On the verge of a crisis: Out of Office email...

[devonhunter]

Okay, I just sent someone an email that I'll be in his area soon... and his auto-reply came back with "I will be out of the office until blah blah blah."

 

I had no idea this was his work email. It's the email he gave me. Now I'm feeling a bit panicked that I will have gotten him in trouble during his absence. Should I just go ahead and delete this address and no longer use it until I hear back from him, or should I keep it, since it's the one he gave me???

 

What would you as clients want in a situation like this?

[AdamSmith]

I think I would want you to phone me, if you had my cell number. And hang onto the email address, since the client freely gave it, at least until you can talk to him.

[josephga]

If that's the email addy he gave you I wouldn't worry about it..

[+ deej]

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

In the first place, it's the email address he gave you. If he didn't also provide restrictions on use, you've got nothing to worry about.

 

Also, it may not be his work email address. OOO works just fine for non-work email addresses.

[AdamSmith]

On second thought, joseph and deej are probably right.

 

Even if it is his office, pretty unlikely anybody else is going to be turning on his computer, logging onto his user account, and poring over his every incoming email.

[CowboyUp]

It's Probably A-OK

 

I think you did the right thing--you sent the message to the email address he indicated to you that he wanted future correspondence sent. The guy surely would not have given you the email address if it was not safe. Devon, Your concern for your client's privacy is a reflection of your professionalism and character--and that's to be commended.

[jackcali]

Devon, as someone who is VERY careful about keeping my visits with escorts secret, I think that you shouldn't use his business email again until you confirm with the client (maybe by phone or text) that he gave you this email address intentionally and not absent-mindedly. Emails on an employer's server can be viewed by the employer without the employee's permission, and your client may not know that he has no right to privacy with respect to his emails.

 

Even if he meant to give you his business email, you might suggest to him that it would be safer if he set up an anonymous yahoo or gmail account for his future communications with escorts.

 

That being said, you did nothing wrong, Devon. He gave you an email address, you used it, and you raised the red flag when you realized there might be a problem. Good luck.

[instudiocity]

Class Act!

 

Devon, what a class act you are.

 

Your concerns are well-grounded. Your fear is a natural response. The advice the other guys have given you are all correct:

 

1-You did nothing wrong.

2-Your client willingly gave you that address and he SHOULD know his employer's email policy. I've signed annually that I understand that all email correspondence through my business' account is the company's property.

3-With all electronic correspondence you initiate - email, text, and voice mail - KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL until you know you're recipient is receiving it and you will never have anything to worry about.

 

You are quite an impressive man. I can't wait for the opportunity to be IMPRESSED by you personally!

[+ Charlie]

The office may even be a home office, or he may be the boss, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. It seems unlikely that he would have given you that address if he were concerned about privacy.

[Guest greatness]

hmm

 

If he gave you the email then I don't think there is anything you have to worry about. You are so caring.

[MiamiLooker]

Okay, I just sent someone an email that I'll be in his area soon... and his auto-reply came back with "I will be out of the office until blah blah blah."

 

I had no idea this was his work email. It's the email he gave me. Now I'm feeling a bit panicked that I will have gotten him in trouble during his absence. Should I just go ahead and delete this address and no longer use it until I hear back from him, or should I keep it, since it's the one he gave me???

 

What would you as clients want in a situation like this?

 

 

Did he ask you to contact him when you'd be in his area? If so, and he intended on your contact to be via the email address he gave you, then you did nothing wrong.

[Guest Merlin]

Obviously, your emails should be descrete so that someone who does see one will not guess what it is about. Idealy, it should be so ambiguous that any reader will think it might have something to do with work. I see a personal trainer/escort from time to time. By understanding, I ask if he has time for some training.

[rvwnsd]

Devon, I think you were within your rights to contact him at the address he provided. You might want to refrain from contacting him again until he replies to you.

 

That being said, many companies scrutinize incoming and outgoing e-mail messages. In the case of my employer, we look for attachments or text that could contain sensitive or confidential customer/corporate data. In order to find it, we have to go through every e-mail, including the innocuous ones like meeting invitations, cookie recipes, invoices, etc. Based on what you have told us about yourself in previous posts, I'm guessing that your e-mail was probably discreet. If it was, then your client likely has nothing to worry about. If it was graphic, your client's employer's spam/objectional content filter probably caught the message as if it was unsolicited spam. Again, probably no harm done.

 

In the end, you and your client are likely OK. No need to ask everyone whether their e-mail address is a work address. Your concern about potential harm done speaks volumes about you and the way you conduct your business. Let me know when you are in Southern California so I can see first-hand whether it really is a pleasure to do business with you.

[Guest greatness]

lucky him

 

He's going to meet your cat! What is your cat's name?

 

Devon, I think you were within your rights to contact him at the address he provided. You might want to refrain from contacting him again until he replies to you.

 

That being said, many companies scrutinize incoming and outgoing e-mail messages. In the case of my employer, we look for attachments or text that could contain sensitive or confidential customer/corporate data. In order to find it, we have to go through every e-mail, including the innocuous ones like meeting invitations, cookie recipes, invoices, etc. Based on what you have told us about yourself in previous posts, I'm guessing that your e-mail was probably discreet. If it was, then your client likely has nothing to worry about. If it was graphic, your client's employer's spam/objectional content filter probably caught the message as if it was unsolicited spam. Again, probably no harm done.

 

In the end, you and your client are likely OK. No need to ask everyone whether their e-mail address is a work address. Your concern about potential harm done speaks volumes about you and the way you conduct your business. Let me know when you are in Southern California so I can see first-hand whether it really is a pleasure to do business with you.

[devonhunter]

My cat's name is Smeagol (yes, I named him after the little monster in Lord of the Rings, and for very good reasons).

 

As a related aside to this issue concerning email and privacy:

I would suggest that you give email information that will remain private, even in the unfortunate event of your demise. I just got an email reading, "Please stop!!!!! This person is deceased!"

 

Ahem... AWKWARD!

[Romann]

To say the least.

 

I would suggest that you give email information that will remain private, even in the unfortunate event of your demise. I just got an email reading, "Please stop!!!!! This person is deceased!"

 

Ahem... AWKWARD!

 

... and there you have it.

[Guest greatness]

Aww

 

What a cute name.

[instudiocity]

This Person Is Deceased!

 

As a related aside to this issue concerning email and privacy:

I would suggest that you give email information that will remain private, even in the unfortunate event of your demise. I just got an email reading, "Please stop!!!!! This person is deceased!" Ahem... AWKWARD!

 

AND IF HE WASN'T BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE READ YOUR EMAIL, HE IS NOW! LOL!

 

Sorry for making fun but someone else's AWKWARDness, is my funny!

[+ Tygerscent]

K...

 

He gave you that addie to contact him by??? Does he offer and do well with cell voicemail or texting? If so, then try those.

He have an email on soem advertising site? Try that..?.

tygerkink@yahoo.com (EMAIL works BEST~!)

Cell is 503.747.8269 (but really... email works best~)

my other cell, (checked less often), is 503.719.9274

http://www.tygerscent.biz

http://www.daddysreviews.com/finder.php?loc=T-12-139-10&who=tyger_portland

http://www.maleescortreview.com (Tygerscent in Portland, Oregon)

http://www.rentmen.com (AAAtygerscentXXX in Portland Oregon)

http://www.men4rentnow.com (tygerscent in Portland, Oregon)

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[Guest Jonas]

I don't think it is a matter of 'Don't worry, the email was given to you'. Everyone can slip or simply don't understand possible implications. A sysadmin is a sysadmin is a sysadmin. I know a guy who extracts all pictures from emails and reviews them for fun during long boring shifts. Office policies and reality are 2 distinct things.

 

At any rate I always advise against using a corporate email address when I see one. The more stubborn ones even get a yahoo or smthng created by me. It is a good idea imao.