Rule #1- Respond to All E-mail Messages within 24 Hours

Dearest Online Correspondent:

For the next few posts, I will be disclosing the series of rules to which I adhere in my own online correspondence.

Each post will include a new rule. I do not expect everyone to agree with these rules or to follow them religiously. For example, I have even failed to meet Rule #1 on occasion. If you have questions about any of the rules, ask away! Also, I am a strong supporter of the saying: “to each, his (or her) own.” If you follow a different rule from which you think others could benefit, please let us know.

Sincerely,

Techiquette

Rule #1: Respond* to all e-mail messages within 24 hours.**

*First, remember, an immediate response requires solely a short e-mail message.  The person, who e-mailed you does not need his (or her) itemized list of questions all answered right away. An example of an immediate response could be:

“Mr. Important: I am awfully busy doing “blank”, but I will answer your questions as soon as I am able. Sincerely, Techiquette.”

** Secondly, if you know in advance that you will be unable to respond to e-mail messages for a span of time that is longer than 24 hours, draft an “out-of-the-office” automated reply message so that the people who e-mail you immediately understand why you cannot respond to their inquires within an appropriate amount of time.

Personally, Rule #1 has proved quite effective. Once while on holiday in the Bahamas, I received a phone call from a prospective employer who had received my automated reply message after e-mailing me. My automated reply message included a phone number where I could be reached in the Bahamas and the length of time, during which I would be unable to respond to e-mail messages. After the prospective employer received the automated reply message, he rang me using the phone number listed in the message to ask if I could meet with him as soon as possible about a job opportunity.

Disclaimer: Please do not state exactly what you are doing or where you are going in the automated reply message. For example, I did not state in my message that I was on holiday, staying on a private island in the Bahamas and drinking pina coladas for breakfast. Instead, I wrote that I had no e-mail access for a specified period of time and that I would respond to all inquiries as soon as possible when I returned on “such and such” date.

Stay tuned for Rule #2…

 

About this entry

You’re currently reading “Rule #1- Respond to All E-mail Messages within 24 Hours,” an entry on The Techiquette

Published:
January 28, 2009 / 8:51 pm
Category:
Rules
Tags:
, , , , ,