TL;DR
What did u/scheemunai_ use ChatGPT for?
A client had gone quiet for a week, so a ChatGPT user pasted in their follow-up and asked if it sounded passive-aggressive. It flagged two phrases, and the shorter rewrite got an answer within the hour. The rewrite was shorter and friendlier and didn't sound annoyed, and the client replied within an hour. They now run every important email past ChatGPT before sending, not to write it for them but to check the tone.
What they did
A client hadn't replied in a week, so they wrote a follow-up they thought sounded professional. Just to be safe, they pasted it into ChatGPT and asked whether it sounded passive-aggressive. It said yes and pointed to two phrases, "as per my last email" and "just circling back to make sure this didn't get lost", that read that way even though they didn't mean them to.
How it went
The rewrite was shorter and friendlier and didn't sound annoyed, and the client replied within an hour. They now run every important email past ChatGPT before sending, not to write it for them but to check the tone.
Worth knowing
- It is a second opinion on tone, not on facts, so make sure the rewrite still says what you need. Leave out private client details you don't want to share.
- Price check: ChatGPT: free plan; Go: US$8/month (checked Nov 8, 2026).
Paying for ChatGPT? See cheaper ChatGPT alternatives.
Try it yourself
Paste this into a chatbot, then add your own details underneath.
Here is an email I'm about to send to a client who hasn't replied in [time]: [paste email]. Does any part of it sound passive-aggressive, impatient or cold? Quote the exact phrases and say why. Then give me a shorter, friendlier version that still asks clearly for [what you need] by [date].
Original post
See u/scheemunai_'s original post on Reddit → (Mar 24, 2026)
Sources
- u/scheemunai_ on Reddit, Mar 24, 2026 — the original post
- ChatGPT pricing — checked Nov 8, 2026