Email Etiquette: Stop these Annoying Email Practices

We're all swimming in email, so we owe it to our fellow emailers to be the least annoying we can. Here are several annoying email practices to stop, to improve your email etiquette.

Writing a bad subject line

The worst subject line is no subject line. Take a few seconds to write a meaningful one. Summarize the message, so the recipient can tell at a glance why you're emailing. It could mean the difference between their reading it and ignoring it. For specific examples, check out How to Write Good Subject Lines.

Ignoring questions

When replying to emails that contain several questions, people frequently answer one or two and ignore the rest. This leads to wasted time and more back-and-forth. Before you hit send, re-read the email you’re replying to, and make sure you’re answering all the questions. If you’re replying to more than one email, be sure to read them all to respond to all the questions posed in all the emails.

If you're sending multiple questions in an email, try to make it easy for the recipient by putting them in a numbered list at the end of the email.

Taking over 24 hours to reply

Most people expect a reply within 24 hours on weekdays, so don’t leave them waiting. Of course, if your job requires you to reply more quickly (such as tech support or customer service), that's a different story.

I like to count the 24 hours within business days. So, if I get an email at 3:44 on Monday, I try to reply by 3:44 PM on Tuesday. If I get an email at 3:44 on Friday, I try to reply by 3:44 PM on Monday (the next business day).

If you can't fully reply within 24 hours, at least tell the sender you received it, and say when you plan to get back to them. For example,

It's good to hear from you, Josh! I won't have time to answer all these questions today, but I'll get back to you by Thursday. If it's critical that I reply sooner, please let me know.

When you're the sender, it's a good practice to tell recipients when you need them to reply. If you can wait 3 days or a week, let the recipient know so they don't feel rushed to reply. It's best to put this at the top of the email (or in the subject line), so they see it right away. For example, if I email someone on Friday afternoon, I might start with this:

David, this can wait until Monday. Enjoy your weekend! I'd like to talk about the Southeastern Alliance project …

Not using blind copy (BCC)

One of the easiest way to show disrespect for recipients is to include their email address along dozens of others in a mass email. Instead, you should use blind copy (BCC) for two main reasons: privacy and security.

Using BCC protects the privacy of recipients, especially those who don’t know each other. Most people are protective of their email addresses, and don’t want them given to strangers.

Using BCC is better for security, because it limits the spread of malware by email. If just one person has malware on their machine, or their account is hacked, that email full of strangers' email addresses is an easy target for harvesting addresses.

Not using auto-reply

When you'll be out of the office for a day or more, set your auto-reply. I’ve had people who were absent for a week or more, leaving me wondering if they’re ignoring me. Then they get back and apologize for being gone. You don’t need to apologize for being gone; just let people know that you’re gone.

You get bonus points for informing people about your upcoming absence ahead of time, for those you’ve been emailing recently. For example, I'll tack onto the end of an email,

Advance note: I'll be out of the office Oct 9-15. During that time I'll be checking email occasionally and keeping projects moving with my team, but I’ll personally be working very little.

Introducing people without notice

Making introductions by email can be awkward. Even more awkward is when Person A introduces Stranger to Person B, and Person B now feels obligated to reply even if they'd rather not interact with Stranger.

It's better to ask a person if they're open to the introduction. For example,

Melody, I recently talked to Jane Garvelink about her new executive coaching program. Given our conversation a few months ago, I thought you might find it useful. Would you mind if I made an email introduction?

What annoys you?

Do any of these annoy you? What other email practices annoy you? Leave a comment.

Featured image by David Goehring

Filed Under: 
Tagged With: 

Want tips to rocket-boost your website?

Simply sign up.

4 comments on “Email Etiquette: Stop these Annoying Email Practices”

  1. Hi Chad,

    I feel that writing vague subject lines often irritates the reader. The subject line, which when used correctly can help your recipient find the information in your e-mail in the future. The subject line, which when used correctly can help your recipient find the information in your e-mail in the future. You also annoy people if you have anti-spam software that requires senders to prove that they are not spammers by filling out a CAPTCHA form before their messages to you will go through. Thanks for sharing.

  2. Indeed, even I additionally feel affront when somebody send me email along many individuals.I like the method for presentation, most ideal approach to present yourself first.

Ready to Blast Off?

Let's talk.

Contact OptimWise
crossmenuarrow-right