6 unforgivable mistakes we make while writing emails
Spelling errors and typos are something common that happen to most of us everyday while writing the emails. Sometimes, these errors can be embarrassing.
Spelling errors and typos are something common that happen to most of us everyday while writing the emails. Sometimes, these errors can be embarrassing.
So what should you do if you become the culprit of an email faux-pas?
Business Insider asked recruitment and HR professionals for the worst mistakes you can make in an email - and how to fix them if it's too late.
Mistake 1: You accidentally hit 'reply all.'
Instead of replying back to a single person, you've accidentally sent everyone in the office your RSVP to an event or opinion about the upcoming pub quiz.
However, if you work in a massive company, it can be more than a slight annoyance. For example, in November 2016 NHS employees were caught in a "reply-all" hell when a test email was sent around to absolutely everyone - that's 1.2 million people. Some employees replied back to all asking what was happening, causing an email system break-down.
Mistake 2: You wrote the wrong name.
Getting someone's name wrong can be a cardinal sin. According to Emily Gorton, HR assistant at Powder Byrne travel agency, there's no excuse, especially when the person's name was written previously.
"To me, it shows lack of interest and attention to detail, which very early on can be a deal breaker," she told Business Insider. "It can honestly change my mind about people."
The best thing you can do in this situation is own up and apologize as soon as possible, Gorton said, even if that means sending another email straight afterwards.
Mistake 3: You pressed send too soon.
Sending an email off too soon has happened to all of us at some point. Sometimes it's obvious to the recipient, but other times it can look like you're being blunt. According to Parslow, pressing send prematurely is usually a result of being in a rush.
"[It's] an issue particularly when rushing or travelling and using smartphones on bumpy trains, and where one is trying to complete the email before disembarking," he told Business Insider.
To avoid it happening altogether, put yourself as the recipient until you're somewhere stable to send it off.
Mistake 4: A word auto corrected to something weird.
Gorton says you should apologize as soon as you realize you've made a spelling mistake, or you pick up on a word auto correct changed to something embarrassing.
"From a recruitment perspective, I would tell applicants to avoid sending emails from your phone," she said. "If you're applying on your phone it suggests you're not putting time and effort into an application, and probably multitasking. Not a good first impression, as to me, applications should be thought through as they are usually time consuming."
Also, she says sending something without checking your spelling, grammar, and auto corrections suggests a lack of attention to detail.
Mistake 5: You've accidentally been misinterpreted.
Again, this can be avoided if you stop and think about what you've written, and you spend the time to read it through at least twice.
Everything that happens online can be accessed again, so it's important to follow up with someone if they have taken something you said the wrong way.
Mistake 6: You attached the wrong file.
People who are guilty of not renaming their files memorably are probably familiar with this one. For example, there was the infamous case in 2015 when a woman accidentally sent a potential employer a Jamie Oliver chilli beef recipe instead of her CV.
A simple apology via email should be enough, unless you attached something really bad, in which case an immediate phone call is probably best.