BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'

Subject: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: SharonA
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 10:28 AM

In my business correspondence with companies in the UK and Europe, I often receive messages with the closing phrase "Regards" or "Kind Regards". Is it proper for me as a US writer to respond in kind, or am I restricted to the closing phrases more commonly used in the US such as "Sincerely"?

If I do use "Regards", is it okay to use "Kind Regards" and "Kindest Regards" and "Warm Regards" and "Warmest Regards"? Is there any closing among these that is too familiar-sounding rather than businesslike? Are there other closings that would be proper to use in business correspondence with the other side of the pond?

Thanks in advance for any light you can shine on this subject for me.
Sharon

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: GUEST,Marian
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 10:43 AM

"Warmest regards" is amost certainly to familiar. You're probably safer with "kind" or Kindest" unless you know your correspondents on personal level.
Do people still write letters? Wish I knew them.
Oh yes, and give my regards to Broadway.

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: mooman
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 10:49 AM

Or "Best regards" or "Very best regards" is also common. In "official" letters in the UK/Ireland it is still normal to use "Yours faithfully" (if you don't know the recipient personally) or "Yours sincerely" (if you do). However, I've only written about three letters in the past six years due to email and the general trend is towards more informality (even in business) when using the latter.

mooman

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: GUEST,Mitch the Bass
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 10:59 AM

Sharon,

In the business world which I inhabit in the UK, regards seems to be the most used closing salutation in emails. I had a quick scan through recent mails from colleagues, well known customers, first contact customers and suppliers and found the following:

No salutation just a signature - known contacts Regards - all categories Best Regards - known customers Kind Regards - suppliers Sincerely - first time contacts Rgds - terse messages Thanks or Many Thanks - when asking for something or after receiving a reply. Cheers - colleagues I remain as always your most obedient servant - I think this was a joke but you never can tell. It might have been from the Inland Revenue (the IRS) in which case is was irony but no joke.

I have the honour, madam, to remain your most humble servant, respectfully

Howard Mitchell

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: mooman
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 11:29 AM

Or as they would put it where I live,

"Veillez accepter, Madame, mes salutations tres distinguees"

Sorry no accents on this keyboard...

With my very best regards,

mooman

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: mooman
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 11:30 AM

Or as they would put it where I live,

"Veillez accepter, Madame, mes salutations tres distinguees"

Sorry no accents on this keyboard...

With my very best regards,

mooman

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: mooman
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 11:33 AM

Of course, in Belgium and France, the second is a duplicate copy for you to keep for your records!

mooman

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 11:37 AM

If you wish to continue the correspondence, you might try: "I hope to hear from you soon..." followed by any closing salute from just your signature to "Damn you.."

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 11:45 AM

Looking forward to hearing from you,
....I am,
........dear sir,
.............your most obd't servant,
.................Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 12:11 PM

I just signed off on "I hope to hear from you by return mail that this problem has been rectified." There was no need of any sort of politeness, so it was simply followed by my name.

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: SharonA
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 12:14 PM

Your most obdurate servant?? *G*

But seriously, thank you all; you've been most helpful! Okay, "warmest regards" is out as far as business e-mails are concerned, but is "warm regards" a no-no, too?

I hesitate to use "Cheers" since it sounds as if I'm about to toast the person while drinking on the job! That's just my American interpretation of the term; I know it's more commonly used in the UK. In fact, the department I work in was headed for several years by a woman from Britain who would write "Cheers" on all her memos, Christmas cards and other office correspondence. Don't know if she used it with clients and vendors, though.

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 12:27 PM

Looking forward to hearing from you,
....I am,
........dear sir,
.............your most obd't servant,
.................Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: Cappuccino
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 04:20 PM

This may be just too pedantic for words, but...

... I am always slightly concerned about 'kind regards' as a signature. It isn't the writer's right to say whether his regards are kind or not... that's in the opinion of the recipient, surely?

I'm being pedantic. I always find 'regards' a very useful international sign-off for e-mails, and I'm very happy with it!

- Ian B

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: MMario
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 04:26 PM

Now Ian - that is where I would disagree with you - it is not the perception of the writer's regard which determines whether or not they are kind -it is the intention of the writer - no matter how much the media tries to convince us otherwise.

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 04:31 PM

I sign all of my Emails with Regards. Don't know why I do that, I'm not European. I believe in honesty so avoid Sincerely and Yrs very truly (and yr most obd't servant), since they may not apply. Regards is indefinite (Best, Worst). None when I write about your **##!!(&) spam.
Letters? Nowadays only about payments, enclosures, problems (see EBarnacle). Sometimes put Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: GUEST,Linda Goodman
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 06:44 PM

In my organization, a non-profit which operates mostly in the US, we use "Regards" to sign messages to our Volunteers, "Thanks" to our co-workers, and some type of thank-you closing line for "outsiders", with no real word at the end, just our name.

I get Warm Regards and Best Regards back a lot.

Regards, --Linda (!)

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: vindelis
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 07:09 PM

When I see 'your most obedient servant' it makes me wonder, when did 'the 1st inst' and 'the 1st ult' disappear from usage? - British Institution humbug, at its old fashioned best.
I prefer 'Regards' for e-mails as it provides a happy medium between 'Yours faithfully' and 'Yours Sincerely'.

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: curmudgeon
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 08:45 PM

Rather than imposing my old-scholl views on this matter, I went to a more unbiased authority, The New York Public Library Desk Reference which states:

Appropriate closings for a business letter include, "Best wishes'" "Sincerely," "Sincerely yours," or "Yours truly." Informal closings like "Yours," or "Cheers" should not be used.

Closings for personal letters are a matter of choice. "Love" is appropriate for those you do love. "Fondly" or "All my best" or "Affectionately" might be right for friends. As with the rest of the letter, the closing should express your own feelings.

Curmudgeonly yours,

Tom

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: Amos
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 08:58 PM

I have in my possession two xeroxes from General Washington, in which he closes instructions to a general officer of the Continental Army "I am. Sir, Yr Mo' Obdt Srvnt--GWashington", obviously penned in great haste as it involved short-term marching orders which had to be hand-carried a distance. The other, to the same officer on the occasion ofhis retirement from the Army, is signed "Dear Sir -- Yr Most Obdt and Affectionate Servnt -- GWashington".

It is my impression that avowing your obedience to a fellow peer in that era was a sort of noblesse oblige shtick, not too dissimilar to a letter from a law firm which threatens to bankrupt you for singing in public and then signs off, "Sincerely yours."!

At least you can sign "Regards" to anything without sounding like a complete hypocrite!!


Regards,


A

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 12:54 AM

But Amos, what if you regard the recipient as a complete a**hole? Sure, it's honest to sign "Regards" but isn't it a bit slippery? (Completely honest?????)

Alternatives: Lukewarm Regards (what kind of sentiment is that?)... Undifferentiated Regards... Horny Regards.... Co-Dependent Regards..... Venomous Regards (I knew him well)....

Well whatever! *G*

Regards,

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: Amos
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 09:19 AM

Oh, that inbred, cross-eyed, Regards clan!!   

Yeah, I knew Luke. Not a nice boy.   Knocked up his siter Saucy and she produced illegityimate twins, Cranky and Inept. They had a cousin, Stoned, who ran off to California I think...


LOL!!

A

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: wysiwyg
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 09:26 AM

LOL,

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: Orac
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 04:17 AM

Methinks you worry about too much
Yours truly
Orac

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 04:46 AM

Amos: You seem to have missed the best known member of the Regards clan; Beau Regards

Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: SharonA
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 10:12 AM

Nigel: *groannnnnn*

Orac: You are very perceptive; I have worried about too much all my life!! I thought I was asking a valid question, though. I mean, offending someone by using the wrong expression in a business letter is the sort of thing that can cost a company a lot of money!

But you're right, Orac, that there are other things about which I should worry less or not at all.

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 01:14 PM

How about:

With regard to your recent correspondence, I shall meet you at dawn on _______, at _________. Bring your sword.

Yr. Obdt Servant,

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: wysiwyg
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 03:46 PM

Personally, Sharon, I always liked this one:

F*ck You Very Much,

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: SharonA
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 04:31 PM

Yeah, okay, guys, but I need things I can actually say in a business letter without losing my job!!! *G*

Got a business e-mail recently with the closing "Best". Not "Best Regards" or "Best Wishes" or "All the Best"... just "Best". How's that for terse? (Maybe she meant that she's the best.) Mini-rant off!

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: Amos
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 04:50 PM

"Best" in that context means "I send you my best", colloquial for best regards or wishes. Ya don't need to get paranoid, here, Sharon!!

I suggest you use "Sincerely" if you are being sincere, or even if you're not. How much timne do you wanna take up hammering out a nerw cliche? :>) I assure you that those in the U.K. who will be reading your letter are not going to spend more thasn a millisecond of their attention trying to second guess your closing. Nor are they going to think hard about what you mean by "Dear" in the opening salutation.

Two psychiatrists once met on the street and one of them nodded and said, "Good morning". The second one said to himself, "I wonder what he meant by that?".

Cheer up! Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes a business letter is just business!

Warmest regards,

Amos

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: SharonA
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 04:58 PM

Sorry, Amos. Just got my car inspected, which always makes me wonder if they are out to get me! *G*

Regards at 425• for 30 minutes,
Sharon

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: SharonA
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 05:02 PM

Whoops, wrong symbol. Meant to say "425° for 30 minutes"! Aw, never mind, I spoiled my own joke... :^(

Subject: RE: BS: Regarding the use of 'Regards'
From: Amos
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 07:18 PM

Hey, Sharon --- not THAT warm!! LOL!!! You'll cook your goose for shure!!


A