How to write your out of office auto reply in Dutch?
The summer holidays are fast approaching and, for many, that means having some time away ... But before you can turn off your computer and head off to sunny places there's one last thing to do: writing your out of office auto reply!
You probably have no troubles writing an out of office auto reply in your mother tongue? But if you regularly communicate with Dutch-speaking colleagues or customers, it's important to write your out of office auto reply in Dutch as well!
Are you sure that your message is perfect in Dutch as well?
Writing such a message may seem like a simple task but if your out of office message is unclear or incomplete, it can cause problems while you are away or when you return.
We give you some helpful tips for writing an out of office auto reply message in Dutch.
1. Information to include in your out of office
Classic out of office messages often contain the same information. You might want to write an original message, but don't take it too far. In order to write a good and clear message, it is best to incorporate the following elements into your text:
- The exact dates of your absence and your return.
Make sure there can be no confusion about the start or end of your holiday period by mentioning the exact dates. Remember to change the dates if you reuse an earlier message. - The reason for your absence.
You may not want to mention the reason for your absence, but it can help to ensure that people don't keep emailing (or calling) you. If they know you are taking a week's holiday, they will respect that. - The people who follow up during your absence.
Don't forget to mention the names, phone numbers and email addresses of the colleagues who can help clients or colleagues during your absence so they know exactly where to go for assistance while you are away. - Expressing gratitude for their understanding.
You may think that this is unnecessary, but thanking people in advance for their understanding can help people grant you your time off and wait for a little while for a response to their email.
2. Things to avoid in your out of office
Of course you want to make a professional impression with your out of office message. So stick to the basics! Some things are best avoided:
- Don't give too much information.
No need to give more details about where you are going or what you will be doing. - Don't try to be funny.
Don't try to make jokes in your out of office. They could easily be misinterpreted and give the wrong impression. - Don't refer to colleagues who are absent themselves.
Always check with your colleagues if they will have the time to follow up your emails. There is no greater frustration for customers to be referred to a colleague and then receive no response, or worse, a second out of office. - Don't make promises you will have to break.
After your return you'll probably have much a lot of work to catch up on. Don't say you'll answer the day of your return if that will be impossible.
3. Useful key sentences for your out of office
When you write your message you can start with one of these sentences in Dutch:
Key sentences to start your message
- Dankuwel voor uw bericht. Ik ben momenteel met vakantie en ben terug bereikbaar vanaf (date return).
- Dankuwel voor uw e-mail. Ik ben afwezig van (date departure) tot (date return).
- Dankuwel voor uw e-mail. Ik kan momenteel uw e-mail niet beantwoorden. Vanaf (datum terugkomst) beantwoord ik uw e-mail zo snel mogelijk.
- Dankuwel voor uw bericht. Ik ben afwezig van (date departure) tot (date return) en heb geen toegang tot mijn e-mails.
Key sentences to explain you will (not/soon) answer the email
- Ik heb tijdens mijn vakantie slechte beperkte toegang tot mijn e-mails. Ik beantwoord uw e-mail zo snel mogelijk bij mijn terugkomst.
- Als u dringende hulp nodig hebt tijdens mijn afwezigheid, kan u terecht bij mijn collega('s) op het nummer (telephone number) of (email address).
- Voor dringende zaken kunt u tijdens mijn afwezigheid terecht bij mijn collega('s) op het nummer (telephone numer) of (email address).
- Tijdens mijn afwezigheid kan u terecht bij mijn collega('s) op het nummer (telephone number) of (email address).
- Uw e-mail wordt niet automatisch doorgestuurd. U kan contact opnemen met mijn collega('s) op het nummer (telephone number) or (email address).
- Voor al uw vragen kan u terecht op het nummer (telephone number) of (email adress).
- Ik ben afwezig maar volg mijn e-mails sporadisch op.
- Uw e-mail wordt automatisch doorgestuurd en opgevolgd/beantwoord door mijn collega's.
4. Examples of good out of office auto replies
So how to combine those key sentences in one good out of office auto reply? We give you some examples you can use this summer:
Example 1
Dankuwel voor uw bericht.
Ik ben momenteel met vakantie en ben terug bereikbaar vanaf maandag 25 juli.
Tijdens mijn vakantieperiode kan u contact opnemen met mijn collega Ann op het nummer (telephone number) of per e-mail (email address).
Alvast bedankt voor uw begrip.
Vriendelijke groeten,
Example 2
Dankuwel voor uw bericht.
Ik kan op dit moment uw e-mail niet beantwoorden. Vanaf (date return) beantwoord ik uw e-mail zo snel mogelijk.
Voor dringende zaken kan u tijdens mijn afwezigheid terecht bij mijn collega('s) op het nummer (telephone number) of (email address).
Alvast bedankt voor uw begrip.
Vriendelijke groeten,
Example 3
Dankuwel voor uw e-mail.
Ik ben met vakantie van maandag 18 tot en met vrijdag 22 juli en kan uw e-mail niet beantwoorden. Bij mijn terugkomst op maandag 25 juli beantwoord ik uw e-mail zo snel mogelijk.
Tijdens mijn afwezigheid kan u terecht bij mijn collega('s) op het nummer (telephone number) of (email address).
Alvast bedankt voor uw begrip.
Vriendelijke groeten,
Related articles you might find interesting
- Tips for writing your out of office reply in French
- Tips for writing your out of office reply in English
- Tips for writing business emails in English
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