How to explain the use of all caps?

[attyjen]

I have a subordinate who sends every email in all caps.  Numerous people, including our IT guy have asked her not to do this.  I have had several clients comment to me that they find it offensive because it feels like she is yelling at them.  I agree and, especially since she refuses to acknowledge that I'm above her in the food chain, it drives me nuts.

The partners seem to see it as a petty complaint and I understand their perspective.  I'm just concerned that one of my clients will get offended and I'll suffer the consequences.  Short of keeping her off of my cases, how can I get through to her (and the partners) that this is a problem?

As background, it took about a year for her to stop marking every e-mail as high importance or urgent.  Apparently before I joined the firm, it didn't bother anybody.

[hobish]

Would this help? Maybe she would consider it more of a reference than your lowly self?

http://www.netmanners.com/email-etiquette/courtesy-1/

I am sure there are other referneces that cite using all caps as really rude. I would think that just the fact that it irritates your clients would be enough. Aren't you (general you!) supposed to try to make clients happy, especially when it is such an easy request to accomodate?

Have you tried approaching her? My old boss used to send emails in all red caps. It drove us all nuts. I finally had it one day and busted out with something like, "Dude, did you know that is considered screaming? And when you make it all in red it is even worse." He had no idea, and he did stop, much to my surprise. Of course, this was a boss i could argue politics with and call "Dude" so probably he was a little more approachable than your co-worker might be.

[Suze]

My girlfriend used to do this (when she could e-mail from work)

In her defense - she worked in a program the used all caps for "whatever it was she was doing"  (don't really know)

but there were a lot of times that she forgot to take the caps lock key off....

I'd just send her a "Yelling at me again?" back with a grin and devil smiley

[MrsJWine]

Even if she doesn't buy that it's like yelling, might she stop doing it because it's really hard on the eyes to read entire messages in all caps?  What if you pointed that out to her?

[Starchasm]

It is unprofessional.  Just as you wouldn't want her sending out emails full of typos and spelling mistakes, you don't want her sending out emails in all caps.  It just isn't the way it is done in a professional environment.

POD.

[JonGirl]

Even if she doesn't buy that it's like yelling, might she stop doing it because it's really hard on the eyes to read entire messages in all caps?  What if you pointed that out to her?

Yes, this. I won't read anything at all if it is in all caps.
It hurts my eyes and I can't look at it.

[TootsNYC]

It really isn't even that it looks like it's yelling.

Numerous studies on readability have found that all caps is hard to read, because the letter sizes and shapes are NOT varied.

And sans serif faces are also harder to read; all those little flippy things on the ends of your letters help your brain recognize the differences between the letters.

Ditto for upper and lower case. The shapes of the letters varies so much more, and it's easier to read.
Plus, comprehension is greatly aided when proper nouns are delineated as such. Look at the difference between Polish and polish. Numerals also are easier to grasp when they are differentiated from letters by their height.

http://www.wmich.edu/wmu/writing/typography.html

http://www.aranworld.com/2005/03/all-caps-readability-and-press_10.html

http://www.mwstrategicmarketing.com/Improving_Readability_for_Printed_Advertising.html

And to get all scientific on him:
http://www.laurenscharff.com/courseinfo/SL03/email_study.htm

It was hypothesized the AC [all capital letters] format would result in the slowest reading speeds, the most incorrect answers, and be rated as the least preferred format. [The study] indicated neither text format nor instructions had significant effects on reading times or [comprehension]; however, Chi Square analyses indicated readers liked text written in all upper case letters significantly less than the other formats, and that it was harder to find important information when using all capital letters. Thus, while the use of all capital letters does not significantly affect accuracy or reading times, it may affect readers' likelihood to read an email in the first place.

[TootsNYC]

Have you said, "Several of my clients have complained. I don't want to lose their business because they're offended, and I don't want us to have to spend money making up for problems caused because people found those e-mails hard to read."

And it's affected; it's like those junior-high girls who use smiley faces to dot their i's. Would a little gentle ridicule cure her of the habit? Or a mention that it looks affected and juvenile?


Also, you used the phrases "subordinate" and " I'm above her in the food chain."

Can you not order her to stop? Or order her to stop doing it on e-mails that go to YOUR clients?

[artk2002]

"Why not use all caps?  Because people like artk2002 will delete your messages without ever reading them -- even if they come from the law firm he's doing business with.  It's unprofessional.  It makes your messages look like they were written by a 4yo with a crayon.  The caps completely detract from the important information that you're trying to communicate.  If you can type an internal memo using proper capitalization, why can't you do it with an e-mail?"

But if you are above her, and she refuses to acknowledge it, then you have a bigger problem on your hands.  It's called insubordination.  If the partners won't back you up, then I'd suggest looking for a different job.  If they're so foolish that they can't recognize client complaints (you have passed the client complaints on to them, haven't you?) then they aren't going to be in business for the long haul.   (Next time a client complains, suggest that they take the complaint directly to a partner.)

[sbtier]

I would show her examples of regular letters on paper.  Look, they have caps at the beginning of the sentences and all the other letters are small.  Tell her that the requirements for e-mails are the same as requirements for any other type of written communication.  If she shows doubt, offer to go over the rules of capitalization she should have learned by 2nd grade.   

[Squeaks]

Just tell her don't do it.  Flat out tell her "this is a problem" 

If IT is on your side see about prying off the caps lock key from her keyboard. Tell her that since she seems to be having trouble breaking the habit you are all going to help her out. 

If any of the clients have responded complaining about it in writing, then show it to her. 

You could present it to the partners that e-mails should be seen as letters, and as they would not send a letter out in all caps, there is no reason to do it in e-mail.

I would also not let up.  Every time you see an e-mail in all caps, remind her.  Reject it as incorrect. 

[Lisbeth]

If you have the authority to reprimand, fire, or otherwise discipline her, I'd send her a formal note with copies to the partners and/or HR if there is one, letting her know that this is to cease and desist at once, and if it does not, you will take further action against her on the grounds of insubordination.  If you have any written evidence of this causing problems with clients, attach documentation to the note that the partners and HR see and place in her personnel file.

[RedRuby]

I agree that it comes across as yelling and is hard to read. There's no reason for her to be doing this and she should be told point blank to stop. If she doesn't comply write up a disciplinary report.

[Scritzy]

"Why not use all caps?  Because people like artk2002 will delete your messages without ever reading them -- even if they come from the law firm he's doing business with.  It's unprofessional.  It makes your messages look like they were written by a 4yo with a crayon.  The caps completely detract from the important information that you're trying to communicate.  If you can type an internal memo using proper capitalization, why can't you do it with an e-mail?"

But if you are above her, and she refuses to acknowledge it, then you have a bigger problem on your hands.  It's called insubordination.  If the partners won't back you up, then I'd suggest looking for a different job.  If they're so foolish that they can't recognize client complaints (you have passed the client complaints on to them, haven't you?) then they aren't going to be in business for the long haul.   (Next time a client complains, suggest that they take the complaint directly to a partner.)

Artk2002 says it better than I could.

[attyjen]

Unfortunately, none of the client complaints have been in writing.  My next goal is to try to get one in writing to pass along.  Since posting this, I've talked with a couple of the other associates who have the same issue and they're going to try to get something in writing as well.  If we go to the partners with enough, maybe one of them will lay down the law.

I also like the idea of simply rejecting any e-mail that is in all caps.

I have flat out told her not to do it.  Unfortunately, the inusbordination issue here is huge and I'm more or less stuck with it.  The partners somehow think that she's irreplaceable and the only associates she seems to have a problem with are the females.

The passive aggressive evil me wants to start sending all of my messages to her in all caps.