politeness - Can “thanks in advance” be considered rude?



Some argue that because “thanks in advance” is written before any help has been offered, it adds an expectation of help and thus can be considered presumptuous.


Is this reasonable? Would it be appropriate to use this phrase in business correspondence? If not, is it possible to demonstrate gratitude without coming across as presumptuous?


Thanks in advance.



Answer



To remove any chance of seeming presumptuous, you might say:



Thanks in advance for any help you are able to provide.



This acknowledges that their ability to help may be limited (or nonexistent), but it is courteous nonetheless. It is perfectly suitable for business contexts.


(Note that according to the specific situation, you could swap out help with words like assistance, information, thoughts, etc.)


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