Email etiquette: What's your response policy?

I’m a compulsive responder and acknowledger when it comes to emails. I send thank you notes, got it notes, get back to you soon notes, and so on. Unfortunately people don’t always have the same email etiquette as me.

As a result, I’m often concerned that my email might have got lost in cyberspace or is lying trapped and helpless in a spam filter. Or I reluctantly decide that the person I’ve communicated with is either inefficient or just plain rude.

“But I don’t have time to reply to everything”, I hear you say. Or “I pride myself on only answering what I absolutely have to” or “but I didn’t have anything to tell you yet”.

Good on you for your time saving diligence, but what you are saving in time, you could well be losing in good business relationships. I’d like to point out a couple of distinctions that might make you think again about the benefit of email acknowledgement.

Good communication is the basis of all relationships and poor communication results in misunderstanding and poor relationships.

I am not talking about responding to unsolicited promos or mail. This is about email etiquette with clients, colleagues, suppliers and friends.

The communication cycle has three parts. Person A communicates to person B. Person B responds or acknowledges the communication. A third part also may come into play in some instances to complete the cycle where person A acknowledges person B’s response.

For instance: Fred sends an email to Mary asking for input on a project. Mary responds with the required information or says, sorry she will not be able to do it at the moment and maybe makes a suggestion. Fred then thanks Mary for her response. Everyone is happy and in good communication.

If part two or three was missed the result could have been misunderstandings and upsets in Fred and Mary’s business relationship.

When we communicate in person or on the phone the response is immediate and understood. By email, it is a different matter and if an answer or even brief acknowledgement is not sent there is an open loop. Did it actually reach its destination and was it read?

With no stable information on what is going on there is a good chance we will get annoyed, feel slighted or just assume the answer is “no” or “yes” to any request for information.

Here are some email etiquette tips you can follow to make sure you complete the communication cycle and that your communications receive a response.

• If you need a response to your email by a certain time, include something along the lines of “Please let me know by (date) or I will assume the answer is yes/no/you know longer want this”.
• Reply to all emails once a day, even if it is only to say thanks, or get back to you later, and then put the email in your “follow-up” folder.
• Remember to regularly check your follow-up folder.
• Invest in an email program that can show you if your email has been received and opened.
• Never assume your communication has actually been received and read and if no response is received, be willing to make a phone call to check.

What’s your email response policy? Let us know your email etiquette tips below.

• 15 Jul 09
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14 comments | Add your own 1 2 3 | Next» View all»

• Great article Wendy.
  My advice? Keep the lines of communication open and flowing at all times. Respond to emails when you can, with honesty, friendliness and remain polite at all times.
  All too often I see misinterpretations on emails that have been either blunt, too short a response, or no response at all!
  Remember that every email you send out is a reflection on you and your business! Bronwen O'Brien from Australia

• Thanks for a great reminder Wendy! I also agree with Bronwen - an email may be less formal, but it should definitely come with the same courtesies as any other business communication.
  If an email calls for an in-depth reply, let the sender know when to expect a response and schedule some writing-time in the diary. It’s a lot more efficient than sending a rushed (or grammatically disastrous) response which could do more harm than good! Dennis Jablonski from Cairns, Australia

• Thanks Wendy for your great advice! A good communication is part of building customer relationships. Replying to emails even with a simple thank you is a great way of letting your customers, colleagues know that you respect the time and effort they have put into writing the email. David McMahon from Brisbane

• Thanks Wendy, how do we get this out to all customers?
  As a tradie sending e-mail quotes (because clients request it that way) it is so frustrating not knowing if the e-mail was recieved or not. I use read receipts for everything but only get about 50% back.
  How hard is it as you read an e-mail just to type "Thanks for that, I will get back to you." Just one of my pet hates.
  Thanks for the prompter to all those who do not necessarily reply with a simple note. Tony Housden from Tamworth NSW

• There're two ways of looking at e-mail responses such as "Thank you." Sure, it's polite and may close a loop, but on the other hand, if everyone responds to every e-mail we end up with our mailboxes packed full of time-consuming short notes. I only reply when necessary out of politeness in an effort to avoid bombarding the reader with unnecessary material. dana from redmond, USA

• I understand your comment Dana and personally, I would rather know that my email has been received when there is an issue at stake than be left wondering.
  And thanks everybody for the great comments so far.
  One I would also add is "never have an argument by email". If the communication is sensitive and their is room for misunderstanding, pick up the phone and clear the matter up in a conversation. I know, as a writer, I find it much easier and less confronting, to dash of an angry beautifully crafted email, but I've learned from experience it only makes matters worse and extends the altercation. wendy Buckingham from Dee Why, Sydney, NSW | Read my articles

14 comments | Add your own 1 2 3 | Next» View all»

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