Email Etiquette

I wrote this some time ago, and I think it's useful. Obviously this is not a proper blog entry, but somewhere to put something in case I mislay it.

Email Etiquette

Or

How To Win Over Your Colleagues.

I didn't know what email address to get you on, but try this out for size, (I realise some or all of this might be teaching you to suck eggs, but it'll work out quicker for me to just give you the basics of how I approach written communication in the office and you can use what you want and ask me for more if you feel like it.)

To start with, I invariably divide my recipients into two categories: my customers and my colleagues. In both cases I maintain a knowledge of their level of authority, who else is privy to the content and my relationship to that person, eg: I have a very friendly, bantering working relationship with a customer in Essex, to the point where I we will both happily abuse each other. However another customer in the same company the next county over? I wouldn't dream of even referring to any level of insult, and would only ever refer to them by their title as asked by me when taking the call (in other words the former customer I call such names as 'psycho nutbag, crazy lady, mental scary person stop trying to put me off my damned job FFS!" whereas the latter would be their first name only).

Salutations in decreasing terms of formality

My customers
Dear Sir / Madam,

Dear Mr / Miss / Mrs surname

Dear firstname, Dear Mr / Miss / Mrs surname

Hello Mr / Miss / Mrs surname

Hello firstname

Hi firstname

My colleagues
Hello firstname

Hi firstname

In this instance I use 'hello' for a more formal email such as a request for assistance with a technical problem or if I am contacting a colleague with whom I don't often work with such as a sales rep; and use 'hi' for my friends in the office here, when I know the person/s well or if I want to lighten the tone of my email.

Subject

In the Subject field I make an effort to make the details informative but clear. An example is asking for assistance with a product. One I sent today was "[full product brand name] - [customer's account number] [customer store name]". I do this not only to assist the recipient because they can then see from the subject alone and know what my email will be about, but also to help me file my emails at a later date, to locate an email quickly should I need to refer back to it, and use the search function on text within the subject when looking through a large email folder for particular details.

Another type of subject I've sent is "Customer Support Reference Guide" which is an email I've sent to my technical team asking for their input on a document I'm writing.

Body of text

This is the body of text for the Reference Guide email:
"I am looking to put together a reference guide for the whole of Customer Support, both as an at-a-glance form and more detailed guide. Please could you let me know what you feel should be the main entries in this guide, such as PQE sets, abbreviations etc."

I've told them what I'm doing, what I'd like from them and given them examples.

Needless to say, I always make the most effort to ensure what I've written is not only coherent, clear and paragraphed and/or sectioned for ease of reading (look at how I've laid this email out), but that I've shown a level of care over my work in terms of grammar, spelling and punctuation (yeah, yeah, you know me and I know you and this is something we don't need telling!).

However, if you really want to make sure you've covered your derriere, turn the spellchecker on so it checks every email you send before it actually lets it fly into the ether. I've told lots of my colleagues this and they realise it offers them a sort of comfort blanket to know there's built-in assistance.

Etiquette

Etiquette is another 'sucking eggs' bit.

Avoid CAPITALISATIONS THROUGHOUT YOUR EMAIL BECAUSE YOU'RE BELLOWING AT THE POOR PERSON.

Avoid txt spk cos were not lolcats or hooded chavvy morons rofl!!11!

Avoid kissing. Keep it professional sweetie xxx

Endings

I use a whole variety of endings:

Cheers

Regards

Kind regards

Kindest regards

With regards

With kind regards

With kindest regards

Yours

Yours etc.

Thanks

Thank-you

Many thanks

Many thanks in advance

Many thanks in advance for your assistance

My choice of which one I use depends of the recipient/s and the type of email I've written. Again, this is where I remain concious of my email as a whole and choose the most appropriate for the context. Remaining concious of the context also demonstrates your consideration for your work and shows you care about your role (yes, I know this may go over the heads of so many but it gives me peace of mind and if one person notices it then they've recognised your efforts and may even appreciate it).

To that end (for now?) this is a typical email (copied verbatim from my sent items folder):

Hello Everyone,
Over the coming months I am offering assistance on a 1-2-1 basis to help increase your confidence when processing technical orders. So far, people have reported feeling happier speaking to customers with [technical term removed] and the number of errors made has been greatly reduced.

Please let me know by return email if you would like to take advantage of this and a timeslot will be scheduled in the diary for you.

Kind regards,

Sahara Desert

It was done in my capacity as the technical team co-ordinator to the whole of the Customer Support department. The group address I used means that along with my fellow workers, my email was seen by all the Team Leaders, the three other departments, their manager and the two previously-mentioned managers' manager, who is senior management level (by which I mean the next person up the chain is the MD). In this case, I drafted it, made sure I was happy with it then asked my Team Leader to proof it for me before I sent it 'for real'.

Checklist

Read the email through before you send it.

Make sure you are happy with it.

Ask yourself, "would I like to receive an email written like this?".

Salutation (level of authority and audience)

Subject field

Grammar

Punctuation & Paragraphs

Spelling

Ending

Use of capitals when appropriate

No text language, smiley faces or kisses

Check the destination of the message in the address fields (To, CC & BCC) - beware of replying to all and invading other people's inboxes.