| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: How do you usually start an email to your clients? (Please choose equivalent if not in English) Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 11:13
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Formal at first, then hi/hello | Mar 21, 2015 |
The initial contact will be formal (Dear X), but I prefer to get informal ASAP. Once the tone is established, I like to use first names. Occasionally a client may persist with the formalities and I try to keep up with them, but I must admit I find it a strain.
| | | | DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
| Hello Dear-Customer-Name-- | Mar 21, 2015 |
Just 'hello' will nicely do even for Royal families, gangsters, and high-fly/i/ers.
| | | | Julian Holmes 
Japan
Local time: 18:13
Member (2011)
Japanese to English
| Like the majority of you | Mar 22, 2015 |
Start off formal and then switch over to less formal language as we become more familiar - it all depends on familiarity. I don't rush into relationships. I prefer a certain degree of decorum at the beginning before we get chummy. 
Now, however, the following is my pet hate.
"Hi, Julian
I have xxxx number of characters to be translated by tomorrow. Can you do it?
See ya
... See more Start off formal and then switch over to less formal language as we become more familiar - it all depends on familiarity. I don't rush into relationships. I prefer a certain degree of decorum at the beginning before we get chummy.
Now, however, the following is my pet hate.
"Hi, Julian
I have xxxx number of characters to be translated by tomorrow. Can you do it?
See ya
[name]"
Look! I don't even know you, so don't call me by my first name! Grrrr.
These are generally sent to me by some newbie PM just out of college who's less than half my age and thinks he/she's doing me a favor by asking me to do a rush job for a new client for the first time.
Straight to trash!  ▲ Collapse
| | | | Meyers (X)
Local time: 11:13
English to Dutch
| informal preferred | Mar 22, 2015 |
David Earl wrote: "Ms." may be used for unmarried women or as a professional courtesy, however some married women are also offended by that. As one British colleague expressed it, I worked hard to find my husband and maintain our relationship. I've earned my "Mrs." (
I really don't mind if someone calls me Mrs. or Ms.
(and for my relationship I didn't have to 'work hard' to find or keep it.)
I prefer the natural, informal way.
First formal,
then 'Hi + first name', also to German and British cllients.
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Depends on the language and who they are.
In English I'm inclined to use 'Dear Mr X' unless a specific title is more appropriate (ecclesiastic, academic or military titles, ranks and degrees come to mind, or judges).
However, with native speakers I often end up using impersonal openers like 'hello' or even 'hi', because a non-native speaker (in this case yours truly) using what a native adressee perceives as too formal a form of address or too formal language in general... See more Depends on the language and who they are.
In English I'm inclined to use 'Dear Mr X' unless a specific title is more appropriate (ecclesiastic, academic or military titles, ranks and degrees come to mind, or judges).
However, with native speakers I often end up using impersonal openers like 'hello' or even 'hi', because a non-native speaker (in this case yours truly) using what a native adressee perceives as too formal a form of address or too formal language in general could face some prejudice (a colonial/racial sort of prejudice), including a bunch of misassumptions about the person's skill level or social position assumed with regard to the native speaker (no, just because I called you Mr Yourdadsname doesn't mean I'm your local rickshaw boy or porter). On the other hand, I really don't want to start addressing strangers by their first names myself just because of that sort of concern. Hence the hellos and the his or 'Dear Company Name' followed with a semicolon to make it clear I'm using a slightly dated form of business address and not being ignorant of whatever passes for an okay form of address among most modern native speakers. A hi or hello also reduces the chance of someone addressing me back as 'Dear Łukasz' without asking my permission(!), which would be the kind of rudeness I'd normally feel compelled to react to.
I do sometimes address people by their first names on my own initiative, but that's only young and laid back folks or members of the same social media groups, friends of friends and so on. That or when they've already written to my first and signed their first name only or addressed me by my first name, in which case I'll follow suit unless there's a huge age difference (elderly people tend to get a mister or sir while addressing younger folks by first names) or it's a priest (those, by custom, tend to use more direct forms with people of the same religion).
Anyone who has already addressed me with a mister or sir is going to get a mister or title (or a 'Dear Sir' if appropriate, but that's rare — I think I've only ever used it once, with some sort of an Oriential dignitary) and never a first name. If I wanted that (and the only reason that comes to my mind is a colleague's younger relative or a student who's older than most), I would simply indicate my permission without pushing it.
Aristocratic titles will not change the form of address away from the usual 'Dear Mr X', unless it's a British title (those are modernly supposed to be 'Dear Lord Tigerford' with no further fuss) or something like a Sir Mike, whose surname is not supposed to be used ever since he got the pat on the back with a sword from the Queen. Or someone who doesn't actually have a surname.
[Edited at 2015-03-22 11:20 GMT]
[Edited at 2015-03-22 11:24 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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For the first response I use the full name:
'Dear Davy Jones,'
After that, it devolves to:
'Dear Davy,'
And ultimately, to:
'Hi Davy,'
I tend to leave out the comma after 'Hi' because it seems a little stiff now that we're on such a friendly basis.
| | | | Tanja 1
Germany
Local time: 11:13
German to English
+ ...
Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
And ultimately, to:
'Hi Davy,'
I tend to leave out the comma after 'Hi' because it seems a little stiff now that we're on such a friendly basis.
I'm a little bit confused - is there normally a comma behind "Hi"?
So like this:
"Hi, Davy," ?
Or did I get it wrong?
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