I read an article recently about email bankruptcy. Never heard of it? Well, neither had I and what I read shocked me.
It seems that people are receiving so many emails every day now, including spam, that their inboxes are becoming overwhelmingly full. So full that they don't feel they'll ever have time to read all their email. Ever.
So, what they're doing – are you ready for this – they're declaring email bankruptcy! They're sending out 1 single email to everyone in their own database explaining the situation of email overload (and neglect, I might add) and suggesting that if anyone on that database has sent them an email in the past, say, month, then that person should resend the email because it's going to be deleted. Or has been already deleted.
I'm still picking my jaw up off the floor at such a thought. This whole idea ranks right up there with call waiting in my opinion. And my opinion of call waiting isn't very nice. But don't get me started on that one!
These poor, overworked people have not, did not, will not take the time to go through their email on a daily basis, or even a few times a day, at the very least to sift out the emails that are from bona fide friends/colleagues/customers. CUSTOMERS!
Now you may be saying 'but these are probably only people who are high-powered corporate execs with way way too much on their plates. Well, you'd be wrong. These are people just like you and me. Entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, small business people and even people with no businesses at all. Just ordinary people. Who are way too busy to read their email. Incredible.
Let's just deal with those who are in business for the purpose of this column. If I were a colleague of one of these people, and I had emailed her to suggest a meeting to discuss ……whatever – a liaison, a networking event, an upcoming workshop, a mastermind meeting, a partnering opportunity. If I received such a bankruptcy email, do you think I'd be very likely to resend my email to her? Do you think I'd be very likely to want to do any kind of business with her? Uh, NO.
And if I were her customer, well, I don't even have the words to describe how upset I'd be to receive this 'notice of bankruptcy'.
It's inconceivable to me that something like this can even be considered. I'm the one who says that all emails must be answered within 48 hours or at least have an auto-response saying they've been received and will be answered within a specified time. I'm the one who insists that an auto-responder be used for any extended absences from your email, like a vacation, a conference, an extra-long lunch!
Today, I've read another article suggesting that we're in an era where personal contact has become devalued (hence voicemail and email) and that the new 'no' is now silence. Silence - as in no response whatsoever. Nada, zip, nil, zero, nothing. If I receive voicemail or email that I don't want to action, then silence will be my planned response. And 'delete' is a common and accepted occurrence, for both types of communication. This theory contends that people who have sent emails, left voicemails will accept no response as an answer. No response will become a response of 'no'. This article contained a quote - "If they can't take a hint, that's their problem."
I almost fell off my chair. My heart skipped a beat. My ears started buzzing.
Seriously, have we reached this point in communication? Have we reached this point in isolation? Are we so busy behind our computer screens, our palms, that we no longer see the essential merit in communicating – with anyone?
This column is about customer service. And this new trend needs to be quashed, totally invalidated, completely rejected by all of us if the concept of customer service is to continue. Ignoring a client, customer or colleague isn't giving any kind of service at all and it's not an acceptable alternative in my view.
We need to choose not to adapt this attitude ourselves and we need to confront anyone we see doing it as a way of evading the joy of personal contact.
Like all customer service, it's that simple.
© Marcia Barhydt, 2007 Marcia Barhydt
Marcia Barhydt writes a bi-monthly column for The Brampton News about customer service, as well as being a freelance reporter covering people, topics and events of interest in Brampton. Marcia also writes and edits content of marketing materials for her own clients. Visit her at http://www.willowtree.ca/
Scott Kendall - The Technology Coach Adds:
Email bankruptcy, as Marcia points out is not the answer, if managing email is becoming more time consuming than your small business can afford, contact The Technology Coach today and find out how to reduce the time required, the effort and ultimately the headaches created by email overload. Make Technology your friend, not your enemy, let The Technology Coach show you how!
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