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I recently contacted a professional via a business directory online and then forgot about it a few days later. I was looking for some professional support and had since contacted others before settling on who I was going to work with.

One day I get an email from the person I contacted (I’d forgotten their name) and it simply said it was from him with a Word attachment. No actual email message, no signature block, nothing – just the subject saying it was from him and the Word document.

I immediately responded saying ‘.. and who is…?’ and explaining I don’t open documents that could contain viruses without knowing what it is and who the person is who sent it.

I got a quick reply saying it was the information I’d asked for via the business directory the other day.

If this is how this person responds to business enquiries they’re not going to get much business.  Or perhaps their lack of quick response and lack of information contained in the response is an indication that they don’ t need the extra business. What do you think?

Tags: Business Operations, Email Etiquette by Kathie Thomas
2 Comments »

I don’t know about you, but if I email someone with a request for advice, a quote, or something else, I kind of expect a response acknowledging they’ve received my email.

I don’t mean an autoresponder and I’m not into using the read receipt option (a whole other story there) but a response email that just lets me know it has been received and read, and they’ll get back to me with an answer later.

Whether we like it or not, society has become one that requires quick answers and quick fixes and email has helped produce that expectation.

While I’m not expecting service or product providers to drop everything at my beck and call, I certainly don’t expect to wait 4, 5 or more days for a response – usually if I’ve enquired about something it means I’m looking for that thing now and would like to know if it’s available, doable, achievable, deliverable.

If I don’t hear back from the person I emailed within 2 or 3 days I email them again and then if I still don’t get a response I ring them up.  Result is they think I’m nagging them or something.  Huh?  Am I in the wrong?  I don’t think so.

I know if a prospective client contacts me for some work to be done they don’t wait around very long for an answer.  They go off to the very next VA business they can find to get the answer they’re looking for.  So even if I don’t have an answer on the spot (I need to research for some information for example), I will at least email them a reply letting them know I’ve seen their email and will get back to them very soon with an answer. What do you do?

Tags: Email Etiquette by Kathie Thomas
1 Comment »

Put it this way. If the phone was ringing would you let it just ring out, thinking you’ll answer it tomorrow?

Email is another form of communication but unlike the phone can’t make the urgent sound that demands you answer it immediately.  So it amazes me how many business people (including banks and large corporations) don’t actually reply to emails, even ones that are relatively urgent) till days or weeks later.  Why is that?

I believe it’s because they don’t have staff regularly monitoring their email and that’s a poor thing.  It’s a legitimate form of communication and people will use it because it’s convenient.  Why is it convenient? Well, let me count the ways:

1. They don’t have to wait for someone to answer the phone
2. They don’t have to call during business hours but rather send a message at a time that suits the sender
3. Written email will often help clarify the problem or request and additional information can be sent such as images, copies of text, etc
4. They don’t have to sit on hold for a long time as is often the case when making phone calls
5. Written responses mean that the receiver can read over it again and again to check on the response rather than having to depend on their memory whether they heard right.

I’m sure there are others but this was just off the top of my head.

So, will you be checking your email regularly now rather than just thinking about it occasionally?  It’s worth thinking about.

Tags: Email Etiquette by Kathie Thomas
3 Comments »

This is a laugh!

Just got this email with an attachment which no doubt has some script installed in it.  What makes it so funny?  Well, apart from the obvious things like not addressing it personally to me (I don’t even have a NAB account), spelling errors, etc, it talks about paying me in Euro – from an Australian bank?  Doh!

I have notified the real NAB of the new phishing/spam email doing the rounds.  To date I’ve received 3 copies in less than half an hour.

Subject: Reward 20 Euro (31 AUD) ,take our survey jurney

Dear NAB Credit/Debit card Holder,

For better cooperation between NAB and his clients, NAB Survey Team has
initiated a new poll on the functionality of our banking services. By
completing the attached survey form emailed, you will receive an amount of
20 Euro. This amount will be debited to your credit card account in 2 days
after verifications. To participate, download form attached to email !

Tags: Email Etiquette, Warnings by Kathie Thomas
1 Comment »