The OOO Message Challenge

Out-of-office (OOO) messages are a necessary part of modern work life. They’re usually short, informative, and efficient. At their best, they keep things moving while we’re out of the office. At their worst? They’re boring. Mind-numbingly, soul-crushingly boring.

To be honest, most OOO messages sound like they were written by a robot in a cubicle dystopia:

• “I am out of the office until April 23.”
• “I am out of the office until April 23. Please contact Jane Smith.”
• “I am out of the office until April 23. I will respond to your message when I return.”

Yawn.

Let me ask you this: Would you write an actual email that bland? I hope not. So why are we okay with sending an auto-reply — potentially to hundreds of people — that’s devoid of personality and makes us sound like a generic office drone?

We can do better.

Imagine receiving an OOO message like this (just try to argue with me that this isn’t what most OOO messages are actually saying):

“I am out of the office. I don’t care about you or your email right now because I’m on vacation. Woo-hoo! Maybe I’ll get back to you when I return, but let’s be honest, I might forget. Best to just send another email when I’m back.”

Okay, so maybe that’s a bit over the top, but you get my point. If you’re going to set up an auto-reply, why not make it fun, relatable, and memorable? After all, OOO messages are a unique opportunity to show a little personality and remind people you’re human — not a corporate email bot (no offense corporate email bots, since you’ll likely have all our jobs soon anyway).

But I digress. 

So, I’ve been experimenting with more “creative” OOO messages over the years, and nearly always hear from contacts that they appreciate the extra effort. Here are some examples from my personal archives. Feel free to borrow, adapt, or be inspired to create your own:

Examples of Better OOO Messages?

European Vacation
Thank you for your email. I’m out of the office until Monday, October 7, on a very challenging field assignment in Slovenia (read: vacation). My wife has strictly forbidden me from checking email, and as we’re driving, it’s probably safer that way. For urgent matters, please contact Acting Office Director Joe Schmoe at Joe.Schmoe@email.com. For everything else, I’ll respond once I’m back. Until then, ni za kaj!

Sandy Beach Research
Thanks for your email. I’m out of the office until June 10, conducting important “research” on a sandy beach at an undisclosed location. Rumor has it that replying to emails is against the law while sipping umbrella drinks, so unfortuntely I won’t be able to respond until I’m back. For urgent matters, please contact Jane Doe at Jane.Doe@email.com.

I'm Having Trouble Getting Gigs
I'm currently out of the office. Over the next three weeks, I am taking my very popular international development show on the road, playing gigs before sold-out crowds on the very popular Almaty-Tashkent-Samarkand-Tashkent-Almaty-Delhi-Kabul-Dubai-Dushanbe-Almaty circuit. Even though you may not be able to get tickets to my show, I will be in contact with each of you directly during my trip, so please keep the email messages coming and I will respond as soon as I can. If you need something urgently, please reach out to my agent, Jane Doe (Jane.Doe@email.com), or my manager, John Doe (John.Doe@email.com).

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
I’m covering 7,000 miles this week, traveling by plane, train, and automobile (John Candy ain’t got nothin’ on me) for meetings in London. I’ll be back in the office on June 8. Stiff upper lip and all, guv. Until then, for urgent issues, please contact John Doe at John.Doe@email.com.

Eating Fried Calamari, Sipping Rakı, Reading Orhan Pamuk
Thank you for your email. As you can probably tell, I’m currently on leave, savoring calamari and rakı by the Aegean while pretending to understand Orhan Pamuk’s latest novel. I’ll be back in the office on September 2. In my absence, please reach out to Orhan Pamuk at Orhan.Pamuk@email.com for any urgent matters.

Traveling the Silk Road
I’m currently doing my best Marco Polo impersonation, traveling across the Silk Road over the next two weeks (actually, just to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan). Unlike the venerable Mr. Polo, however, I will be online throughout, so I hope to keep up with my day job of building regional connectivity, leading strategic communications efforts, and leaping tall buildings in a single bound. Bear with me, however, as it may take longer than normal to respond. If you don’t hear back from me in a timely manner, please contact Marco Polo (Marco.Polo@email.com) and he’ll try to help.

Working in Paris
I’m currently out of the office. In Paris. Working. (Really, I promise!) While I’m technically reachable, let’s be honest: It’s Paris. C’est la vie! If you need something urgently, contact Acting Office Director Jacque Doet at Jacque.Doet@email.com.

In Islamabad, Proving My Development Worth
I’m currently out of the office. In Islamabad. Recent work trips to London, Paris, and Dubai left many of you wondering whether I really work in international development or not. I do. Promise. Anyway, I’ll be monitoring email, but if you need something urgently, please contact Acting Office Director John Doe at John.Doe@email.com. I’ll be back in the office on Friday, October 28.

Why It’s Worth the Effort

These messages don’t just inform people; they make them smile. They add a touch of humanity and creativity to an otherwise routine interaction. They’re also more likely to be remembered — which, in the world of endless emails, is a win.

So, next time you’re setting up your OOO message, ditch the robotic tone. Inject a little personality, a bit of humor, or even some whimsy. Make your OOO message your own. Because if you have to leave people hanging for a reply, the least you can do is leave them smiling.

Who knows? Your next OOO message might even go viral.