PDA

View Full Version : How to respond to email



nealrm
10-25-2013, 10:14 AM
What is the best way to respond to emails with short term time demands? I'm talking about request "I need this in an hour" or "I need this today' (sent at 5:30pm) and other similar requests. I do want to provide my customers with the best customer service, however there are many time when I offline. Not only am I not at my computer, I my be in an area without internet (gasp). Part of me wants to respond with "Hey idiot, if it is truly time dependent then pick up the phone and call. You have our number."


Rant warning beyond this point -----------
What type of idiot would send a time dependent urgent email??? Yet I am finding this more and more prevalent in today's business culture. If something is truly time dependent isn't it logical to pick up the phone, talk with the person directly and be assured they did get the message. Sending an email is like putting a postit note on the bulletin board and hoping the person reads it within the next hour. Is this a sign of being lazy or just a means to pushing the blame on someone else.

Freelancier
10-25-2013, 10:54 AM
I think it's helpful to remember that (based on polls) about 25-30% of all people don't have a lick of sense. For some of us who don't interact much with the general public, that number will seem smaller, for those in retail or personal service industries it'll seem a LOT larger. By remembering that you'll eventually encounter someone without a lick of sense, you can help keep your blood pressure down into a reasonable range. :)

KristineS
10-25-2013, 11:56 AM
I was just ranting about something similar that happens with our business a lot. I don't know why it doesn't seem to occur to some people to think before they do things. It is annoying.

You could include a disclaimer on your business e-mails that says, basically "Please do not send time sensitive requests via e-mail. If you have a time sensitive request, please contact me by phone."

My guess would be that you'll end up taking it off after a while because too many people won't read it and you'll just get more annoyed, but it could be that I'm cynical.

It's a vicious circle sometimes.

Wozcreative
10-25-2013, 01:22 PM
This happens a lot in my industry. Chances are they are not in a hurry and are over over exaggerating the situation.

They will end up emailing you back hours or days later. Or better yet, they will get the job completed with you and them come back for MORE additions leaving the deadline stretched more and more.

Don't stress it. Just email them back when you can or give them a call. Chances are you are going to be the first one to answer to their crazy emergency email anyway. Most people are quite slow with replys (which is kind of probably why they make it sound like an emergency..).

In my industry, my clients find designers to respond to emails too slowly. So if it is that way in your industry.. just reply to their emergency email and they will be more calm to work with you when you can—on your schedule.

cbscreative
10-25-2013, 03:15 PM
Personally I'd rather have that in an email than a phone call. Phone calls typically take more time than they need to and email is quick and easy. I had to laugh at the "need today" sent at 5:30. How about 9:30 pm? Yep, it happens. If I can, the request is met. If not, I've never had the sky fall yet.

Every situation is different, but I prefer to service simple requests right away anyway. Sometimes it's easier to take care of it right away than create a note to do it later. If an email gets more than a day old it tends to get buried deep very easily.

Fulcrum
10-25-2013, 05:14 PM
I've had the opposite happen to me twice already - both times with new possible suppliers. How hard is it to take down shipping and CC information once they have the details of the order?

billbenson
10-25-2013, 07:30 PM
I think it is more a case of what people are accustomed to. People in offices are pretty overloaded these days. A quick email and the task is off your desk. A phone call takes longer. On the other hand people like you who are usually in the field may prefer to call as well as old school types.

Dana_White
11-12-2013, 04:49 PM
You could include a disclaimer on your business e-mails that says, basically "Please do not send time sensitive requests via e-mail. If you have a time sensitive request, please contact me by phone."


I think this might be worth a try, but honestly I think this is the kind of thing you just have to get used to in modern business. I have my work email synched to my phone so that I see any work related email as soon as I get it for the same reason.

OlegLola
11-19-2013, 06:46 AM
I guess that in this case auto responder can help you. A lot of businesses are using it, it's better than no response at all.

Twhansbury
11-20-2013, 10:27 AM
It is instant gratification. Not only is it assumed that because an email is sent you will instantly read it. But also that you have your phone on you and are able to pick up all calls 24/7.

I believe this is a cultural change that has taken place and has not been beneficial. The need to "unplug" and to separate work life and the ability to enjoy ones self has blurred.

Harold Mansfield
11-20-2013, 01:56 PM
What is the best way to respond to emails with short term time demands? I'm talking about request "I need this in an hour" or "I need this today' (sent at 5:30pm) and other similar requests. I do want to provide my customers with the best customer service, however there are many time when I offline. Not only am I not at my computer, I my be in an area without internet (gasp). Part of me wants to respond with "Hey idiot, if it is truly time dependent then pick up the phone and call. You have our number."


Rant warning beyond this point -----------
What type of idiot would send a time dependent urgent email??? Yet I am finding this more and more prevalent in today's business culture. If something is truly time dependent isn't it logical to pick up the phone, talk with the person directly and be assured they did get the message. Sending an email is like putting a postit note on the bulletin board and hoping the person reads it within the next hour. Is this a sign of being lazy or just a means to pushing the blame on someone else.

I too hate people who send emails when something is urgent. Or worse yet, who'd rather send 20 emails that take far longer that a 5 minute phone call. I nip them in the bud and insist that they call. I answer emails within minutes. It seems everyone else answers them in hours or days. To me that is a complete waste of time that I can't handle.

You have to set rules and expectations and stick to them or people will not only take your time for granted, but will run you ragged. People will only do what you let them get away with. And if you let them get away with any and everything, they will never have any respect for you or your time.

I price everything on degree of difficulty and time. When people intentionally waste my time, drag projects out for weeks or months, or take forever to get back to me on everything...they are wasting my time and costing me money. And they know they are. But you also have to make it extremely easy for people to do business with you. Idiot-proof actually.

I beat it into the heads of my clients that I am available everyday during regular business hours by email, phone, IM, Skype, Morse code, smoke signal..whatever you need. Some people in different time zones need different availability. No problem.

If you haven't contracted me to be on call, "I need it now" costs extra. Everything else is scheduled in the order that it is received and I'll give you an exact time when it will be completed.

And a few other rules that I stick to no matter what. Of course anyone paying me to be on call may receive additional attention or access.
Most people can't send me things at 4:30 p.m. and expect them done by 5:00 unless I'm expecting it and know that it will be tight.

I can be reached by phone for about 10 hours a day, M-F. You can't email me at 5:30 on a Friday (and that's PST!) . Period. I'm already done for the day and the weekend. The only thing you can send me on Friday at 5:30 is a beer from across the bar.
My business line goes straight to voice mail after 5 p.m. and over the weekend. My hours are well posted. They are even in my email signature. I'm flexible but I don't run a 24 hour, on call service.

I've found that by setting reasonable rules simular to their own and how they run their own businesses that they seem to be able to act accordingly.

There's always going to be someone who just sucks, and will always send things last minute, take forever to respond to emails, and just insist on doing things on their own schedule regardless of when you say you are available or what the time constraints are. I make those people wait or tell them to find someone else to work with.

The one thing I realized about dealing with people like that is, that it's not that they are so busy. It's about control. You work for them and they are going to get to you whenever they feel like it and expect you to jump when they do. And if you want their business you will just accept it. So far no one has paid me enough to get away with that yet.

It's a very small number of people, but they are out there. I've run across them as a bartender, as a Limo driver and now as a web developer. Normally I don't want people like that as clients, or I charge them much more than everyone else. And I suspect everyone else does too.

That's not to say you shouldn't be accommodating, flexible, and that there aren't times where there are extenuating circumstances. And of course I work more than 40 hours per week. But you can tell the difference between someone who needs a little flexibility and someone who you just doesn't respect you or your time.