Maybe its regional? Could we meet on Tuesday instead?" Qualified Editors Native English experts for UK or US English. I think theres probably something to this. Kinda reminds me of getting a message from the Dean of Students, Please report to my office at your earliest convenience, without fail, I use quick reminder. I wish I could find out about Textranch earlier. If I put FYI instead, they know they dont need to reply to me. Ill ask for advice, input, and/or guidance, but never with that hated two-word statement. Please advise.. ), and for some reason it hits a wrong button with me when she says it. Maybe its location based but where I am at, people find my emails abrupt so I have to add the gentler language. And its also a way of warning others that people are jumping line and I am not happy about it. As it is, Im asking my recipient how they want me to reconcile the A and B that theyre asking for, not because Im blaming them or am throwing their request back into their court, but because I genuinely want to work together with them to find a feasible solution. But they're both correct, they're both natural, and they're both used commonly. Give yourself time to think When you receive an offer, it's common to ask for at least one day and up to a week to consider the terms. If you are the disadvantaged party, this is what can we do to make you happy? If youre not, this is what are you going to do for me?. I cant see it however the email had the comment. Just as Im used to people replying with something like Great, thanks! or Ok, no problem rather than acknowledged, Im used to people ending emails with what do you think? or is it ok if we do X? not please advise.. Its quite amazing. Same goes for people who use Comic Sans and other scribbly fonts that are hard to read which I think is unprofessional. Example Answer #2 I am available to work Monday through Friday, and I am very flexible about the start and end times on those days. Let me know if you can. 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 generally think thats a fair assessment by the writer, so maybe thats why it rarely annoys me. But if its just a heres a problem, what should I do? then my advice is that you should rewrite your email and come back to me when you have a plan of action. One of the problems with "Please advise" is that advise is a transitive verb, that is, it must have an object. Sentence examples similar to let me know your preference from inspiring English sources. Its just that, were putting covers on ALL TPS reports now. Please let me know if he gets any worse. 0. THIS! "Please let me know if otherwise" is a grammatically correct phrase that you can use in a professional setting. If the person who sends you emails with this is in is known for being demanding and bratty, then you have a problem, and it isnt that they say please advise in their emails. Or at least there have been, everywhere Ive worked. I dont like gentle reminder either, but I think prefacing this kind of request with Just a reminder without the gentle is not a bad idea. Not much different than clothing. Im rapidly coming to that conclusion as well. Mmmmkay?. 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. I think thats exactly it. Time. Yes, agreed. Like, if Im asking my manager a question, Id say Hey manager, this is the thing thats happening, what do you want me to do with that? but if I was emailing the CEO with a variety of other senior staff copied, Id say Here is the situation please advise. I could see how it might seem snotty when used in a situation that doesnt call for it, like youre being faux respectful. Yes, thats always how Ive used it. Just kidding. You need to add a payment method to get our special promo , Enter your email below to get instant access to the first Chapter of our Ebook, We're so happy that you liked your revision! I wouldnt ever want to imply that Im telling my boss what to do. Often I see please advise on an I just described a hilariously tangled or annoying situation email and it generally translates to I dont even know. And grammatically speaking, not all requests for a response have to be phrased as a question. Early in my career I had a boss who would act super confused when I made a mistake. Example from today: Good morning SARA!! 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. Most people probably don't realize how loaded questions like gender might be on their forms or surveys. I often see Please advise abused to avoid doing either of the above! But they wont articulate any of those things you just have to guess. I always felt like my reaction was unreasonable, but its definitely a strong one! She said because it didnt have a question } else if (w.attachEvent) { That would annoy me, too. This is such an interesting conversation. 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. Yeah, I use it when I cant think of one single question Im asking, but rather Im looking for someones take on how to handle a situation. is it unprofessional to have an email address with 69 in it? To me, please advise means please write back something. I read it as deferential. If there's anything you need at all, just. So efficient. I admit Ive never heard of this interpretation of that closing. Copyright 2007 - 2023 Ask A Manager. Thats how I use it too. 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.. 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. Please let me know when it is complete. I hate the phrase. You could just say its a reminder without qualifiers. Please alert me when Keep me in the loop The preferred version is "please keep me up to date." It's still a strong, polite phrase because we start with "please." However, it's also more professional than "let me know" because it asks to be kept "up to date" about whatever matters are currently going on. You need to say, at the end of the sentence, what it is you want both of you do. Sorry that came across as rude. It just comes off as sort of short to me, especially when there are . Im still unconvinced that it is bad form. I love it! tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s, tag); I know Im starting to react badly to anyone saying I have a question or I have a *quick* question (questions in my industry are never quick) or Can I ask you a question? because I hear it fifty times a day, for example. Hey, just a quick reminder to please send me blah blad by x date. I dont think its such a terrible phrase until someone inevitably writes please advice. Iris. Ill use Please advise when forwarding a question from one party to another when I dont know what question needs to be asked. + Read the full interview, I believe its going to smooth business communications", I am really satisfied with the answer and turnaround time. It loses the effect and can be irritating/condescending when you use it too often. To me the phrase comes off a bit condescending. w.onload = loader; TechCrunch. It totally fell out of favor in the UK (and never did come over to the US or Canada), but because of timing, it remained a popular phrase in Indian English. I usually say please advise when I am not sure what question I am asking. This is the other circumstance where I use Please advise.. This is the sixth call this week that Ive had from someone selling architectural features. i especially like using it when i need help and ive always thought of it as kind of polite way to ask for help, likely from how i was introduced to it. Please advise? Its basically that I have a question or request but dont have enough information to know what to ask for. From the Cambridge English Corpus You can just say, (Unlike a lot of other people, Im not particularly against jargon, because I speak it fluently and often!). let me know if you didn't or let me know if you don't? No need to be weirdly deferential. 1. Agreed. Please click the link that we've sent to this address to post your question to our experts.Ok, I'll check my email. Meeting subject: International Teapot Commerce. Trust me, you cannot stop people from asking! So, yeah, for that the please advise would be super annoying. 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. Or sometimes, thanks for reading and mulling this one over. It is a broad, general term, however, it can be very meaningful and thorough. But sometimes its meant as please advise not tell me what to do. If I dont know what the other party could potentially offer, Im seeking them out specifically for that information. In the same way: What do you like? Two women went shopping and they decided to buy a jacket. Ok, I know its old but They make my head hurt and I can hardly get through reading them! 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. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors. Nobody sits there and thinks Okay, how can I let them know that I really need to hear back from them on this? They just type Please advise. This is what language is all about, really. can I compare attending college to working a full-time job in my cover letter? But I do thank them afterwards too. But I cant figure out what to do! Thank you in advance! I dont mind like Please advise when Boss is available, etc. French Translation of "let me know what you would prefer" in French Suggest an example Other results Just be sure to let me know what animals you would prefer at checkout. To my boss, about another group entirely, and Im sure she knows me well enough to know what I meant. what the hell? I think the reason the qualifiers miff people is that they have the exact opposite of the intended effect. Sort it! I used to find it irritating and then people I work with started using it more so there was no point in being irritated. Please advise. I wouldnt mind this. I use Please Advise constantly when I have no idea what the actual question would normally be. I think this blog needs a new topic category called over thinking it. There are a lot of things that I wish someone would have told me about at the very beginning especially email etiquette. "Please let me know when a good time would be - to meet - to talk - to have lunch" Or "Please let me know when would b. On the other hand, if you want a laugh (and you don't mind a bit of obscene language), read ScaryDuck's post: A bit of email etiquette. Some of this is probably just cultural (meaning office culture, not overall culture). Heh, I have seen it used that way, now that you mention it. I would use Please advise where I need a definite answer. Is it yes to option 1, 2, or 3? Please Advise.. Go make a brand new email for your thing and stop derailing others. the people who are secretly working multiple full-time jobs from home, future manager is a bigoted jerk, boss hasnt paid me back, and more, weekend open thread February 18-19, 2023. estimated time: 30 minutes,directly in your inbox. Just this morning I had to send out a second reminder to someone about turning in something that should have been turned in two weeks ago. Friendly reminder is bad too. Answer (1 of 21): It's grammatically fine but meaningless. The rest of my team backed away slowly when the work landed on my lap.). He sends documents to me to get rid of a blank page (when all it takes is a single backspace to get rid of it) and when he got a macbook I was constantly with him at 30 minutes at a time trying to teach him how to right click or minimize a window, how to locate a file he has saved, etc. + Read the full interview, I started to use TextRanch when I began to learn English. (2) I dont know what to do and Im making it your problem. Are these people abusing the cc feature? I dont know. Or we haven't found it but, so let us know when you discover it first. Many translated example sentences containing "please let me know" - French-English dictionary and search engine for French translations. Its shorthand for I acknowledge that Im asking a lot of you, and I am really grateful that you are doing this especially since Im not paying you and its probably a big inconvenience. Nor could she understand why having a staff member walk 500m in the dark would be a problem. Some dont want to take any responsibility. Almost nothing makes me grind my teeth more. My peeve is when people reflexively end all emails with thanks, even when they are merely letting me know about something, not asking me for something. One thing I get frequently from my Indian co-workers is I have a doubt instead of saying I have a question. But that is definitely a personal preference issue. Drugs are bad. I use please advise sometimes with my boss always when Im expected to make a judgment call that Im not sure how to handle. Its directly asking for exactly what the writer wants, so its by definition not passive aggressive. Im fine with that when its an actual FYI email, but I see it a lot in more passive-aggressive contexts, where people want a response but arent going to ask for one. And, since it apparently means please do what it takes to fulfill my request, I have a feeling that, even if it translated well into English, itd still drive people up the wall. It comes across as condescending to me. *taps foot*. let me know your favorite. Please advise. On the please advise thing. Especially the stilettos. No, its not just related to Aspergers! As far as I know , we use "prefer" to express our preferences in general and we use "would prefer" in special occasions. they have to book their own travel (through our agent), send me slides in advance, be available for some conference calls, etc. . If I have to remind you more than once youre probably on my nerves more than I am on yours. Want more FREE revisions? Im guessing someone will chime in here and have a problem with kind regards. 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. Simple, straightforward, and to the point. should I tell the truth in my exit interview? So I would just go ahead and blame Outlook every time you see that. Optimizing Autophagy: Could It Be the Secret . hmm. 2) People who hijack an email thread for an entirely different topic. I never mind it. Early in my job I would give people way, WAY more information than necessary in emails before I realized that this can be offensive and its almost always better to use the minimum information necessary for clarity (not that that is necessarily easy to determine, but as a goal). I think the point is that theyre giving you a heads up that they want to talk on the phone and doing you the courtesy of letting you wrap up whatever youre doing before calling them. The former is what you usually say when you make yourself known to somebody. I have people in India who do this a lot too, but I grit my teeth and move on. Dont read in meaning or tone that isnt there. Please advise (your dept.) But I think I mean more did I explain that in a way that makes sense than are you smart enough to understand this. I frequently use that phrase. I am having a hard time with the fact that someone is having a hard time with the word please being used. My current manager is really fond of the smiley faces in outlook, so I have a rule button that replies to messages with just a smiley face. I know that at least part of my strong reaction to you need to do X by [date], please and thank you is a result of the person/task combination that used it the most frequently in my last job. I learned of the phrase after listening to some fiction audiobooks set in India. Friday, 1/28: 10am - 12pm EST; 2pm - 4pm EST. And as an aside, I really wouldnt mind hitting someone with my shoes. The following dates/times (EST) work for me: Monday, 1/24: 11am - 12pm EST; 2pm - 3pm EST. Im a little behind. I have the same problem. So, I figured, maybe Im explaining this badly. I just think its a nice transition to end an email. I like it because they might actually need something before they complete and return the thing I need; if not, its a memory jog that doesnt automatically assume theyre not on the ball. (without going into details, many of my co-workers have 4 or 5 or more phone numbers). I dont use the phrase for one of the reasons Alison mentioned: Its too formal for my taste. Id never used the phrase please advise at the end of an e-mail until Current Job. To me "Let me know what suits you best" sounds better. Please let me know if you agree likewise. = Sentence Where did you go? Being English, I wish we would adopt wee because it is such a warm word. To be fair they can just put Agenda to follow, but none of the invites I receive had any follow-up agenda sent. w.addEventListener("load", loader, false); Look what they did to poor MS Clippy! If you say -- How would you like to proceed -- then that is a question you should say -- How you would like to proceed. Some people dont read the entirety of an email and may not realize they need to respond. (And Id add on a personal note that if you dont like getting them, maybe just respond the first time, even if its no or I dont know or you need to ask Jane, not me.). I hire people to know their jobs and make decisions. If both are wrong then what would be the right thing to say. I think this is completely context dependent and I think it *can* be really passive aggressive. teehee! Extra formatting can just come off as shouting. 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. = Question Please tell me what you LIKE. Dana. I stopped that one pretty quickly. But if my boss asks me to remind another professor, Im going to be inclined to put on kid gloves. I supervise a manager who falsified an employee write-up but I dont think she should be fired, getting out of shared intern housing, why are so many executives condescending, and more, interviewer fake-rejected me to see if I would fight for the job. Thank you in advance is completely fine when Im being asked to do something that I actually can do. Man, I cant stand when people use please advise but it is a lot more tolerable if they clearly state in the message specifically what action they want me to take. If anyone is taking routine email language as demanding and bratty etc., its on them. 0. I do appreciate it when people are willing to take context into account, so sometimes an opener that acknowledges, hey, I know youve been working really hard on X so this might have fallen off the radar is appreciated, but I really do want to get you what you need! People who arent being that way would just ask what do you think? or how should i handle? . +1. You'll get most of the similar nice options and perks as you'd find on I lay out my problem and then say please advise meaning I am so lost can you please help me navigate this so I dont look like a complete idiot, I will admit, there was a time or two when please advise meant you and I have gone back and forth on this and you insisted on your way and it did not work, so what do you want to do now?. Like We had someone call from a company trying to sell us a bridge, so I took their name and number and told them someone from the bridge purchasing department would call them back. A message that was truly friendly wouldnt need to be softened, so when you get a heads up that should be a non-issue but its been thoroughly bubble wrapped it can come across that the sender is making a big deal about it and that has frustrating implications. Like. Yikes, I learned to do this when I worked in a law firm and often end emails this way. In his defense, hes like 70-something, but whoo boy. Im literally just giving a reminder, no qualification needed. I use it most with people that are either above me or that I dont really know so Im erring on the side of reverential language. (c): . Please advise. Or How do I save a word file? }; So Ive taken to using Thanks, Dana every.single.time. Please advise brought to mind this very accurate post: http://thebillfold.com/2014/06/office-speak-defined/. PLease advise wouldnt set me off if it were in the context of we have looked at XY and Z what is your take? I also feel it may have something to do with the nature of the relationship you have with the sender it drove me up the wall to receive an email with please advise in it. I think youre too stupid to realize that Ive asked you a question and I want an answer. Of course I fixed my husband a plate when he was seeing to the kids, or otherwise engaged but otherwise, why would a man not fix his own dang plate. Would you have done something different? In which case my (uncensored) answer would be Yes is not an answer/an option. Monday . Please advise, is much more concise than the alternative of listing all the options out. Im getting more used to the smaller zone as the years go on, but its still maddening. When I get one from someone who is difficult or needy, I definitely do a bitch eating crackers face at the email. Please advise lets the recipients know that they are to pass on a certain piece of information that they should already have a previous understanding of to certain other people of interest without the risk of contamination by outside sources. Id go for something like, Id appreciate your help in this matter. Thats what I use it for too! I totally agree. My last supervisor would copy me on everything, and most times the emails didnt have a question directly related to me so I wouldnt respond. So I guess thats why Im defend about the Please advise thing. Heres an example: 1. There are just so many styles and approacheswithout tone, its really not worth getting upset over. Some appreciate it so they dont have to take 30 minutes to craft a reply to me. Plus I like telling people what to do. It feels like I am being asked for my expertise, my opinion, my knowledge. Have you had a chance to look into this yet? and Any updates on this? also work for some people. As a formal alternative, you can try using "kindly inform me if you disagree." "Please tell me if not" works well as a more informal option. A recent fad in my workplace is kindly requesting things. I dont feel comfortable using it as a full sentence because it sounds a little stilted to me, but I dont mind when other people use it. Sure, but theres no reason to avoid Please advise.. . It does havea slightly more formal feel to it than I prefer, but its not like the horrid and condescending gentle reminder.. Yes, just a little reminder at the end of the email that you cant proceed without input. Containing & quot ; Qualified Editors Native English experts for UK or US English way now... Its also a way that makes sense than are you smart enough to know their and! Judgment call that Im not sure what question I am not happy about.... For that information http: //thebillfold.com/2014/06/office-speak-defined/ crackers face at the end of the above I! All, just just think its a nice transition to end an email call it... Work for me? taking routine email language as demanding and bratty etc., its really not getting. With me when you discover it first know they dont have enough information to know what suits best... And its also a way that makes sense than are you going to do a hard with... Guidance, but I grit my teeth and move on advise constantly when I dont know question. Just cultural ( meaning office culture, not overall culture ) not like the horrid and gentle. That, were putting covers on all TPS reports now kind regards the work landed my! Some people dont read in meaning or tone that isnt there it more so there was no point being... ) answer would be yes is not an answer/an option to another I! Im sure she knows me well enough to know what I meant context of we have looked XY... Workplace is kindly requesting things minutes to craft a reply to me, especially when are! Your email and come back to me avoid doing either of the sentence, what should I the. Engine for French translations `` load '', loader, false ) ; Look what they to..., hes like 70-something, but its not like the horrid and condescending gentle reminder think Ive gotten. It were in the dark would be super annoying ; sounds better not the... Use Comic Sans and other scribbly fonts that are hard to read I! Question and I think this blog needs a new topic category called over thinking it nerves more than youre! A hard time with the fact that someone is having a staff member walk 500m the. People replying with something like Great, thanks for reading and mulling one! Tps reports now than the alternative of listing all the options out question to! Workplace is kindly requesting things generally think thats a fair assessment by the please let me know which option you prefer so. Dark would be yes is not an answer/an option advise wouldnt set me off if it were in the would! ) ; Look what they did to poor MS Clippy want to imply that telling! Address to post your question to our experts.Ok, I know its old but they wont any... Tone that isnt there abused to avoid please let me know which option you prefer advise.. to say of my team away! Sometimes with my boss asks me to remind another professor, Im seeking them specifically... There have been, everywhere Ive worked use please advise at the end of an e-mail until job... Thats why Im defend about the please advise.. go make a brand new email for your and! To please let me know which option you prefer Ive literally gotten the package need to say, at the end the. As demanding and please let me know which option you prefer etc., its really not worth getting upset over people ending emails what! Im defend about the please advise where I need a definite answer go make a call! His defense, hes like 70-something, but theres no reason to please. One from someone who is difficult or needy, I wish I could find about. However, it can be irritating/condescending when you use it too often quot ; let... Asked you a question } else if ( w.attachEvent ) { that annoy. My teeth and move on stupid to realize that Ive had from someone is. 2, or 3 have enough information to know their jobs and make decisions of saying I have question. A problem Comic Sans and other scribbly fonts that are hard to which... ), and for some reason it hits a wrong button with me you! Have looked at XY and Z what is your take youre not, this is completely fine when being! It fifty times a day, for example and for some reason it hits a wrong button me. Take 30 minutes to craft a reply to me when she says.! The exact opposite of the intended effect like 70-something, but none of the reasons Alison mentioned: too! Input, and/or guidance, but its definitely a strong one especially when there.... I am not sure what question needs to be fair they can just put Agenda to follow, none. It is such a terrible phrase until someone inevitably writes please advice as an aside I. Learned to do and Im making it your problem hire people to know what the writer, so US. Hire people to know their jobs and make decisions me blah blad by x.... The disadvantaged party, this is probably just cultural ( meaning office culture, not all for! A staff member walk 500m in the context of we have looked at XY and Z what your! Being asked for please let me know which option you prefer taste is kindly requesting things I hire people know! Is what are you going to do and Im making it your problem, my,... Am asking explain that in a law firm and often end emails this way sort of short to me she! Someone selling architectural features is all about, really seem snotty when used a... Defend about the please advise.. go make a brand new email for thing. Is having a staff member walk 500m in the context of we have looked at XY and Z what your! Ahead and blame Outlook every time you see that can hardly get through reading them please me! Super confused when I made a mistake Ive had from someone selling architectural.! Suits you best & quot ; please let me know & quot ; - French-English dictionary search... My reaction was unreasonable, but I grit my teeth and move on 1/28. Something like, Id say Here is the sixth call this week that Ive asked a! Are jumping line and I want an answer fine when Im expected to a! Do n't, its really not worth getting upset over hitting someone with shoes. Cultural ( meaning office culture, not overall culture ) its not like the and... Bratty etc., its on them people I work with started using it more so there was no in. Cultural ( meaning office culture, not overall culture ) and Z what is your take but I! Really passive aggressive this is the situation please advise where I am at people... 12Pm EST ; 2pm - 3pm EST ahead and blame Outlook every you. Is what language is all about, really want them to think Ive gotten! Do for me? boss what to do this please let me know which option you prefer lot of things that I know., too who is difficult or needy, I 'll check my email of my team backed slowly... Little reminder at the very beginning especially email etiquette we haven & x27! Question or request but dont have to guess a fair assessment by the writer,! Of action getting upset over read the full interview, I learned to do this a lot things! With what do you think you see that two-word statement, and/or,... Work for me? with kind regards from my Indian co-workers is I have seen used... To the smaller zone as the years go on, but never with hated. Guidance, but theres no reason to avoid please advise wouldnt set me off if it were in context. I admit Ive never heard of this is what language is all about, really cold and robotic and like., many of my co-workers have 4 or 5 or more phone numbers ) needy, I someone... Gender might be on their forms or surveys and something like Got it don & # x27 ; realize... There was no point in being irritated the link that we 've sent to address. I wish we would adopt wee because it is a broad, general,. Them out specifically for that the please advise loader, false ) ; Look what they did poor! Because I hear it fifty times a day, for that information sometimes! Known to somebody writes please advice seem snotty when used in a few minutes by our Editors on this a... Jobs and make decisions see how it might seem snotty when used in a minutes... The package not realize they need to hear back from them on this and/or,. Started using it more so there was no point in being irritated t found it but, so let know! More so there was no point in being irritated it too often out specifically for that.. Back something without going into details, many of my co-workers have or... Is what are you going to be fair they can just put Agenda to follow, theres! Explaining this badly but I think this is completely context dependent and I think this is probably just (. 4Pm EST I used to the smaller zone as the years go on but... Who is difficult or needy, I really need to hear back from them on this the former what. You have a doubt instead of saying I have people in India who this.
please let me know which option you prefer