How many times do you read your email before sending?

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

not to be all big dick - but at this point in my life I re-read my emails about 1/5 as many times as I used to. when I was younger (including the pre-email days) writing a letter for fax could be an affiar of a few hours, and I always re-read everything 3-5 times. now, I pretty much look over it, unless it is a very important email, and then I will spell check it and send it to my assistant to proof just in case for grammer and spelling I might miss. but I can afford to make the occasional mistakes now, I couldn't then. I strongly suggest continuing to re-read until you are very comfortable with your ability to write business material. if I am sending something to be printed - I'll have two people proof it, though.
This. Earlier in my career I couldn't risk sending poorly composed e-mail or notes with errors. Now I look an e-mail over once maybe, time permitting. For critically important or more formal correspondence, my assistant, and if needed, an editor proofreads it.

 

[Ty_Webb]

A guy with whom I used to work once sent an email to a client without getting someone to proof read it first (including, I can only assume, himself). He signed off with:

Regards,
Andrew

Or at least, that's what he meant to say. Unfortunately when he went for the "g" in regards, he missed and hit "t" by mistake. Spell check didn't pick it up. Oops. Made my day. Ever since then I've been quite careful about reading through emails before I send them. I'd never read one five times though unless I was rewriting because I didn't like how I'd worded something.

 

[mr.orange]

Originally Posted by Saturdays

I love the Google Labs "Undo" option in GMail, it saves me many times. I usually re-read, sometimes forget to, hit undo and re-read and then send.

For the most part its a good thing to re-read 3-4 times. You can never be too careful.

What's the time limit for undoing an email? I've heard that sometimes it doesn't work.

Originally Posted by celery

0-1

I'm not big on making mistakes. I also follow the rule of "never email while angry."

+1 also never email/txt/FB while you're drunk. Sometimes I get the urge to msg some old girlfriends.

Originally Posted by Fang66

Compose in a word proccessing app, it's easier to read and edit, then copy and paste to the email app.

duh. why didn't I think of this?

Originally Posted by globetrotter

not to be all big dick - but at this point in my life I re-read my emails about 1/5 as many times as I used to. when I was younger (including the pre-email days) writing a letter for fax could be an affiar of a few hours, and I always re-read everything 3-5 times. now, I pretty much look over it, unless it is a very important email, and then I will spell check it and send it to my assistant to proof just in case for grammer and spelling I might miss. but I can afford to make the occasional mistakes now, I couldn't then. I strongly suggest continuing to re-read until you are very comfortable with your ability to write business material. if I am sending something to be printed - I'll have two people proof it, though.

that's what I'm doing boss. especially since my job duties are new and I'm not really familiar with all the paperwork. I've read it and know what I need but I still lack some of the "on the job skillz".

Originally Posted by imageWIS

Secretly record meetings, a-la Nixon.

is it illegal to audio record other people without their consent?

Originally Posted by Ty_Webb

I once sent an email to a client without getting someone to proof read it first. I signed off with:

Regards,
Andrew

Or at least, that's what I meant to say. Unfortunately when I went for the "g" in regards, I missed and hit "t" by mistake. Spell check didn't pick it up. Oops. Destroyed my day. Ever since then I've been quite careful about reading through emails before I send them. I'd never read one five times though unless I was rewriting because I didn't like how I'd worded something.

FTFY

so this?:

1) never email while angry/drunk
2) use word to type up emails
3) have someone proof read email
4) have a cool signature
5) keep sexy emailz off company server lol

 

[Ty_Webb]

Originally Posted by mr.orange

FTFY

I know it's en vogue to say "a guy I know" or something like that when it was you, but it really wasn't me. At the time I had no business sending emails to clients. I did get to reply to him saying "I can only assume you meant to say regards there". He was mortified. I would have been and would not be sharing such a story now. But that's just me.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by mr.orange

other people without their consent?

I know you can't use it in court... but not sure if illegal... forum lawyers, what say ye?

 

[mr.orange]

Originally Posted by Ty_Webb

I know it's en vogue to say "a guy I know" or something like that when it was you, but it really wasn't me. At the time I had no business sending emails to clients. I did get to reply to him saying "I can only assume you meant to say regards there". He was mortified. I would have been and would not be sharing such a story now. But that's just me.

only kidding bro, I know it was that Andrew guy.

Originally Posted by imageWIS

I know you can't use it in court... but not sure if illegal... forum lawyers, what say ye?

where's that mountain man guy when you need him? the one that crushes beers on his forehead.

 

[robbie]

2-6 times, depending on the recipient.

 

[Ty_Webb]

Originally Posted by mr.orange

only kidding bro, I know it was that Andrew guy.

Phew!!! I thought for a second you had me there. Oh...wait...

 

[worldrunner]

2-3 times...If its my boss... 4-5

 

[ter1413]

OP, you have OCD!

 

[mr.orange]

Doubt it. You should see my messy ass room lol.

Sometimes I won't clean for a whole week.

 

[KJT]

Originally Posted by Ty_Webb

A guy with whom I used to work once sent an email to a client without getting someone to proof read it first (including, I can only assume, himself). He signed off with:

Regards,
Andrew

Or at least, that's what he meant to say. Unfortunately when he went for the "g" in regards, he missed and hit "t" by mistake. Spell check didn't pick it up. Oops. Made my day. Ever since then I've been quite careful about reading through emails before I send them. I'd never read one five times though unless I was rewriting because I didn't like how I'd worded something.

Hilarious

I once sent an email to a vp at Hewlett packard saying "Where do you want to get lunch, dude? I'm ******* starving.". Her email had the same first three letters as my coworker and I didnt notice that outlook auto-populated the to field with the wrong address, until right after I hit send. I was mortified. She was cool about it, knowing I was very junior, and just made fun of me a little.

Now I don't put in the email addresses until the email is proofread and ready to be sent.

 

[Ty_Webb]

Originally Posted by KJT

Hilarious

I once sent an email to a vp at Hewlett packard saying "Where do you want to get lunch, dude? I'm ******* starving.". Her email had the same first three letters as my coworker and I didnt notice that outlook auto-populated the to field with the wrong address, until right after I hit send. I was mortified. She was cool about it, knowing I was very junior, and just made fun of me a little.

Now I don't put in the email addresses until the email is proofread and ready to be sent.

Me too. My left mouse button and keyboard are at the same height, so if I slide my mouse across and into my keyboard by mistake, it sometimes clicks. I've been too close to passing over send when that accidental click happens to risk it any more.

 

[mr.orange]

Originally Posted by KJT

Hilarious

I once sent an email to a vp at Hewlett packard saying "Where do you want to get lunch, dude? I'm ******* starving.". Her email had the same first three letters as my coworker and I didnt notice that outlook auto-populated the to field with the wrong address, until right after I hit send. I was mortified. She was cool about it, knowing I was very junior, and just made fun of me a little.

omg lol

Now I don't put in the email addresses until the email is proofread and ready to be sent.

+1

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by KJT

Now I don't put in the email addresses until the email is proofread and ready to be sent.
+2, especially to higher-ups or sensitive e-mail.