work email etiquette question

[Anonymous]

How often do you send "thanks" emails to people?

I don't have direct reports, but I frequently need information from others (who are often located at other sites/cities) to do my job. As a result, to maintain good relations, if I ask people for something and they send it to me, I will often, but not always, reply with a email saying thanks. I have read that some people think that getting these emails is a complete waste of time, but my sense was that where I work I tend to fall somewhere in the middle of the excessive/polite email spectrum.

Is this something where I should trust my gut sense about workplace culture (although with worksites across the country I think different sites/coworkers probably have different expectations), or should I drop all the "thanks" emails? Is it a generational thing, where the tech dinosaurs are the only ones who still do this (or use the phone)?

Just curious...

[Anonymous]

I think that if I am reporting up the chain, a "thanks" is useful to know that my work was received by my boss. But otherwise, I hate peer to peer and meaningless thanks emails. But in your case, you might be using it appropriately. Just my two cents.

[Freeman]

If I receive something that was requested, such as information, documents, etc., I'll usually respond with something like "Thanks", just like I would say thanks if I asked someone to hand me something in person. It also serves the useful purpose of documenting that the email was received, should the question ever come up. If it is just a back and forth conversation, or nothing actually being passed in the email, then I don't think it necessary. I generally follow the rule of thumb that says to only say it in an email if you would also say it in person.(Ex: "Can you hand me that file? Thanks.")

[Anonymous]

I always say thank you - at least that way the person knows their email with needed info was received and appreciated. For older employees I write out at least a sentence, for youngers I'll literally just write, "Thank you!"

[Anonymous]

A thank you in an email goes a long way. It is respectful and appreciative. My guess is that if peole ask for information from someone in a higher up position, they are more likely to say thank you than to a subordinate. Am I wrong? Respect goes a long way whether to a superior or a subordinate. Everyone is deserving.

[Anonymous]

How much time could possibly be wasted by reading the word "thanks"? I think it's simple courtesy.

[Anonymous]

Freeman wrote:If I receive something that was requested, such as information, documents, etc., I'll usually respond with something like "Thanks", just like I would say thanks if I asked someone to hand me something in person. It also serves the useful purpose of documenting that the email was received, should the question ever come up. If it is just a back and forth conversation, or nothing actually being passed in the email, then I don't think it necessary. I generally follow the rule of thumb that says to only say it in an email if you would also say it in person.(Ex: "Can you hand me that file? Thanks.")

I pretty much do the same as outlined above. I'm 40ish - if it matters. It is generally accepted in my organization (large, international) that you thank someone for sending something you've requested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often do you send "thanks" emails to people?

I don't have direct reports, but I frequently need information from others (who are often located at other sites/cities) to do my job. As a result, to maintain good relations, if I ask people for something and they send it to me, I will often, but not always, reply with a email saying thanks. I have read that some people think that getting these emails is a complete waste of time, but my sense was that where I work I tend to fall somewhere in the middle of the excessive/polite email spectrum.

Is this something where I should trust my gut sense about workplace culture (although with worksites across the country I think different sites/coworkers probably have different expectations), or should I drop all the "thanks" emails? Is it a generational thing, where the tech dinosaurs are the only ones who still do this (or use the phone)?

Just curious...

My boss told me the first week I worked for her not to send her "thanks" messages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much time could possibly be wasted by reading the word "thanks"? I think it's simple courtesy.

Agreed. Some people just like to find things to get cranky about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A thank you in an email goes a long way. It is respectful and appreciative. My guess is that if peole ask for information from someone in a higher up position, they are more likely to say thank you than to a subordinate. Am I wrong? Respect goes a long way whether to a superior or a subordinate. Everyone is deserving.

You are so right. I know of some who extend the courtesy to their superiors, but not subordinates. Not cool.

[Anonymous]

Like others, my suggestion is to say thank you when you mean it. Just remember it isn't like a holiday gift exchange. You say thanks and they say thanks. Enough!

[Anonymous]

I think it depends on the amount of communication you process (email, text, phone) in a given day. If I get a deliverable internally, I never/rarely send thanks, unless it warrants additional communication, but I process hundreds of internal exchanges on a given day. I may send a kudos email later, but I don't routinely acknowledge receipt of work products.

External PR/communication is different and requires closing the loop sometimes. I play it by ear based on the person. Folks processing lots of emails don't want a "thank you" receipt as it just clutters the work process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Freeman wrote:If I receive something that was requested, such as information, documents, etc., I'll usually respond with something like "Thanks", just like I would say thanks if I asked someone to hand me something in person. It also serves the useful purpose of documenting that the email was received, should the question ever come up. If it is just a back and forth conversation, or nothing actually being passed in the email, then I don't think it necessary. I generally follow the rule of thumb that says to only say it in an email if you would also say it in person.(Ex: "Can you hand me that file? Thanks.")

I pretty much do the same as outlined above. I'm 40ish - if it matters. It is generally accepted in my organization (large, international) that you thank someone for sending something you've requested.

Similarly, I will say "thank you" if I have asked someone for the information, or they sent me something particularly useful, or there's some comment I wish to make about it. On the other hand, I get hundreds of emails a day, and I work with someone who sends me a "thank you" response every time I forward an "fyi" type email, and I do find it a bit annoying. Not enough to tell them to stop doing it, however. It does just seem to be a waste of everyone's time. I know that, if I sent a response to every single email I get, I would never do anything else. I have a hard enough time keeping up with the ones that require a substantive response.

[Anonymous]

One of the email etiquette tips that we teach at www.Emailogic.com is to use email subject line prefixes or suffixes so a simple "Thanks EOM" would indicate a thank you but the recipient would not need to open up the email to get the message.

Here is an example "RE: Meeting booked at four o clock - Thanks EOM"

In this case EOM means End of Message

For more email etiquette tips please read our blog http://www.emailogic.com/blog.asp