Work email

[lmnabc]

This is a work situation which I don't have an issue with but always wonder about:

My email address is Jennifer.Blogs@ but I always sign my name as "With best wishes, Jenny" and my email signature underneath is Jenny Blogs.

The majority of people reply with Dear Jennifer rather than Dear Jenny. Is it that people have an issue with shortened names? Just interested.

I guess it depends “how friendly” you are with the person in particular? Friendly enough so they feel comfortable to call you Jenny?! Using your full first name may be used in formal emails i guess?

Surprised to hear this as I normally go with whatever people have signed off as

I get this a lot from people. Like Phillip, is he Phil or Phillip. Stephen or Steve. Drives me nuts.

I would be glad your email signature makes clear you're known by a different name and I would address you that way.

It's probably people hurrying and not paying attention.

That's what I would do and to me seems polite.

I'm fascinated by psychology which is probably why I look into it.

Some people have a real issue with looking at the name the sender uses and then just using that, whether it be their preferred nickname or actual name.

Mine is frequently shortened and I correct people. Spelling it incorrectly I can look past through gritted teeth.

It has a common American and English spelling.

I usually mirror what people call themselves but if I'm busy I don't read that far and just fire off a reply!

I struggle with one abbreviation - Trace. It just feels so informal that it seems beyond the workplace!

Surely it's whatever he signs his name as?

I'm guilty of not reading properly too - just forget to check the signature as so wrapped up in the (usually too complicated) questions.

I spell my name differently to the traditional version of it, the amount of people that come back spelling it incorrectly is ridiculous! It's right there in my bloody signature!!!!!!! It's not difficult!

I get this all time, and even the centre manager of the building we lease from still calls me jennifer despite signing off jen for 7 years. Its infuriating.

If you use Google mail (not sure about others) and have prompts set up it will automatically start an email Dear (first name from email address). Could that be happening?

If I’m firing off a quick response I may not always register the sign off and will always go with the full version unless I know specifically they prefer something else. Could be because there’s one diminutive of my name I absolutely detest though!

I wonder if they can't remember your name from the bottom once they've clicked reply, so just copy what's in the address box.

I agree that some names feel more informal than others — I replied to a Livvy today (Olivia in the e-mail address). That somehow seems much more informal than Libby for Elizabeth, but I have no idea why I think that!

I normally get my full name from people I've not met before but shortened name from those I know (and how I sign off).

What annoys me is when they randomly use a difference shortened version e.g. email is Jennifer, sign off Jenny but they reply Dear Jen

Five backwards & forwards emails with someone today in which each time I signed myself Jenny and each time she replied Dear Jennifer.

It's only work so not important but it does seem odd!

Even more annoying if your name is Gill, your email address is gill@ and they address you as Dear Jill !!! Grrrrrr

Some of these are probably autocorrect errors.

See I deal with one client who alternates between his full and short name. So I never know how to start off my messages to him and usually use his full name unless replying to an email from him where he has used his short name then I will use that.

I usually always go with whatever name they've used in their correspondence.

I also have a name that can be shortened but I use my full name when people ask for my name and in my emails it's my full name. I can only recall one time that someone emailed me using my short name and I found it very odd that they would do that.

i do try and get peoples names right, but if your email is Jennifer.Blogs, i'll probably address you as Jennifer when emailing.

I have an email ticket system that replies using the name from the email, I don’t bother to correct it usually, only if it is a person I know well.

When sending emails I will use the sign off name although if it is a short version like Jen I might use the full name from the email the first time we correspond.

I can understand why it bugs you and you're right, the psychology is interesting!

I always reply using the same version the person I'm corresponding with does.

Having said that, I have to admit I felt slightly odd calling someone "Debs" when I'd only spoken to her once as it felt so informal but that is what she signed off as, so that is what I called her.

On a related note, I have an unusual name and it amazes me how many people can spell it wrong when it's right there in my email address.

Similarly a colleague's name - think Philip, not Phillip. To be honest I think it bugs me more than him when people get it wrong, he's very chilled!

If I’m composing the initial email I go by the email address but if I’m replying I look at the signature. I get peed off because people spell my name wrong all the time when it’s there in front of them.

I’m busy, I reply to a lot of emails, as I type in the right-hand screen I glance at the name in the left-hand column. Which is invariably a full name, even if the email is signed off as something else. If you want to be Jenny, get IT to set you up as jenny.thingy at company etc, and change your settings so the name you show up as is Jenny.