Mind Your Manners Monday: Email Etiquette

In this day in age, we are sad to say that Email has pretty much done away with traditional snail mail (who doesn't love getting letters in the mail?!). With that said, everyone should know the wrongs and rights of Email etiquette. 

When writing an email...

• Include the purpose of the email in the subject line. These days, there is so much spam mail being sent around that important emails often get lost in the shuffle; add a word or phrase to decipher your email from a spam email. 
• Include a friendly and appropriate greeting. Always. If it is to a superior or an adult, show respect by calling them Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss (Insert last name here). Always make sure the name of the person you are sending the email to is spelled correctly!
• Include all of the details necessary. You do not want to leave anything out and cause confusion. 
• Proof reading is so important. Use spell check! Read your email out loud to hear if it makes sense. Proper punctuation and capitalization is a must. Do not use shortened versions of words (i.e. text talk). 
• Multiple instances of "!!!" or "???" may be considered rude or disrespectful. Avoid that. 
• Check the address(es) you are sending the Email to before you send it. The last thing you want is to send your Email to the wrong person. 
• Don't beat around the bush. Keep emails brief and concise. 
• Sign your email courteously. (I.e. Sincerely, All the best, Best regards, Thank you, ect...)

Example: 

To: WMBostwick@gmail.com

Subject: Babysitting on 1/30

Dear Mrs. Bostwick, 

I hope all is well with you and the family! I just wanted to confirm that I will be able to babysit the kids on Monday, January 30th at 7:00pm. If that time or date changes, please let me know. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call me at ###-###-#### or send me an email to this email address. See you soon!

Sincerely, 

A

When responding to an email...

• Always include the proper greeting. Always be courteous and respectful. 
• If the person is asking you (a) question(s), answer all of them! Go through the email from them and read through sentence by sentence to make sure you address any question they may have for you. 
• If the person is doing you a favor, make sure to thank them! Show your appreciation. 
• Again, being clear with what you are writing is important. You do not want any of your responses to be misconstrued or misinterpreted. 
• Before sending, you must proof read what you have written and confirm that you are sending the message to the right Email address. 
• A proper closing is again required as previously mentioned. 

Example:

To: WMBostwick@gmail.com

Subject: Babysitting on 1/30

Hello Mrs. Bostwick, 

I'm glad to hear all is well in the Bostwick household! I have no problem coming to the house at 6pm, as opposed to 7pm on Monday, January 30th. Yes, I will have my car, so driving Lucy to ballet class will not be an issue. I appreciate you letting me know about the change of time. I look forward to seeing you and the rest of the family on Monday! 

Thank you, 

A

Keep minding your manners, ladies! 

xoxo, 

A+C