Give complete details of the person they can contact if there is an urgency. If you are in charge of multiple departments, you can add more people along with their expertise area so that customers know who they should reach.
I say “as soon as possible,” which to me means “as soon as possible after I get back to the office, make myself a coffee, throw out the milk I forgot in the fridge, chat with my colleagues a bit, check in with my boss, and triage all the new emails and VMs that came in while I was away.”
.
It’s my favorite time of year, which means I’m currently out of the office lounging on a Carribean beach, sipping on mojitos, and attempting to achieve the tan I’ve been waiting all year long for.
Which to my mind lets people know when I’m back and that I will get back to them after that date, as well as who to contact for more urgent stuff. But every time, Wakeen gets teapot questions because people apparently can’t be bothered to finish reading and they both get questions on stuff that is not due for weeks after I return.
Further, given how poorly humor — especially sarcastic or snarky, even if mild — translates in text, you're running a moderate risk of pissing someone off through no fault of their own, for no reason other than to indulge yourself.
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I forgot I did that and it was pointed out by a recruiter who was trying to reach me to schedule a phone screen. Whoops, haha.
I once emailed a colleague in our main office and got an OOO reply that said just: “I am currently out of the office. Please press 0 to reach the operator for assistance”
Then, click Save Changes at the bottom of the settings section and that's it done. You're out of office message is active.
COMPLETELY agree. Every time I see an OOO for a two-hour doctor’s appointment I have to fight the urge to reply with “How much are you paid?” because I know there is no scenario in which I would have to explain myself if I don’t answer an email for a few hours and if you are that important you better make a LOT more than I do.
I found the video funny and would actually laugh at the sense of humor in that out of office message.
She, if I recall, had a few comments from people when she got back regarding her words (she was on annual leave on holiday, it wasn’t a family emergency or anything that might excuse the tone). It rubbed quite a few people up the wrong way (most of them parents themselves!). Don’t recall more of an outcome though, I wasn’t at that firm long.
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Thank you for your email. Our offices are closed until [date]. If it’s something you need urgent assistance, Contact [Name] on [phone number] or [Email]
B037 Wasserstein Hall (WCC)1585 Massachusetts AvenueCambridge, MA02138Phone: 617-495-0722Hours: 8:00am - 5:30pm M-FHLS Services Hub Using OWA: Login to your mailbox by going to outlook.office365.com On the menu bar on the right-hand side, click on the gear icon and then click Automatic Replies (Note: The window can appear two different ways depending on the browser and if the screen is done loading) Select “Send automatic replies” Enter in your desired automatic reply message. You can also select “Send replies only during this time period” and set the start and end times if you’d like to set a specific time frame Optionally, if you would also like your automatic replies to be sent to people outside your organization, select “Send automatic reply messages to senders outside my organization” and then type the response you want to send while you are out of the office. Click OK at the top of the screen when you are finished Outlook for Windows: Open Outlook Click on the File tab in the upper left-hand corner, then select Automatic Replies (Out of Office) on the next screen. Select “Send automatic replies” Enter in your desired automatic reply message. You can also select “Only send during this time range:” and set your start and end times if you’d like to set a specific time frame. Optionally, if you’d like your automatic replies to be sent to people outside your organization, select the Outside My Organization (On) tab and then type the response you want to send while you are out of the office. Check “Send automatic replies for account
I don’t think OP meant condescending to the person’s teammates so much as condescending to the reader. The person over-explains each option and I can see how it would read as ‘wow, you are really dumb and obviously need some handholding to figure out simple decision-making!’ That likely wasn’t the intent, I understand, but I get why people might take it that way.
How you end a letter is important. It’s your last chance to make a good first impression on your reader. Choose the wrong closing, and you might damage the goodwill you have built up in the rest of your communication.