Whether jetting off on a well-deserved vacation or attending a crucial conference, crafting an effective out of office message has become a vital skill in the professional world. This article dives into the power of well-crafted auto-replies, providing tips and tricks to leave a lasting impression while ensuring smooth communication during your absence.
As a professional, remember that your email correspondents expect you to respond within minutes or, at most, 24 hours of receiving their emails unless specifically stated in the email that you are free to respond much later.
So, professionals are expected to use out-of-office email autoresponders whenever they will be out of reach for a fairly long time.
Let’s put this in context.
Whenever you need to step away from the office and won’t be able to respond to emails as quickly as you usually do, it is good practice to create an out-of-office email autoresponder to guide your email correspondents on how to reach you, who else to contact, and/or what to do next.
Setting a proper out-of-office email also puts pressure off you when you have limited time to respond to emails outside the office. We will look at a few examples together here:
Are you going on leave or vacation, or perhaps you are sick or traveling to remote areas or attending an event that would prevent you from responding to emails as fast as you normally do; this set of professional out-of-office email examples will guide you on how to create your own out-of-office email autoresponder:
Subject: Out of Office: [Your Name] Dear [Recipient's Name], Thank you for your email. I am currently out of the office and will not be able to respond promptly. I will be away from [Start Date] until [End Date], returning on [Date]. During this time, I will have limited access to email and may not be able to respond immediately. If you require immediate assistance, please contact [Alternate Contact Name] at [Alternate Contact Email/Phone Number]. I will make sure to respond to your message as soon as I return. Thank you for your understanding. Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Position] [Your Company/Organization]
Good day, I am currently on annual leave and will not be able to attend to any emails. During my absence, please contact the Client Liaison Office in Lisbon. You can reach them on 009-1234567. Inquiries related to refunds and money issues can be forwarded directly to Healthcare International Liaison Department via any of the channels below: - [email protected] or - Posted to Healthcare International, Private Box 00090, Lisbon. Inquiries about accidents and other emergencies should be sent to: - [email protected] or - [email protected] Thank you for your patience and understanding. Regards, Elizabeth Thames
Dear sender, Please be aware that I am on vacation till 9 December, 2019. Unfortunately, I will have limited access to my email during my vacation. For urgent matters, send me an SMS or call me on 009-7654321. You can also communicate with my assistant Sophia via her email, [email protected], or call her on 009-1234567. Thank you and regards,
Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your email. Kindly note that I am currently out of office. If your request is urgent, kindly send your request to [email protected]. Our sales team will handle your request promptly. Kind regards, Jacob Robinson
Dear correspondent, Thank you for your email. I am sorry that I am travelling for work over the next 6 weeks with some brief periods back in Chicago. In the most part, some of this work will be in remote areas and I will respond to emails as quickly as I can. Please contact Robert John at [email protected] if you need anything urgently. With best wishes and thanks.
Being out-of-office on maternity leave can range from less than 12 weeks to 6 months or more, this is entirely dependent on where you work or live. Maternity leave-out-of-office message messages are important as they inform your recipient of your whereabouts and inform them of who to reach out to in the meantime.
Here’s an automatic reply about maternity leave:
Hello, Thank you for your email. Please note that I will be away on maternity leave from June 18 to January 11. During this period, my accounts will be handled by our assistant sales manager, John Doe. You can reach him at [email protected] or call him on 123-456-7890. Regards, Juliet Tailor Sales Manager
If you’re going to be away on medical leave for an illness or a medical procedure and you’re going to be gone for a while recovering, you should add this in your out of office email (if you feel comfortable with it). The reason is so your contacts can accord you the needed privacy to heal. This is entirely optional though, if you don’t feel comfortable including it, you can leave it out.
Hello, Thank you for reaching out. I am currently out of the office on medical leave from September 7 to August 1. I'll be checking my emails intermittently, but in case of an emergency, please send an email to [email protected] or call her on 123-456-7890. Thank you for understanding. Jaden Kruger
Different companies have different holiday policies. If you’re going to be out of office during the holidays, state it in your email.
Hello, Thank you for your email! Season's greetings. I can't to your email now as the office is closed for the holidays. I will not be checking my email from December 22 through January 4. If there's an emergency, please contact me at 123-456-7890. Otherwise, I'll respond to your email as soon as possible when I return. Thank you, Jim Parker.
If you’re going to a business conference, state it out in your out of office email. This type of email is also a great way to show your contacts that you’re growing and advancing your job.
Hello, Thank you for reaching out! I am out of office attending the National Association of Sale Manager’s conference in Houston, Texas. I'll be checking my emails occasionally, in case of an emergency, please contact my team member, John Doe at [email protected] or 123-456-7890 Regards, Dorian Emmanuel.
If you are part of the sales team in your organization, out of office emails is a great way to promote your products even while you’re out of office.
Hello, Thank you for your email. I am out of office until April 25 and I'll respond to your email as soon as possible upon return. While you're here, please check out our new book, "How to 10X your sales." You can get a copy at Amazon.com. In case of an emergency, please reach out to my colleague. Sandra Sloan at [email protected] or 123-456-7890. Regards, Kevin Gabriel Sales Associate.
Subject: Out of Office: Traveling on Business Dear [Recipient's Name], Thank you for your email. I am currently traveling on business and will have limited access to email. I will be away from [Start Date] to [End Date]. During this time, I may not be able to respond to your message immediately. However, I will make every effort to check my emails periodically. If you need immediate assistance, please contact [Alternate Contact Name] at [Alternate Contact Email/Phone Number]. I appreciate your understanding and will get back to you as soon as possible upon my return. Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Position]
Subject: Out of Office: Checking Emails Intermittently Dear [Recipient's Name], Thank you for your message. I wanted to inform you that I am currently out of the office and will be checking emails intermittently. From [Start Date] to [End Date], I will have limited availability to respond to emails. Please anticipate some delays in my response time. If you have an urgent matter that requires immediate attention, kindly contact [Alternate Contact Name] at [Alternate Contact Email/Phone Number]. I appreciate your understanding and patience. I will make every effort to address your email as soon as possible. Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Position]
This is very useful in situations where you are changing jobs (as an employee) or a former employee has left your company (as an employer or HR manager). Permanent out-of-office emails help to guide correspondents appropriately.
Dear Sender, Thank you for your email. Ms Elizabeth Thames is no longer working in our company. Her position has been replaced by Ms Jennifer Paul. Her email is [email protected]. You may also contact her at 009-1234567. Kindly send your future inquiries to our customer service ([email protected]). We will attend to your email promptly. Thanks & Best regards, The Management of ABC
Dear sender, Thank you for your email. I am no longer working at Amazon. Jeff Trump has taken up the role of Communications Manager. For matters relating to Amazon communications, please contact Jeff Trump via the email [email protected] or call him on 009-123456. For all other matters, please contact Amazon helpdesk via [email protected] or call 009-654321. Thank you. Regards, Jack Robinson
Dear Correspondent, Thank you for writing to Woculus. This is an automated response to acknowledge receipt of your e-mail. We assure you of a prompt response from a member of our customer experience team. You can also contact us via any of the channels below: (a) Visit one of our Woculus customer experience centers (9:00am to 5:00pm, Mondays-Fridays) , and our team will be glad to assist you. (b) Visit our website for more information at www.abc.com. (c) You can reach our Customer Support hotline on 009-123456 between 9:00am to 5:00pm, Mondays-Fridays. (d) Facebook Page (@abc) We thank you for your trust and continued patronage. Regards, Customer Experience Team, ABC Limited
You are regarded as a responsible netizen when you imbibe the habit of leaving out-of-office messages. For employers and HR managers, it is worthwhile to teach this practice to your employees. Out-of-office emails show that you are polite and professional, lending credibility to your corporate culture.
