Why is ‘Kind regards’ a bad sign off

[SuperiorM]

So, I’ve just heard that ‘Kind Regards’ is considered passive aggressive. Maybe I’m just old and out of touch but it sounds more like a more friendly’Best wishes’ to me. I suppose I’m going to have to stop using it.

Kind regards is a bit 20 years ago isn’t it? I switched to best wishes a few years ago which I think sounds friendlier.

Hate ‘best’ seems so cold and up yourself! Also hate ‘regards’, too dry and business like and also passive aggressive.

What "Regards" passive aggressive? I always sign off with regards as I find it quick.

Regards,
Mish

agree with all of that. And people who use KR and BR as abbreviations are tools.

Definitely the same in my work place.

90% of sign offs are kind regards, I automatically write anyone off who responds KR because they’re just slovenly fuckers, one of the senior partners signed TTFN which I thought was quite funny.

I use "best" as my friendliest greeting - fascinating how everyone is different!

My standard is "Thanks and best wishes" or alternatively just "best wishes".

Kind regards makes my skin crawl but I recognise other people don't think that so I try not to mind it when they send it. See also Regards unless my previous emails were actively irritating (I spend a good portion of my time asking people to do things they don't want to do) in which case I assume it means "fuck off".

My organisation uses "Kind Regards" or "Regards" as perfectly normal sign offs. No passive aggressiveness at all.

"Gentle reminder" is surely code for "why the f* have you still not responded to my email that I told you was urgent despite my sending you 3 other reminder emails, 4 IMs and esalating to your manager". I don't think there's an alternative professional way of saying that?

I find it's received better than "see ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!"

We have an older lady at work who writes emails like she's writing a letter. It goes like..
Company name
Finance dept
2nd floor
Tel :
Dear BaaCode.
Blah blah blah.

Yours sincerely.
Theresa Green ( Mrs )
Chief cashier.

It makes me smile every time.

Maybe I'm old school but i use kind regards unless I'm asking someone to help me out then many thanks.

"Best" drives me insane. Best what?

Thank goodness I got out of the workforce early - I simply could not put up with this rubbish! However, I've never heard a single person scrutinise how an email was signed off and whether or not it was "passive-aggressive" (which itself is a modern thing).

The company name etc is to the right of the letter.
Oh, she puts the day and date on too.

What do people think of “dear xxx” as an opener. I think dear is a bit dated and formal, usually used by older people or posh people maybe? I usually go for ‘Hi xxx’

Really?! Well that’s news to me. I’d hate to think I’ve offended by simply putting ‘regards’. In my mind even without saying the ‘kind’ kindness is automatically implied.

automatically write anyone off who responds KR because they’re just slovenly fuckers

Love this 😂

Handy alignment chart.

I love this!!!

@dreamydandelion I hate ‘dear’. Hi is too informal. I much prefer to address the person by name.

I've never 'heard' anyone do it either. We just get on with work.

Bit it's nice to have an MN thread to air my inner thoughts & compare with others!

I use Dear a lot.

My organisation (university) is quite formal.

I'll use Hi to my LM and individual direct reports on my team.

But if it's quite formal / important, it's always Dear, and most emails to my team, if they incorporate work directions are 'Dear Colleagues'.

I mean, I don't think you'll have 'offended' - unless you are doing something that's known to be your own shorthand for Fuck Off!

It's more people's lighthearted internal views.

Quite a few years back I used to sign off work emails to other colleagues with kind regards, some of them were our American colleagues.
The other team members in my office also generally used kind regards. I copied them.

Never thought anything of it.

@shitt
With you on this. It's just fucking shit 😂

Someone once sent me a work email signed 'bad regards'.

Do you mean just their name? Like: 'Space'?

This is actually genuinely something my workplace would get upset about. If I used it to one of my team, they would react badly!

While the signoff is lighthearted, this definitely isn't!!