Etiquette

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have given clients your e-mail address, then you must expect them to use it. Some people are more comfortable with e-mail than anything else, I know I am. I'd much rather e-mail than call.

I guess I'm out voted. I'll think about it.

Personally, I think email is good when there is no rush. No transcription errors when a client emails me amounts. (I tell them not to send me Social Insurance Numbers and other private info by unencrypted email. Very few of my clients are able to send encrypted email.)

If I were cancelling an appointment, I would do it by email, if the appointment was at least several hours away. I would phone if I didn't get a reply a couple of hours before the appointment.

If my business needed an e-mail account, I would set one up at Google (Gmail) for it and keep that one open during business hours so I could check it frequently.

I have an email address for biz that uses my domain name. It forwards to Gmail and it is always open. I just don't sit at my computer the whole time I'm working. I also get into a "zone" while working at the computer and might not check more than once every two hours.
 
My email addy is on my website and it says it is only for general information. I cannot help that customers take it to the next level, send an email, then show up without waiting for a reply from me. She was lucky I was even open on Good Friday.
Like I said, I believe more people shoot off an email at any time they are online and expect an answer, where the phone is used more during actual business hours, where you might even get someone on the other end, lol.

You have a cat, don't you? I'll bet you a dinner your veterinarian has an email address on his website (most have websites anyway). Would you send him an email telling him your cat is sick and go over to his office without waiting for a reply? Some things are better handled by telephone and waiting until you are sure you get a hold of the other party, or they acknowledge your intentions.
 
My email addy is on my website and it says it is only for general information. I cannot help that customers take it to the next level, send an email, then show up without waiting for a reply from me. She was lucky I was even open on Good Friday.
Like I said, I believe more people shoot off an email at any time they are online and expect an answer, where the phone is used more during actual business hours, where you might even get someone on the other end, lol.

You have a cat, don't you? I'll bet you a dinner your veterinarian has an email address on his website (most have websites anyway). Would you send him an email telling him your cat is sick and go over to his office without waiting for a reply? Some things are better handled by telephone and waiting until you are sure you get a hold of the other party, or they acknowledge your intentions.

Yes, I have a cat...no, I would not e-mail about illness...I would call, but like I said, I have common sense, many people don't. They think e-mail is magic, I know it's smoke and mirrors.

We are not talking about me, but the general public...which for the most part, has a lack of common sense. You know most people DO NOT read the fine print, they only read and comprehend what concerns them. They see an email address and automatically assume there is some person there answering/reading at all hours.

Maybe you need to be much more explicit about how and when to use your email address. Customers think they are doing the right thing by using your email if they see it under "Contact Us."
 
Expecting an immediate reaction to an email is similar to posting a question here on DC and getting annoyed when you don't get an immediate response. Either way, if you're like that you're probably pretty self-absorbed. Many people don't realize that the world doesn't revolve around THEM!
 
Yes, I have a cat...no, I would not e-mail about illness...I would call, but like I said, I have common sense, many people don't. They think e-mail is magic, I know it's smoke and mirrors.

We are not talking about me, but the general public...which for the most part, has a lack of common sense. You know most people DO NOT read the fine print, they only read and comprehend what concerns them. They see an email address and automatically assume there is some person there answering/reading at all hours.

Maybe you need to be much more explicit about how and when to use your email address. Customers think they are doing the right thing by using your email if they see it under "Contact Us."

No, we are not talking about you. It was an analogy using you and your cat. I was hoping you would understand why someone having an email address does not mean that that is the best way to get a hold of them. I was trying to disprove your point that a business should not have an email address if they don't want people to use it. Some people do not know when an email is appropriate and when it shows better etiquette to phone and actually make contact.
 
No, we are not talking about you. It was an analogy using you and your cat. I was hoping you would understand why someone having an email address does not mean that that is the best way to get a hold of them. I was trying to disprove your point that a business should not have an email address if they don't want people to use it. Some people do not know when an email is appropriate and when it shows better etiquette to phone and actually make contact.

I'm not the woolly headed one, I understand your point completely. :)

My point is, you know people are going to use your e-mail address for your business inappropriately. But, it is NOT a breach of Etiquette for people to use your e-mail if you have offered it. The problem comes when they think that you are hanging around, just waiting for them to email you...isn't going to happen! But, it does you no good to jump up and down about people using your email and their expectations.:wacko:

So you have 2 choices if it makes you crazy dealing with those few who are clueless:
1. Be far more explicit about how to use your email to contact you, only during business hours and how long to expect the turn around wait to be

or

2.Don't offer them your e-mail address as a way to contact you.

Remember, you are not dealing with intelligent, logical people, you are dealing with customers. :LOL:
 
How about an automated email response that reminds the customer of this email account's limitations?
 
...

Remember, you are not dealing with intelligent, logical people, you are dealing with customers. :LOL:

But I thought this client was intelligent. She's a massage therapist, so I know she goes at least an hour between checking her email when she has a client. I assume she uses email for biz, because she has a biz sig in her emails and it includes her email address.
 
Back
Top Bottom