The Reply…Time Waster or Respect Builder?

As a kid I had a couple teachers who always sent a “thank you note” to let students know their tasks were appreciated.

When I was a paper carrier my parents made sure I sent “thank you” notes to my customers who left me tips/gifts at Christmas Time.

Those simple acts of appreciation taught me to respond to e mails. 

I have carried that philosophy with my side business.

With the amount messaging apps and e mail platforms there are multiple ways of receiving correspondence which means we can often overlook an important message. As a customer and business owner there is nothing more frustrating than having an important e mail overlooked or not responded to.

Having said that it can be difficult at certain periods…for example: if you have a job posting, or running a promotion, that sort of thing.

​There are a few ways you can make sure e mails get a response:

1. Set up a specific e mail accounts only for hiring, inquiries and personal.
2. Set aside a time during the day to respond client’s e mails or any questions from potential clients/individuals. This includes e mails/tweets/Facebook/LinkedIn.
3. Larger companies can have an individual who answers inquires with all e mail platforms as part of their duties. (Make use of interns)
4. Prioritize! Sure you can get those “junk mail” correspondence and they don’t need to be responded to right away. (I still try and give a polite thanks even if the nature of the inquiry doesn’t fit with what I’m doing)
5. Make use of an auto response if you know you are going to get a high volume of mail. To me some sort of response is better than no response.

​Even though our day can get busy it’s important for any correspondence to be acknowledged. If someone take the time out of their day to e mail me I give them the cutesy of a reply. It’s something simple, but it does a lot.