Page 7 - July 2021 Track N Times

OPERATIONS UPDATES

EMAIL WRITING ETIQUETTE
Carol Schlenz, Manager Operations Administrative Services

I wrote this article in March 2019, shortly after all field employees were issued a Loram email. With the reoccurrenc-
es of people “replying all” when not appropriate, I thought it would be a good time to publish again.

Reading and writing emails takes up a significant portion of our workday. Here are some tips on writing effective
emails.

1. Do have a clear subject line. Having a clear subject line, the more likely your message will be read.

2. Don’t forget your signature. Every email should include a signature that identifies you to the recipient. Also
include your contact information so the recipient doesn’t have to look you up if they need to call you. This is es-
pecially important if you are sending an email from a machine and multiple people may be sending communica-
tions.
3. Do use a professional salutation. Using “Hey” or “Yo” is not professional. A better option would be to use
“Hi” or “Hello”.
4. Don’t use humor. Humor doesn’t translate well via email. What you think is funny has a good chance of being
misinterpreted by the other party. When in doubt, leave humor out of business communications.
5. Do proofread your message. Don’t be surprised if you’re judged by the way you compose an email. Poor
spelling and grammar could make you look sloppy or careless.

6. Don’t assume the recipient knows what you are talking about. Your recipient may receive 100’s of
emails a day. If there is a “chain” of emails, keep the history in your reply. Also, don’t send a “one liner”; use
complete sentences to avoid confusion.
7. Do reply to all emails. Give a timely and polite reply to each legitimate email sent you. Even if you do not
have an answer at the moment, take a second to write a response letting the sender know you received their
email. Also, inform the sender if their email was sent to the wrong recipient.
8. Don’t shoot from the lip. Never send an angry email or give a quick, flip response. Give your message some
thoughtful consideration before sending it. If you feel angry, put your message into the “drafts” folder, review it
again later when you are calmer and have time to formulate an appropriate response.
9. Don’t drink and email! If you choose to have an alcoholic beverage when not at work (i.e. catching up while
off duty at your hotel), don’t make the mistake of sending an email you might regret when your mind is 100%
clear.
10. Do keep private material confidential. It is far too easy to share emails, even inadvertently. If you have to
share highly personal or confidential information, do so in person or over the phone. Ask permission before
posting sensitive material either in the body of the email or in an attachment.
Finally – be careful when replying to an email– should you choose “Reply” or “Reply All”. Whether sending a
personal email or a business email, you don’t want to be put in an awkward position for making the wrong choice.
Also, does all 100 people sent the email need to see your reply to the original sender? We often receive company-
wide emails. Don’t clog up people’s inbox unnecessarily.

(Resources: www.entrepreneur.com, the Do’s and Don’ts of Email Etiquette by Jacqueline Whitmore.)

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