Chupacabra Canoe

WTH is with the preemptive “thank you” in an email? You know what I mean… some person sends an email to ask either a question or a task to be done. At the end of the email, there it is…“Thank you”.

I don’t like it. What is this person thanking me for? I didn’t do anything yet! Are you thanking me for reading your email?

I know most of this is coming from a pre-populated closing in a signature section of the email service. Cmon though, why would anyone put this as a part of an email that goes to ALL recipients. I don’t think it’s sincere.

What happens when I don’t do what you asked?

Does the “thank you” still apply?

Does the sender now have to rescind the “thank you”? Does another email have to be sent with a “no thank you”? Most likely it would be followed with another “thank you” because the sender forgets to change the automated message at the bottom of the email.

Paddle with me here…my supervisor just tore into me for a crappy job I did on a project. At the end of the “constructive comments” he writes “Thank you, Boss”. WTH is that supposed to mean? Is he thanking me for giving him the opportunity to humiliate me with my ineffectiveness? Perhaps he likes the task of now having to detail out the corrective actions and review my work all over again? So who says this in this scenario? So why is it on the email? (BTW this is a real scenario but the subjects have been reimagined to save the lives of the innocent). Whoever leaves this in the email is not sincere.

Perhaps a substitute is a nice “regard”? But I am not providing alternatives here, I am hoping to stop the devaluing of the “thank you” by those using it so haphazardly.

I hope someone is not so pretentious to think that simply sending an email asking me to do a task means I will do it. What a jerk move! I may not do what you asked out of spite! I can be like that.

When I am on the river, there is no gratuitous “thank you”. When a person is helping out, I say “thank you” and I mean it! Let’s say Rubber Ducky (aka Whiskey Puss) loses a paddle in the river, another paddler returns it and he says “thank you”. That’s genuine. (BTW, this is a real scenario but I haven’t changed the subject because losing a paddle is ridiculous, can’t be done, more than once).

When Beer Canoeist cooks that perfect medium rare steak over the fire with a fluffy baked potato ( milkman style) and a fire roasted corn on the cob. I say “thank you” and am grateful for his efforts.

In closing, please save the “thank you” for when you mean it, not as a meaningless addition to your automated email signature.

Paddles up !

JStroke