Christine Andersen wrote:
It depends very much on the client.
I have never been good at formalities myself, so if the rest of the mail is reasonable, it doesn't worry me.
Group e-mails are sometimes necessary when deadlines are tight, and I appreciate 'Dear translators' to save time, as long as I basically know the client.
I often exchange brief mails with PMs and we don't always write names at the top of the fifth one-liner.
What I hate is a badly-spelled message from a total stranger with a commanding tone, starting with a bare 'Hi,' and demanding my fastest attention and 'best rate'.
If they cannot even write 'please', and shorten it to pls. my blood boils!
However, that sort never become clients!
I had, and potentially still have, a client who is a master of super-short e-mails.
He would typically start a string of mails with:
_________________________________
Hi, Christine
Can you translate the attached by Friday. Price?
Greetings
H
________________________________
He doesn't always include my name at the top, and the final mail would simply be:
________________________________
OK, thanks
H
________________________________
He is a pleasure to work with - we talk on the phone.