Every November without fail, when I take a week off for deer season, I start my OOO with “GONE HUNTIN’!”
Chances are, you’re taking at least one day off in the coming week. Here’s how, and why, to produce an out-of-office reply that will delight the people emailing you. “Thanks for your message. I’m out of the office for the holidays from Dec. 24-Jan. 2. I’ll respond to your message as soon as I can upon my return. If your message is urgent, please contact (INSERT NAME HERE). It’s benign, and it’s safe. For many people, the example above adheres to “corporate guidelines.” In fact, some companies have templates for out-of-office replies. If you don’t have to adhere to corporate guidelines (strictly), please consider a little creativity with your message. Here’s why: To read the full story, log in. Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content. Sign up today Already a member? Log in here. Learn more about Ragan Insider. Terms of Use | Today's Headlines I accept Terms of Use Topics Social Media Media Relations Crisis Communications Marketing Writing & Editing Health Care What We Do Awards Consulting Custom Workshops Events Host an event Speak at an event Sponsorship White Papers Guidebooks Memberships Ragan Insider Ragan Training Communications Leadership Council Social Media Council Crisis Leadership Network Web Sites Ragan Communications Communications Week Ragan's Workplace Wellness Podcasts About Us About PR Daily Contact Us Receive our newsletter Crisis Comms Briefing FAQ Privacy Policy Site Map Store Follow Us Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Instagram RSS YouTube Forgot your password? Log In Submit Send recovery email Forgot to set up an account? Set it up now. Having trouble? Contact [email protected] or 1-800-878-5331 Trouble logging in? Contact [email protected] or 1-800-878-5331 Login × LOG IN Forgot to set up an account? Set it up now. Trouble logging in? Contact [email protected] or 1-800-878-5331 Create Account × Having trouble? Contact [email protected] or 1-800-878-5331 Setup Password × Having trouble? Contact [email protected] or 1-800-878-5331
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No difference! “I’ll be out of the office” is what I use. I find “away from my desk” a little too available, as if I’m only out for an appointment, but I think either one works.
That’s weird! I would specifically not say maternity leave, since I don’t want to invite a lot of questions about the birth, baby, etc. when I come back to work. Just let me focus on catching up on my job! (I work with a lot of external clients, though. Internal-only would be different.)
One of the real joys this holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you and wish you the very best for the new year. Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year. Wishing you the gifts of the season — Peace, Joy, Hope. Merry Christmas.
So from [date] to [date], I am going to be laid out in the sun catching a tan and reading a book.
By providing this information for anyone who tries to contact you, it ensures important emails don’t go unnoticed or ignored.
I once worked somewhere that required an all-office email if you were going to be late, if you had an appointment, etc. I hated that. No one needed to know I was going to the dentist, but it was policy so I did it.
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The big issue I have with the example in the post is that not only is it unnecessarily long-winded, but you have to listen through all the chattiness to get to the “here’s who to contact in a real emergency” part. The tone does rub me wrong, but I’m willing to roll with that as a personality/company culture thing.
It’s that time of the year again and you are all set to kick back and enjoy the holiday season. The season to be jolly is just about to begin and you can hardly wait to spend some quality time with your near and dear ones. Bet you can already smell the Thanksgiving turkey and hear the kids singing Christmas carols outside your window, can’t you? All this excitement means you’ll probably end up applying for leaves from work pretty soon or that your company will shut down for the holidays. Either way, feel free to pick up any of the below out-of-office messages to let the people know that you are on a hiatus. Bare Bones A basic out-of-office message should be able to convey three things, namely, the exact dates when you will be unavailable, an alternative contact to reach out to for immediate attention and lastly, when you will be back at your desk to resume business as usual. Hello, Thank you for your email. I’m currently on leave from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY with limited access to emails. For any urgent matters, you can write to [email protected] or wait till I’m back on DD/MM/YYYY for my response. Best, Something Extra Given that the holiday season is a time when people like to splurge, you may want to add a bit about having a sale or product discounts in the body of the mail. This way you can quickly engage with customers and offer them something in return for the inconvenience caused. Dear Sir/Madam, Thank you for your email. I’m off on vacation from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY. You can expect a prompt reply when I’m back to duty on DD/MM/YYYY. If your query needs immediate attention, you can write to [email protected]. By the way, if you’re looking for a great gift this holiday season, check out our online store(www.yourbusiness.com/offer) for the latest offers. Cheers, Holiday Traffic As a business, every brand out there is going to be doing something different to ring in the holiday season. It might be a new landing page filled with offers or a blog post about what to get kids for Christmas without disappointing them. Whatever may be the case, an out-of-office message is a good cue to redirect some of that busy traffic, out of your inbox and onto your website. Hi there! You’ve caught me at the wrong time. I’m out-of-office from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY. Right now, I’m somewhere on a boat, fishing with my family. I won’t be able to reply to your email till I’m back on DD/MM/YYYY. For emergencies, you can reach out to [email protected]. Meanwhile, you can take a look at www.yourbusiness.com/blog for intriguing articles that may pique your interest. Warm regards, Meet and Greet The Holiday season doesn’t always mean you’re out on vacation. If you’re among the people who work really hard, even during the holiday season, chances are you might be attending a conference or a business meeting out of town. In such cases, you can include the details of the event you’re attending in the autoresponder email and turn it into a networking opportunity. Hey, Bad news is that I’m currently out-of-office from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY. I have limited access to emails and will get back to you by DD/MM/YYYY. Good news is that I’m on my way to attend ‘Event Name’. If you happen to be at the same conference, be sure to visit me at Exhibit # for a quick catch up. Thanks and regards, Product Preview Every customer interaction can become a sales opportunity. Believe it or not, it can be true for situations when you’re not at your desk as well. Along with the out-of-office message, you can add two lines about a standout feature or benefit of your product that will immediately catch the eye of your audience. Hello, Looks like you just missed me. I’m out-of-office from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY on a camping trip with my buddies. Hopefully, I’ll be back by DD/MM/YYYY and will reply to your email then. For any urgent issues, you can write to [email protected]. Did you email me about ? If you did, you can find out all about it here – www.yourbusiness.com/product. Pro tip? It can increase your revenue by 3x and help you manage your team better at the same time. Regards, Social Butterfly Social media is bursting at the seams with posts that celebrate the holiday season. If your business has an active social channel that generates great content, then you should make a mention of it in the out-of-office message. This way you’ll gain more followers on social media and your customers can be delighted with warm wishes. It’s a win-win! Hi there, This is an automated message. I’m currently unavailable at work from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY. If your query can wait, I’ll be back on DD/MM/YYYY and would be glad to take this conversation further. If not, you can reach out to me colleague at [email protected]. Don’t let my absence stop you from getting what you want. Stay on top of our latest promotions by following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok. Use #YourBusiness and get a chance to be featured on our social media pages. Best, Sense of Holiday A good sense of humor never goes out of fashion. A hilarious autoresponder email can break the monotony and put a smile on your customer’s face. You can reference a popular TV series or legends like Batman to drive the point home. After all, who doesn’t like a Batman reference? Hey there, Oops, you’ve reached me at an inconvenient time. I’m off duty from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY and will be able to respond to your email when I’m back on DD/MM/YYYY. If your request is urgent, you can reach out to my partner in crime at [email protected]. Believe me, she’s like Batgirl to my Bruce Wayne at the office. Warm regards, Ode of Office Traditional out-of-office messages are so 2018. 2019 is all about entertaining your customers and adding value to each interaction. A ballad or an ode can be an excellent addition to an out-of-office message. You can surprise your email senders and make a memorable impact even while you’re away from work. Hello, Many Thanks, Packed with Emojis New Age tech is all about how you make someone feel. With that said, plain text notes can be a drag to read. Consider the use of emojis to amp up your EQ and create a unique impression with your out-of-office message. Hi, Shucks, you’re out of luck. I’m out-of-office on a (family emoji) excursion from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY. I have limited access to (email emoji) and will be able to reply to you when I’m back on DD/MM/YYYY. For a (rocket emoji) response, you can write to [email protected]. Regards, Mamma Mia Working mums are the Wonder Women of enterprises. You can insert a sweet statement into your out-of-office message announcing your maternity leave to let the people catch wind of your pregnancy. This way, people reaching out to you will be thrilled to see you back in office for a whole other reason. Dear Sir/Madam, I’m out-of-office on maternity leave from DD/MM/YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY. The stork is on its way with my little angel and I wouldn’t want to miss it for the world. I’ll probably be back by DD/MM/YYYY and will be able to write back to you then. If you can’t wait that long, you can write to [email protected] for a faster response.
I’ve never been a fan of the ones where people basically say “I’m working, but super busy right now, so I won’t get to your email for X (hours, days, whatever). Like, are you THAT busy.
I mean, sometimes I put up an OOO because I’m on vacation and not checking email. Sometimes I put one up because I’m travelling for work and will only have sporadic access to my laptop, but might get to check once or twice a day. In my role, it’s important to make that distinction. Maybe it’s not so important for other people.
“We went to New Zealand and I informed everyone in my [out of office] that I was ‘bungee jumping in Queenstown’, which seemed like what I should do in Queenstown,” the reader said.
Your out of office message can link to testimonials from your happy clients. For those of us in travel, you could try something like:
Basically, email replies usually follow the normal pattern of writing professional emails. You may have to begin with an acknowledgment of the last email before replying the questions in the email. Each question should be answered in a separate paragraph. Home / out of office christmas holiday message sample / out of office message bank holiday sample
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