To hate receiving emails starting with just my name

[shineonyoucrazydiamondd]

When people at work email me with just my name, and not Hi it makes my blood boil and I can’t help feeling that way 😂it feels abrupt and rude to me.

How hard is it to put Hi or Hello? Or am I being over sensitive? (I probably am)

Same! It feels so passive aggressive and unnecessary.
Really gives me the rage 🤣 (that's probably an unreasonable reaction)

I agree - I think it’s really rude. It always seems to be men who do this IME.

I agree! Especially when there's no 'thanks' or 'best wishes' at the end either

Yes I hate this. A friend had a work email (bollocking her for a decision her boss had made) which didn’t even have her name - she was furious.

I find it really rude, it’s like you’re being told off.

The person I know who does it is a woman. She is very direct and efficient. But quite nice in person, so I try to give her the benefit of the doubt… I would never do it though.

Yes! I hate it because it seems like they're about to have a go at you, though they probably don't mean anything by it. Like people who just put Regards instead of Kind regards. I only put Regards if I don't like the person I'm emailing but others probably don't think anything of it.

OP,

Yes, I bloody hate this.

It's as if someone is shouting to get your attention. Or commanding you to pay attention. It annoys the hell out of me.

I often do this rather than work out how to pitch the greeting as hi, hello, good morning, dear etc. But I’ve never interpreted it as rude when people address an email that way to me, so hadn’t considered otherwise.

Same. I just reply with no salutation at all, straight to the message.

Dear Comtesse if it’s quite formal, Hello Comtesse if it’s informal??

It’s not that hard, surely?

I don’t think it’s rude in a work email, I think it’s modern. “Dear Yusay” sounds like an old-fashioned paper letter and “Hi/Hello Yusay” sounds over-familiar for work.

I’ve never really thought too much about it. As I say, I don’t find it rude to receive an email addressed that way, which is often; and nobody has ever said to me that they do. So it hasn’t previously occurred to me to believe otherwise.

I think it’s also cultural: I do a lot of work with the US and Northern European colleagues and providers who are generally very straight to the point and clipped in email, fewer greetings, less waffle.

“Vino

Can you add these data sets into the appendices please, not the main body of the report.”

Me -

Yes. Will do.

I’m just as abrupt tbh & don’t think anything of it

No salutation at all is fine. Name only sounds as though someone is issuing orders, and puts my back up.

I work with an international team covering North America, APAC, Europe etc and it is very noticeable how cultural conventions affect writing styles.

My German and Dutch colleagues tend to be very straight to the point, which I have got used to and actually appreciate, but it can initially come across as brusque to the point of rude to a British person.

A lot of my APAC colleagues, on the other hand (especially Singapore / Hong Kong), can be very nuanced - there's a lot of weight attached to personal relationships, such as remembering family details etc. While it's also appreciated, sometimes it can be so nuanced it's like cracking a code to get to what they actually want you to do!

Nobody does passive aggression like the Brits, though: I taught my South African director about the UK art of the sign off and why 'regards' is the worst thing in the world, and she found it hilarious. 😁

I completely agree, it's just rude.

I always feel that would be described in a book as 'barking' as in 'he barked her name' 🤣

I don't think it's rude at all to use your first name, it's just normal practice in an email where I work and in other places I've worked before.

What I really hate is "Hi Mavis" when people don't know me or have never spoken to me.

Or misspelling my name.

No salutation at all would be beyond rude unless you have already sent an email and are just saying thanks.

For me:

• Dear Mavis or Dear Ms Chunch when you don't know me
• Mavis on its own is standard usage
• Hi Mavis is ok when you know me or we have become on friendly terms or email each other a lot. Otherwise it's really overly informal and rude. It's particularly rude if you are some random from Octopus or South East Trains or whatever.
• No salutation at all - delete and ignore.

If I was sending in the morning or thought my message was not going to be read until the following morning , I’d start with “Good morning (name)”

Likewise for afternoon.

I worked in a very courteous scientific organisation. It was so pleasant and I count my blessings.

These days, if I’m in contact with professionals or trades, I do the same “Good morning or Good afternoon.”

Better to be thought of as having some manners even if the recipient is not keen on the greeting.

Omg I hate it too! It is just passive aggressive and sets the tone for the rest of the email.

Yes, I use good morning/afternoon too if it's someone outside the organisation.

I also say "Hope you had a nice weekend/nice holiday" etc if it's a first email on the day back.

Generally I try to match the level of formality of the sender. If they've good morninged me I good morning or good afternoon them back.

Even if they have inappropriately "Hied" me I would usually "Hi" them back 😂

“To think I should have lived to be goodmorninged by Belladonna Took's son, as if I were selling buttons at the door!"

Reads like a reprimand.

I have done this once or twice when I really have been annoyed with something somebody has done, I’m not feeling kindly disposed to them as a result and I want to signal that.

People who do it as a matter of course come across as arrogant.