I’m sure most people reading this have encountered the odd kisses, smiley faces or emoticons in their emails.
Last month, research conducted by Mars Drinks Office Connections, revealed more than half of marketers said it is unacceptable to put a kiss at the end of an email. And I totally agree. The increased use of digital communications may have lead to less formal, quicker liaisons, but that doesn’t make it okay to slip into an unnecessarily over-friendly tone of voice.
In the past, I have received a number of chatty emails at work that have included phrases such as, ‘Hi babes’, ‘No worries hun’ and even the odd ‘Here you go sugar’ has crept in. All of these expressions really grind my gears – you don’t know me, and if you did you’d know that I hate all of these sorts of flakey terms.
Now, you’re probably starting to think that every time a playful email lands in my inbox steam starts coming out of my ears. Don’t get me wrong, like 72 per cent of the marketers in Mars Drinks Connections’ research, I think it’s okay to be a little more relaxed and use the odd smiley or winky face during email exchanges after a relationship has developed – after all there’s nothing wrong with lighthearted exchanges.
And with the ongoing economic struggles that refuse to go away, I think people are trying to inject a bit more fun and energy to make the office a less formal environment where morale and performance is more positive. However, when it comes to external working relationships I think a little decorum should be welcomed.
