View Full Version : How to deal with no response to e-mails?
Heya Simple Livingers =P
I have to bring up something that frustrates me to no end. How does one deal with receiving no response to e-mails?
This has been happening for awhile and it seems to only get worse but whenever I send an email I have to wonder if I'll ever see a response. Sometimes it's a company, sometimes it's personal or to a group I'm involved in and I wait and wait often a week, waiting for a response, yet I would say more than 50% of the time I receive no response.
I'm always polite in my message, but I generally just need a quick bit of info about something. Is it too much trouble for someone just to write back "I'm busy at the moment but I'll get to your e-mail in a bit." Is it just me? Is it today's society... I'm beginning to wonder.
1. I cannot tell you the number of people that complain to me of the hundreds of emails they recieve sometimes on a daily basis. I keep mine clean and still can get 50 spam and almost as many regular emails. I dont take a computer with me and sometimes do not check each day.
2. A business is only as good as the people assigned to a task and to their IT ability. Some are better than others. Some of the smaller businesses/groups have only one owner/secretary who does not have the time to devote hours to email on a daily basis. In many groups, the responsibility rotates yearly.
I only use my cell phone as a big walkitalky. I dont want to be checking anything until I am sitting down at my laptop at home. People are amazed that I refuse any access devise to carry with me. I want to be "present" as opposed to those who are constantly checking their devise even when trying to hold a conversation with someone in front of them or across the dinner table.
If it is important, call.
I tell people that I don't use email for personal communication. I keep an account open for receipts for anything I order online, but I've made the mistake in the past of giving out my email to the PTA, the Boy Scout troop, the running team, the League of American Bicyclists, etc. I finally stopped trying to look at everything, and in the last few months, I haven't been looking at anything. Still, I take my son to scouts, and the scout leader, who I see every day, and whom I have told I have stopped using email, says "Didn't you get the message?" Yesterday, I just deleted my entire gmail account, so it would just bounce back if anyone tried to reach me by email and thought they had. I'm a man without an email address.
The upshot of that long story is, if they don't respond to an email, call. I imagine I can't be alone in dumping the digital world for favor of the landline and the typewriter. Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, and Gmail all became a massive psychic drain. If anyone needs to reach me, I'm in the phone book. (And occasionally I'm still on the SL board).
AmeliaJane
12-7-12, 5:21pm
Probably different things are going on, but yes, it's all frustrating.
--Some people do not manage their email efficiently. Most of the modern email programs include a lot of different tools for sorting, etc. but they do take time to learn and set up, and by the time people figure out they need them, they are in so deep that it's overwhelming to sort out. For instance, if you get email newsletters or marketing emails with coupons that you may or may not wish to read right away, you can set up your system to automatically dump them into a special folder and not clutter your email box. But a lot of people don't know how to use these, so you end up with someone with hundreds of emails in their inbox, and no good system for keeping track of what still needs to be addressed. Also, some companies have an email-based culture with a lot of correspondence every day. If the daily inflow is high and not being sorted, older emails get lost.
--Some people, especially at their business addresses, are behind very tough firewalls. I have had multiple instances over the years of emails just plain not getting through because they triggered some firewall issue.
--Some institutions and businesses are not good at checking the "general correspondence" email addresses they provide on their websites (often because they get spam-clogged, or because the staff member who was supposed to do it leaves and doesn't get replaced).
--SOme people do read emails, but don't acknowledge because they are trying not to clog other people's inboxes with emails consisting only of "Thanks".
--Some people write emails that leave the recipient(s) unsure who is supposed to respond, or what the response should be, so no one responds.
--Some people forget how long it has been since an email arrived and do not realize that they are not responding in a timely manner. (This happens to me in my personal email, especially if I need to think or research before getting back to people. I think an email came yesterday, and then I look at the date and realize it was a week ago.)
None of this is rude or malicious...it's just that the systems (human and technological) aren't working efficiently. As to what to do--personally I am never annoyed by a polite follow-up email.
I'm a man without an email address.
I love it! I agree with your comment about the psychic drain, as well.
If you still want to use an e-mail for ordering things online, you can get an e-mail address that expires in 10 minutes at 10minutemail.com
They give you an e-mail to enter into the vendor's order form. You get your online receipt for what you just purchased, and save it wherever you save these. The e-mail address you entered with the vendor expires minutes later. You will thus never get spam (or "deals") from the company that you just purchased from.
Still, I take my son to scouts, and the scout leader, who I see every day, and whom I have told I have stopped using email, says "Didn't you get the message?" Yesterday, I just deleted my entire gmail account, so it would just bounce back if anyone tried to reach me by email and thought they had. I'm a man without an email address.
The upshot of that long story is, if they don't respond to an email, call. I imagine I can't be alone in dumping the digital world for favor of the landline and the typewriter. Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, and Gmail all became a massive psychic drain.
Just a note from "the other side".
A few years ago, I was President of a company special-interest club. Of our 30 members, two were under 18 (employee's kids who had to be "escorted" for each club event anyway) and three members did not have email. We met monthly to discuss activities, but there were several events for which we needed to notify members between meetings if any of us were to do that activity on time. The club secretary, who was responsible for this notification, was a full-time company employee.
Email was the fastest way to get the information out. In one short note and with one push of a Send button, the correct details for an event were sent out to 90% of the club's members for whenever they got to it. The three without email had to wait until the Secretary was available to call them individually and give them the details. Usually, by the time that happened, someone who received the email had replied and filled the openings the event.
The non-emailable members of the group complained to me. "I don't want to have to have email." My take on it was that club rules did not require a member to have email, but they also did not require a member to have a phone. I'm guessing that, in 2012, phone usage in the U.S. is pretty universal. I don't know anyone who proudly states, "I don't have a phone at all".
No, email is not a requirement for anyone. But it is common enough nowadays that not having email is like not having a phone maybe 40-50 years ago. It is a choice. For people trying to sell you something, maybe forcing them to call you is fine. But for organizations pressed for volunteers and time, requiring that kind of individual treatment anymore is likely to leave you out of the loop. If you're fine with that, great. If not,...
It is interesting to hear how people use their emails. It is my primary form of personal communication. I usually don't like talking on the phone for personal things of small importance and don't especially care for phone calls when I might be busy doing other things. Not that I'm unsocial as I do like occasion phone visits and personal meet ups. So when I send an email to a friend or relative I pretty much expect to get a reply. Even if it's just, yup got your message.
When it comes to business matters, I prefer to make a phone call. Especially if there is a receptionist or the like whose job it is to direct calls and answer questions. I figure with an email I'm probably just one of the maddening horde of emails a business person sees every day. Of course there are always the phone messages that go unanswered.
Thank you for all the insightful responses! I think what I was missing was a matter of perspective. I'm a pretty techie person so organising my e-mails is no big deal for me and I believe I'm in the same boat as Rogar, I find them to be indespensible. I often think "Ahhh I won't bother that person by calling them because they might be in the middle of something" or maybe I'm at work or something and don't want to be that one person who's making a phone call so I always feel like e-mail is way more convenient and easy! Seeing now that some people find it frustrating, I can see why maybe some e-mails have gone unanswered. I am personally nearly impossible to contact via phone. (It's always on silent) So I can see how maybe I see the telephone is how some people see e-mail =P Although I really do appreciate Pcooley's direct response of "hey you won't be able to contact me this way" (that's what I tell people who try and call me) Now if it's a company and they don't respond to e-mails... they probably shouldn't list an e-mail address on their website =P In any case, thanks everyone!!
Simplemind
12-8-12, 5:46pm
Rogar +1. Before I retired I was in a position that barraged me with incoming information by radio, telephone and e-mail. If it wasn't urgent I prefered e-mail to a call. I have a cellphone that I consider outgoing only unless there is some type of event (hospitilization, zombies etc) that would make it necessary for somebody to catch me on it. That said, when I went to work there were always at least 100 waiting for me and through the day about half that again. Now that I am home it is much less but still a considerable amount. I don't get paid to sit in front of my computer anymore so I may not check it every day. Even if I do it doesn't mean I can address every one and sometimes they drop out of view. Out of sight, out of mind.
I have found that like the impatience that comes with cellphone use there is the somewhat the same expectation with e-mail. If you carry your cellphone everywhere people tend to expect that you will answer it anywhere. With e-mail it is like you are poised over the keyboard 24/7. People will get annoyed and say they sent an e-mail but if it is important you need to make sure that the other side received your message and for that you need to talk in person.
I love email, myself. I still know a large number of people that use it. That's primarily how I communicate with my customers at work. I found out years ago that the way to CYA is to have the instructions from a customer on any issue in writing. Now, for some reason, one vendor (a trucking company) cannot get my email. Weird, since they get it from my coworkers (no one can figure it out). I'm reducing to using the fax to send delivery instructions! I follow the fax up with a phone call within 10 minutes to make sure my fax was received, and note the person verbally confirming receipt in the file. I used to get confirmation via email, so I have to do a work around.
I always respond promptly to email, when it regards work, even if just to say, "I'm working on X." If I send an important work-related email, and I don't get a response within 30 minutes (allowing for lunch hours, time differences, and the like), I will follow up with a phone call.
For personal emails, depending on what it is, I might follow up with phone call/text message/FB message after 24 hours, depending on the person.
I'm queen of the follow up. Absolutely essential at work and it spills over into personal stuff.
It's fascinating to read pcooley's thoughts on email vs. landline phone and the psychic stress he feels with digital communications. Personally I'm pretty much exactly the opposite. At work I use email and phone about equally but for different purposes. If I need an immediate response to a question, or if my communication is of a salesy nature I use the phone. Otherwise I use email. And I'd use email for all work communication if it was as effective, but it's not, so I don't. In my personal life I use email and text messages almost exclusively to stay in touch. I just find the phone stressful and intrusive.
Yes it does.
My pet peeve my entire life in my personal (must go back to childhood) is being told by someone that they are "busy". To me that means what they are doing is more important they me. I suppose it is because I share little with people outside of forums, so when I do a response is what I am generally looking for. I only have handful of email or text people. Sadly my youngest son, his general response to everyone not just me, is How Busy. How hard he works or Tired he is. I try to understand that is just how he handles his life and not take is personally. I have thought about why I feel hurt with out a response, even when I speak to my husband and he does not say anything. I think it is because I drop everything and run if someone says they need or want something. That is my issue I understand, no one elses.
Businesses, I gave up on responses or customer service a long time ago.
SteveinMN
12-24-12, 11:41am
I have thought about why I feel hurt with out a response
I think it would be an interesting exercise to figure that out, but whatever the cause, at least at this point, it is what it is. Maybe DH and DS should have picked up on this by now, but if/since they have not, you do yourself and them a favor by stating clearly (and maybe repeatedly) that you really would like some sort of response -- maybe not necessarily an engaging conversation, but at least acknowledgement that your message was received and considered. This could work even for emails -- put a request for acknowledgement in your sig file or at least mark your email "return receipt requested".
My first marriage ended in part because I was supposed to be a mindreader and because I was not smart enough at that time to counter that expectation by asking questions directly. IME most people are lousy mindreaders. There is no harm in guiding them to where you want them to be. (Whether they get there is another matter, but you can at least provide them with a destination.)
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