Email Etiquette from Madame Chic

We are bombarded with correspondence on a daily basis. With instant communication through text, phone, and email, people want a response and they want it now! For important calls and emails, the general rule is to try to respond within twenty-four hours.
– Image source, Pinterest

From “Polish Your Poise with MADAME CHIC”

Email Etiquette

When you first email someone, especially a business contact, you must follow formal email protocol. With friends or coworkers who frequently exchange emails with you, some of the formalities can be dropped, but it’s always a great idea to keep common courtesy at the heart of your communication. Here are some things to consider:

Reply all? Before hitting “reply all” consider if you need to include everyone in this communication.

Forwarding? If you are forwarding an email, be sure to write a personal note before the forward. Never send chain emails.

Tone. Never write in all caps unless you want to give the impression that you are SHOUTING.

Mr. and Mrs. So and So. Don't let the casual nature of email put your guard down; always address your contact with the appropriate level of formality.

It's Jennifer with two n's. Make sure you spell everyone’s name correctly.

Double-check. Don't forget to use spell-check if you've misspelled something.

Angry? Think before you hit send. Once an email is sent, it cannot be taken back.

Dot your i’s and cross your t’s. Use complete sentences rather than informal abbreviations or slang.

Sincerely, Employ polite common courtesies as you would in a letter. Start off with either “Dear” or “Hello.” Inquire about the other person with a pleasantry such as “How are you?” or wish them well with “I hope this email finds you well.” Don't forget to sign off gracefully just as you would at the end of a letter.

Returning calls and emails

We are bombarded with correspondence on a daily basis. With instant communication through text, phone, and email, people want a response and they want it now! For important calls and emails, the general rule is to try to respond within twenty-four hours. If you are busy and can't give a proper response to a call or an email within twenty-four hours, it is nice to respond by saying, “I have your message and will get back to you.” Give a time frame for your response. 

If you are out of town or unable to return messages, you can set your email to send an automatic message saying you are unavailable to answer emails until you return. Do your best to get back to people upon your return. Do not feel the pressure to get back to lower-priority messages instantly; otherwise you will become a slave to text, phone, and email. – From the book, “Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic,” by Jennifer L. Scott, 2015

When she arrived at Madame Chic’s Parisian apartment as a foreign exchange student, Jennifer Scott was a casual California girl who thought sweatpants were appropriate street attire. Madame Chic took Jennifer under her wing and tutored her in the secrets of how the French elevate the little things in life to the art of living. Years later, Jennifer was back in California with a husband, two young daughters, a dog, and her first home. Every day she confronted mundane duties like folding laundry and unloading the dishwasher, and she began to think about Madame Chic’s home—how the breakfast table was set beautifully the night before, the music that always played in the background, the calm of Madame and Monsieur Chic’s ritual cocktail hour together. Jennifer wanted that life. She decided to see what would happen if she didn’t perform her chores impatiently or mindlessly, if, instead, she could live like Madame Chic… This is just one of the books from her marvelous series.

 🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia