A reader writes:
I’ve a low stakes query, however it irritates me to no finish. I’ve three colleagues who all insist on writing the physique of their e-mail within the topic line (except it doesn’t match, wherein case it will likely be half within the topic and half within the physique of the e-mail).
The topic line will probably be one thing like, “Hello Barry, I must course of a purchase order order ASAP for pink elephants and we solely have a product code for blue elephants. Are you able to arrange a code for pink elephants right this moment and let me know when completed”
Physique of e-mail: screenshot of the blue elephant code, or left clean with solely their e-mail signature.
I discover this horribly unprofessional, impolite, and tough to learn! Am I being a stick within the mud? Can I say one thing with out coming throughout because the etiquette police? Is e-mail etiquette coaching a factor I can request for these individuals? For information, these individuals are tough to take care of anyway — sluggish to reply except it aids them not directly, every thing is pressing, in the event that they do write a correct e-mail it’s spelled incorrect and infrequently ends midway by means of a sentence, nothing follows course of, and so on. — and to me this simply screams “EXCUSE ME I AM IMPORTANT AND BUSY THEREFORE I CANNOT WRITE AN EMAIL LIKE A NORMAL PERSON.” For context, I’m a 20something lady and they’re all middle-aged males.
I don’t suppose it’s unprofessional, per se, however I agree it’s annoying and tough to learn.
Why do individuals do that? I don’t know. It’s not an enormous deal if the whole e-mail may be very quick — like in the event that they stick “received the draft, thanks!” within the topic line and there’s nothing within the physique, high quality. I nonetheless don’t adore it since you’ve received to open the e-mail to see if there’s extra inside that you should learn and it nonetheless raises the query of why they really feel the necessity to do it that means however high quality, it’s a recognized emailing model some individuals use. However when it’s prolonged or a number of sentences, WHY?
However except you’re their boss, it is best to let it go. It doesn’t rise to the extent of one thing it is best to attempt to tackle — except it’s really making your job tougher (not simply barely extra annoying), wherein case you would say, “May you place lengthy messages within the physique of the e-mail, not the topic line? The e-mail program on my telephone cuts off half your message once you do it this manner.” However in any other case, it is best to file this beneath the umbrella of “annoying coworker peccadilloes with no actual answer.”
