Posted by Rick Denney on February 19, 2004 at 18:50:38:
In Reply to: Tuba Consumerism & Emails posted by Joe Baker on February 19, 2004 at 18:10:31:
I pity the guy who is an artist at shaping brass or making music, but whose typing skills make long and articulate correspondence a burden.
And given the level of discourse visible on Tubenet and other forums, the proprietor might well be at a loss as to what is being requested in most emails.
In the presence of a surplus of demand, the supplier can and should choose the demand that is easiest and most profitable to serve. When there is a surplus of supply, there will be more time to provide wordy answers to emails.
That said, I think it's reasonable to expect a response to a complicated question to be, "When can I call you so we can discuss this?" or "Here is my 800 number--call me when it is convenient and we can talk about it. In in the office from X to Y." I think it's also reasonable to automatically request those who have questions to call because emails may not be responded to within X days.
I think it's reasonable to expect that response within a business day when it is sent to a general business email address. When it's sent to a personal email address (even one at the company), then it's just like voice mail or snail mail--it should be answered when the person has had a reasonable opportunity to do so (after returning from vacation, etc.).
Again, if businesspeople have too little business, then they have time to respond at length to emails. When they have too much, they should respond to those messages likely to net them the best profit (that's what I would expect of them if I owned stock in their company). Adding supply is the answer, but it is not always possible (supply for tuba services is somewhat inelastic due to the skills required). Answering emails could prevent serving those who call, and serving those who call could prevent serving those who come to the store in person. If I'm in the store, I would be offended to stand there and wait unnecessarily while the proprietor answers his email.
The customer is always right, but the definition of a customer is one whose check doesn't bounce. That standard is not attained by many who float out email requests and expect instant responses. It is far more often met by those who will call, and still more by those who walk into the store.
Rick "disagreeing with Joe just for the enjoyment of the debate" Denney