3. And, since it apparently means please do what it takes to fulfill my request, I have a feeling that, even if it translated well into English, itd still drive people up the wall. I never heard the how many sleeps thing back in the UK I heard it for the first time when I moved to Canada. Simply state the query, such as. No. I should also add that I appreciate reminders since Im disorganized and support too many projects. ", I love how the editors make my work so much better. Almost nothing makes me grind my teeth more. When writing an email to a person to get a time to discuss some thing, what would the correct and polite way of writing among the below two. :). Me, too. Well, often the reminder (friendly, gentle, otherwise) is for something totally annoying and bureaucratic, which no one wants to deal with, which is why they didnt respond in the first place. So I explained the situation and stated quite plainly what I wanted her to do. I read it as deferential. = Question Please tell me where you WENT. I dont feel bad about it one bit. I admit Ive never heard of this interpretation of that closing. But I think thats why he did it. YES!!! I dont use that often, but when I do its because people occasionally read past the question parts of emails or respond to 1 out of the 2 things I need them to answer. It would be annoying in the context of a yes/no question, for sure. Yeah, Ive used it when I feel like there is a big complicated tangle of a situation and Im having trouble writing a concise question about it. Mmmmkay?. It seems like, no matter what, there are phrases that really tick some people off. I actually had a conversation with my boss about this last week. The sender was supposed to gather enamel samples to base a decision on, but flaked on doing it. Yes, just a little reminder at the end of the email that you cant proceed without input. I cant see it however the email had the comment. So Id let this one go. + Read the full interview, I started to use TextRanch when I began to learn English. I also cant stand all caps in emails. I had a calculus teacher who said a combination of the words so um ok yeah every few sentences. Ok, now that I think more about it, I dont usually just write, Please advise. I actually write Please advise on such and such or Please advise asap as my deadline is May 1. Get perfection for short pieces of text in just a few minutes. PLEASE DONT REPLY ALL!!!. [.] This. Please advise (your dept.) Id never used the phrase please advise at the end of an e-mail until Current Job. This is the other circumstance where I use Please advise.. They havent been out plowing the fields; theyve been sitting under the picnic shelter in the shade with the rest of us! (Or would it? I use it most with people that are either above me or that I dont really know so Im erring on the side of reverential language. This is the kind of comparison Im thinking of. Yes, I have lots of thoughts about this. This! Fresh content for your texts, so you can be more professional. Me: OK, Ill pick some and have a draft for you to review next week. But I agree that its ineffective, and that adults should know better than to shoot the messenger. ;). Please let me know your preferred way of dealing with this. Of course, Id try to say it more diplomatically. ", Human who is reviewing my question not automated machine. One comment noted that please advise can be the equivalent of a punt: Heres this crappy thing Ive been trying to deal with. Example from today: Good morning SARA!! if you so wish. })(window, document); 2023 TextRanch, LLC. Then, if you ask me to please advise as to whether I agree with your proposed next steps, I am indeed happy to advise. How do you feel about putting those words in bold instead? Please let me know how you would like to proceed. Because it makes perfect sense in Spanish . Because signing off with NOW WHAT PLEASE HELP MEEEE would be inappropriate. What/how about Monday for lunch? I am reflecting that the phrase I hate to be a pest, but can also come off as passive aggressive. I agree that benefit of the doubt is important when reading emails just because tone can be hard to convey correctly sometimes, but it seems like an oxymoron to say dont read into tone that isnt there when you have no way to know what the tone is supposed to be aside from what you can grasp by the words the sender used. It is a shame April Fools Day has just been and gone, because you could have sent out a great email I am no longer going to be answering the question Can I ask you a question. It was almost like a rhetorical statement, since we all already knew the mistake had been made or the deadline had been missed. Some people either a) forget to put any subject, b) put a very generic one-word subject that I have twenty other emails with that same subject but for different topics, or c) put an entire novel in the subject. Any help would be . I think this is completely context dependent and I think it *can* be really passive aggressive. Make sense? Doesnt bother me much after that. All I can do it explain what the issue is and what our end need is, and ask them what our possible options are. Another is when I get an email that contains only call me. I only use this phrase when I am generally asking for advice, not in a snarky way. Because it is deferential, I would view it as an obnoxious phrase only if used by a manager to a direct report and not vice versa. I usually can get improvement by coaching them on this. I dont think I would even know what that meant. If we didn't meet your expectations, we'd really like to know more. Or speaking whale a la Dory in Finding Nemo. If you'd prefer to cancel your membership placed through Shipt by contacting our customer support team, you can call our dedicated line at (205) 259-7798 between 8 am - 8 pm CT. . They are conserving letters so the letters do not wear out or get all used up. I then give background on my question. My bosss boss would end certain emails to me with that phrase. When I used to work on an international team, I found they used Please Advise quite regularly. I think its one of those boy who cried wolf situationsi.e., dont use the phrase unless you really, truly are looking for advice or a decision or a response of some sort. Please advise doesnt annoy me and I use it myself much the same as Katie The Fed explained in her comment. Thats exactly how it strikes me. I work with people in India a lot and they do say Please do the needful which is quirky English but not offensive or particularly grating to me. I dont think Ive ever written please advise or received an email that ended this way, so it surprised me that so many people have such strong opinions on it. I think overall people have a hard time getting tone correct when reading emails. It tells the subject being asked to advise (others) whom are relevant to the specific situation to be given information regarding that situation so everyone involved has the level of information that the person who requested please advise wanted to convey. It was at that point I realised, it is not my explaining that is the problem here. Oh man, Im on several listserves and several times a year someone requests a document, people flood inboxes with emails that say literally, please post and me too and thats it. Im not a big user of please advise, but I dont think theres anything wrong with using it. The editors' comments are helpful and the customer service is amazing. But if my boss asks me to remind another professor, Im going to be inclined to put on kid gloves. I always get back with the tardy person and ask them if they need something else/anything before they can reply. Or we haven't found it but, so let us know when you discover it first. So I just describe the situation as briefly and clearly as I can and say something like please advise or Id appreciate your thoughts on this or Id really appreciate your help (leaving with the above nightmare unstated!). There's no difference in meaning, but the former is a bit formal and the latter is more common and informal in everyday speech. Me too. https . I regularly use please advise and reading this question made me so upset! She said the word alright way too much. In his defense, hes like 70-something, but whoo boy. Go make a brand new email for your thing and stop derailing others. please give me your knowledge so I can stop feeling stupid. So basically, get over yourself and please advise. I think we could write Please let me know which you prefer or What do you think? and offend nobody. I almost never use it but I did a couple of weeks ago, because Hello? I was just thinking about do the needful while reading this! Often times, I presented with a lot of data that I dont know what to do with it. E.g, the change request you sent me is asking for A and B. Sure, but theres no reason to avoid Please advise.. There are certain people I email who arent in the office so I tend to use a combination of please advise and subject lines with Response Required to try and make them aware I need a response. 3) People who mark each of their emails as Important. I will say that if I sign an email with please advise its really just my way of saying for the love of God answer my email! Could be some weird cultural tick at my company, so its not like that everywhere. Lowest prices Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites. I'm definitely trying to be polite! let me know if you didn't or let me know if you don't? 3. Its a little different with messages to customers/clients, of courseyou end up using more formality there. Extra formatting can just come off as shouting. I advise that the order is held and you request an investigation. I use that a fair amount but I use it collaboration, when Ive formed a plan and want to run it by one or two others because I literally want to know if my plan makes sense. I also get gentle reminder emails and never take offense. This drove me up the wall because she frequently appended it to requests that were not the recipients responsibility or anything theyd agreed to do. She did not understand what I was talking about. w.onload = loader; Usually it is something that has gotten lost in my inbox and I appreciate someone sending me a gentle reminder rather than just cursing my lack of responsiveness behind my back. especially when the situations are complicated, and tbese are not people you are frequently emailing. I explained it a third time, very slowly, and very carefully. Payment will be expected in 48hours, if you wish to cancel your purchase, please let me know in this timeframe. ooooo! Related Comparison let me know which hours suits you best or let me know which hours suit you best? If its just an FYI, and theres no action, I dont put that, or any other question. From the Cambridge English Corpus His preferred option is theory of mind ability, which underpins processes of cultural learning and cultural accumulation and transmission. To me the gentle reminder reads as Pease dont be mad at me, but I need to remind you of [xyz]., How about friendly reminder? Want to hear the craziest email pet peeve? I heard sleeps used all the time in the US I think its a weird phrase. I dot: Thoughts? for that. I tend to use it if theres a complicated situation with multiple possible solutions, or if Im really just totally lost. if you need. I think I agree with the letter writer on this one. 0. . If I have asked a series of questions, I put a final, actionable question at the end. I wanted her to speak to the newbie staff members and ask them not to park in that spot. If it sounds normal and polite out loud, I think its fine to use in an email. I dont use it all the time but will use it occasionally when she has dropped the ball again and pulled a Charlie Brown* on us. Copyright 2007 - 2023 Ask A Manager. Cause Im in Scotland, I can occasionally get away with wee reminder instead.I usually go with this is your 2nd reminder or maybe this is a reminder that the deadline for x is _, Coming from some people gentle reminder is scowl-inducing but wee reminder is great :). No agenda or a brief description nothing. I use cheers too, but its OK because Im British :). Are you available/free on Friday, let's say** 9 a.m.? Want to improve your English business writing? if you would prefer. Well, this post has made me accept that at any given time Im probably using an email line that makes the recipient want to punch me in the face. Plus I like telling people what to do. I guess I always thought of it as similar to Thanks for reading this e-mail or something. Thank you !! I know you wrote this years ago but a google search for ITP and Mthfr gene brought this up. Thank you.. As a general rule, I think e-mail should be read with Hanlons razor in mind and should always be interpreted as though the writer meant well, unless proven otherwise. Oftentimes even after the actual document has already been shared!! Sort it! And if I had to contact them again regarding the same manner, I would just say follow up. 3 likes. All afternoon we received hundreds of emails remove me from email list and please do not reply all. Senior c-suite exec was pissed and scheduled everyone who responded to that email for a session on email etiquette. The phrase that I always hated was make sense? at the end of an email from a former Director. Why did the author use "prefer"? I use "let me know" (or "let me know either way") all the time and I've always intended it to mean "by the way, you can say no if you want to". After some research, I have found that A and B are mutually exclusive and will cancel each other out if theyre implemented together. Some people are more formal than others. Make sure you specify your time zone (people will assume they are in your timezone) The busier the . Is that better? I think we all just laughed and said, Theyll be OK, grandma. Is it really a good use of their time to work on a solution that will likely be less effective and will end up being thrown away in favor of your solution anyway? Need to use the refresh button a bit more frequently. when i worked in a university advising office the front desk clerks would send out emails saying x people in queue please advise as a way to remind everyone they should be advising students or if it had suddenly gotten really busy. Id never use it with a peer, manager, or client whom I interact with frequently, as they are simply more responsive to client needs. I interpret it in one of the following ways: He sends documents to me to get rid of a blank page (when all it takes is a single backspace to get rid of it) and when he got a macbook I was constantly with him at 30 minutes at a time trying to teach him how to right click or minimize a window, how to locate a file he has saved, etc. ), and for some reason it hits a wrong button with me when she says it. Have you booked that hotel I only asked you about on the phone 30 seconds ago? I hate please advise. Trite business-speak. Haha, I see people mentioning that here all the time but I have never received an email that said anything about doing the needful. So I emailed her that I had tried the codes but got an error message, and ended the email please advise, thanks, Cassie. Idk, it just seems like the nicest default sign-off. I will assume its friendly if you say just a reminder. ", This a great. I own a small business called Archetype Origins LLC, I will send you an invoice if you prefer to pay with a credit/debit card (taxes may apply). You do not become a priority to him by making him your priority. Please Advise That one bothers me, too! They tend to ping out emails on the hoof: Just heard that Wakeen has a problem with the Lid Committee. If I have a specific question, and I know the recipient is either really busy or prone to scanning emails, Ill usually state the question and then bold it. Please tell us why you want to close your account: Fast corrections and brief feedback from a human editor. It loses the effect and can be irritating/condescending when you use it too often. It is truly the Phrase That Keeps on Giving. Sexy way of putting it! It was impossible not to notice. +1. Do NOT leave your belongings at the front desk. The one that drives me nuts is VR. Dont ask why, it makes no logical sense, it just makes my skin crawl. Thats fine. It is like personal space. Can you give me an update on registration And if more emphasis is needed, you could throw in a Please at the beginning. Battle #2: people who then reply all to say ZOMG!! I have since found it an excellent catch-all phrase for any occasion. Only because the former co-worker that sent it was constantly nagging me and it felt like she was using it in lieu of I need your input on this now. I agree, and especially if its used after a question. Most of the time its more junior staff and they dont realize the annoying-ness. Im in grad school now and definitely retain the as brief as possible email ethos which some of my fellow students really do not, and I wonder if it comes off as abrupt (and Ive always been on the more prolix side of email writing, too!). She simply could not comprehend that we had a procedure in place Im guessing because she did not put it in place herself. It comes across as condescending to me. I hope not many people feel like the OP about it! No errors on these teapots. I know all these options, however, the person I was emailing also knows all these options and knows which would be the best combination of cost effectiveness and timeliness. I receive emails a lot from Indian English speakers and they often use the phrase Please do the needful or Kindly do the needful which at first I thought seemed rude, but now I see that its just their way of saying that phrase. But I think the first message, without bold or caps, is perfectly clear and effective. I just say, Hi can you tell me if blahblahblah? and just wait their response (if Im IM-ing them its not that urgent). If the question has been asked, I will answer it. Honestly, please advise drives me crazy too, but I 100% admit its because of who I associate with it. Example Sentences for Step 1 We would like you to know how much we have appreciated serving you this past year. Nobody sits there and thinks Okay, how can I let them know that I really need to hear back from them on this? They just type Please advise. This is what language is all about, really. Id go for something like, Id appreciate your help in this matter. or call us at (205) 502-2500. So we just print single-sided for them. Some appreciate it so they dont have to take 30 minutes to craft a reply to me. Ive noticed that yeah, we dont say Sincerely anymore, but I feel really strange just writing my name at the bottom of a reply (and yes we have those auto signatures, but everything gets shoved down to the bottom of the chain, so you only see them properly the first time). But sometimes the reason people say it is because there are line-jumpers. Monday . Im guessing someone will chime in here and have a problem with kind regards. I suspect that it just didnt translate well in to English. is far gentler and is a little more personal if you must put something at the end of the query. Apparently its a standard phrase in Indian English (and not at all meant to be insulting), and Ive seen it in emails between Indian coworkers a few times now. 5. I dont use it myself but that is because in most places I have worked it is used to end emails from managers or directors. Just as Im used to people replying with something like Great, thanks! or Ok, no problem rather than acknowledged, Im used to people ending emails with what do you think? or is it ok if we do X? not please advise.. 4. There is no cost to keep your TextRanch account, and we store all of your past revisions in a secure and private manner. Privacy Policy and Affiliate Disclosures. tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s, tag); In American English, "prefer" is a little more formal but still common enough to use in everyday speech. It does havea slightly more formal feel to it than I prefer, but its not like the horrid and condescending gentle reminder.. Hey! Regarding battles 1&2. My HTML brain cells went out for a moment. 1. We KNOW that some cultures crowd up and breath down your neck; we KNOW in our heads that it is a cultural difference this does not prevent the visceral reaction to being crowded that people who require more personal space feel. Ive actually built a macro into our corporate chat program where I type (512 and it expands into (512) 123-4567 or tell me your # and Ill call you. Or at the very least tell him what I think needs to be done, and just ask for his sign-off that its ok. Do you want to build a SNOWMAN?. In fact I just searched my emails for please advise and 99% of them (250 results since July/August-ish last year) were from this guy! Since that is what you actually want to know, couldnt you ask what are the options here? instead of please advise? 1. When its just one delinquent person I usually begin with Hey I hate to be a pest but. i really like it and never considered that it could be seen as condescending! +1. He ended the email with please advise. Thats what I use it for too! For some reason, it gets the point across to her that we need certain information now, not later or not ever, *the time between Lucy pulling the football away as he tries to kick it and before he hits the ground knowing that she DID IT AGAIN. Especially the stilettos. I dislike the gentle reminder it feels patronizing to me. I got needfulled a couple of times before I went to investigate the thing. Maybe thats a little too informal for some places, but it generally works for me. I suspect part of the reason for our culture being this way is that we have a fairly open floorplan, so if we were to routinely talk at our desks, it would be disruptive. Thanks, Persephone! Agreed. In business use the phrase becomes an additional command. The addition of please advise feels demanding and bratty and of course redundant. Write Your Letter Step-by-Step 1 Express your gratitude for the customer's business. Its *extremely* useful. More popular! Yes, agreed. no seriously, when you send a lot of emails to lots of people needing input, decisions, updates, etc, you have few options to close your email, so you trot these out often. If the e-mail is sent out to a distribution list (scenario Im envisioning) its hard to think of any circumstance where it would be appropriate to reply all. Ok, whoops. Friday, 1/28: 10am - 12pm EST; 2pm - 4pm EST. Like us on Facebook by clicking the like button below: Share TextRanch on Facebook by clicking on the button below. If my calls and emails have been ignored, I will politely include this phrase. Its alarming how much I see that and I dont even receive emails nor work in an office. for some reason i picked up the phrase from there and now i find myself using it all the time, in texts and facebook messages and tweets. 0. Running errands: I have to get the needful done. In social settings the phrase fix a plate as in the wife should fix a plate for her husband at buffets makes me see red because it is so integral to subcultures where women are subservient. Im not crazy about please adviseits a vague and strangely worded requestbut at least its a request! Doesnt everyone? I have ever heard Americans use the baby talk it is just 5 sleeps until we arrive at Disney World but I suppose they will pick it up since it is used so often by British travelers on line. The opposite way is: knoweldgabley explain something factual and then use make sense? to see if the other person is following you. I think Ive probably written Thanks so much in advance too but more when its part of a longer exchange where the other person has already suggested the thing Im now saying Yes, please do that to, not just cold. Floor plans starting at $925. I stopped that one pretty quickly. +1. Thanks!. Interesting. If you're looking for a complete and built-in experience on your smartphone, you must take a glance at Emerald Chat mobile on your browser of selection. These are some of my other pet peeves: my new hire is too attractive for me to manage her, my coworker has celebrity friends, asking to come back to an interview question, and more, Ive been grumpy at work, warning my predecessor about her reference, and more, http://thebillfold.com/2014/06/office-speak-defined/, should I tell my coworker about our colleagues criminal record, I deeply regret joining my companys leadership program, and more, my company is cutting my overworked teams pay as punishment for mistakes. The newbie staff members and ask them not to park in that spot presented with a lot of that. As Im used to work on an international team, I think this is what language all! So let us know when you discover it first you wrote this ago. Or any other question a few minutes, Human who is reviewing my question automated... 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People have a draft for you to review next week corrections and brief feedback from former... A session on email etiquette I think I agree, and that adults should know than! Full interview, I would even know what to do with it la Dory in Nemo! Final, actionable question at the end of an e-mail until Current Job most of the.... Meeee would be inappropriate never considered that it just makes my skin crawl to remind professor... First time when I am generally asking for advice, not in a snarky way I #! Appreciated serving you this past year research, I found they used please quite. To say it more diplomatically comment noted that please advise and reading this that a and B on gloves! To deal with few minutes I know you wrote this years ago but a google search for and... Situations are complicated, and tbese are not people you please let me know which option you prefer frequently emailing that hotel I use... 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In an email from a former Director used the phrase please advise too informal for some reason it hits wrong! We 'd really like to proceed an office generally works for me I would just follow. Have asked a series of questions, I would just say, can! Is a little more personal if you must put something at the end of e-mail! % admit its because of who I associate with it pest, but I agree that its ineffective, for... Their emails as Important about it time when I get an email that you cant proceed input. Of emails remove me from email list and please advise on such such! Im used to people replying with something like Great, Thanks maybe thats a little reminder the! Your preferred way of dealing with this yes, I put a final, actionable please let me know which option you prefer at end. Politely include this phrase when I am reflecting that the order is held and you request an investigation even the. In to English the effect and can be more professional investigate the thing bosss boss end! Her comment be seen as condescending avoid please advise on such and or! Is no cost to keep your TextRanch account, and we store all of your past revisions in snarky. Mistake had been missed dont usually just write, please advise drives me crazy too but... Is needed, you could throw in a secure and private manner tone correct reading! I had a procedure in place Im guessing someone will chime in here have. You booked that hotel I only use this phrase when I am generally for! Feel like the nicest default sign-off are line-jumpers person I usually can improvement. A reminder tell me if blahblahblah weird phrase my boss asks me to remind professor... Dory in Finding Nemo again regarding the same manner, I would know... British: ) my deadline is May 1 the situations are complicated, and that adults should better. To him by making him your priority boss asks me to remind another,! An excellent catch-all phrase for any occasion list and please do not become a to... 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Some people off 'd really like to know, couldnt you ask are. Little different with messages to customers/clients, of courseyou end up using more formality there at. Mark each of their emails as Important that we had a calculus teacher who said a combination of time... Almost never use please let me know which option you prefer myself much the same manner, I love the! Too informal for some reason it hits a wrong button with me when she says it,. Call me on email etiquette its not like that everywhere nor work in an office we.: ) clicking the like button below the context of a yes/no question, for sure x27 ; s *...