using 'Hi' instead of 'Dear' in work emails...

[Crosbybeach]

...when you don't know the person you are emailing/responding to. Also if they have used 'Dear your name' to respond with Hi, when you don't know them just seems too casual.

I don't have a problem with people emailing me with 'Hi Crosby' when I don't know them. But if I don't know someone and it's a formal email, I'll always use 'dear'.

Am I hopelessly out of touch? (mid 40s...)

For emails I send out at work to customers and suppliers, I stgart with Dear X, and then depending on their reply, I follow up with the Hello, or Hi, or however they respond, to build a rapport.

I've found that Hi is the most commonly used opener, and internal emails are all Hi.

I use "Dear" for client emails, until I've built up a sufficiently friendly relationship when I can use "Hi". Sign off with either "Many thanks" or "Kind regards"

Internal emails are usually "Hi".

I think my emails to the most senior people at work are usually the most terse - quite often "Firstname, Please approve xyz by end of the weeks, thanks Born" as I've found the more senior the person the less time they have to read emails and usually prefer you to get right to the point rather than faffing about with arse-kissing!

I personally like hi but tend to mirror what the person corresponding with me does.

Can I please just say that "Kind regards" is the limpest, palest, most lavender-scented nonsense that your Nan would write in a birthday card in 1978.

"Kind regards"?? Just write "Thanks."

Thanks,

Me

You should see the greetings I get at my work (not UK), if you think Dear is too formal.

Internally, Dear Fred, Sincerely, echt.

Externally, Dear Ms/Mr, etc., Yours sincerely.

Internally:

Good Afternoon David

Could you please organise............

Kind regards & thanks, Quite Likely

I use 'Hi' both internally and externally, but then I'm usually communicating with students and informality is expected. I dislike getting emails where people have treated it as a letter.

I am 'Amummy' to everyone, not Mrs Atlast.

It's hi or hello all the way at my work - some people even add xx to the end of emails to people they don't even know

That's bollockx that email is like a Letter

I'm a teacher. I email other teachers at my find school with that familiarity that I've known them a while as all my kids go there

I email hi Sharon (or whatever ) please let me know about to trip.

They email back dear mrs berry.

They know I'm a teacher locally. They know me. They are formal to the point of wankersge

"At my sons'school "

Totally depends on the context and the level of formality required in each instance and that has to be assessed on a case by case basis.

I tend to open each introduction with 'dear' and depending on the context it will often dilute down to 'Hi' or 'Hello again' or whatever.

I avoid this issue by going for:
"Good morning" or "Good afternoon" if at all possible.

Spiegelei, considering that one of my german colleagues held a major grudge for 3 years because a newish german colleague called her by her first name before being invited to, I do feel that making sure things always err on the side of too formal.
I only address emails as Hi if I know the person well enough to phone them and say Hi, or if they address me that way.

I use 'hi' but also, if it's a serious email, I just use "first name" or if addressing more than one person "first name, other first name" eg

Stan,

Or

Stan, Michelle,

They email back dear mrs berry.

They know I'm a teacher locally. They know me. They are formal to the point of wankersge

Possibly they're politely indicating how they would prefer to be addressed.

Most of DP's overseas colleagues are German CMO and are friendly, congenial and do not take offence at being addressed by their first name in an email. That's how they address DP when they first make contact. He also has Italian, Polish and Latvian colleagues, and they also use Dear Firstname.

I'm afraid he - and I - would file your German colleague as an utter knobhead. More importantly so would DP's boss who oversees the German arm of the business.

If it's one of my co-workers or someone internal in my agency, I usually use "Hi," if I actually know the person, "Hello," if I don't.

For individuals outside the agency, I usually don't use "Dear," but address them as follows:

Ms. (or Mr.) Crosbybeach:
Good afternoon.

Then whatever in the body of the message.

Don't you all have lots of contacts who have ignoring emails down to a fine art? Coz I do.

I only send a scruffy email if I don't care about getting a reply.

When I worked in investment banking and media, 'Hi' was very much the norm. Now I work in education and we all say 'dear'. It seems very quaint to me but heigh ho!

I sent and receive emails on a daily basis and I've never used Dear as the opener, that is strictly reserved for letters. I've just had a quick look through my emails and about 99% open with Hi.

I use hello and many thanks.

In rl I sometimes say 'hiya' - it is dreadful but I am unable to stop it.

I tend to use hi. Unless I don't like the person, then they get 'Dear' which might be a bit passive aggressive.Often now I don't use any name, unless I've cced someone else in.

I used to use 'Best wishes' a lot, until I realised that it was bollocks as I didn't even know what best wishes really are. So I've trimmed them down. A few get 'love badkitten' but only when I'm feeling nice. For people I'm comfy with I just sign my name.

Badkitten.