Writing good Out Of Office messages

Crafting an effective out-of-office message is important to ensure that the person who is trying to contact you knows that you are unavailable and when you will be able to respond. Here are some tips on how to create an effective out-of-office message:

  1. Start with a friendly greeting: Start your message with a friendly greeting such as “Hello” or “Hi” to make it more personable.

  2. Let them know you’re out of the office: Be clear about when you will be unavailable and when you will be back in the office. Include the dates of your absence and if possible, the reason for your absence.

  3. Offer an alternative contact: If there is someone else who can assist the person who is trying to contact you, provide their contact information. This will give them the option to contact someone else who can help them.

  4. Let them know when they can expect a response: Give the person who is trying to contact you an idea of when they can expect a response. If you will be checking your email while you are away, let them know that you will be checking it periodically and when they can expect to hear back from you.

  5. Thank them for their message: Be courteous and thank the person for their message. This will let them know that you have received their message and that you will respond as soon as possible.

  6. Use a professional tone: Remember to keep your out-of-office message professional and free from any unnecessary details or personal information.

  7. Configure your auto-responder or, even better, let Auto OOO do it for you. Auto OOO is a Google Calendar add-on that monitors your calendar and enables the auto-responder automatically for you when you are out.

Here’s an example:

Hello,

Thank you for your email. I will be out of the office from March 4th to March 8th attending a conference. During this time, I will not have access to my email. I will respond to your email as soon as possible upon my return.

If you require immediate assistance, please contact Jane Doe at jane.doer@email.com. Thank you again for your message.

Best regards,

Your name