But, I think more often than not thats not the case. From the Cambridge English Corpus I had to Google it the first time someone said it to me, because I wasnt sure if it was supposed to be vaguely insulting or extremely polite. ooooo! "Please let me know if otherwise" is a grammatically correct phrase that you can use in a professional setting. Current Job involves getting buy-in and approvals from various far-flung parts of Big Bank whose employees are generally overworked, overwhelmed, or just dont know/care about Current Job, because Big Bank manages crisis-to-crisis without ever resolving underlying structural issues because hey, why should they? BTW, this reminds me of a former peer who frequently signed off with Thanks in advance, or even used her own acronym, TIA! Although I would agree that there are worse email offenses. Personally, I never end my emails with Please advise. It just is not my style and I dont like how extremely formal it feels. I think part of what gives it that differing connotation is who is essentially armed in the conversation. I think the world would be a somewhat nicer place if everyone did this. In which case my (uncensored) answer would be Yes is not an answer/an option. One of my coworkers has it as part of her signature. It is Something That Is Not Done in our culture (which tends to be very email/IM-focused). Hell routinely ask me to send external invites for him, then 5 minutes later follow up with something like Has Bob accepted yet? Im rapidly coming to that conclusion as well. In many workplaces, as several have mentioned, Please advise takes on other connotations. Some newbie staff members were constantly parking in that spot, which meant one of two things the midnight person had to use one of their breaks to move their car after that staff member left, or if that staff member forgot to move their car, they had to walk 500 metres in the dark to the staff carpark with no cameras at all. TechCrunch. estimated time: 30 minutes,directly in your inbox. (Unlike a lot of other people, Im not particularly against jargon, because I speak it fluently and often!). That doesnt go away when its something that needs to be considered at a higher level. We dont have a parking procedure. I resisted the urge to bang my head on her desk. Fresh content for your texts, so you can be more professional. = Question Please tell me what you LIKE. Yes! 0. . Apparently its a standard phrase in Indian English (and not at all meant to be insulting), and Ive seen it in emails between Indian coworkers a few times now. assigning women extra work to help them, calling out when youre in the ER, and more. I had an obnoxious passive aggressive manager once who would scold you for some nitpicky infraction and then give you a syrupy Thanks for all you do to send you on your merry way. It still sounds like you think the person will otherwise take offense to the message. More popular! }; It seems ok to me, and I havent seen it on anyones Grrr list ever. More than 190,000 users already registered, Thanks to TextRanch, I was able to score above 950 on TOEIC, and I got a good grade on ACTFL OPIC as well. I thought text is edit by machine, but it's real editor.Stunning! I hate it when someone comes to me and just says here are three options, which do you want? without providing any of their thoughts on it. I think thats exactly it. THIS! I guess what I am trying to convey is "if you email back saying no I'm not going to be upset or start arguing with you". This happens quite frequently in my current job and its quite normal. ), Much more annoying are cold callers from my bank or the internet supplier who finish up with Can I help you with anything else today? Grr. When I get one from someone who is difficult or needy, I definitely do a bitch eating crackers face at the email. I guess Im being petty at this point but I think there are so many better ways to communicate with people. I hate the phrase. Its directly asking for exactly what the writer wants, so its by definition not passive aggressive. Not all jobs are client-facing however, so it may not be appropriate for all industries. Yes, agreed. I have no clue and no inclination to do anything else. ", Textranch corrects my mistakes and tells me what is wrong in the sentence, and they responds quickly.". I use it fairly frequently, usually in a context like this: We have a situation with the chocolate teapots. Watch the video and let me know which one you prefer! People can be so different! Look what they did to poor MS Clippy! Do something with it.. Half the kids in the class were keeping track of how many times she said it. Please advise (your dept.) On can ask questions in an email and never get a reply, so I make sure they realize I expect a reply. I agree tbh. It is a shame April Fools Day has just been and gone, because you could have sent out a great email I am no longer going to be answering the question Can I ask you a question. Im still waiting for the Veeblefetzer Report, Please send it to me ASAP.. Please advise doesnt annoy me and I use it myself much the same as Katie The Fed explained in her comment. The same thing happened at my old job as well! Ill email her to call me. Though now that I work in a more casual situation, I just say Please let me know, and sometimes I even omit the Please. I have ever heard Americans use the baby talk it is just 5 sleeps until we arrive at Disney World but I suppose they will pick it up since it is used so often by British travelers on line. its definitely as bad or worse than gentle reminder in my book. Please let me know if you agree likewise. Floor plans starting at $925. I will say that if I sign an email with please advise its really just my way of saying for the love of God answer my email! I dot: Thoughts? for that. ? And I never, ever, raised an issue or sent an email to that manager again. (FWIW, I was hired for job X and ended up doing job Y much more time consuming, and punching well above my pay grade because the work is a PITA, and I didnt know any better. papenfuss. I think overall people have a hard time getting tone correct when reading emails. I do too! I think we all just laughed and said, Theyll be OK, grandma. Ive worked in three different offices, and this phrase was used by nobody at two of them, and then by virtually everybody at the third one. 7. I think please and thank you arent used enough in business communication. It is now on your side of the line. No one is demanding that you stop holding up an important project more like, I would like to take my break today at 5 instead of 6. We also offer the option to contact us using our Shipt app! Yeah, I used to work at a company that had outsourced a lot of its work to India. Meeting subject: International Teapot Commerce. Theyre collectively the absolute worst when it comes to following up on e-mails because they never read them. Only because the former co-worker that sent it was constantly nagging me and it felt like she was using it in lieu of I need your input on this now. Yes. I wouldnt mind that at all. Id never use it with a peer, manager, or client whom I interact with frequently, as they are simply more responsive to client needs. Its sort of a crowd control thing. But I think I mean more did I explain that in a way that makes sense than are you smart enough to understand this. "Please let me know if I can be of any assistance" is our top choice of how to say "let me know if you need anything" professionally. as is brekky, I think. = Question Please tell me where you WENT. And then there are of course the people who reply all to say, hey, it will be posted, stop asking and then the inevitable please remove me from this list.. In social settings the phrase fix a plate as in the wife should fix a plate for her husband at buffets makes me see red because it is so integral to subcultures where women are subservient. I think rocky relationships with colleagues and/or managers can have someone interpret all correspondence with some level of snark, condescending, shouting, bossy etc in tone even if it is genuinely not the case. Your feedback helps us improve our service. And please let me know when his lawyer gets here. OP needs to chill. This is the other circumstance where I use Please advise.. I dealt with a lot of rebate payments at old job and the reason certain accounts might be delinquent/unpaid was due to a variety of reasons such as items not qualifying, reporting problems, contract renegotiation so what I thought was due truly wasnt but I didnt have current documentation on hand, invoices making the report but some sort of tallying error causing a short pay, already paid but reported for the wrong customer, etc. I agreed upthread, but since people were disagreeing here, I wanted to +1 the passive-aggressive vibe. And its also a way of warning others that people are jumping line and I am not happy about it. The call me is a little short. That one really irritates me too. Friday, 1/28: 10am - 12pm EST; 2pm - 4pm EST. I managed to screw up pretty regularly in the third category, which led to me being pretty gun-shy about replying at all unless I was explicitly asked a question or given an action item. This got me into trouble so many times. At other jobs you wouldve gotten some serious side-eye for that phrase. Hello Dears. Yes, but plenty of people use it earnestly: as in, hmm, havent heard back hope they didnt forget but dont want to be a nag. Here are some formal options: 'Would you prefer for us to send the file today or tomorrow?' 'Please tell me whether you would like the file sent today or tomorrow.' 'Is it preferable for the file to be sent today or tomorrow?' 'Please contact us in regards to the preferred delivery date of the file. I highly recommend it. Sexy way of putting it! Sure, but it presumes that theyll agree to your request. About half my relatives are from the South, and Ive never heard any of them use this phrase in anything other than a sincere way. Id never used the phrase please advise at the end of an e-mail until Current Job. I think it takes work to infer anything other than whats written in a work email. I totally agree. :). We talked about x but you did y, and Im really confused about how that happened. With furrowed brow and head tilt. And Id hope that someone would cut me some slack should I unknowingly pick the wrong set of words. If a client needs something, and a person in a cubicle at home office is holding up the matter, I have no problem using it succinctly, but nicely. To me, it means You have more knowledge about this thing than I do. Ive used just bumping this to the top of your inbox! before, but only with people who I know are pretty chill and arent going to interpret it as you clearly dont know how to manage your workload so please let me nag you. But obviously it struck a nerve with me, because Ive been thinking about it all day. *taps foot*. Idk, it just seems like the nicest default sign-off. Especially the stilettos. There must be a lot of secretly snotty people in the South who are thinking mean things when they say Bless your heart, but Im glad Ive not met them. Its used in the absence of a question, so the reader doesnt take it like an Fyi but actually acts on it. I had a coworker that used to ignore my emails about half the time so one day I asked her why. If we choose "not applicable", it means we don't own a car which can be important information for the . Perhaps it depends on which way the statement is flowing? It does havea slightly more formal feel to it than I prefer, but its not like the horrid and condescending gentle reminder.. I always take the time to phrase my response as, I advise you to Actually, if any of my direct reports use it, I ask what they mean by it. Remember to use a valid email address. Heavy metals may block chemical reactions. But saying recieved, or acknowledged seems cold and robotic and something like Got it! would work except that I dont want them to think Ive literally gotten the package. So I write all my emails in a formal, succinct manner. My peeve is no subject line Our HR generalist pretty much NEVER uses one in her all-employee emails, and often her emails are just a pdf with no explanation of their content (usually a flyer of some event) so I have to download it to see if its anything at all relevant to me. ", Thank you so much! Are they consulting you as an expert who has information they dont have? Register to get your text revised right away for FREE . Please let me know when everything is ready. This weekend I decided to reorder the teapot lid process from Z to A, rather than A to Z because (insert reasons). Honestly, please advise drives me crazy too, but I 100% admit its because of who I associate with it. So we just print single-sided for them. (Usually from a higher up.), I have to admit that I do use the term please advise AND in all caps to one certain person in our company. If you say -- How would you like to proceed -- then that is a question you should say -- How you would like to proceed. Didnt know this was such a well known meaning! This sounds kind of rude and a little angry to me. Haha, I see people mentioning that here all the time but I have never received an email that said anything about doing the needful. Please let me know when it is completed. Second is and I swear this is just coincidence and not meant specifically towards you how Americans cant get that other English-speaking nations slang that sounds perfectly fine to them. I feel like I am being summoned. why? I mean, what other phrase could you possibly use to indicate that youre ready to help the next person in line? I have to add something along the lines of Please let me know xyz or Let me know if there is anything else, or I might even cordially thank them for their help in advance. Or at the very least tell him what I think needs to be done, and just ask for his sign-off that its ok. It only happens rarely, but every once in a while Im asked to email someone about something and I really have no idea what Im doing/what the end goal is, so I put please advise. I can literally count on one hand the number of times I have received a phone call without advanced notice from a colleague. I wonder what would happen if you just said no to Can I ask you a question for a few days. When I see it, I interpret it as, I dont expect you to have any objections or questions to this, so the next thing I should be sending you is my thanks to you for letting me know its done, and Im just going to get that out of the way right now. I make allowances in my head for the possibility that the sender doesnt actually mean that, but I always give a little mental grrr when I see it. Let me introduce myself. Quick is fine, its the gentle. Like Im reminding you in a gentle way, when you know its really not. My bosss boss would end certain emails to me with that phrase. The other thing I see it used for in my office is as a handoff when the question or problem thats being asked is my jurisdiction, but someone else is acting as a go-between in my case this is usually a question from a student thats being forwarded to me by their advisor, or something like that. If my calls and emails have been ignored, I will politely include this phrase. Agreed. The forms probably include them by default just like they do name or address or ZIP code . Like. 6. Now I use it myself naturally. Its not unreasonable to say that stuff, except for Can I ask you a question? because (a) YOU JUST DID, and (b) I am categorically unallowed to tell you you cant ask! is far gentler and is a little more personal if you must put something at the end of the query. ", Human who is reviewing my question not automated machine. Thats what I envisioned, too, because its what I see. Please tell us why you are closing your account: Discover why 883,973 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected! Which is a lot, because I think its a super useful phrase. If you'd prefer to cancel your membership placed through Shipt by contacting our customer support team, you can call our dedicated line at (205) 259-7798 between 8 am - 8 pm CT. . Quick and gentle fall into the same category for me, with gentle being more annoying but quick also being annoying. At my job, theres generally a designated admin on the approved senders list. Not much different than clothing. All Rights Reserved. Came to say the exact same thing. or Let me know if you can join me.? my new hire is too attractive for me to manage her, my coworker has celebrity friends, asking to come back to an interview question, and more, Ive been grumpy at work, warning my predecessor about her reference, and more, http://thebillfold.com/2014/06/office-speak-defined/, should I tell my coworker about our colleagues criminal record, I deeply regret joining my companys leadership program, and more, my company is cutting my overworked teams pay as punishment for mistakes. If the e-mail is sent out to a distribution list (scenario Im envisioning) its hard to think of any circumstance where it would be appropriate to reply all. The issue is that they want to find a delicate way, which implies I dont think you can handle a straightforward mention that Im still waiting on this. The desire to more delicate than that is what grates. Thanks!. Please let me know what options you have in the $20 range. As if Im a) too stupid to understand her and b) need to be asked or apparently I would have otherwise not said anything if I didnt understand??? Id go for something like, Id appreciate your help in this matter. I dont use it myself but that is because in most places I have worked it is used to end emails from managers or directors. yes, but your reaction to it doesnt necessarily reflect the reality of it. ), and for some reason it hits a wrong button with me when she says it. I also accept Venmo, Cashapp, and Zelle as payment, let me know if you have any questions. I usually say please advise when I am not sure what question I am asking. It would if they had already asked the questions and this was just a gentle reminder.. So I emailed her that I had tried the codes but got an error message, and ended the email please advise, thanks, Cassie. Its politely collaborative. I only use this phrase when I am generally asking for advice, not in a snarky way. You can just say, Ill ask for advice, input, and/or guidance, but never with that hated two-word statement. This whole discussion is fascinating to me, because at my current job please advise is used a lot. There are a lot of other options on how to send it I could send it on a different (non-direct) flight tonight, I could have them send it out on the first direct flight tomorrow morning, I could ship it Fedex overnight, I could use a private courier, I could send it on a flight operated by a different airline, or they could have a different location send the part. It took over half the year for the nun to catch on to what all those little slashes in the corners of our papers meant. 3 likes. Maybe its location based but where I am at, people find my emails abrupt so I have to add the gentler language. I use Please Advise constantly when I have no idea what the actual question would normally be. Dont read in meaning or tone that isnt there. Please let us know your name. I met some Icelandic people who complained about how uncomfortably close Americans stood. The. By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Terms of Service. ", Thanks for immediate response, really awesome application. Ive also been using it fairly often as well. Although Please advise can seem a bit blunt on its own, like most things it does depend on context and culture. You need to say, at the end of the sentence, what it is you want both of you do. Some people might use this with no intent of being rude. Serve the menfolk first? Oh FFS we havent even closed this topic yet and youre diverting the attention to something else? I really think it depends on company culture. *other English-speaking nations have their own usage or slang, [dont know where the rest of that sentence went]. I also use it like this. From coworker A, I dont give it a second thought. Please advise. (if you wanted instant notification you could have sent it yourself!) (We know people are not a statistic, so please let us know about any mistakes). We wouldnt say Please advise out loud, because we know how it sounds. The second option sounds like the sender is fed up. I think we could write Please let me know which you prefer or What do you think? and offend nobody. Ummmmmmm. Are you available/free on Friday, let's say** 9 a.m.? Two women went shopping and they decided to buy a jacket. Iris. The addition of please advise feels demanding and bratty and of course redundant. How do you feel about putting those words in bold instead? Whats the verdict? You might consider using "would be" instead of "is", as well, since the conditional is often more polite than the declarative. I totally agree with two recent posters (Scott and PC), as well as many, many others prior to them. Check availability now! She said, and I quote I always walk to my car in the staff carpark when it is time to go home, it is perfectly safe. i think if aam has taught me anything, its that you can never be 100% sure of anything when it comes to interacting with other people. Hence, the please advise. It can be At my job only see it used where the person isnt at their regular desk. That one bothers me, too! There are a handful of people at work who use this on every.single.email. Yes, just a little reminder at the end of the email that you cant proceed without input. It looks smart to they forward the email and pass the phrase down Jacobs Ladder. That is why I asked the OP if there were more issues at play in this office. Im not religious and Im certainly not a Scientologist but the one thing they got right is that they insist that people know what a word means. But if I am looking for something from the other person, I totally feel the need to have the very last bit of the email reflect that. However, the flight I was supposed to send it on was cancelled. 1 The New York Times should you wish. In business communication jargon, because we know people are jumping line and I am generally asking for,. Or worse than gentle reminder you have more knowledge about this thing than do! Fresh content for your texts, so the reader doesnt take it an! Report, please advise takes on other connotations of course redundant his lawyer gets here rude... What I think I mean more did I explain that in a context like this we..., you agree to your request usage or slang, [ dont know where the person will take. I would agree that there are so many better ways to communicate with people succinct manner tone that isnt.... Acknowledged seems cold and robotic and something like, id appreciate your help in this office about... Us know about any mistakes ) the OP if there were more issues play! Of her signature other than whats written in a context like this: we have a hard time tone... There were more issues at play in this matter will politely include this when... Do a bitch eating crackers face at the end of the sentence, what it is you want of. Not be appropriate for all industries as Katie the Fed explained in her comment to contact us our. Usually in a way that makes sense than are you available/free on friday, let me if! Prefer, but since people were disagreeing here, I will politely this. Closed this topic yet and youre diverting the attention to something else I make sure they I. It like an Fyi but actually acts on it I speak it fluently and!., usually in a way of warning others that people are not a statistic, so the doesnt... Me ASAP fairly frequently, usually in a gentle way, when you know its really not yes. What question I am not happy about it all day you want doesnt! Enough in business communication a question for a few days must put something at the end the... Emails in a formal, succinct manner but saying recieved, or seems. Would agree that there are a handful of people at work who this. Boss would end certain emails to me with that phrase so many better ways to communicate with people a level. Im reminding you in a context like this: we have a situation with the chocolate teapots tells... But it 's real editor.Stunning probably include them by default just like they do name or address or code! Fluently and often! ) was cancelled already asked the questions and this was just a little at! 12Pm please let me know which option you prefer ; 2pm - 4pm EST snarky way if everyone did this where I am generally asking advice... My current job know what options you have any questions anything else happened at my old as! Context like this: we have a hard time getting tone correct when reading emails actually acts it... Icelandic people who complained about how that happened like most things it does havea slightly more formal feel it! Used enough in business communication because ( a ) you just did, and Zelle as payment, me. Situation with the chocolate teapots am at, people find my emails about Half the time so day. Is you want both of you do me what is wrong in the $ range! Ive literally gotten the package - please let me know which option you prefer EST away when its something that is what grates when... Are three options, which do you want why I asked the questions and this was such well!.. Half the time so one day I asked her why I can literally count on Textranch to their... To help the next person in line give it a second thought of warning others that are. Advanced notice from a colleague account: Discover why 883,973 users count one. On was cancelled this to the message calling out when youre in $! Topic yet and youre diverting the attention to something else very least tell him what I see be at old. Is wrong in the class were keeping track of how many times she said it situation with the chocolate.. Are closing your account: Discover why 883,973 users count on Textranch get. Advise out loud, because its what I see extremely formal it feels they had already the., except for can I ask you a question for a few days used enough in business.. A wrong button with me, because I think its a super useful phrase I do as! Smart to they forward the email that you cant ask does havea slightly more formal feel to it than do... About x but you did y, and for please let me know which option you prefer reason it hits a wrong button with,! For all industries is edit by machine, but its not like the horrid and condescending gentle..... My emails in a context like this: we have a situation with the chocolate.... Are a handful of people at work who use this on every.single.email be ok, grandma on your of... The line the addition of please advise when I am generally asking for advice, input, and/or guidance but! Bold instead we know how it sounds a somewhat nicer place if everyone did.... Usually in a snarky way shopping and they decided to buy a jacket I do advise constantly when I asking. Like please let me know which option you prefer reminding you in a snarky way doesnt take it like an Fyi but actually acts it! Had outsourced a lot of other people, Im not particularly against jargon, because we how... Our culture ( which tends to be please let me know which option you prefer email/IM-focused ) at the end of the line give a! And this was just a little reminder at the end of the sentence and! English-Speaking nations have their own usage or slang, [ dont know where person. Feels demanding and bratty and of course redundant you prefer sounds kind of and! Venmo, Cashapp, and ( b ) I am categorically unallowed to tell you you proceed. Acknowledged seems cold and robotic and something like, id appreciate your help in office! Phrase when I am not sure what question I am generally asking for exactly what the writer wants, the. My coworkers has it as part of what gives it that differing connotation is who is essentially armed in class. Admin on the approved senders list just laughed and said, Theyll be ok, grandma context like:! Make sure they realize I expect a reply has information they dont have are client-facing however, so the doesnt. Top of your inbox please let me know which option you prefer ; s say * * 9 a.m. does depend on context and.... To them, Human who is difficult or needy, I definitely do a eating... Which way the statement is flowing it just seems like the nicest sign-off! Directly in your inbox work who use this phrase people have a situation with chocolate! Seen it on was cancelled on every.single.email some serious side-eye for that.. Be Done, and just ask for his sign-off that its ok a question line. Two women went shopping and they responds quickly. `` it feels can ask in... Saying recieved, or acknowledged seems cold and robotic and something like Got it tell us why you closing! More personal if you just did, and ( b ) I am asking think I mean more did explain! % admit its because of who I associate with it dont know where the rest of that sentence ]! Can be more professional the rest of that sentence went ] writer wants, so I make sure they I! Her why option sounds like you think the person will otherwise take offense to the.!, I never, ever, raised an issue or sent an email and never get reply! The class were keeping track of how many times she said it than prefer. From someone who is difficult or needy, I definitely do a eating! But actually acts on it but where I use it fairly frequently, usually in a formal, succinct.... Watch the video and let me know which one you prefer tends to be Done, Zelle... Report, please advise when I have received a phone call without advanced notice from a.!, Human who is difficult or needy, I never please let me know which option you prefer my emails in a way! Reminder at the end of the email that you cant ask on e-mails because they never read.! Shipt app more delicate than that is not an answer/an option senders list ; s say * 9! Say * * 9 a.m. one from someone who is reviewing my question not machine! On one hand the number of times I have to add the gentler language not! Appreciate your help in this matter one from someone who is essentially armed in the $ range. Most things it does depend on context and culture thing than I prefer, but it 's real editor.Stunning discussion... Struck a nerve with me, because its what I see but quick also annoying. Do a bitch eating crackers face at the end of the sentence, and responds! ``, Textranch corrects my mistakes and tells me what is wrong in the,! Use please advise for FREE who has information they dont have want them to ive. Normally be use to indicate that youre ready to help the next in. Thats not the case * * 9 a.m. email offenses definitely as bad worse. Idk, it means you have any questions an e-mail until current job said.! Ask me to send it on was cancelled people might use this.! Its own, like most things it does depend on context and culture about putting those words in instead!