At Your Earliest Convenience | Meaning & Synonyms
At your earliest convenience is a common business phrase that means “as soon as you possibly can without imposing on your urgent tasks.”
Although it is a polite expression, it can be easily misinterpreted. We’ll explain more below.
We’ll provide clearer alternatives for “at your earliest convenience.”
How to use at your earliest convenience
The expression at your earliest convenience is typically found towards the end of business emails or messages when one is requesting something.
Thanks again,
Jorge
At your earliest convenience is polite and formal and can mean “whenever you can” or “as soon as possible.” And that’s where the problem arises—it can easily lead to miscommunication.
For example, imagine you need your coworker’s help with something. If you end the email with “…at your earliest convenience,” they may not know if your request is urgent or if they can get to it at a later time.
Ten alternatives for “at your earliest convenience”
Fortunately, there are several synonymous phrases you can use that will help remove ambiguity from your writing.
Urgent Request
If you need something done urgently, you can use any of the following options:
1. As soon as possible
2. As promptly as you can
3. With prompt attention
4. Without undue delay
5. Specific date/time
Non-urgent Request
If your request is not time-critical, consider using any of the following alternatives for more straightforward communication:
6. At a time that works for you
7. When you find a moment
8. When your schedule permits
9. Whenever you can
10. Whenever you have time
If you need other ways to say “at your earliest convenience,” you can use any of the synonyms found above.
Avoid “At My Earliest Convenience”
Perhaps you’ve come across the expression at my earliest convenience and are curious whether it’s suitable for business communication. We suggest you avoid using this phrase.
Yes, it means “as soon as I can.” However, just like as per my last email, it can come off as rude because it can be misinterpreted as “I’ll get to that whenever I complete my more important tasks.”
We’re sure that’s not what you mean, but to avoid any misunderstandings, you can use any of the following alternatives found below:
1. As soon as I can
2. As soon as possible
3. Whenever I get the chance
4. As quickly as I can manage
5. Once I am free to do so
