If we had a nickel for every time we heard these things…
To state the obvious, this quarantine and time of being distant from one another is not fun. It’s been a trying time and has really put all of us in an uncomfortable situation. For me, I really miss people. Although I can be introverted, I really do miss being around other people at the grocery store, at restaurants, at the dog park… you get it.
I’m also tired of these overused phrases that seem to be everywhere these days. Every company has used them, they are all over my email and if I hear them on television one more time, I might pop. I realize this is incredibly dramatic, but these are truly like nails on a chalkboard at this point.
“We’re Closely Monitoring…”
Everyone has been closely monitoring this pandemic. It’s a pan-dem-ic. It’s a serious thing! I don’t need every business that has ever acquired my email address to inform me that they are looking at what’s going on in our world. It’s not new news. Plus, it feels like every business is just using “copy + paste” from other businesses to craft their emails.
“Hope This Email Finds You Well…”
While I appreciate that you care for my health, it feels insincere. To me, it feels passive. I think big businesses could have benefited by just sending out emails that said “Hey, we hope you’re OK during this time. Please know that we are thinking about you.” Don’t attach any pitch/incentive/sale/etc. Just tell me you care.
“Hi Member…”
This is particularly embarrassing for the business if I’m one of their customers. Call me old fashioned, but if I’ve spent money with you consistently, you should try to know my name. Or at least know which name to attach to which email address in your massive company algorithm. Not to mention, if I get a “Hi Member” email, it’s going in the trash since it’s most likely spam.
“Uncertain Times…”
I’ll admit that these times are definitely new for us. We’re moving through a pandemic and I don’t want to discredit that or make it seems like it’s not a big deal. However, aren’t all times uncertain? We have no idea what tomorrow holds regardless if we’re in a pandemic or not. I know I sound like the grammar police or something here, but this one gets under my skin.
“Social Distancing…”
Again, I’m not discrediting our situation, nor the efforts to contain this thing. And yes, I’m totally reading too far into these words just like the ones above. I just don’t like to think of us writing each other out of our lives. We are physically distancing ourselves during this time, but there are plenty of ways that we can remain super close in the social realm. Facetime, social media, old fashioned phone calls… These all keep us close.
radiojess.com 