annoying to send 'thank you' email after helpful email?

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

The department I've been accepted to has an email address for general questions about the program. The same lady--I think she's the department secretary--always responds to the emails. I've actually been emailing various questions for over a year now (not consistently). Anyway, since I've been accepted two weeks ago, I emailed a few questions, and she always response with a thorough and kind response within a matter of minutes. I feel awkward just not responding after her response. I want to let her know I appreciate what she does. Is it weird to email her back with something like:

                                            Person, 

                                            Thanks again. You've been extremely helpful. 

                                            Me

 

[rj16]

I always answer something like that when I have nothing to add but still want to acknowledge receipt/help. I think it is the polite thing to do. 

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

Thank you... 

[Munashi]

I don't think this is weird.  I did this with the department admin at one of the programs I applied to.  I just sent him a note saying that he'd be very helpful throughout the process and that I appreciated all his time and help.  I doubt it would be seen as irritating.

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

My fear is the other person thinks like me and sends me back a 'thank you' to my 'thank you.' Then I'll be obliged to thank them back. And so on and so on. Until I move there in September. 

[LittleDarlings]

I do it all the time. I don't see a problem with it

[nugget]

hahaha... You are too funny.  Politeness is never a bad thing.

My fear is the other person thinks like me and sends me back a 'thank you' to my 'thank you.' Then I'll be obliged to thank them back. And so on and so on. Until I move there in September. 

[gingin6789]

I think you're safe sending a thank you email, Gnome =) She'll appreciate it, I'm sure!!  Hopefully the cycle doesn't continue until July =p

[kimmibeans]

There is nothing wrong with sending a thank you back! Having been on the other end of it (in college I was the administrative secretary for our campus radio station) I can say that a thank you is always appreciated and will make her smile.

[DerpTastic]

I almost always send a thank you email. It would seem weird to give someone advice, and then they just disappear. Makes me wonder if they got the email, haven't read it, don't like the advice... Who knows. 

[maelia8]

You could always wait to thank her until the beginning of the next email you send with your next question: "Thanks so much for your great advice last time! The information you have me has helped me to arrive at another important question, and I'd really appreciate any help you can give me." That way you wouldn't have to worry about falling into an endless cycle of thank-you emails.

[FestivusMiracle]

Always err on the side of niceness. I don't think there are very many people who are too busy to have time to read a thank you e-mail. If someone gets annoyed by thank you e-mails, then they probably suck as a human being (although obviously there is a point where there is thank you overkill, but I highly doubt this applies here.).

[picabo]

I would send a thank you email. I would also make a point of thanking her in person when I arrived on campus.

 

But then again, I try to be really polite to offset the times when I'm really not.

[jz19]

I once had to attend a workshop on "email etiquette" for work and have been worried about sending thank you emails ever since.  My instinct is to always thank anyone who's been helpful, but when you're corresponding with a person whose job is to be helpful, at some point their inbox becomes inundated with thank you emails.  We were told it's more considerate to refrain from sending non-substantive emails.  

 

I don't completely agree, but it's another way of looking at it =)

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

I once had to attend a workshop on "email etiquette" for work and have been worried about sending thank you emails ever since.  My instinct is to always thank anyone who's been helpful, but when you're corresponding with a person whose job is to be helpful, at some point their inbox becomes inundated with thank you emails.  We were told it's more considerate to refrain from sending non-substantive emails.  

 

I don't completely agree, but it's another way of looking at it =)

I agree. That's why I was wondering. Usually I don't send thank you emails if they just give me a straightforward answer, but since this person came off as very kind and conversational (saying things like, "I'll shoot them an email for you") it made me think an extra email in their inbox wouldn't bother them. But I agree that despite a thank you email being a nice gesture, it is more work. This person probably gets 100 new emails a day. It sucks seeing your inbox that full. But they did respond very quickly and thoroughly (within 7 minutes), so I figured they weren't overwhelmed with emails at the time. 

[St Andrews Lynx]

I'd wait until you get a chance to meet them in September, at which point you can thank them in person.

You've still probably got a lot more questions to ask before then anyway. No point in prematurely thanking 'em.

[Vene]

I once had to attend a workshop on "email etiquette" for work and have been worried about sending thank you emails ever since.  My instinct is to always thank anyone who's been helpful, but when you're corresponding with a person whose job is to be helpful, at some point their inbox becomes inundated with thank you emails.  We were told it's more considerate to refrain from sending non-substantive emails.  

 

I don't completely agree, but it's another way of looking at it =)

Everywhere I've worked thank you emails are common. If nothing else they're good for telling the recipient that you did receive the email and you have what you need from them.

[spectastic]

I'd wait until you get a chance to meet them in September, at which point you can thank them in person.

You've still probably got a lot more questions to ask before then anyway. No point in prematurely thanking 'em.

only rookies prematurely thank

[themmases]

Thank you emails are very common in my job. I coordinate research and work with a lot of other people who do, too, so basically we are always contacting people all over the organization asking them or each other to do stuff. We send a thank you at what we think will be the end of the exchange, so it could be after one message or after two weeks of back and forth. The longer the exchange, the longer my email. If I sent them one question and they sent me one answer, I just write back "thank you!" with no salutation, etc. If we've collaborated with them on something, they get complete sentences thanking them for their help and letting them know I'll be in touch, or whatever.

 

I did the same thing with all my contacts at the school I'll be attending (before I was admitted and after), and it seemed to be appreciated. Normal professionals don't usually respond to an email that just says "Thank you!" unless you're friendly... Sometimes to say "you're welcome" and the conversation ends there.

 

Also, if someone's job is to be helpful and handle details for people, your "thank you" can serve as a read receipt so they know they handled your problem and this thread is over. Personally I keep all emails so if someone asks me about the topic months later, I can go back and see what my solution was and that it did help whoever I was talking to. If you feel they went above and beyond, an email that says so is actually really helpful for them to keep for their annual review.

[mandarin.orange]

I agree. That's why I was wondering. Usually I don't send thank you emails if they just give me a straightforward answer, but since this person came off as very kind and conversational (saying things like, "I'll shoot them an email for you") it made me think an extra email in their inbox wouldn't bother them. But I agree that despite a thank you email being a nice gesture, it is more work. This person probably gets 100 new emails a day. It sucks seeing your inbox that full. But they did respond very quickly and thoroughly (within 7 minutes), so I figured they weren't overwhelmed with emails at the time. 

 

Your description makes it sound like this is the student affairs admin/officer of your program, in which case:

 

1) It's a major and non-negotiable part of her job to stay on top of the Inbox. Don't feel bad. 

 

2) It won't stop in September. You're going to have a relationship with this person throughout the program (or, someone in a similar role) who handles stipeds, payroll, TA assignments, paperwork associated with your progress to degree (spring review, defense, thesis filing, W2s, etc.)

 

3) That said, "thank you" emails, a note of appreciation (like you posted above, AND in person), small gifts around the holidays or for no reason, and just overall appreciation for, and appreciative demeanor with, this person will go a long way. Sounds like you know to be professional anyway so this point may be moot. But keep in mind this person probably deals with plenty of others (including other grads!) who are hapless, rude, neglectful of their paperwork and have to be chased down, only make contact when they need something at last minute, and/or have old-school misogynistic attitudes about "the secretary laday."

Edited April 21, 2014 by mandarin.orange