diff --git a/sopel/builtins/tell.py b/sopel/builtins/tell.py
index 6bc427d69..436d9b3f2 100644
--- a/sopel/builtins/tell.py
+++ b/sopel/builtins/tell.py
@@ -170,19 +170,28 @@ def _format_safe_lstrip(text):
 @plugin.command('tell', 'ask')
 @plugin.nickname_command('tell', 'ask')
 @plugin.example('$nickname, tell dgw he broke it again.', user_help=True)
+@plugin.example('.ask ', 'ask whom?')
 @plugin.example('.tell ', 'tell whom?')
+@plugin.example('.ask @', 'ask whom?')
+@plugin.example('.tell @', 'tell whom?')
 @plugin.example('.ask Exirel ', 'ask Exirel what?')
+@plugin.example('.tell Exirel ', 'tell Exirel what?')
+@plugin.example('.ask @Exirel ', 'ask Exirel what?')
+@plugin.example('.tell @Exirel ', 'tell Exirel what?')
 def f_remind(bot, trigger):
     """Give someone a message the next time they're seen"""
     teller = trigger.nick
     verb = trigger.group(1)
 
     if not trigger.group(3):
+        tellee = ""
+    else:
+        tellee = trigger.group(3).rstrip('.,:;').lstrip('@')
+
+    if not tellee:
         bot.reply("%s whom?" % verb)
         return
 
-    tellee = trigger.group(3).rstrip('.,:;')
-
     # all we care about is having at least one non-whitespace
     # character after the name
     if not trigger.group(4):
@@ -204,9 +213,6 @@ def f_remind(bot, trigger):
         bot.reply('That nickname is too long.')
         return
 
-    if tellee[0] == '@':
-        tellee = tellee[1:]
-
     if tellee == bot.nick:
         bot.reply("I'm here now; you can %s me whatever you want!" % verb)
         return