To hate the phrase ASAP

[Tetrus]

I work in a really busy IT helpdesk- we are a team of 2 people that support 800 users. That's actually only a small part of our role as we're involved in a huge amount of other projects too.
Anyway on a daily basis we get a huge number of requests/queries etc, but when I see the phrase 'ASAP' it really gets under my skin. As in, "we need an answer on this ASAP" or "can you revert ASAP".
I'm not sure why it irritates me so much, as when you break down what it means it's actually just "as soon as possible", which of course everyone wants. But ASAP to me just sounds really rude, and makes me think, no, you're not going to skip the queue 😅

I'd hate it too if my job was as crap as yours sounds. I hate being told what to do and would be useless working for someone who suggested ASAP.

I don't though and I use it with emphasis when speaking to dd who takes a lifetime to respond sometimes

I don't think the issue is so much the use of 'ASAP' as it is more about 2 people supporting 800 users. That in itself is entirely unreasonable.

Asking people to revert when you mean reply is far more annoying in my opinion

Agree and the capitals dont help. Its like they're shouting it at you

I think it's military in origin and probably being misused.

Yes they should ideally be super-nice and polite about it but at the very least justify it. "This is a business-critical issue, due to X, and I would really appreciate if you are able to deal with this as a matter of urgency" is much more likely to get a response from me than 'please revert ASAP'. Not the phrase itself so much that would annoy me, more the way it is used.

Yes, yes, yes to all of that!
I agree we're drowning in the work, which is a bigger issue in itself, and not the users' problem which is why it's even more of a red rag to a bull. I feel like telling management to resource up our team ASAP.
Yes and it's the capitals too, and that it seems military in origin- that's the crux of it that I couldn't pinpoint- it makes me think "don't tell me what to do, I'm here to help you".
Agreed, politeness and rationale goes a long way too.

I hate it
Ay-sap

I think it's the job, not the phrase which is the problem tbh. The capitals aren't there to make it forceful, it's just because it's an abbreviation (like RSVP etc). And yes, it just means 'as soon as possible, which could refer to something nice, not just work demands. "I want to get home ASAP!" "I want to get my holiday booked ASAP" etc. It's just a common abbreviation, not inherently rude and demanding (though the tone and context could make it rude).

In the sort of situation you describe, it's probably redundant - as you say, most people want things ASAP. It has its place, but it's not helpful in a work situation - it's better to be precise about the deadline - 'by 4pm today' etc. The 'as possible' is open to interpretation if someone is juggling lots of tasks.

There’s a special place in hell reserved for people who say it as AY-SAP 😡