked Questions on Thank You For The Inquiry

 

Should it be “thank you for the inquiry or enquiry?”

When adhering to American or Canadian English, we should say “thank you for the inquiry” when asking for general information, for example, products and services. However, both British and Australian English lean more toward using “enquiry” when seeking general information.

 

How can we write an inquiry?

The best way to do so is to include necessary details in the letter or email, such as name, relevant personal data, the reason, and the source of the inquiry. For example, “This is Jane Smith, managing director of ABC Designs. We are interested in knowing more about the new software tool released by your company in the social networking platform, Clubhouse. We would like to gain more information about it, if possible.”

 

What is the difference between “inquire” and “enquire?”

“Inquire” is conventionally used in the USA and Canada, whereas “enquire” is common in UK and Australia. In these senses, both words are used to seek general information.

 

Conclusion

The salience of gratitude is reflected by how we use language, especially in the formal context.

This highlights the idea that humans, no matter how whimsical and unpredictable at times, are trying to keep a social equilibrium through language nevertheless.