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Article On Hand Written Notes Making A Comeback


Soulmaker1

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Good story. The upside of the decline of handwritten notes for me is that to recieve one is more novel and special.

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Ther personal touch - can't beat it!

 

Nice article and thanks for posting!

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I'm pretty sure the handwritten note was the clincher for landing me my job. That or talking about the Steelers/Penguins cause the interviewer was an rabid Pittsburgh fan. It is a nice touch. And it's pretty effective. I find myself opening/reading mail cause it was handwritten; even though it is clearly junk mail. Their effort deserves a little attention.

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  • 1 month later...

I am sympathetic to the notion of the handwritten note; but it has to be acknowledged that in business it can only have a limited role because of the need to the consider timeliness of the message in a predominantly e-correspondence environment. Also there must be no obligation for reply in kind. In practice this pretty much constrains the form to thank you notes.

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I did just receive a hand written thank-you note from my grand daughter. It was enchanting and written in English, which is not the language she uses to write every day (Swedish is that language).

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This can't be promoted enough especially in schools :) Thank-you notes, etc are just lovely manners and I am delighted to see them hopefully making a comeback.

I'm in a constant state of cat-like readiness!!!

"What do we live for if not to make life less difficult for each other" George Elliot

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I am sympathetic to the notion of the handwritten note; but it has to be acknowledged that in business it can only have a limited role because of the need to the consider timeliness of the message in a predominantly e-correspondence environment. Also there must be no obligation for reply in kind. In practice this pretty much constrains the form to thank you notes.

 

 

This is a vacant rationalization for laziness and crude behavior. Technology does not modify good manners unless the users wish it to be.

I ride a recumbent, I play go, I use Macintosh so of course I use a fountain pen.

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I am sympathetic to the notion of the handwritten note; but it has to be acknowledged that in business it can only have a limited role because of the need to the consider timeliness of the message in a predominantly e-correspondence environment. Also there must be no obligation for reply in kind. In practice this pretty much constrains the form to thank you notes.

 

 

This is a vacant rationalization for laziness and crude behavior. Technology does not modify good manners unless the users wish it to be.

 

Your remark is absurd. I have not urged the abandonment of good manners. My point is that mail that takes some days to arrive will not be routinely practicable in the modern business environment. A thank you note does not typically require a reply, since it is itself typically a reply to some gesture or service. The 'one-wayness' of the thanks means that a handwritten note IS a practicable option. If a handwritten note obliges the recipient to reply in the same way it may impose an unwarranted burden.

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<snip> Thank-you notes, etc are just lovely manners and I am delighted to see them hopefully making a comeback.

Sadly, I am a cad in this regard, though my wife and my future daughter-in-law are very good about firing off notes & letters. Maybe some of that'll rub off on me eventually.

I may not have been much help, but I DID bump your thread up to the top.

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I think the type of business would dictate whether handwritten notes and traditional post are acceptable. My line of business comes with lots of time restraints and SLAs (service level agreements). I'm required to have the majority of things churned out by close of business on the same day. So traditional post is out of the question for most items.

 

Thank you notes aren't particularly time sensitive so it is okay. Offhand, I can't think of anything else that isn't time sensitive at my work.

 

It may be more useful for others though. Especially for those in a sales or account management area, it would be rather good for follow-up. Like after opening a new account for a client, a nice note asking if they are enjoying the services and to contact if any questions or concerns crop up. That's the best example I can really come up with.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am sympathetic to the notion of the handwritten note; but it has to be acknowledged that in business it can only have a limited role because of the need to the consider timeliness of the message in a predominantly e-correspondence environment. Also there must be no obligation for reply in kind. In practice this pretty much constrains the form to thank you notes.

 

 

This is a vacant rationalization for laziness and crude behavior. Technology does not modify good manners unless the users wish it to be.

 

Your remark is absurd. I have not urged the abandonment of good manners. My point is that mail that takes some days to arrive will not be routinely practicable in the modern business environment. A thank you note does not typically require a reply, since it is itself typically a reply to some gesture or service. The 'one-wayness' of the thanks means that a handwritten note IS a practicable option. If a handwritten note obliges the recipient to reply in the same way it may impose an unwarranted burden.

 

A handwritten note can be replied to via email, so I would disagree with the "unwarranted burden" comment.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I actually prefer hand-written notes, as they seem a lot more personal (like a hand-written letter); always write notes to my family, etc.. I guess that in case of the recipient not wantiing to respond in kind, you can always pop an email address on the note?

"Is this thing on??"

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  • 3 weeks later...

I think they never actually left - it's just about picking the right occasion to send one. It is also true that some industries rely more on the personal bond than others.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Why not do both?

 

Even with the current state of the post office, a letter mailed today, can expect delivery the next day within a reasonable distance (two days at the outside).

 

If an immediate response is deemed necessary/ appropriate and email sent and then a handwritten note which follows within 1-2 days, shows a level of personal follow through that is a rare and valuable asset.

 

After 25+ years doing career management advising (don't really connect with the "coaching" label) I still strongly encourage the "FUN" - Follow Up Note. Over the years it has become clear that, one, if you aren't getting the job, it won't get it for you BUT you will probably be remembered long after anyone else's email has been deleted and two, if there is any question in the selection process, a handwritten "FUN", definitely makes a strong case for choosing you.

 

Just my perspective (after many years in the employment field)

-S-

“Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today, because if you do it today and like it, you can do again tomorrow!”

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I was surprised and pleased at the reaction to some inconsequential notes I wrote at work.

 

A few weeks ago there were a few occasions when two of my co-workers needed information. They are both new employees so it may have been as simple as directions to the credit union. Anyway, I grabbed a 3x5 card each time and hand-wrote the answer in my best cursive so they could take it with them.

 

The third time, I just left it on the person's desk. When she found it, she exclaimed, "Oh! I got another Jim-Note!"

 

I guess that shows how rare it is these days. Or, maybe it was the fact that it was written in cursive with a nice fountain pen ink. At any rate, it didn't take much effort on my part to create a bright spot in her day.

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