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What guidelines and language should be used to write a prompt email? Ideally I would like it to be:

  • Respectful
  • Not too formal

In particular I am thinking in terms of business, and communication between businesses.

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  • 6
    Perhaps by starting with a rough outline of what you would like to say, everyone can offer suggestions on structure and wording. "Polite reminder email" feels a bit broad and I wouldn't know where to start except to say "be polite." Admittedly, that wouldn't be very helpful.
    – Robert Cartaino
    Commented Feb 3, 2011 at 17:20
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    Just a note: If this question were asked now, it might well be closed as off-topic. (It's not asking what to write, exactly, but those are the answers it's generating.)
    – Goodbye Stack Exchange
    Commented May 30, 2014 at 5:59
  • What would be an appropriate subject, for the above reminder mail?
    – Martin
    Commented Nov 1, 2017 at 5:27

12 Answers 12

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90

When following up on an e-mail:

I usually forward the original e-mail to the original recipient, with some added text at the top.

Hello [Name],
Have you had time to look into this?

Kind Regards,
...

Forwarded message:
From: ....
Date: ...
Subject: ...
To: ...

...
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    I like this one, because implicit in it is that you understand that they might be busy. (Whether that's actually true or not is irrelevant.)
    – Mike Pope
    Commented Feb 4, 2011 at 17:52
  • This one is better. However I just want to make a little modification, Dear [Name], I am just wondering if you had a chance to look into this?
    – Hriju
    Commented Jan 1, 2018 at 9:11
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    @Hriju "I am just wondering if you had a chance to look into this?" is not a question. It does imply a question, and depending on context that may be good enough, but IMO, the more formal the setting, the less colloquisms should be used. "Have you had time to look into this?" is very clearly a question, one that can be answered with either a yes or a no (with elaboration as desired on the part of the person responding; "no, but I will get to it later this week" or just "no", and correspondingly "yes, I'm attaching my previous response in case you didn't get it" and "yes").
    – user
    Commented Jul 16, 2018 at 12:06
  • @MichaelKjörling, sorry for the mistake. it should not be a question mark. Thank you for your detailed explanation. I really liked "Have you had time to look into this?"
    – Hriju
    Commented Jul 19, 2018 at 10:53
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I'd probably go with something on the lines of:

Hi [whoever]

Just checking that the XXX I sent you on Xth XXX is okay. I have to [do something] with your feedback before I can [do something else]. Can you let me know when you'll be able to look at it for me?

Thanks

That way, it makes it sound like you're putting yourself in their debt (whether or not that is true is irrelevant), and people on the whole tend to like people being indebted to them.

It also doesn't actively demand that they do something immediately, just asks them when they will be able to do it.

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    Seems slightly informal and slightly too passive to me. I'd go with "Hello" rather than "Hi". "I'm just emailing to check that the XXX" rather than "Just checking that the XXX" and "Can you please tell me" rather than "Can you let me know". I'd also always use "Kind regards" rather than "Thanks". Thanks is used when someone has given you something. Here you are asking for something instead.
    – Panda
    Commented Apr 4, 2011 at 9:32
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I like suggesting that they may have already done it, in case they have!

Dear xxx,
If you haven't already, please take a moment to ...

If you have, thank you.

Regards,
xxx

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    You need a new line after "Dear xxx", and possibly change "please" to "could you please" depending on your relationship. Ie, is this a request or an order? Also "Regards" may be "Kind regards" depending again on relationship. Generally "Regards" if you have a closer relationship and "Kind regards" if not. Otherwise, well worded.
    – Panda
    Commented Apr 4, 2011 at 9:53
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    The missing line break baffles me, it's there when I try to edit my post and I inserted one when I wrote it. Same goes for the line break that should be there after "Regards." - As far as using "regards", I was striving for a little less formality. Personal taste.
    – Lynn Beighley
    Commented Apr 4, 2011 at 17:36
  • Agreed. Fixed the newlines. This answer needs a higher score!
    – Panda
    Commented Apr 4, 2011 at 20:45
  • This is particularly useful if the person from whom we are waiting for a response is blocked by someone else's response. +1 for this.
    – C--
    Commented Sep 30, 2013 at 14:45
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Here's how I write it:

Hi - this is just a friendly reminder that I'm waiting for [whatever it is]. Thanks!

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    I think this is too passive and too informal for professional communication, even for internal emails.
    – Panda
    Commented Apr 4, 2011 at 9:36
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Write it as if you're the one apologizing to them.

You know that they're the one who is dragging their feet. Pretend like you were instead. Frame the message in terms of "I must have missed an email somewhere, sorry" rather than "why haven't you sent me an email?"

This lets them take the action you want without accepting blame for the delay, which for some people is psychologically important.

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    I very much disagree with this. While, yes, you want to help them meet their psychological needs (cf Maslow), by apologising you are basically giving away your position, doing the animial equivilent of lying down, showing your belly and submitting. All you are likely to do here is expose yourself as weak and encourage further delay. You are much better being assertive and warm. The two are not mutually exclusive.
    – Panda
    Commented Apr 14, 2011 at 2:17
7

Just forward your original e-mail and write on top of it "Polite Reminder."

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Well, makes sure you're clear what you're asking about and don't assume they have the same information that you do. If you're following up on a submission make sure you tell them the title of the story and when you sent it off. It's possible that lost/misplaced your submission so this information well help them find your work. Just remember to give them enough time to reply, I usually suggest waiting twice the listed average response time.

Here's one I've actually sent in the past. It's a little bit to terse but I was quickly banging it out, but it does cover the very basics.

I'm just sending in a query for the submission "Changing the Way" I sent it in on the 5th of October 2009. I do not believe I have yet to receive a response.

I did get a quick response back on this. It turns out that they had misplaced it and quickly found it once I asked.

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    Note on usage: if you 'do not believe' you 'have yet to receive' that means you have indeed received a response. Just sayin'.
    – atroon
    Commented Feb 3, 2011 at 20:20
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    The wording here is a little off. "I'm just sending in a query" is not correct, "This is a query" is more accurate. The second sentance should be "I have yet to recieve a response", although that's slightly passive-agressive, so "I don't believe I have recieved a response yet" is better. But also crucially you need to ask them what you want them to do, so it should end with "Can you please update me on the status of my submission?" or similar.
    – Panda
    Commented Apr 4, 2011 at 9:45
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I usually write something like:

Hi.

I was checking my mail and it looks like I didn't get a response to the mail I wrote you, am I wrong?

I've found that the longer the mail, the lowest the probability that the guy actually replies back to me, so I keep emails short and polite.

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    Too informal and too passive. It's also a bit of a social lie. You haven't "just been checking your mail". It's also a question they can't actually answer. You are asking them if it looks like you didn't get a response. How do they know what your mailbox looks like? You should be asking them what you want them to do. Business communication should be direct, polite, respectful and sincere.
    – Panda
    Commented Apr 4, 2011 at 9:37
  • Too informal, not appropriate for professional communication, I guess.
    – C--
    Commented Sep 30, 2013 at 14:43
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I hope this email finds you well. I'm just emailing to check how far the (xxprogram/process/proceduresxx) goes. I’ll be waiting your (xxrecommendations/reply/answerxx) regarding (xxthis matter/the __ programxx).

If you require any further (xxInfo/detailsxx) about (xxxx) , I remain at your disposal.

Have a nice day Sir. Thank you.

Kind regards,

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    Good answer, except I would remove "Have a nice day Sir." and "I remain at your disposal" (but keep the rest of the sentence, just rephrase for grammar). Also, include a greeting at the top. Otherwise, fine. +1
    – Ellie K
    Commented Jan 7, 2012 at 22:05
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I think the best way to remind someone is "I think my e-mail missed your attention".

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  • I actually used this one - I like it.But I'm not a native speaker..
    – Thieme Hennis
    Commented Apr 25, 2018 at 14:45
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Regarding the bullet point on the message being "respectful", I would like to point out something which I don't see being stated explicitly in any of the previous answers. This goes equally for both original requests and reminders alike.

Make it actionable by the recipient.

Give the recipient a clear path forward, next step or next action, in terms of somehow telling them what you're hoping to get out of a reply which will provide closure on the matter. This could be something simple, such as "looking forward to your feedback on my thromblemeister design proposal" or "please let me know by Wednesday afternoon which option to order, so that we can have it delivered by Friday" or even "let me know if you would like to see the complete manuscript".

In a sense, not much different from writing a question on Stack Exchange: tell us what you need.

It typically only takes one or at most two extra sentences to provide a clear next action, and can go a long way toward fostering that warm fuzzy feeling in the recipient that they are done with that e-mail. Probably 90-95% of people won't really care and will be happy with implied closure, but for the remaining 5-10%, it can help a great deal. If you can do that at little cost to yourself, it can hardly hurt if people see your name in their inbox and think "ah, s/he is the one who always makes it easy to see what they want, so I can take a look right away and quickly tell whether it's something I can handle immediately".

That said; obviously, the way you phrase your desired next action on part of the recipient will depend on your relationship to the recipient as well as social customs.

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My suggestions are

1-Keep it very short 2-Remind them clearly what you need (yes/no, approval, a revised draft, etc.) 3-Keep it kind/gentle but definite

I try to be a little cutesy or funny to convey I'm not annoyed so that they don't get defensive. If my objective is to get it done, I don't mind taking one for the team to achieve the goal.

Ex:

Circling back because I can't remember if you said yes or no to the latest draft.

or

Heads up - need to run this by X date. Have you had a chance to review?

or

Moving this to the top of your email because I know how busy you are. Can you let me know what you decided?

or

Friendly reminder, this issue has to be closed out by Friday - all I need is your yes or no.

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