I hope you are well

[944fan]

Why has it seemingly become the norm to start emails to people with this line? Especially from people who you hardly know. Pretty much every email I get from a client or supplier starts with this.

I am guessing it is some attempt to be reasonably polite but I doubt for a second anyone actually gives a juddering fk whether I am well or not. What do they expect me to reply?

Note: first person to reply to this thread saying "I hope you are well" can have 10 bell-end points :-)

[chr15b]

sets the tone for the email.

a bit like smiling before answering the phone?

[Vocal Minority]

Pretty much.

It's a just a social courtesy - gentle, friendly start to the email rather than 'Oi! fk-knuckle!'

Maybe it does stand up to much logical analysis and

Adressee

Straight into Business Item 1

onto Business Item 2

Respond when you have something to respond with (because logically kind regards means bugger all)

Sender.

would be more straightforward.

But not much social convention is entirely logical. It does make the world a little less jarring though

[Vitorio]

Pretty much the same as "how do you do?" or the colonial version "how are you?" when meeting..

As a non native english speaker i will occasionally get tricked by this into giving an actual answer rather then the customary mirror reply.

[Cotty]

There are a couple of people who write that on emails to me. Still find it a bit odd.

Edited by Cotty on Friday 27th May 14:52

[Flip Martian]

Weird, I got one for the first time this morning from someone in a different organisation I've never met before. Clearly as she was asking me to ring her, the 2 things link together and indicate she's stalked me online, found out how devastatingly good looking I am and this is the prelude to me fathering her kids and the important work matter is just a pretext.

But probably not.

To be honest, I did think it a bit of an odd, but pleasant, way to start an email. If you get a lot of them though, I can see how that would be irritating.

[Muzzer79]

944fan said:

Why has it seemingly become the norm to start emails to people with this line? Especially from people who you hardly know. Pretty much every email I get from a client or supplier starts with this.

I am guessing it is some attempt to be reasonably polite but I doubt for a second anyone actually gives a juddering fk whether I am well or not. What do they expect me to reply?

Note: first person to reply to this thread saying "I hope you are well" can have 10 bell-end points :-)

It's the e-mail equivalent of starting a phone call with

"Hi 944fan, how are you?"

You can't use that exact terminology as most of the time you're not (or at least shouldn't be) using e-mail for conversation. So, it's kind of a rhetorical version of "how are you"

I hope that if someone phoned you up and said

"Hi 944fan, how are you?"

You know that they likely don't give a juddering fk how you are, but are simply being polite. If you wouldn't know how to respond to either e-mail or telephone versions of the conversation, you're a simpleton

[Impasse]

I hope you are suffering from quite a severe cold.

[krisdelta]

Email can be "read" in many tones - it's a very good way of setting a positive, friendly tone.

[blindswelledrat]

944fan said:

Note: first person to reply to this thread saying "I hope you are well" can have 10 bell-end points :-)

Definitely agree with this bit and I cannot wait for someone to excitedly type this out without bothering to read your post.

DOn't agree with your annoyance at that phrase though.
Its just a basic courtesy. Why do we say "Hello" to people? Its all nonsense and yet we have always been a courteous race and it feels a bit rude to launch into business without anything else.

[nitrodave]

Jeez, cheer up. It's just someone being polite.

Like an email which ends with 'kind regards' or 'all the best'.

Don't read so much into it

[Cotty]

nitrodave said:

Jeez, cheer up. It's just someone being polite.

Just makes me worried that they have heard something I haven't.

Or did they think I looked a bit ill last time we met so they are checking up on me.

Edited by Cotty on Friday 27th May 15:11

[CalNaughtonJnr]

I get regular e-mails from a supplier saying 'Hope your well'

[catso]

Ty replying with a couple of opening paragraphs listing and describing all your illnesses and general unwellness, they won't ask again...

[Otispunkmeyer]

CalNaughtonJnr said:

I get regular e-mails from a supplier saying 'Hope your well'

Hope your well is full of nice fresh water?

[ZesPak]

CalNaughtonJnr said:

I get regular e-mails from a supplier saying 'Hope your well'

Hope my well what?

[Vocal Minority]

I have to say, getting visibly annoyed about it is somewhat odder than asking it in my book!

Or do I need a whoosh parrot and its a grammar point?

[anonymous-user]

Cotty said:

Just makes me worried that that have heard something I haven't.

Or did they think I looked a bit ill last time we met so they are checking up on me.

Yup these niceties just lead to confusion. What we need is a complete lack of warmth and empathy in emails, Work correspondence especially should be almost Spocklike in its cold, distant directness.

I propose we start emails by writing what we really think.

"Hi 944fan, I hear you look like your trousers have shrunk., are you free for a meeting at . . . . "

"Cotty, I really can't be arsed having to meet you so please just email me the proposals for . . . "

[anonymous-user]

Vocal Minority said:

I have to say, getting visibly annoyed about it is somewhat odder than asking it in my book!

Or do I need a whoosh parrot and its a grammar point?

You're one of those people with empathy and feelings aren't you?

[227bhp]

When I go to the shops they ask me if i'm alright.

A. They don't know who I am nor care.
B. If I say no they don't know what to say.
I have no idea why they ask, why not just say 'Hello, that's £6.99'.