To get so wound up about an innocuous email sign off?

[Maria53]

Ok this is light hearted but curious to see if it just me.

I have a colleague who has always signed off his emails with 'Let me know if there are any issues'. I think it bugs me for the same reason 'that won't be a problem' bothers me - it is a negative take on things for no reason whatsoever.

So now 2 other people that work closely with this colleague are signing off every single email to colleagues and clients with 'Let me know if there are any issues' when they are just updating or sending something. It is driving me nuts.

AIBU?

YABU and weird .........sorry

I think I know what you mean. It (sort of, and only slightly) positions them as the “stepper in” and you as the potential fuck-up?

I tend to put something like that at the end of mine, so doesn't bother me. It just stops the email being abrupt.

What really riles me are people who abbreviate "kind regards" and "best regards" to KR and BR.

And, even worse, people who don't have their phone number in their email signature.

I always sign off with this, to show that I am around to help if there are any problems, not to insinuate the recipient is going to fuck it up and I run in to the rescue!

Yeah it is a bit weird to get wound up about that.

Passive aggressively sign yours off with 'Let me know if you have ishoos'

Oh god @BernieInn I have never come across KR or BR!

Yeah I am finding it hard to put my finger on @flaviaritt. I am a fairly positive person. I feel adding a line about issues almost invites the issues where you are starting from a neutral position. Or plants the seed that there could be issues with the work produced.

YABU. It's a fairly standard sign-off with a helpful slant. I don't find it negative at all. I can't imagine how something so utterly innocuous could possibly drive anyone nuts tbh.

@Mavisblewitt

I always sign off with this, to show that I am around to help if there are any problems, not to insinuate the recipient is going to fuck it up and I run in to the rescue!

Exactly, I would have thought it's just good customer service, telling them that they're there to help should they need further assistance

I tend to use questions instead of issues - but found I needed to use it because some people just didn’t bother contacting me if they couldn’t do something (or picking up my phond); and I had no recourse when I escalate. By putting that line if if you can’t / don’t do the request then the onus is on you to contact them - thus making escalations more straight forward.

Def try it.

Well, I wouldn’t get worked up, OP.

But @AryaStarkWolf often this line is included when a colleague is sending a piece of work they have produced to a content. Thus suggesting there could be an issue with it right off the bat.

That, to me, is different from saying 'Let me know if there is anything else I can help with' etc

@Mavisblewitt

I always sign off with this, to show that I am around to help if there are any problems, not to insinuate the recipient is going to fuck it up and I run in to the rescue!

This. Most of my emails are either tasks I am delegating or information I am providing. I'm just getting them know I'm quite happy to provide any clarification required or anything else.

@Maria53

Oh god *@BernieInn* I have never come across KR or BR!

Yeah I am finding it hard to put my finger on @flaviaritt. I am a fairly positive person. I feel adding a line about issues almost invites the issues where you are starting from a neutral position. Or plants the seed that there could be issues with the work produced.

You say you're a positive person but you took a negative meaning from something most people would see view as positive :p

I think 'Let Maria53 know if there are any issues' would be worse.

I feel adding a line about issues almost invites the issues where you are starting from a neutral position. Or plants the seed that there could be issues with the work produced.

That sounds rather paranoid. If someone signed an email to me like that, I'd think "Oh, good to know I can get back to him/her about things if necessary", not "Oh no - does that mean there might be issues?! I'd better check until I find some!"

I do this and its just designed to allow people to feel comfortable telling me if they don't understand something.

Didn't realise it was so controversial and can't see that its worth getting wound up about. In the scheme of dreadful email sign-offs I've seen far worse!

@lazylinguist

I feel adding a line about issues almost invites the issues where you are starting from a neutral position. Or plants the seed that there could be issues with the work produced.

That sounds rather paranoid. If someone signed an email to me like that, I'd think "Oh, good to know I can get back to him/her about things if necessary", not "Oh no - does that mean there might be issues?! I'd better check until I find some!"

Exactly, it's letting the client know that you're still there and the service hasn't ended type of a thing

I occasionally use this. It’s not because I think the person is going to cock up but I do usually use it when I think the recipient is awkward about potentially monopolising my time. I’ll add it then to let them know that I’m available to them, without them feeling bad!

What irrationally winds me up is those who just have the same email sign off and include it in their email signature. So every email you get
“Kindest regards

Jan Doe
Telephone number....”

It just feels very abrupt. Like they couldn’t be bothered to actually finish an email. Plus for those people you speak to regularly, I don’t need the full email signature don’t need the whole email signature. I also think sometimes an email calls for a slightly different sign-off.

Nothing wrong with signing off an email like that at all.

Best

Puppy

I'd be annoyed because it doesn't actually make sense! What does he mean by issues? It's a euphemism. I'm guessing that there is at least one issue, which I would hope he has summarised in the subject line of the email.

Know I’ll probably get slated for this - but years ago I made a big effort with my team in tackling exactly this sort of language. For example “please do not hesitate to contact me” - it gives the idea that someone should even think to hesitate.

So in a lighthearted way - I’m with you.

@AuntyPonsonby exactly! No these are emails where they should not be any issues involved.

We do however have some clients that like to look for issues and this is partly why I think it is just an invitation for them to look for some.

The email sign-offs which bug me are the ones directed to professional contacts which profess affection and friendship, such as "with kind regards" or "warmest wishes".

I know a bit of diplomacy is essential in business but that's so blatantly fake: you can't feel "warm" or "kind" towards someone you've never met.

Also, I saw some research somewhere recently on this which is interesting (can't remember where): the more senior you are the less of this sort of sign-off guff you are likely to include in your emails.

I've worked with some high profile people before who issue one-word responses to most of their email traffic. I wouldn't ever go that far because its unnecessarily abrupt but cutting the poncey verbiage definitely makes you sound more authoritative.

At the end of mine I sometimes put "If you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me" which is a bit more polite imo.