Saying “please advise” at work
Why it can fall flat
“please advise”
The reader is likely to hear “please advise” as stiff and vague, as if you expect them to guess what you need. You usually want a specific answer or decision, asked politely with a reason and a date.
Say this instead
- 01
Could you pick a supplier by Friday? They need our order by Monday to hold the price. Which one would you go with?
Boss · Chat
Use it when you need a decision by a deadline, since the reason and direct question make it easy for your manager to reply fast.
- 02
Send me your thoughts on the draft plan by Thursday so I can lock it before Friday's meeting. A few bullet points is fine.
Someone you manage · Chat
Choose this with someone you manage, because the reason for the date and the low-effort format make the request feel fair.
- 03
Could you confirm which delivery date suits you? Once I have it, I can book the slot with our warehouse.
Client · Email
Send it when you are waiting on a client's choice, since it names the exact question and says what happens next.
- 04
Do you know who handles invoice approvals now? I'd like to send this to the right person today.
Coworker · Chat
Quick questions between peers suit this one, as it asks for one clear piece of information and explains why.
- 05
Could you let me know what the next steps are and roughly when I might hear back? Thank you for your time.
Recruiter / HR · Email
After an interview or application, this is polite and asks for a next step without being pushy.
- 06
Hi Charlie, your order is ready. Would you like it delivered Tuesday or collected? Reply 1 for delivery or 2 for collection.
Customer · SMS
Customers choosing between two options can answer this by text with a single character.
- 07
I'm unsure whether to go ahead with option A or wait for the budget sign-off. What would you suggest? I'd like to start on Monday.
Boss · Email
Pick this for a judgment call, because it shows your thinking and gives a date for the answer.
Examples
Hi Uma, Thanks for sending the venue quotes. I'm leaning toward the second one, but I'm not sure whether the catering is included. Could you check with them by Wednesday? The venue is holding our date only until Thursday. Best regards, Kyle
Hi Jyoti, could you tell me which version of the pricing sheet is the latest? I'm about to send it to the client at 3 pm and want to attach the right one.
What to avoid
- Ending a long message with “please advise” alone leaves the reader guessing, so say exactly what you need and by when.
- A deadline with no reason can sound like an order, so always explain why the date matters.
- In chat, “please advise” can read as cold or even passive-aggressive, so ask the question the way you would say it aloud.
- Swapping in other stiff phrases like “kindly revert” doesn't fix the problem, since a plain question works better.