If you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, you know email is the bane of my existence. At this point, I get so much of it, it’s difficult to stay on top of and things inevitably fall through the cracks. While I try to respond to everyone who sends me an email (on both personal and professional accounts) there are times when I just don’t bother. I addressed this in a post I wrote in June, 2011 called 10 Reasons I Don’t Answer Your Email.
Now, I do respond to most of my email, because most of it warrants response. Also, I know how frustrating it is to write to someone and not receive the courtesy of a reply. Still, some of you out there are a little impatient. Sometimes folks get a little testy if I don’t drop everything immediately and respond to emails soon after they hit “send.”
Pestering me on Twitter or Facebook because you sent an email a few minutes ago and didn’t receive a response doesn’t make me want to move quicker. Or, it may inspire me to answer right away, but it might be out of duress and I won’t give you the attention you deserve.
If I don’t immediately respond to your email, there’s usually a good reason.
- It requires more than 60 seconds of my time: It’s better for both of us if I wait until I have the time to read and respond rather than dropping everything and sending you an email immediately because I know you’ll be pinging me soon to wonder why I didn’t send you an email.
- I’m on the phone with you because you called to tell me you’re sending an email: If you want me to respond right away stop pinging me via other channels to tell me about your email.
- It’s a weekend: Maybe I work on the weekend. Maybe I don’t. But I like having options.
- It’s 10:00 p.m.: Dude.
- I still haven’t gotten to the other ten emails you send in the past hour: I just want to make sure you’re done and maybe answer everything in one fell swoop than to send responses to 100 individual emails by the same person.
- You have to take a number: I still have respond to all the emails I received from other people today.
- It’s a pitch: Very few pitches are worthy of more than the delete function.
- It’s a poorly researched pitch: Don’t pitch antifreeze for my food blog, please. No matter how hard you try to twist it around, it’s still not topic appropriate.
- The “Reply Alls” are killing me: Every time I try to respond, one of the other 99 people in the “reply all” chain takes my answer.
- There was no need to reply: You didn’t ask a question or give any indication a reply was warranted. You told me you were going to do something and how you were going to do that something but made it clear you weren’t looking for any type of feedback or information.
- Because I’m not ready for the ensuing back and fourth: Ever read an email and just know it wasn’t going to be resolved with one quick answer? Back and forth emails are the reason I prefer to use the phone.
- You sent me a “I just saw you on Twitter so I know you’re available to answer this question” email: Dude. It’s Sunday afternoon, can’t I have a little social conversation on a day off without being expected to work?
- Your email has “Fwd Fwd Fwd Fwd” in the subject line: If it shares pictures of puppies or double rainbows I’m so outtathere.
- You want me to Digg/Stumble/Tweet/Retweet/Share your sh*t: Just. no.
Now, this doesn’t mean I have no intention of responding to your email and having a positive, productive discussion. However, if I don’t drop everything to respond right away, please don’t get passive aggressive on the social networks or call me out for not responding immediately. I will answer (unless it’s a FWD. or share request), but I can’t always respond immediately.
What are some of the reasons you don’t get to your email right away?
