Lay My Hat

Posted: **Wed Mar 04, 2015 1:01 pm**

Normandie wrote:Default response for me is Hello <first-name>. If in doubt, that's the form I use.

I never use Hi. Too informal for what is essentially a business matter. The guest can use Hi but I don't. But I don't really like Dear either because that smacks of old-fashioned letters and email (imo) isn't.

But I may use Dear Mr / Mrs / Ms <Surname> if they've Dear Mrs Host-ed me, if they have signed off indicating they're a Mrs or Ms 'as in: Dear Mrs Host, Kind regards, Jemima Puddleduck (Mrs)

So depending on other factors, it's...

Hello Jemima

or

Hello Mrs Puddleduck

or

Dear Jemima or Dear Mrs Puddleduck

Indecisive, much?!

It's all down to mirroring their level of (in)formality though never to the informality of Hi.

I think it's probably better to be a little bit too formal than appear too casual. I'm a professional business owner and there's no harm in implying that. I do 'hi' good friends but that's personal, not business. Anyway, we all know of people (ourselves?) who're irked by cold calls asking 'is that Normandie? Hi, I'm Sally... from some call centre from hell...' etc when they are complete strangers and should have every expectation of retaining that status.

Normandie has said it all for me! Thanks

Posted: **Wed Mar 04, 2015 1:05 pm**

But I do also use the Good Morning/Good Afternoon/Good Evening Mrs Guest or First Name formula depending on how formal/informal the email sounds to me.

Posted: **Wed Mar 04, 2015 10:00 pm**

Normandie wrote:Default response for me is Hello <first-name>. If in doubt, that's the form I use.

I never use Hi. Too informal for what is essentially a business matter. The guest can use Hi but I don't. But I don't really like Dear either because that smacks of old-fashioned letters and email (imo) isn't.

Ditto

Nearly always followed by their first name/s - which is often all we get in a first email. The only folk who seem to give titles and no first names are the French, but we'll still sign off with our first names and they inevitably follow suit ...

Posted: **Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:45 am**

Always start with a good morning or good afternoon...but once the relationship is established I move to a 'hi'.
My emails are always very informal with people once we get the first one out of the way.

Mouse
x

Posted: **Thu Mar 05, 2015 4:05 pm**

Because we are in France, we usually do Bonjour followed by Name. If Name as signed includes the title i.e. M ou Mme etc we include that. It really does depend on the feel we initially get from the enquirer. If the enquiry is in english, we still use Bonjour.

Posted: **Thu Mar 05, 2015 6:32 pm**

Always for the first response:

Good morning, good afternoon or good evening from a bright and sunny South of France

---even when it isn't (sshhhh. This is a secret between us!)

Posted: **Sun Mar 15, 2015 5:13 pm**

As I mainly deal with Americans my first greeting will be "hi".
If I have a German enquirer I will correct it to "hello" or "dear" as their usual greeting often is "Hallo" or "liebe". (Any German is welcome to correct me)

Sorry la vache, not an answer to your question, but the thread seems to be spreading ou.

Lay My Hat

Help with English emails