How bad E-mails look like?

Have you ever seen an e-mail without subject, without proper subject line, without greeting, without use of courtesy title to address person or written like a long paragraph. That is what we can consider as a bad e-mail.  I also saw an interesting video about bad e-mails and responses that others make to bad e-mails; must watch it!!!! 

Example of bad e-mail:

There is example of a bad e-mail, taken from Business Communication: Process and Product Style Guide, Fifth Edition which is helpful in understanding the bad contents in e-mail (Guffey, 2016).

                                                                    

Date: dd-mm-yyyy

To: <xyz>

From: <abc>

Subject: Reply to request

Dear Marcus

I have your e-mail of October 21 in which you request information about the salaries and commissions of our top young salespeople.

I am sorry to inform you that we cannot reveal data of this kind. I must, therefore, refuse your request. To release this information would violate our private employee contracts. Such disclosure could make us liable for damages, should any employee seek legal recourse. I might say, however, that our salespeople are probably receiving the highest combined salary and commissions of any salespeople in this field.

If it were possible for us to help with your fascinating research, we would certainly be happy to do so.

In the above example, there are some areas where the e-mail looks very unprofessional.

·         The subject line of e-mail is not clear as it only tells that the e-mail is reply to a request instead of telling which request or about what matter.

·         The greeting head is also missing courtesy title.

·         The first paragraph of e-mail states the obvious information which the receiver should already know.

·         Second paragraph sounds harsh, blunt and unnecessarily negative as without giving some suggestions about researching, it is completely refusing to help.

·         And in the last paragraph, it switches tone as first it is talking about inability to help and now saying other way.

      Have you ever sent an e-mail like this? If yes, what response did you get?

References

Guffey, M. E. (2016). Business Communication: Process and Product: Style Guide, Fifth Edition. Toronto : Nelson Education.