Out-of-Office Message Mistakes That Could Lose You a Deal

Adam Murfet, a senior sales executive, said a former colleague lost a deal after a joke in an OOO angered a client. He thinks humour can help a person stand out when communication is increasingly AI-driven. His rule of thumb: “Always ask, would you put the same thing in an email?”

Vague availability language is another trap. Wesson said if you need to check email, say “I will be periodically checking emails” instead of “limited access”. Davies said UK workers have a legal right to uninterrupted annual leave unless their contract states otherwise.

A bare message that simply states “I’m out of office” with no return date or alternative contact creates uncertainty. That uncertainty leads to “just-in-case” follow-ups, Davies said, eroding the break and the relationship.

Commentators often complain about senders saying they will have “limited access to email” while away. The risk is it invites people to keep contacting you. Wesson said the phrase “limited access” is often ambiguous and can be worse than saying nothing.

For companies where client communication is critical, a stale or poorly worded OOO can look disorganised. The experts’ checklist includes: lead with a greeting, specify a return date, give a backup contact, be clear about availability, promise a reply within a few days after return, and switch off the OOO when back. A stale OOO, they said, can look disorganised.