Your vacation is just hours, if not minutes away but before you dash out of your office for some well deserved time away from work, don’t forget to set up that incredibly useful out-of-office message. However you may be thinking: “I know I need an out-of-office email reply, but what exactly needs to be included?” and “please let this little out of office message keep things at bay till I get back.”
Here are some questions to consider when crafting your auto-response that will keep your contacts informed and give you the chance to get away:
When will you be gone and when do you get back? Be clear in your message and let people know the date(s) that you will be out and when you return.
Do you have an alternate contact while you are out? Do you want your cell phone to ring incessantly while you’re out of pocket or have emails just go unanswered? (Or are you one of those who never actually shuts down? If not for yourself, try to do this so you don’t bother your friends and family.) Determine if another colleague could assist in handling inquiries while you are out and make sure they are ok ...
