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 :-)

[944fan]

Vocal Minority said:

friendly start to the email rather than 'Oi! fk-knuckle!'

I am definitely starting all my emails with Oi fk-knuckle from now on. On a related note, out sales director when he emails me doesn't do the "I hope you are well". He starts it Dear , and ends it with You wker. Think it is some kind of motivation way of speaking. I quite like it, at least it is genuine.

[944fan]

I get what you are saying courtesy etc but does it not seem completely ingenious? Especially when they phrase it as a question "I hope you are well?"

I note how some people put it as a statement "I hope you are well" That I can agree with, they are saying I hope you are not suffering with a bad dose of the clap, here is a pile of work related st for you.

It doesn't bother or annoy me and perhaps I am a social tt but I would only ask someone if they are well if I actually cared about the answer.

[944fan]

I got an unsolicited email this morning form a company selling their wares. It started:

"I sincerely hope you are doing well."

Which was nice, albeit insincere, for the fact it was started:

Hi [{registrant_name}]