'I’m away from my desk at the moment but will respond the moment they give me a desk' (Credit: Getty Images)
“There is something especially cruel about advocating for your boundaries while disrespecting other peoples.”
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The science fiction writer John Scalzi says “The failure mode of clever is asshole,” which seems to apply here.
I am not able to set OOO messages at all. Most of the people who are contacting me do so through custom aliases that then come to our team, who each handles specifics. Even if I’m out someone else is available, but I can’t know who is supposed to handle that specific email to be able to redirect without naming everyone, and then confusing things more when Client A gets the same reply as Client B but one needs to go to teammate C and the other to teammates D & E. Then to make just that bit more complicated, there are the clients who think that going around the system to email the teammates directly at our personal email addresses is better but pitch a hissy when we’re OOO but they didn’t get a notice? I just set rules to forward those.
Everybody wants to feel needed. It’s always best to set an automatic out-of-office response when you know you won’t have access to your inbox. Take advantage of the examples we’ve shown you and done right, this is a fantastic way to boost loyalty and gain e-commerce sales without being too pushy. Design a message that is funny or thoughtful to help you stand out from the crowd!
Think about a soon-to-be-ex-colleague that really could do with some extra enquiries forwarded their way (call it 'paying it forward').
Which is why the workers who do have the ability, whether through place within the hierarchy or company culture, should not squander it. In fact, they should recognize the OOO as an opportunity to model and normalize organizational or even industry-wide guardrails (as opposed to bullshit feebly-maintained ‘boundaries’). It’s why, starting this summer, we need to embrace the blunt, descriptive OOO message.
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Website: https://smartonhold.com.au/business-christmas-message-script-request-2/
Thank you for emailing me. I am currently out of the office, with no email access. I will be returning on [DATE]. If you need immediate assistance before then, you may reach me at my mobile [PHONE]. Kind Regards.
I’ll be sure to reply to your message when I wade through my inbox upon my return. If your message is time sensitive, please send an email to [contact name] at [contact email].
Using email copy creatively can go miles when using an autoresponder. The mundane, repetitive language is the number one reason behind people sighing and not the unavailability of the concerned person. Getting creative with the email copy can de-escalate the frustration and even put a smile on their face. Everyone needs a break, and words can convey it beautifully like this example.
Ha reminds me of an admin here once who would leave like 10 bullet points on who to contact for what. We got a kick out of the point that was “for catering emergencies…contact…”.
For non-urgent inquiries during my absence, you can contact [Name] at [email] or [phone number], and they will be happy to assist.
Website: https://smartonhold.com.au/business-christmas-message-script-request-2/
Businesses can create offline messages in REVE Chat to keep their customers informed about their business hours and guide them towards getting a faster response.
Thanks for your email. I will be away from the office until September 13th and will respond as soon as I can.