Out of Office Reply

I do not know if I should thank the whoever person who created emails/internet. Life has been more busy than before. Once enter into office, the routine is to check emails, phone mails, in-tray, faxes, not forgetting sometimes sms, personal emails and facebook later, if I can catch a breather.

Somehow, living in this modern world is stressful. The speed of communication is faster and faster. Sometimes, I would get an immediate reply, when I hit the SEND button. And I even knew of a few people whom I can expect an immediate reply in the next 10 minutes or so.

If a phone call has to be answered within 3 rings (that's what they taught), thus I wonder what would be the so called "Best Practice" criteria to replying emails? I once heard someone mentioned that it's 3 days at max for emails, which is by the way, that's that person's "standard" lor. I nearly fainted!!!! I might as well send by snail mail. By the way, snail mail in Singapore only takes a day hor!

Often we expect a swift response to our reply, but we don't even bother do it for others. Thus, I told myself, if I will have to try to clear and respond to most of the before-3-pm-cut-off emails within the day. Weekends are exempted of course!

Talking about responding to emails, sometimes, I really wonder if the "Out-Of-Office (OOO)" notification message is really necessary? Although, one day late in responding to email won't kill/die, but if it's a pre-plan or leave that are longer than 2 days, I think it's an e-etiquette to keep others inform. Simply, it just meant an excuse to cover up for the delay.

And often when I put it up, suay suay my sisters have to choose that day to email me only to find out that I'm on leave again. But there many types of leave annual leave, medical leave, child sick leave, training leave and time off. But seriously, I burn nights and weekends to accumulate time off leh!

Here are some funny 'OOO' automatic email replies (excerpted from one of those trashy emails):

• I am currently out of the office at a job interview and will reply to you if I fail to get the position. Please be prepared for my mood.
  
• You are receiving this automatic notification because I am out of the office. If I was in, chances are you wouldn't have received anything at all.
  
• Sorry to have missed you, but I'm at the doctor's having my brain and heart removed so I can be promoted to our management team.
  
• I will be unable to delete all the emails you send me until I return from vacation. Please be patient, and your mail will be deleted in the order it was received.
  
• Thank you for your email. Your credit card has been charged $5.99 for the first 10 words and $1.99 for each additional word in your message.
  
• The email server is unable to verify your server connection. Your message has not been delivered. Please restart your computer and try sending again. (The beauty of this is that when you return, you can see who did this over and over and over.)
  
• Thank you for your message, which has been added to a queuing system. You are currently in 395th place, and can expect to receive a reply in approximately 19 weeks.
  
• Hi, I'm thinking about what you've just sent me. Please wait by your PC for my response.
  
• I've run away to join a different circus.
  
• I will be out of the office for the next two weeks for medical reasons. When I return, please refer to me as 'Vincent' instead of Valerie.

Here's the final one -- my ultimate and real life encounter, which left me dumbfounded for days!!!!

• I'm currently away. For urgent matters, please call me on my mobile XXXX XXXX.

First of all, one is not indispensable in any workplace. Secondly, PLEASE don't leave your personal mobile number and/or redirect it to your partner's personal mobile number in the "OOO" auto reply message, as there is such function called "CALL FORWARDING" in most, in fact all office phones. You never know who might be calling you in the middle of the night, you know? When I was young, my mum always tell me not to give especially our personal (house) telephone number away, unless we know the person well.