Tech Tip: Out of Office Replies and Phone Messages

Leaving your office or campus for the summer requires some planning. Here are a few things that you should keep in mind before heading out for a well-deserved break:

Out of Office Email Response

Setting your email to automatically reply is an easy place to start. This notifies correspondents that you will not be responding to their email right away. It’s always a good idea to include when you will be returning as well. Check out our Knowledgebase article on setting an out of office email response.

ITS does recommend that you only use the Outlook automatic replies for messages within the E-town organization. If you feel you must set the reply for users outside the E-town network, check the option to only auto-reply to your contacts. Out of office replies to anyone outside the organization is one way that phishers and spammers can verify that they’ve reached an active mailbox.

Alternate Voicemail Greeting

Similar to out of office emails, setting your voicemail to let callers know you are away is a good idea, too. This is called an alternate voicemail greeting. This must be set manually but can be done after you’ve left campus.