OOO

OOO. Out of Office. ‘Dave’s not here.’ I’ve been OOO this week. I don’t know about you, but when I get an automated email with OOO in the subject line, I say to myself “Oh crap, ____ is on vacation.” I think everyone is entitled to a little R & R…except when I need something. 

And speaking of OOO, haven’t most of us been “Out of Office” for the last year? I’m not naming names but I know about a dozen folks who haven’t worked a Friday in years. #YouKnowWhoYouAre Some weeks, I may get 100+ “Out of Office replies” when I send the Weekly Report.

At Madison+Main, we pride ourselves on the work/life balance and I actually smile when I get an Out of Office email from a colleague. It means they’re using their benefit of PTO (paid time off). They might be having fun. They might be recharging. I may miss them momentarily but I’m genuinely happy they are taking some well-deserved time off.

At M+M, we also value creativity, and we give our folks wide latitude to create their own OOO email replies. Here are a few examples of how our folks put the “Oh!” back in OOO emails

Communications Director Kent Brockwell is the master of this. Here’s one of his best:

Subject: This is Kent’s “Gone Fishing” Sign | OOO 

Howdy! I will be out of the office and gratefully away from most forms of technology and 100% of political ads until October 11, 2020.  

If this is a truly urgent matter (or if you are returning my missing mint-condition Honus Wagner baseball card), you can contact me at Ramp 43, 44, or 55 on the Hatteras National Seashore — but BYOB.

Director of Business Marketing Leanne “Smiley” Ferry made us all smile with this one: 

Hi friend,

I’m in Disney World wearing a purple wig and sequins – seriously – in celebration of my cousin getting married…again. *cough* I’ll be riding Space Mountain and drinking fruity over-priced drinks with Buzz Lightyear and Cinderella.

Copywriter Derek Fair is a giving guy…even during his departure:

Congratulations! You are the lucky winner of (1) free automated email response and this exact one that you are reading right now is your precious prize. If I was at work, chances are you would not have received anything at all — especially not at lightning speed. I am currently out of the office on vacation but please email me again for another 100% chance to win or write Communications Director Kent Brockwell at kentb@madisonmain.com for your shot to snag a copy of his new autobiography — “Waiter, There’s A Beard In My Soup: The Saga of Mr. Brockwell.”

Jr. Communications Specialist Kennedy Heidel flew to Maui for a long weekend and put this gem in her Gmail:

Hi there,

“Baby come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong, and I just can’t live without you”

Actually, I can live without you until I come back from vacation. Then, baby, I’ll catch up on these emails. Got something urgent? I know a guy. Bother Kent Brockwell at kentb@madisonmain.com. Just don’t tell him I said that…

…and mine, of course.

Greetings,

This is Dave’s Gmail robot. He wanted me to tell you that “Dave’s not here.” He is out of the office on vacation. If you need immediate assistance – and a live human – call 804–521–4141 and talk to one of his stellar teammates at Madison+Main or email shout@madisonmain.com

Sincerely,

HX453-21, aka Chuck