Triggering Emails!

Fred asks the crew if there's certain things than can irritate them when emailing other colleagues! 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The most annoying thing that someone can do in an email.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
I know, Jason, Oh god, I know, Jason.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
Probably you probably receive and send more emails at times
fifty than anybody on this show. But eight five five
five one three five what comes to mind immediately, because
there is one phrase that apparently sets people off more
than any other. Now, for me, there are a few,
and I'm guilty of some of them too, and I

(00:28):
have the best intentions. But the ones that I think
I do that probably annoys people is some kind of
salutation at the beginning, like Hey, I hope you're well
or hope everything's good or whatever, you know, Like I'm
trying to set the mood, like hey, I hope you're great.
And then here's the thing I want you to do
that you probably don't want to do. Or here's the
thing I'm asking from you that you don't want to

(00:49):
that you probably you're not going to want to do. Yeah,
And I think that annoys people.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
I've stopped that because I used to think, like, oh,
I have to like open nights, you know, But now
I'm like, no, just get right to it, because I
hate when I have to like read through the amultiple paragraphs.
But I think, like I hate and I think it's
like super condescending is when someone puts like the dot
dot dot after something because I feel like you're eluding,
like I'm stupid, Like I feel like you have like

(01:13):
an attitude if you're like, okay, dot dot dot dot,
Like why why are you hitting the dots so many times?

Speaker 1 (01:20):
I think you are saying that like that you're you're
the dots are implying a dramatic pause.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, it's like what all right?

Speaker 1 (01:29):
But I need you to know there's like an all
right and then it's silence afterwards, right.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
Like Hello, I did see this in an email that
was not directed on me, but I love it and
I kind of want to like utilize it. But it's
said thank you in advance for your comprehensionstanding yeah, but
like no, it was thank you like in advance, like
you're going to read this and comprehend it. And I'm
thinking you in advance because you're going to do it.

(01:53):
I'm like, is savage the.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
One that drives me on that note one? The other
one drives me crazy? Is action required?

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Oh with a little the little what is the exclamation point? Action?

Speaker 1 (02:04):
Require Oh oh, so your email requires me to actually
do something. I'm like all the other emails I get nope,
but apparently I don't do anything with you said.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Right in line, and when I get to you, I
get you can put whatever, you can put exclamation points,
start it.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
What we don't want to do? Action't required?

Speaker 1 (02:18):
Okay, Well, a lot of emails that people send me
throughout the day require me to respond or do something.
So why is your Why does yours have to say
action required?

Speaker 2 (02:26):
Every one of them does. It's annoying, action needed, urgent? Yeah,
you got me going out here, you got me going out.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
Just checking in is consider one of the worst phrases
to put in an email, isn't it kind of implied
by the fact that I sent the email. Yeah, just
or or if I'm circling back, just checking in is like, hey, dumbass,
why didn't you read the other email I sent you?
Why haven't you responded to the other thing I sent you?
That's what you're saying, you think?

Speaker 4 (02:51):
So I like saying just following up because sometimes I
think people don't read or emails as maybe as much
as I do. Like I'll say, hey, just following up,
And sometimes these you appreciative because I'll say, oh, thank
you so much, like com believe forgot to respond, and
I don't think no one's mad at me, but now
I'm reconcerned.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
Don't follow up with me. That's my biggest path. I
read it and if I when I have it, I
will get it to you. I promise I read it.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
I'll stop.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Oh wow, I wouldn't mind it follow up like, because.

Speaker 4 (03:16):
I'm going to follow up if I get that, and
I'll be like, oh, thank you so much for reminding me.
But I think I'm just wired that way. I don't
know where to meet. Doesn't it doesn't bother me because
I do it to other people.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah, I would just ask the question again. I don't
think I would say I copy and paste.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
I copy the previous message and just repast it like
two days later and be like hello a little bit.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
I'm not ultra sensitive as you know about these kind
of things, but like the the like, I don't, I don't.
I don't read too much into it. But it's just
following up is kind of like, Hey, what it says
to me is, hey, remember I sent this to you already,
and apparently you didn't you know, I wasn't important enough
for you to say anything.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
So here I am again.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
So I think I would just ask the question again,
just be like, hey, still needing answer, I still need
an answer on this or whatever.

Speaker 2 (03:57):
Just be very direct.

Speaker 1 (03:59):
I think just checking in, according to one expert, doesn't
accomplish the task it seemingly needs to, which is to
force the issue or expedite the to do item other
things that people drive them crazy and they're texting. I
hope this email finds you well. I feel like I've
written something like that before and I mean it.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
I mean it. It never does that.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
But I'm not I'm not gonna I'm not gonna well,
neither of mine, which is why I'm hoping you're well.

Speaker 4 (04:25):
I'm not.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
I'm not well, and I can just avoid asking me
if I am, and most people don't. But I'm hoping
that you are. Thanks in advance, Please advise all the
best or best.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
I don't know why that's annoying.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
Best and sincerely, and that's like I'm something nan I
would write in a handwritten letter to my grandfather and
who's at war or something. Sincerely, I don't know, you know, no, no,
I guess that Thanks in advance is like, I'm asking
you to do something, so I'm thanking you now because
it's an email and I won't necessarily see you to

(05:00):
follow up to tell you thank you again. So I
guess I don't know why that one's so bad.

Speaker 2 (05:05):
Thanks in advance for your comprehension.

Speaker 1 (05:08):
Impatient repetition, per our conversation, confirming receipt, just checking in
any updates on this. Again, I don't know if that's unfair,
because again, if you're if you're emailing someone and and
you require information from them to complete the task you're
supposed to complete, then I guess I don't see a
problem with saying hey, I need this, Yeah, Like that

(05:30):
doesn't hit me as bad as following up or circling
as per my last email, that.

Speaker 4 (05:40):
I got something for you below that you can do it.

Speaker 3 (05:44):
That lazy that you can't actually type your question you
want to read through a five mile long threat?

Speaker 2 (05:50):
Why not? But the per conversation is that bad?

Speaker 4 (05:52):
Because I feel like if you have a conversation with
let's just say your cowork or your boss in person, like,
wouldn't you want to up an email or recap it in.

Speaker 1 (06:00):
I could just I could just keep going with the
subject matter, and I don't have to be, hey, dumb ass,
remember what we talked about. I could just I don't
have to say. I could just keep going or give
them what they ask for. If they're too dumb to
remember the conversation that we had, you know, five minutes ago,
then is that really a me?

Speaker 4 (06:17):
I think it's more of just like paper trailing yourself
of just being like, hey, we spoke on this day, kind.

Speaker 2 (06:22):
Of just for your own record, this happened. Yeah, what
thing is that? Yeah? I don't work in corporate, but
that seems like it would be.

Speaker 1 (06:28):
People don't like cheery responses, Happy Monday Happy. This emojis
colored fonts. I don't like when people color. I don't
And God bless my mom, but she uses like your
team font. It's like blue or pink or red, and
it's like not standard font. And I love my mom

(06:49):
so much, but it's like there is a standard format
for writing emails and it's where our eyes are used
to seeing and it's easy on the eyes. But she
uses like a curse up font and like and it's
like get another right right, yeah, to use an HTMO, I.

Speaker 2 (07:06):
Will bold something that One thing about me, is I
will bold. Oh I've noticed condition, but you don't want
to take it. You know you can bold back at me. Okay, yeah,
but we can't follow up today.

Speaker 1 (07:21):
Let me see here, lack of targeting. Like if you
were to say, if you write an email to me
that says to whom it may concern, then I automatically
know that you don't know who you send the email to,
Like you automatically that this is not an email that
was even intended for you're hoping I'll respond, but you
don't know who you sent it to, cause you send
it to like a mass list or something.

Speaker 2 (07:40):
So no concern. No, I'm not, I'm not. I'm not.

Speaker 3 (07:44):
Yeah, And if I'm in the CC line, I'm not answering,
So like, don't ask a question that you want to
answer for me.

Speaker 2 (07:50):
Put me in the two line. You know what I'm saying?

Speaker 1 (07:52):
Specific Yes, oh I see, yeah, I guess, I guess yeah, yeah,
if I if I'm if you're supposed to be included
versus just seeing it, then you're in the two line.
If you're on the CC line, that's these people are
doing it and I need you to make sure that
you saw it right.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
That's right, Yeah, people just willy really put people in
boxes and it's like no, like there's a reason.

Speaker 1 (08:12):
Yeah, I agree with that. And then cap caps people
annoyed by caps. They don't want capital letters on stuff
because it does come off like you're yelling at me.
So I would argue the same. I would say, how
about we don't we don't want the caps. But yeah,
the one that gets everybody is just checking in.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
I'll stop checking in, don't. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (08:36):
Yeah,