Sunbeltblog comments
I'll get back to you on that one...
(how's that for a quick response?)
That's an interesting one. I like dealing with tasks through email because I can deal with them at convenient points. If I'm doing development or debugging I find I need to load up the problem into my mind. When it's something really complex it can take 10 or 15 minutes to get into the "zone". If someone calls me then - that time is wasted, as I have to start re-syncing with the problem again.
Also it's important to sort out the urgent and/or important, and the simple and/or trivial. So people with import and simple requests are going to get the quickest replies. That's a quick hit as I like to get the number of outstanding emails dealt with as quick as possible.
Unimportant complex queries are going to the bottom of the pile! Sometimes I realize I just spent more than 30 minutes answering some technical query when the person at the other end maybe just wanted a quick yes or no. Maybe people who send the emails should give an expectation of what they want back?
The advantage of talking in those situations is that they can respond "that's way more information than I need" before you have committed yourself to giving it!
I bet you 10 dollars your friend Dan is using an awesome BlackBerry device because that's the only way a person can respond instantaneously while at the same time live a life :p
Nice post Deb. I have to say, moving to WM5 with exchange push mail has changed my life. No more excuses for not getting email.
What an interesting topic! You've really touched a nerve here, Ms. Shinder. I could relate to virtually all of your points.
To answer your questions, I never get annoyed with OoO messages. I much prefer knowing someone is out. For one thing, it will make me more cognizant of filling up their inbox with items that don't necessarily require their reply; and additionally, I may decide to hold off on sending something important until I know they're back and focused. I use it at work all the time, and only did so a couple of times with Yahoo, when I realized they offered the feature. The problem is, the spammers get those OoO messages too, and I don't want them to know they've got "a live one".
I've never pretended not to have received an email, and I don't request "read receipts" where the recipient has to choose "Yes" or "No". Where I work, I can mark something as "return receipt" and the recipient is unaware. That's a necessity at times, just to know they got it.
Anything I email outside of the office through my personal email acct. I've never sent return receipt. Frankly, that annoys me. I've chosen not to answer "Yes" sometimes.
I'm somewhere in between, as far as procrastinator or instantaneous. I like to keep my inbox clean, so I usually respond quickly if it requires it. If I know I want to send a thoughtful and somewhat lengthy response, I may wait until the next day.
I don't often respond to jokes, esp. if they're ones I've seen before. Some people have unreasonably high expectations, that every time they send something, they expect a comment. (There's only one person I can think of in my own circle who fits that description.) I think, generally, if you don't ask for a response to a shared article, or amusing annecdote, it's a good rule of thumb to set your own expectations and not count on one. If you get one, and it's positive-- great-- enjoy the shared chuckle. If, however, you send a zillion things to a contact and they NEVER say "heh", well... maybe they're sending a silent message to ya?
Either that or, as you say, maybe your messages got lost in cyberspace? ;o)
Interesting article, even though I was expecting answers and not questions!
Other recent articles on this topic have mentioned some recriprocity in play. That is, the more of a deadbeat you are in answering mail, the worse turnaround time you will receive from others.
Some of it is also just the online disinhibition effect allowing people's jackass nature to shine through. It's amazing how people who would never ignore your voice in a conversation think it's okay to pretend you don't exist via e-mail inquiries, or be passive aggressive with slow responses. I'm talking about colleagues who are being paid to answer your questions, especially, not just strangers in cyberspace.
Thanks for this article. I would say I procrastinate messages that are less important as opposed to the ones that are urgent. To me, that is the key when you want confirmation from a person you have just sent the message to. If you lay out what you expect... (i.e. I need to know by.... so that I can..., or please let me know as soon as possible... etc) That at least gives someone a sense of the urgency. It makes a difference for me anyways.
You know... I aways hit no to received receipts... but..I kinda wanna hit yes, but.. I hate people knowing when I read their email. That said, I use received receipts! Because I like to know if people read my email.
I also use caller ID to screen my calls.
The reason some people take forever to answer your email is due to the fact that they are not good at their job.
This has been my experience anyhow...
Fat lazy bastards...
Nice article and very relevant one. I think when it comes to replying the mails, especially official mails; importance of the mail and how important your reply is going to be for the sender is the most important criteria you should look for. Frankly speaking you can't reply all the mails instantaneously. As far auto reply is concerned, I really like it; at least it doesn't leave me guessing about the recipient. About unofficial mails, well, it depends on your relationship with the recipient. Mind it, if she is your girlfriend, you are going to give reply as you will receive it 
. I am not sure about boy friends.
This post had no relevant information at all. The question of send-to-receive delays is quite trivial and subjective. The subject has been answered many times over, and there isn't a solid answer for every case.
All the important email etiquette questions were missed.
- When is it too late to attach a new
recipient to a email thread?
- If a new recipient is required,
should the previous recipients be
notified beforehand?
- Since some people's email addresses
cannot handle larger attachments,
what is the largest assumed size?
- If a large attachment is required,
should you send a prelim email
requesting approval to email the
large attachment?
- Should that prelim email contain
the attachment?
- Forwarding direct communications
from co-workers (bosses,
subordinates, etc)
That's just a sample of some semi-objective email etiquette issues.. I was expecting to read about something like this.
Lastly, the rules for writing an email are similar to writing a blog.. State your point, deliver your point, be precise, be concise.. Those points should have been followed in this article.
Interesting. I like your point about the phone, except that I don't and never have felt compelled to answer my phone (or any email I receive) if I don't feel like it, for whatever reason. If I don't want to answer the phone at a given moment, I don't, regardless of who's calling (I usually don't even look at the caller id). If we make ourselves slaves to our technology, then we can only blame ourselves for becoming overwhelmed with it.
I enjoyed your article, and related to all of the points. I'm one of those quick responders. Maybe not instantly, but usually within a few hours. The thing is, I usually reply to emails as soon as I've read them. If I recieve the email when you send it, its an instant response. If I don't check my email for a few hours, the reply doesn't come for a few hours. I do have friends and colleagues that simply don't send replies, and that is one of my pet peeves. Even if my email wasn't a question, I'd still like to know you got it. The one and only thing I miss about AOL back in the mid 90's was that if you sent a message to another AOL member, you could see if they've opened the message yet. If they had not, you could even un-send the message! Some people call me with long, drawn out conversations that I wish had been in an email. I only have a cell phone (no home phone), and I hate being out in public with a cell phone pressed to my ear. I hate even more being in the car on the cell phone. But I still get drawn into these 15-30 minute conversations on it. Email me people! I like using email because all of your thoughts and ideas are expressed in exactly the way you want them to be. You can make sure of that before pressing the send button. On the phone or in person, you may stumble over your words and not get your thoughts out right. This, to me is the real gem of email. You know what you want to say, and you can say exactly what you want over email. I guess I get annoyed at people who have different etiquette than myself. I treat emails as important messages. So when I'm dealing with a person who doesn't respond, or takes days to respond, it annoys me to no end.
I was glad to see an article on this, but surprised at the topics *not* covered. To me, the burning issue is the *content* of emails. I have clients whose emails are so unbelievably rude I've been tempted to "fire" them just to avoid the aggravation. I find a lot of these in the real estate industry - did someone tell those people that it's fine to (1) not use any greeting, (2) not capitalize or use punctuation, (3) write as if it were a telegram and they only had 5 seconds to type it, (4) not sign their name!
I wish somebody would write something about those things.
Dear Ms. Shinder,
I found your post through a link from the www.communitymx.com newsletter, read your original post, the comments, and found all very interesting and educational.
I'd like to answer a few of your questions, from the point of view of an independently employed web site builder who depends on both phone and email for sustenance.
The "principle" of answering both phone and email immediately is deeply ingrained.
What experience has taught me:
Screen early morning, late night, and weekend phone calls because they are invariably telemarketers or clients who believe their immediate need outweighs the needs of the many.
With some clients, don't respond to every single email they send. You KNOW they will be sending 10 more with further details and changes of mind. So the most efficient way to serve them! is wait a tad until the dust settles. Three business days is the maximum limit before I get back to them.
I love to get 'receipt confirmations' and always click yes when they come from known clients - but almost never use them myself. I'm on the service end. It behooves me to confirm to clients I got their message. It would irritate the heck out of them if I asked the same in return?
I wait at MOST a week if I suspect an important message I sent did not through. Then I send a fresh message, mentioning I did indeed send it a week ago (but not asking if they got it).
I never claim I didn't get an email, or use other excuses. If a client gets impatient and sends another query, I simply explain that I am working as fast as I can to take care of them - and provide at least a partial response to the initial query, with more information as to when I expect to address it completely. Key to this is knowing what deadlines your clients, and other associates, may be under!
I never, ever use OoO autoresponders - too afraid of spam results OR appearing too automated to my clients. On the other hand, I do appreciate it when I receive them from my clients. I will notify my clients personally if I will be out (dream on!) and conversely, appreciate it when I know I can arrange my own work schedule to fit the client's calendar.
My pet peeve? Any sender who doesn't realize that my Inbox is very literally a To-Do List, and treats it as if it were their own personal sounding board.
Of course, the cure for that pet peeve is to:
a)delete
b)file it in case THEY ask about it but otherwise forget about it
c)let them know it costs a dollar a minute
The last is the best solution, but requires the learning of hard lessons.
I love email for everything it stands for but I do think at times you should pick up the phone and talk and I think it is nice if someone calls you after seeing your email.
Why should someone have to email you and tell you that they will call you? Why not just pick up the phone and talk.
Email is an excellent tool if you aren't concerned with when someone replies to you; however, for instantaneous contact, the phone has to be used.
What I would like to know is why emailing brings out aggression in people? I sell jewellery online and I get emails such as "When will me necklace be sent?!" There is no please, thank you, name, or politeness.
These people wouldn't write a letter in this vein so why does emailing bring out such aggression?
Hopefully I will read polite replies :o)
Sue x
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