You are going on holiday. You set up an auto-reply: “I am away until the 15th.” Full stop.
The client who wanted to place an order gets a message that tells them nothing useful — and goes to the competition.
What it must include
Until when. Not “for a while” — an exact date. Someone who knows they are waiting three days will wait. Someone who doesn’t know will look for someone else.
Who to contact in the meantime. This is the difference between a lost order and a kept one. If you don’t have a colleague, say that urgent matters can be handled by phone.
When you will reply. “I will reply when I get back” means something different to you and to them. “I will reply on the 16th” is clear.
An example that works
Hello,
I am away until 15 August. I am reading messages, but I will reply from the 16th.
For anything urgent: Maria at maria@yourcompany.com or +389 70 123 456.
Best regards,
Peter
What not to write
Exactly where you are. “On holiday in Ohrid until the 20th” also tells the wrong people that your house is empty.
An apology. Holidays are normal. “I apologise for the inconvenience” gives the impression that you are doing something wrong.
Too much detail. Three sentences are enough.
The detail everyone forgets
The auto-reply also answers mailing lists — which confirms to them that your address is active. If you can, limit it to your contacts or switch it off for external lists.
And another one: turn it off when you get back. An auto-reply still running a week after your return is worse than none at all.
Where to set it up
In cPanel: Email → Autoresponders → Add Autoresponder. You enter the address, the message, and a start and end date.
The end date matters — that way it switches itself off and you can’t forget.
All our plans include unlimited email addresses, with SPF and DKIM set up.
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