Just Checking In | 5 Better Alternatives
Just checking in is a common expression used to start an email or other correspondence. It is often used to follow up on a message sent before or to request an update on an ongoing activity. It is intended to be friendly but still alert the recipient that you anticipate a response.
However, this expression is overused and may come across as passive-aggressive, so it is better avoided. When contacting someone to follow up on a previously discussed topic or project, you should avoid a pushy or insincere tone.
The following alternatives encourage a response without seeming to place pressure on the recipient.
I’m following up to add …
Sometimes you may just want to give the recipient more information about something following a previous communication. You may want to underscore the importance of their task or response, give further information that is relevant to their decision, or just add new food for thought.
I wanted to follow up on our interview to add a couple additional points that may help you as you evaluate your decision.
We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes …
If you have any other questions regarding the contract, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
We look forward to hearing back from you.
Kind regards,
Parita Len, Hiring Manager
I know you were interested in …
For a more subtle approach, you can refer to something the recipient mentioned in previous communications and use this to introduce what you want to ask. You can first give more detail about what they wanted to know and then segue into making your request for them to do something or provide more information.
I wanted to follow up on our last conversation and give you some more information about our previous catalogs. The catalogs are attached, along with some of our marketing materials.
Once you’ve had a look, I’d love to hear your impressions and how you think the past offerings could be developed into new products for next year. Would you have time for a meeting next week to discuss this in more detail?
Kind regards,
Thérèse
Last week, we spoke about …
You can use an expression like “Last week, we spoke about …” to prompt someone to do something that you already talked about or agreed on.
Avoid using language that may come across as accusatory (e.g., “You haven’t finished this on time”) and instead politely highlight what you agreed on and ask for an update.
I hope this message finds you well.
Last week, we spoke about the uploading process for completed assignments. I wanted to check if you have any questions about this and have been able to go through the steps without any difficulty or have any questions about this.
We had agreed on a workload of four assignments per week, but I haven’t seen anything uploaded yet for this week. Please let me know if you need further clarification about this.
Kind regards,
Xavier Lefouet
What’s the current status of …?
If you have a specific question you want the answer to, it is also okay to come right out and ask.
If you are concerned about sounding rude, you can frame your question indirectly to avoid putting too much pressure on the recipient and keep the tone neutral (e.g., “I was wondering whether …”).
Could you let me know what stage you’re at in preparing the presentation? We are working on printing accompanying materials, and it would be great to have a clear timeline for the next week.
Thanks in advance,
Oliver
I’d love to get an update on …
For a more direct strategy, you can ask the recipient about the specific information you want to know. Include the questions you have, but avoid using language that could sound bossy or impatient. A positive tone is important in this regard (e.g., “I’d be happy to hear …,” “I’d appreciate it if …”).
I’d love to hear some updates on the progress of the sales at our new branch downtown. Have you had time to compile any stats on this? Have any obstacles come up that we should develop an action plan for?
Let me know how things are proceeding and if there is anything you need from my end.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Barshan
What’s wrong with “Just checking in”?
Just checking in should have a friendly tone that prompts the recipient to respond without pressuring them. It is a casual expression that shortens the full sentence (“I’m just checking in”) into a simple phrase.
However, because this expression is usually used to obtain a response and remind someone of something they need to do, it can come across as passive-aggressive instead of friendly. Instead of understanding the expression as a no-pressure request for an update, it can feel like a command to respond immediately and finish whatever the sender is asking for.
While using a different phrase doesn’t necessarily resolve this issue, including a wider variety of expressions can help to keep your tone light and friendly and avoid any unintended misreadings of your tone.
Frequently asked questions about just checking in
- How do you start a professional email?
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Professional emails should open with a greeting and the title and name of the recipient (e.g., “Dear Dr. Livingstone”). It is polite to also include an introductory line such as “I hope this email finds you well” before presenting the purpose of the email.
Less formal emails might include a more casual opening line, such as “I hope you are doing well.”
You can automatically rewrite your sentences to express your desired meaning using QuillBot’s tools.
- What’s the meaning of “just checking in”?
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Just checking in is an expression used to start an email. It is intended to be a friendly way to prompt someone to respond or perform a given action.
However, because it is so commonly used to remind someone of something they need to do, it can come across as passive-aggressive. To avoid this, it can be replaced with other expressions, such as “I’d love to get an update on …”
In more personal contexts, “just checking in” is often used when asking about someone’s well-being (e.g., “I just wanted to check in on you”). Here, it doesn’t have a passive-aggressive connotation.
You can use QuillBot to automatically rephrase your sentences and ensure they express your intended meaning.
- What does kind regards mean?
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Kind regards (or kindest regards) is used to end an email or other forms of correspondence. It is semiformal and suitable for professional contexts.
Kind regards is slightly less formal than “sincerely yours” and “yours truly,” but it has a slightly more formal tone than “warm regards.”
You can automatically rewrite your sentences to express your intended meaning using QuillBot’s tools.
