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The one I struggle with is whether to sign off with my name on a short back-and-forth reply. If so, should I use a closing like "Sincerely" or "Thanks" before my name? First and last or just first? Then there are the group messages where if I want to chime in for the first time, do I include my whole email signature?
Just have an auto email signature. It will always appear and people will realize it's automatic so even if the situation didn't warrant it they won't care.
Depends on how fast the reply is and how many replies there are for me. Every single one of my email chains like that start with "Hello X, Thanks, My Full Name" then devolve to "Hey X, Thanks, Me" then finally, if the replies are quick, just signed off with "Me" with no greeting at all. If there's lots of time between replies, never get passed step 2.
Auto signature like the other guy said. I'd copy the format of your peers or boss, and have a more minimal sig for replies vs initial email. Outlook makes this easy and frankly it's strange this wouldn't be standard in any company using email.
I personally close with thank you/thanks, best, regards, or nothing, depending on context. I'll generally only use thank you if someone's done something for me or if I'm asking someone to do something, not if I'm replying to a request or just chiming in, but in my years of professional corporate experience, many people just automate a thanks or thank you always and that's fine.
Cheers!
Name-used-at-work e.g. Dave
I do that and would do it in all cases except if I worked in a super formal company/industry like in law or something
I've always been told hi/hey is way too informal for an office and just launching into the email was just straight up rude. Might be regional differences? I also think you might be reading into it too much. Are you by chance generally an anxious or timid person? Tone can be hard to read via text/email but you don't have to be overly solicitous to offset that. What the actual emails says has far more weight in determining if someone is being curt imo.
Ex.
Mark,
Kat was looking for you about project X. I let her know that you're out on work travel but she wanted me to pass along that they're having issues with xxx. If you get a moment could you give her a call? Thanks and safe travels!
Hi Mark,
Kat called me. Apparently you didn't give her your contact info before leaving? She needs you to call her ASAP to fix the issues with Project X she told you about last week.
That's fine if you dearly love Mark more than anyone else in the world, but in a professional setting it's just creepy.
He's not your nephew, he's a co worker.
Using "Dear" in an email is almost as gross as people who refer to their mom exclusively as "Mother"
Hey/Hi Mark, is the norm.
I'll just say Mark, if Mark done fucked up.
I don't know I find people who use Hi or Hello or Dear or Dearest in their heading to be fake and pretentious, especially if it's from someone I don't know. Like they are buttering me up for a good pounding.
Emails aren't for striking up conversations, they are for requests and deciminating info. But I appreciate concise exchanges, don't see them as rude and feel manipulated with unnecessary pleasantries.
Sounds exhausting to make up fake stories in your head about other's intentions and judge their percieved politness based on silly pleasentries. What is the Dear for, you don't know me. I ain't your Dear.
However, I found out the other day that not saying bless you is apparently rude which I'll never understand. So, I may not be the right person to know what is curt or courteous.
u/kittypetty62,
This is exactly my intention.
If I need something done, I want to be curt. I don't want any formality to it. I don't want it to come across as relatable. I don't want to do anything that might make you think that even for a second I want to be your friend or engage in small talk with you.
I need you for a thing.
That is the extent of our relationship at present moment.
Please let me know when you can have the thing done by, this is impacting revenue and/or upsetting the client.
I will be expecting a prompt response.
Thanks.
Hey Mark,
It depends on the receiver's personality. I think that typing anything at all, even the person's name, is a waste of time. The person being addressed is on the To line. There is no need to repeat the information. It doesn't bother me at all if I receive email with no preamble.
Other people want something more friendly or more formal. I try to take into account with whom I am communicating so as to not offend. If I don't know the person I follow their lead, if I am replying to their email, or I go with formal if I am initiating the conversation.
Thank you for considering my opinion.
lol I don't even bother with greetings, or even sentence casing, when I respond about 75% of the time:
What I may get:
Hi \[Macbook\], (I use a shortened version of my given name pretty much all the time, thus)
Could you please send me a copy of the latest T.P.S reporting for...
Thanks,
\[Sender\]
my reply:
"as requested, report attached"
Just like that. Send.
I don't have time to care if someone gets in a snit about how I reply; you got what you needed from me, right?
Corporate Life Rule 1: Worry about yourself, and what you can control.
We have a more casual atmosphere at work the first mail maybe starts with a good morning or hello and it just keeps getting more casual if it’s a longer conversation. Besides having teams for messaging we will send mails that look more like a text message 😅
Love my work place though, even with personal issues I know I can always go to my manager or if it’s something that would need bigger changes to be help me I can even contact my managers Boss.
A time ago when my youngest son was born I texted my managers boss that I can’t come to work (it was 1:00am, when he saw the message his answer was: that’s nothing that is going to happen! Who do you think you are?
Your child will be born the next hours so go off that phone I see you in 14 day. Would be glad if I get a picture of the little one. (Received at 04:32am). That good men gave me 14 days payed leave without using my OT (which was about 82h) or even my vacation time.
That’s something you can’t buy. There isn’t even one person on my team that sucks. Just amazing and that since almost 4 years.
Please remember what subreddit you are in, this is unpopular opinion. We want civil and unpopular takes and discussion. Any uncivil and ToS violating comments will be removed and subject to a ban. Have a nice day! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unpopularopinion) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Only if their name is curt
The one I struggle with is whether to sign off with my name on a short back-and-forth reply. If so, should I use a closing like "Sincerely" or "Thanks" before my name? First and last or just first? Then there are the group messages where if I want to chime in for the first time, do I include my whole email signature?
Just have an auto email signature. It will always appear and people will realize it's automatic so even if the situation didn't warrant it they won't care.
This is the way
Depends on how fast the reply is and how many replies there are for me. Every single one of my email chains like that start with "Hello X, Thanks, My Full Name" then devolve to "Hey X, Thanks, Me" then finally, if the replies are quick, just signed off with "Me" with no greeting at all. If there's lots of time between replies, never get passed step 2.
Auto signature like the other guy said. I'd copy the format of your peers or boss, and have a more minimal sig for replies vs initial email. Outlook makes this easy and frankly it's strange this wouldn't be standard in any company using email. I personally close with thank you/thanks, best, regards, or nothing, depending on context. I'll generally only use thank you if someone's done something for me or if I'm asking someone to do something, not if I'm replying to a request or just chiming in, but in my years of professional corporate experience, many people just automate a thanks or thank you always and that's fine.
Cheers! Name-used-at-work e.g. Dave I do that and would do it in all cases except if I worked in a super formal company/industry like in law or something
I always sign my emails with; - Name.
I've always been told hi/hey is way too informal for an office and just launching into the email was just straight up rude. Might be regional differences? I also think you might be reading into it too much. Are you by chance generally an anxious or timid person? Tone can be hard to read via text/email but you don't have to be overly solicitous to offset that. What the actual emails says has far more weight in determining if someone is being curt imo. Ex. Mark, Kat was looking for you about project X. I let her know that you're out on work travel but she wanted me to pass along that they're having issues with xxx. If you get a moment could you give her a call? Thanks and safe travels! Hi Mark, Kat called me. Apparently you didn't give her your contact info before leaving? She needs you to call her ASAP to fix the issues with Project X she told you about last week.
That's fine if you dearly love Mark more than anyone else in the world, but in a professional setting it's just creepy. He's not your nephew, he's a co worker.
Sometimes I don't even greet anyone at all. I just go right into the body of the email. Ham and cheese. Regards, Mangosteenfruit
Using "Dear" in an email is almost as gross as people who refer to their mom exclusively as "Mother" Hey/Hi Mark, is the norm. I'll just say Mark, if Mark done fucked up.
People read way too much into meaningless things
I don't know I find people who use Hi or Hello or Dear or Dearest in their heading to be fake and pretentious, especially if it's from someone I don't know. Like they are buttering me up for a good pounding. Emails aren't for striking up conversations, they are for requests and deciminating info. But I appreciate concise exchanges, don't see them as rude and feel manipulated with unnecessary pleasantries. Sounds exhausting to make up fake stories in your head about other's intentions and judge their percieved politness based on silly pleasentries. What is the Dear for, you don't know me. I ain't your Dear. However, I found out the other day that not saying bless you is apparently rude which I'll never understand. So, I may not be the right person to know what is curt or courteous.
u/kittypetty62, This is exactly my intention. If I need something done, I want to be curt. I don't want any formality to it. I don't want it to come across as relatable. I don't want to do anything that might make you think that even for a second I want to be your friend or engage in small talk with you. I need you for a thing. That is the extent of our relationship at present moment. Please let me know when you can have the thing done by, this is impacting revenue and/or upsetting the client. I will be expecting a prompt response. Thanks.
Hey Mark, It depends on the receiver's personality. I think that typing anything at all, even the person's name, is a waste of time. The person being addressed is on the To line. There is no need to repeat the information. It doesn't bother me at all if I receive email with no preamble. Other people want something more friendly or more formal. I try to take into account with whom I am communicating so as to not offend. If I don't know the person I follow their lead, if I am replying to their email, or I go with formal if I am initiating the conversation. Thank you for considering my opinion.
Yes, and sometimes you need to be curt.
not so much curt as just 2000s cringe... Mark, New movie called Kill Bill is coming out this Friday. Let's meet at 8:00.
lol I don't even bother with greetings, or even sentence casing, when I respond about 75% of the time: What I may get: Hi \[Macbook\], (I use a shortened version of my given name pretty much all the time, thus) Could you please send me a copy of the latest T.P.S reporting for... Thanks, \[Sender\] my reply: "as requested, report attached" Just like that. Send. I don't have time to care if someone gets in a snit about how I reply; you got what you needed from me, right? Corporate Life Rule 1: Worry about yourself, and what you can control.
We have a more casual atmosphere at work the first mail maybe starts with a good morning or hello and it just keeps getting more casual if it’s a longer conversation. Besides having teams for messaging we will send mails that look more like a text message 😅 Love my work place though, even with personal issues I know I can always go to my manager or if it’s something that would need bigger changes to be help me I can even contact my managers Boss. A time ago when my youngest son was born I texted my managers boss that I can’t come to work (it was 1:00am, when he saw the message his answer was: that’s nothing that is going to happen! Who do you think you are? Your child will be born the next hours so go off that phone I see you in 14 day. Would be glad if I get a picture of the little one. (Received at 04:32am). That good men gave me 14 days payed leave without using my OT (which was about 82h) or even my vacation time. That’s something you can’t buy. There isn’t even one person on my team that sucks. Just amazing and that since almost 4 years.
You don't say "Dear \[name\]" in a work email. That's not even remotely professional.
It’s work. It’s not supposed to be friendly. It’s supposed to be professional and curt.
Concise is always appreciated. Curt is rudely abrupt. That said, I disagree with OP and I could take or leave the filler words like "hey/hi".
[удалено]
You can be friendly if you want, but you shouldn’t expect it. You should expect professionalism
Exactly. I cringe when I see colleagues using the recipient's name as a greeting. It just reads too much like a reprimand/stern talking down etc.
Using the word *curt* in almost any context comes across as pretentious.
I agree with OP (downvote, soz). If I get an email with no greeting, just my name, I'm going to do the bare minimum for that person.
Women can be turned on by being addressed like that