How many times do you receive formal work e-mails sent by business contacts you've never met, only to then be signed off with a friendly kiss (both female or male associates)? When it comes to e-mail etiquette, there's some cause for confusion. E-mail doesn't allow for the tone of voice to be conveyed, so what's in a kiss?
I recently received a call out of the blue from a complete stranger to discuss a work issue. Nothing unusual in that, as every day I'm bombarded with calls and e-mails from many different work contacts, but after talking about a potential feature idea for Personnel Today magazine and agreeing on a topic, this seemed to give this person the green light to follow up with a formal recap of our conversation in an e-mail, and to then sign-off with a friendly kiss...
Should I be offended? Is this just a harmless act to show that we've broken the formal business introduction? Or could this contact be relatively new to the world of work; part of the Generation Y population, brought up using social networking sites so views e-mail as a communication tool that can be used in a more casual way?
Comments (6)
Posted by Gareth | December 3, 2007 3:48 PM
I haven’t been fortunate/unfortunate enough to have people dishing out cyber kisses other than my girlfriend, but much can be said for abbreviating names.
I have had many people take the liberty of shortening my name from Gareth to Gary after only one email correspondence, I have even had G!
I would prefer super G, but I guess I really don’t mind what people call me as long as there isn’t a swear word to follow the name.
I have had contacts named Louise signing off Loo after one call, which can sometimes take the business edge off a bit.
Posted on December 3, 2007 15:48
Posted by HRWench | December 3, 2007 7:26 PM
Ok you have lost me on this one. Maybe this isn't translating across the pond to my American brain. Do you mean when people write "xoxoxo"? To me that means "kiss, hug, kiss, hug...." etc and I've never had a work email to or from me contain it. Is this the phenomenon of which you speak?
Posted on December 3, 2007 19:26
Posted by Natalie Cooper | December 4, 2007 5:15 PM
Hello HR Wench,
In response to your comment, yes it is the phenomenon of which I speak but with a slight difference. Here in the UK, we don't use the xoxoxo friendly e-mail etiquette you refer too. In the UK, we only use xxxxxxx (lots of kisses).
Natalie
Posted on December 4, 2007 17:15
Posted by HRWench | December 4, 2007 5:52 PM
Thanks for the info!
xxxxx
HR Wench
:)
Posted on December 4, 2007 17:52
Posted by Steve Miller | December 7, 2007 1:22 PM
I actually quite like the odd xx when I have developed a business relationship with someone.
But I like a hug more xxxxx
Posted on December 7, 2007 13:22
Posted by Tracy | December 12, 2007 3:06 PM
It's not just e-mail familiarity that really gets on my wick - it's those unsolicited phone calls from people who want to know how your day is going or if you had a good weekend! I even had one caller opening up on 14th February with "Hi Tracy, Happy Valentine's Day!" I thought this was particularly offensive as I might have just been dumped, have been a desparately seeking single or just going through a messy divorce! Whatever happened to being professionally polite and courteous?!
Posted on December 12, 2007 15:06