E-mails, text's and phone calls.

[floating dutchman]

Etiquette question:

If someone E-mails you, what is a reasonable time that you should reply to the e-mail? Minuets, hours or days?

If someone sends you a text, do you HAVE to reply? and what is a reasonable time to reply? Minuets, hours or days?

Phone calls, most of us will answer our cell phones. If I'm talking to a customer that I think deserves my attention I will take the phone from my pocket, push the red button and apologise to the customer and continue the conservation, Often with weird looks from said customer.

Yesterday my Boss E-mailed my home E-mail with a work question, I don't have a problem with this, he can phone me at no cost on the phone he provides me with. Today, at 11:15 pm (Friday) I look at my E-mails and reply to the question.

Is it my problem or his that E-mail's go straight to his 'smart phone'?

Te He He.

Jeroen

[kdh]

I've always considered my phone, be it e-mail, texts, or calls, a leash. It stays in my car unless I'm on the boat.

[Soñadora]

eventually, those trying to contact you start to understand your personality.

My problem is that I have a very short attention span. So in order of attention grabbing:

Texts I usually respond to right away.
Phone calls I may blow off, even if someone leaves a voice mail
E-mails vary by how interested I am at the moment. Sometimes I'll respond right away. Sometimes I'll plan on responding later, but that just ends up being no response at all until the sender sends me a text, "did you get my e-mail?"

Work is a different story, of course

[Jeff Tyrrel]

VM usually with in the hour. Don't do text so I guess the answer would be NEVER! E-mails, I think it is rude if you don't answer an e-mail in 24 hours. Of course that depends on the e-mail. Some are more urgent, like "what time you getting to the boat?"

[floating dutchman]

Rick, you put text's above phone calls in order of "attention grabbing"?

My sister totally F'ed me off with a text a while back, She sent me a text saying "happy birthday", O.K. that was nice, I tried to reply but my wife's phone just didn't want to play the game so I gave up. a couple of hours later I get this text from my sister about phone etiquette and replying to texts, fair enough. so instead of replying to the text I just keep pushing the green button until the phone rings her, She answer's the phone in a sheepish voice and promptly tells me she can't talk right now, because she's in the movie theater!

Phone, answer now if I can,

Texts, well My boss has now asked us to text when we finish work for the day, this is for safety reasons and we do work in weird and wonderful places so the is justified, next week I'll be finishing work at 2am if nothing goes wrong, I wonder if I should text him when I finish work?
Problem is that I send a text saying I'm going home, then he texts me saying he got my text, by now I'm in traffic trying to read a text!
How hard is it to just not reply to the "I'm going home" text like I've asked?

E-mails, When I get around to it, and the good thing is, you get to read the E-mail when it it convenient to you, if I decide to send you an E-mail while you are busy or in the middle of the night, It should not annoy you, read E-mails when you can / want. Patch them to your "smart phone", silly you!

jeroen

[floating dutchman]

Maybe me and technology don't get along, More than one person has seen this add on the telly and thought of me:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CJXxC-6SeY[/youtube]

Jeroen

[SloopJonB]

I don't understand the need for the question - standard courtesy applies. Not responding promptly to electronic contacts is no different than ignoring someone in person.

[kdh]

I don't understand the need for the question - standard courtesy applies. Not responding promptly to electronic contacts is no different than ignoring someone in person.

I don't think of it this way. I always refer to an e-mail as a "letter," sometimes a "note." A phone call is a proxy for being with someone, but an e-mail or text is a letter.

What makes a letter different from being there in person is it respects the receiver's choice of when to respond, and allows the receiver time to do so thoughtfully. I think it's what has always made letters special.

[Rob McAlpine]

I treat calls and emails with the urgency I feel they deserve, ranging from immediate reply to totally ignore. I do not send or reply to text messages.

There are 2 people in my office to screen calls, but occasionally someone who has been entrusted with my cell number gives it out inappropriately. I rarely answer my cell for a number I do not recognize. If you're not on my contact list I will probably not pick up.

When I go sailing, I generally do not reply to phone messages or emails, unless I recognize the urgency of the call or email. I frequently go a week without checking emails. That's why it's called vacation.

Everyone needs downtime. Everyone needs to disconnect for a while to read, exercise, be with family, or just sit, without interruption. Most of us are just really not all that important. The cemeteries are full of indispensable men.

[BeauV]

I,respond randomly, when I want to. One of the reasons I'm retired now.

Kids: I always respond as quickly as I can.
Friends: typically within a day.
Sailing buddies: within a day or two
Everyone else: when I get to it

I never answer a blocked phone call, at home or cell. I rarely answer a number that isn't in my contacts.

I almost always use Siri to answer messages of all types, replying with txt to phone and txt messages and email to email.

BV

[Soñadora]

I,respond randomly, when I want to. One of the reasons I'm retired now.

Kids: I always respond as quickly as I can.
Friends: typically within a day.
Sailing buddies: within a day or two
Everyone else: when I get to it

I never answer a blocked phone call, at home or cell. I rarely answer a number that isn't in my contacts.

I almost always use Siri to answer messages of all types, replying with txt to phone and txt messages and email to email.

BV

You know, when I think about it, this is probably closer to my policy. I don't get a lot of texts so I don't mind responding ASAP. Never when driving and I rarely take phone calls when driving. Home phone rarely gets answered unless I can I'd the number.

I don't always have access to my personal email (sail2live.com) so emails may take 24 hrs for response.

[LarryHoward]

Depends on the communication and need. I have 3 email addresses and 4 phone numbers. Far too many people have them and I'm pretty hard core about determining what to respond to. Texts are probably the best way to reach me.

Wife and kids. Immediate. Important work/customers. Rapidly. Club business or friends - as soon as I get to it. Sales reps or cold calls. Often never. If I answer or call back, there is about a 15 second window to convince me not to politely get off the call. Blast emails to a group get a subject line scan and delete.

Rude? I prefer pragmatic. One on one communications from someone I know get a lot better response. Blocked caller ID or obviously scammed ID (800-000-0000) either go to VM or have 5 seconds before a reminder that the number is on the DNC registry and a hangup.