Please note I am currently out of the office, please reach out to [email protected] for any kind of assistance.
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The boss’s thinking was that people who did drivebys looking for you would then email you, see your OOO, and then be able to call you to talk about whatever they were driving by for. No one liked putting their personal contact info so we never worked from home (pre-COVID and pre-VOIP implementation) or told people to IM us and we’d call them.
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Leaving an email without a responder can appear unprofessional, lose potential business and, worst of all, make you look like Scrooge!
I didn’t actually put that in my maternity leave out-of-office, but it is what I did when I got back.
we had something similar at one phone-heavy place I used to work and it was actually extremely useful – everyone set their voicemail when they got in, and people would include if they were offsite (so worth ringing their mobile) or likely to be otherwise unreachable, and who to contact if your query was urgent. only took a minute to set, and was super useful to me as someone who had to talk to maybe 10-20 people on the phone in a day.
They weren’t saying that’s the entirety of their message, just that that’s the phrase they’re using instead of ‘out of office’
Even though you're not actually responding to the email, you still need to mind your Ps and Qs. After your greeting, add "Thanks for your email."
Two to three sentences is usually enough to tell recipients everything they need to know.
“Hi, Thank you for contacting me. I’m currently out of the office for a conference and will not be available until [date]. I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”
I want to be clear that I don’t think OOO responders are the solution to the larger problems of worker inequality or the broad American cultural attitudes that celebrate and encourage overwork. That would be silly. The big remedies for what ails modern work will likely require workers organizing and employers recognizing and granting protections. Large companies will have to stop prioritizing shareholder at the expense of their workers. I’m aware how unlikely this feels in practice and how a thoughtful auto reply email feels like applying a band-aid on a gunshot wound. I get it.
Here are some samples and templates of automatic reply messages across various scenarios.
Ta-da, you are done! You are one step closer to your vacation. Remember, just because you are away, it doesn’t mean you cannot make someone’s day with a funky OOO email!
Maintain transparent communication with customers and keep them informed in terms of managing their queries.By setting automated email messages, businesses can have continuous customer engagement via alternative channels.Customer value brands that deliver prompt responses. With auto reply messages, brands can acknowledge customer support requests that boost satisfaction.Best practices of creating auto reply messages
If you are reading this, it is because John Whatsisname cannot help you – he has left the company and no longer uses this email address.
Of course I’ll still be glad to hear from you – try me at this email: [insert email].