Why an out-of-office message is important
An automatic reply serves two purposes: It confirms to the sender that the message has been received, and it sets clear expectations for when they can expect a response. Without an out-of-office message, senders are left in the dark. Some will follow up hours later. Others assume you’re ignoring them and turn to a competitor.
What a good out-of-office message contains
- Specify when you’ll be leaving and when you’ll be back.
- Who to contact in urgent matters. Provide name and email address or phone number.
- Keep it short. Three to four sentences are enough. Nobody reads a paragraph-long auto-reply.
- Choose a tone that suits the company. A law firm sounds different than a design agency.
Don’t forget your phone
Most people set up an out-of-office email but forget about their phone. If you’re away for a week, callers still expect someone to answer. Options:
- Update your voicemail greeting with your return date.
- Set up call forwarding to a colleague.
- Use an AI phone assistant that answers calls while you’re away, so callers can speak to someone instead of leaving a message.
