Email is not for emergencies
by James
People need to stop sending emails that say “did you get the email I sent you earlier today?”.
My solution (this goes in my email signature):
I reply to most emails within 24 hours; if you need a faster response, please call me.
That’s it: if your message can wait a day, email me. If not, call! Simple.
Ooohh, but then you’ll start getting emails with follow-up calls asking if you’ve received the email from earlier.
Damn, there’s no way to win! :)
To be honest, it’s less about whether the issue is urgent, and more about whether someone thinks it’s urgent. If they have the option to call me, they’re less likely to get frustrated waiting – and if the issue isn’t as urgent as they think, I can just politely ask them to be patient. People normally get the message!