Business e-mailers believe they are being ignored due to not receiving replies to their e-mails. I get e-mailed daily from site visitors wondering what they should read into not getting replies. Yes, there are times when no reply is necessary or should be expected.
I also get asked if one expects a reply to an e-mail, should it be stated in the e-mail? Not necessarily. When time is taken to e-mail another, common courtesy dictates that you respond on a timely basis.
To not respond because the sender didn’t specifically ask you to, can be perceived as you ignoring the sender, being inefficient or discouraging future contact. That certainly is not good for business or building partnerships. That said, if there is really nothing to comment on or add to the conversation there is no need to reply and in that case a reply shouldn’t expected. This is where you must use your discretion.
Even so, responding promptly, even if to just send a “Thank You for the info. Hope you are doing well!” helps build relationships and avoid misunderstandings. These little efforts also leave a positive impression — one that says doing business with you will be easy and enjoyable.
I also get asked quite often if a reply is required for an e-mail that has been addressed to a large group for informational purposes. I that case no response is necessary unless you are requested specifically to respond, take action or if you have something important to bring to the Sender’s attention about the topic(s) at hand. And, when you do, be sure to Reply only to the Sender (do not Reply to All).
So much about Business E-mail Etiquette requiries thinking of the other side and showing courtesy by responding promptly, thoroughly and being sure to take the time to communicate properly with clarity.
Every reply is an opportunity to instill confidence and build partnerships — which can lead to more opportunity! Isn’t that what business is all about?
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Hello, My problem is a client of ours sent us an email confirming an appt for the following week. We never received the email confirming the appt (since our business is a service we provide for the horse owner,) We assumed he did not want to use our service. My question is the customer sent us the email, Wouldn’t it be his responsiblity to follow up with us by phone if there were no reply to his email?
Hey, Maureem:
Thanks for stopping by!
E-mails get lost or it could be they had a typo in your e-mail address and you didn’t get it. We don’t know who is at fault. You could have accidentally deleted their e-mail without knowing. Stuff happens and in business one thing I do know is that to get into a fault finding match does not serve either side.
At this point, if this customer is important to you, simply let them know you didn’t get the e-mail. Let them know you respond to all e-mails (as you should be doing) and that in the future, if they don’t hear back from you to please give you a call. (If this happens again or with other customers, you have to look into why e-mails are not making it to you or getting overlooked.) Then, confirm they have your correct e-mail address and offer them alternative dates/times.
This could also be a business learning experience. You may want to confirm appointments with a phone call a day or two ahead as an extra courtesy to customers. This servers two purposes. It makes sure your time is scheduled as planned and you add an extra level of customer service that I’m sure your customers would appreciate.
HTH!
At your service,
Judith
NetManners.com
Hey, George:
It’s just that approach that will allow you to rise above your perceived competitors! Great customer service, which is what replying promptly to e-mails is, is certainly a rare commodity! I too do follow-ups and “Check Ins” with clients to ensure all is well. I know they appreciate that.
I am careful though to not reply to e-mails that really do not warrant any additional commentary — we all have way to much noise in our inbox already!
At your service,
Judith
for for a better relationship with clients. a reply is very important . of course a fast reply of email. In addition, newsletter is needed to to strengthen the relationship.
Hey, Don:
Thanks for stopping by! You are correct in that online business owners should use technology to their full advantage so as to build customer strong relationships.
Fast replies, newsletters, forums, Blogs, social media — all of it — if they want to remain ahead of their competitors!
At your service,
Judith
Hello,
I would agree that, ideally, we do need to always practice courtesy and respond to every email when an answer is warranted by the situation. However, we do not live in an ideal world and oftentimes our hectic schedules force us to prioritize time down to the minute; so we must face the fact that there just isn’t enough hours in a day to respond to each and every email. But that’s okay, because there are some people that always expect their every email to be answered in a timely manner, regardless of whether an answer is needed or warranted by the situation. For that reason, we should always allow our discretion to dictate in matters of when and who receives a response from us.
Richard
Hey, Richard:
Thanks for stopping by! What a great commentary and one I couldn’t agree with more!
Not only does e-mail etiquette have to do with common courtesy — so much of deciding what is best has to do with discretion. And that discretion will be used, or should be used, on a case by case basis. Like you I don’t reply based on other’s expectations of what I should do. Rather I look decide whether I have anything useful or constructive to add to the conversation and if there is nothing left to say, the thread ends there.
Instead of thinking to reply because you should, one should look at it that if there is nothing to add, you are saving the other side one less e-mail to have to address. Discretion is the key to almost everything we do online; use it wisely and you’ll never go wrong!
At your service,
Judith
Nice food for thought..some emails just aren;t worth replying to..
People all around the globe using their discretion hardly sounds like a great way to figure out the best way to get a reply or not.
Maybe a “reply back” at the bottom of an email would be an interesting thought.
This is why a phone call many times gets the job done in a much more timely manner……I feel.
@EM:
Thanks for stopping by! How else would folks determine to reply or not unless they used their discretion? It’s all about both sides being clear communicators so that you don’t have the other side wondering. We also have to realize that not every e-mail we send requires a response. If there is nothing constructive or valuable to add to a conversation — it can safely not be responded to.
If you want a response; ask for one. A few ways to do that are “What do you think?” “Do you agree?” “Please confirm I’ve addressed everything to your satisfaction.”
And you are correct, there are times when picking up the phone if you have concerns about not receiving a reply is the best thing to do!
At your service,
Judith
P.S. Your comment was on topic so that is why I have broken my usual rule of not approving comments where visitors use their keywords instead of their name. Please do me a favor and on future comments, use your name so we all know who we are talking to. (See the link at the top of the page — Comment Policy). TYVM!
I appreciate your reply and apologize for doing that with the keyword.
Yes, I agree that the #1 thing to have in place is both parties to be on the same page. Ending the email with a responsive type question sounds like a smiple and smart way to keep the conversation going until it is settled.
Use the phone as a last resort when all else fails, I suppose.
Thanks for your great explanations.
Hope to be back soon when time allows!
In our field it is important to always check with our clients through email. Sometimes we send email just to check them if they are having any trouble using our site or do they have any suggestion to make their experience better. At the end of the day its about making them sure that we have their satisfaction in mind and we want them to know it.
If need be, replies are very important. But true enough, there are emails that are just a waste of time.
Hey, Ben:
Thanks for stopping by! Here is where discretion comes into play once again. As you state there are some e-mails that simply do not require a response and therefore one should not be expected.
At your service,
Judith
There are times in which you try to start writing a reply to an email, and when you almost reach the finish line, you realize that it was so foolish and non- sense that you just want to delete what you have written. Oftentimes I’m guilty of this.
Hey, Ben:
I’ve had that happen myself. In my attempt to reply I realize there is really nothing more to say! One should expect every e-mail be replied to nor should they feel they have to reply to every e-mail sent.
Take care ~
Judith
I always believe that in any type of business, it is imperative that you know how to keep your customers’ loyalty. You’re right, timely reply to emails is one way of showing you value them. I just have one thing to ask: Is it ethical to request for confirmation receipts for important emails you sent? Or should it be vice versa?
Hello…
Loyalty many times comes from service. Great service comes from acting like you care. Acting like you care means prompt responses when necessary but not necessarily responding simply for the sake of doing so.
I don’t see much value in nor do I use RRs. RRs are ignored most of the time and are ineffective. Just because someone opens an e-mail doesn’t mean they read it. I have a slew of posts on the topic if you were to search using “RR”. You can start here:
When to User RR (Return Receipt)
HTH!
At your service,
Judith
P.S. Your comment was on topic so that is why I have broken my usual rule of not approving comments where visitors do not use their name and instead use their nickname, domain or keywords. Please do me a favor and on future comments, if you want them to be approved, use your name so we all know who we are talking to. (See the link at the top of the page: Comment Policy). TYVM!
There are times when I don’t even reply to my friend’s email. I just make it a point to give a reply to emails regarding business or work. That shows good customer service. Especially if I receive email from customers, I am wary of what I will tell them, and as much as possible, i try to be accommodating on my replies.
I think when it comes to replying it depends on the situation. But like you say, Common courtesy goes a long way. I admit that it can be annoying when you do not get a reply – then you are not sure whether they did not get your message or they are just ignoring you. So from now on when I send out NB emails, I put an open request, so that I know when they have opened it. At least I know then that the message was received then…
Hello,
Thanks for your comments! The only thing with a RR is folks can decline so that is not a fool-proof way of knowing anything. I decline every request I receive for confirmation. None of anyone’s business when or if I open an e-mail. And remember, open does not mean read!
At your service,
Judith
P.S. Your comment was on topic so that is why I have broken my usual rule of not approving comments where visitors do not use their name and instead use their nickname, domain or keywords. Please do me a favor and on future comments, if you want them to be approved, use your name so we all know who we are talking to. (See the link at the top of the page: Comment Policy). TYVM!