The optimal out-of-office message - Content, Templates and Examples

Accessibility and prompt support are considered essential by many customers, but they pose significant challenges for companies. Especially in the case of individual care provided by a personal contact, a delayed or absent response can easily lead to misunderstandings, which a well-crafted out of office message - also known as an "Out of Office Message" in English - reliably avoids. Striking a balance between a professional yet not overly formal and rigid style often proves to be a major difficulty. Nevertheless, it is important to find an optimal compromise. Ultimately, it is difficult to predict precisely who will receive this out of office message during the time its author spends "Out of Office". This is best achieved with your own email domain.

Key Information in the Out of Office Message

Primarily, an out of office message notifies the sender that their message cannot be immediately read or processed at a specific time. In some cases, this information alone is sufficient - however, this is often not the case as the incoming email is usually related to a specific issue and the sender has a (valid) interest in knowing how long their contact will be out of office. Therefore, the perfect out of office message should address all potentially relevant questions arising from the absence. It should include, in the following order, the following points:

• Brief greeting
• Expected duration of absence
• General reason such as holiday, sudden illness, or operational reasons
• Automatic forwarding of the message to reachable colleagues or responsible parties
• Reference to another contact person who can be approached in urgent cases
• Possible deadlines after return
• Short, friendly, and definitive closing statement
• Individual signature of the email address and - if available - its public key

After individual consideration, certain points such as the reason or closing formula may be omitted if they do not play a significant role in the current context. The information should also be kept general - the disclosure of specific and personal details such as the location of a holiday or the nature of an illness should only occur in rare exceptions and after careful consideration. An example of this would be research stays or conferences where the current location is relevant to the sender's interests.

Correct wording balancing between casual, friendly, general, and formal

When communicating via email, there are often less strict guidelines compared to official letters or conversations. However, especially in an out-of-office message, it is advisable to use a polite yet not overly familiar or intimate tone, as these messages reach diverse and sometimes unpredictable recipients. It should be kept general, avoiding sounding solely like generic phrases or - even worse - like an unchanged Out of Office message from the email client.

Given these circumstances, it is advisable to keep the message brief, concise, and impersonal, addressing the "highest" possible recipient. An overly distant tone in an automated out-of-office message rarely leads to negative feedback, while a lack of respect or an inappropriate tone - even if perceived subjectively by the recipient of an Out of Office message - can have direct consequences under the wrong circumstances.

An age-old problem: To use 'Du' or 'Sie'?

In direct communication, the choice between 'Du' and 'Sie' depends on the context and the relationship between the parties involved. However, in a generally worded out-of-office message like advertising, newspapers, or other public and semi-public documents, personal assessments and differentiation on a case-by-case basis are not possible. Therefore, 'Sie' is considered the standard and should be used in email accounts that meet one of the following criteria:

• Official, commercial, or professional use
• Mixed usage with private and formal contacts
• Public communication and representation
• Customer service and acquisition
• General, unspecified audiences such as websites, forums, and newsletters

In general, exceptions aside such as professions where informal address is a collective consensus, the use of 'Sie' is reserved for general out-of-office messages in accounts exclusively for private use.

Examples and templates for phrasing

The following examples and templates can serve as a toolbox to create a perfect out-of-office message:

Title:

• Out of Office Message
• Out of Office AutoReply
• Information: Absent until ...

Greeting (optional)

• Dear Sir/Madam, ...
• Thank you for your email ...
• Hello and thanks ...

Reason and Duration of Absence:

• Due to holiday/training/business trip, I will unfortunately not be available until ...
• Personal/business/health reasons prevent me from responding to messages until ...,
• Due to unforeseen circumstances, I am not reachable at this address permanently/until ...

Forwarding and Referral:

• Each email will be automatically forwarded to ... and answered as soon as possible.
• For confidentiality reasons, there is no automatic forwarding. In the meantime, you can reach ... at the phone number/email address ...,
• I apologise for the delay and will get back to you promptly upon my return.
• During my absence, contact the phone number/email address for emergencies.

Closing (optional):

• With kind/warm regards ...
• Best wishes until then ...

In closed circles - such as among colleagues - an out-of-office message can also be formulated in a more casual or humorous manner. However, it is generally advisable to keep it brief, precise, and professional - it does not provide an appropriate opportunity to showcase personal or individual character.

Image: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay