So, like, I just found out that employees spilled the beans on the top work email rule you might be breaking, and apparently, it could totally be wrecking your relationships. Reddit peeps mostly agreed that not saying hi at the start of an email is considered rude, ya know? This one user, @mkaym1993, asked how others felt when they got an email that just dove right into the convo without any intro.
And guess what? Most of them were like, “Um, no thanks.” They think it’s kinda rude if you start an email with someone’s name and a comma, like: “John, could I get an update on this? Ben.” No ‘Hi’ or ‘Dear’ or anything, and no sign-off either. They even said that if you reply in the same abrupt way, the other person might think you’re being rude, even though you’re just matching their vibe.
But wait, is it just them? Or do people actually prefer that straight-to-the-point style? Spoiler alert: it’s not just them. Other Reddit users agreed that skipping a hello can set a harsh tone.
And then there was this other person who said, “I wouldn’t say rude, but it’s abrupt and not a good tone. If you’re tight with the person, then maybe it’s cool. But I wouldn’t do it with someone I don’t know well.”
So, yeah, being too abrupt can make it seem like you’re not really feeling the other person or the stuff they sent you, or like you’re ordering them around, ya know? And even if you’re super nice IRL, skipping the pleasantries can make it seem like you’re about to throw down.
One person even said, “It’s not rude, but those little rapport-building pleasantries are like the grease that helps keep things moving smoothly, and people might not be as quick to help you if you always come off so abrupt, especially right off the bat.”
But hey, not everyone’s on the same page. Some peeps think we’re all getting too caught up in email etiquette. One person was like, “Chill out, just send the email and move on. If you’re texting someone, you wouldn’t stress about all this structure and niceties, right?”
But hey, skipping the niceties isn’t the only thing that can rub people the wrong way in an email. Most folks agreed that saying “just checking in” is like, the worst thing you can write.
Like, according to this etiquette expert, Jenny Dreizen, using that phrase is basically like screaming into the void. She said, “When we’re emailing, we gotta be super straightforward. And ‘just checking in’? It does nada and comes off kinda passive-aggressive, TBH.”
Instead, she suggested swapping it out for something more direct, like, “Wanted to know how progress was going on [action item].” But like, maybe throw in a “Hi” first, you know?
