How do you sign off work emails?

[CharlotteCollinsneeLucas]

I feel this is a gap in my education! I know how to write a formal letter, but what about emails to people at work you know?

The options I see are:

Best wishes
Regards
Kind regards

All of which feel awkward. Kind regards just appeared about five years into my adult life and I'd not seen it before. I've never much liked it, but that could be associations with the person I first knew to use it! Is it quite normal really?

I usually just go with my name and nothing else. I'm vaguely aware that probably comes across as awkward in itself...

My standard is "best wishes" or "thanks and best wishes".

I don't like kind regards but I don't view it as rude. Regards is definitely only for if someone had really pissed you off and feels extremely rude.

On the other hand I'd only use "best" in a long chain of emails with someone I particularly liked (usually external as long chains internally would tend to be on teams now). Interesting to read that others don't view it too kindly.

Not work emails but with other communications - school, other associates etc I use 'Kind regards'. People I'm pretty friendly with 'All the best' and family and very close friends 'Much love'

Kind regards or

Many thanks or

Regards

But none of my emails are to colleagues, they are all to paying customers. So I try and do a guess about which is appropriate. If someone is being arsey it is always "Regards".

Ooh ive never really thought about this - but now youve got me thinking what id prefer. Our work signature has kind regards as standard..so ive never had to think about it

Agree with @Girlswithflowers
Best wishes - I’ve given you some info
Many thanks - I’m either asking you for something or the email is an acknowledgement of something you’ve done

Kind regards - formal
All the best - friendly/chatty
Thanks / Thanks in advance - internal emails only

I hate best wishes. It feels like "love and best wishes" in a greetings card.

I usually just put Regards. It never occurred to me that people would think I was pissed off - it certainly isn't intended that way!

Isn't it well known that 'kind regards' is office speak for 'fuck you'?

Regards is even more of a 'fuck you'.

"take care" means the opposite. I find it patronising.

Best wishes I think is fine.

I tend to sign off with "many thanks" or just my name

I think I used

Kind regards
Or Many thanks

Although in last job usually the account manager would send work to the client.

Some emails I get start with Dear then I have to think whether to be equally courteous or stuck with Hi

I'm a kind regards girl unless I know you quite well, in which case you might get a thanks instead. Regards = you're dead to me.

Kind regards as standard, thanks or many thanks of asking them to do something. My boss just uses her name and I have to say I'd never noticed until she mentioned it so I don't think people really notice. I've also seen lots of "stay well" or similar recently which is nice as I know my colleagues will mean it.

I can usually use Thanks, Thank you or Many thanks even in a complaint email. I tell them what I am complaining about., lay out what I expect, then thank them for putting it right - without giving them any option for not doing so!

Best wishes is what my elderly aunt would write in a card!
Always kind regards. Regards if I'm really pissed off.
Different if I know people well. Speak soon for instance or take care

Depends.

I send emails to colleagues (mainly senior) in many different teams. Some I know better than others, some who sit in a different office.

With them it's a combination of "thanks in advance" or "many thanks" as I'm in the finance team and usually putting a rocket up their arse for something I need to be approved / signed off / chased (internally or externally)

Emails to clients are usually signed "regards" as I also deal with our A/R so by the time I'm involved the client has an overdue invoice.

If I need to get really stern I sign off with just my name.

Regards

I find kind regards too familiar.

I mainly use thanks or many thanks.

Used to used kind regards or the passive aggressive regards but not my style now.

Hate it when people sign off just with their name and equally who address people just with their name - just find it so abrupt.

I've signed all of mine "have a lovely day" since lockdown. But I'm a teacher, and over lockdown I've mostly been emailing pupils, so I'm not the best person to answer this.

When emailing colleagues I don't often even sign my name, just give the information requested. So that's not the best example either.

If I ever have to email parents, then I use "kind regards" usually.

What’s wrong with just putting “best”?!

I do get annoyed when colleagues try and engage in idle chit chat through email it means I feel obliged to respond and ask the same about them. Fine in person thats all well and good but email is just hassle. I mean things like

"I trust you enjoyed the weather this weekend?"
"How have you been?"
"Are you keeping busy?"

Its lovely that they care and I sound like a moany cow but im too busy for all that. Just tell me what you want and sod off.

It depends. If there's any reason at all to use it then 'thanks' or 'many thanks'. Sometimes 'much appreciated'. Sometimes 'cheers'.

I use "Best regards"

Seems as if that's not even a proper option for most!

Oops

Most of the time I do "Thanks, VioletRoseLily"

Occasionally a "Kind regards" if its going to very senior people I've never spoken to before

Many thanks or all the best. Can’t stand regards or kind regards.

I used to be a Best Wishes kind of person, but at my current workplace Kind Regards is added to our signatures by default. I’m not sure if that’s because management think we’re lazy and can’t be bothered to write a sign off, or they think we’re rude