E-mail response time

I have a rule for responding to e-mail. Roughly speaking, if I think it will take me less than 2 minutes to completely answer an e-mail, I respond pretty much right when I read it. These quick replies reduce opportunity costs; in the long run I save time by these quick responses.

What I have noticed is that some people appear to purposely not answer e-mail for several days even though I am sure they have read my e-mail and a timely response would be both polite and easy. It drives me crazy to have to write a second e-mail asking if they got my first e-mail.

Is there some minimum time that people wait to respond, even if they have the opportunity and a response would just take a moment?

Is being "fashionably late" part of modern e-mail culture?

Not including times you are too busy to respond, does anyone here intentionally wait some minimum period to respond?

Quote: teliot

Is being "fashionably late" part of modern e-mail culture?

To add to the Wizard's list of excuses in the Amigotechs Warning Part-2 thread, "I'll get back to you."

Quote: teliot

I have a rule for responding to e-mail. Roughly speaking, if I think it will take me less than 2 minutes to completely answer an e-mail, I respond pretty much right when I read it. These quick replies reduce opportunity costs; in the long run I save time by these quick responses.

What I have noticed is that some people appear to purposely not answer e-mail for several days even though I am sure they have read my e-mail and a timely response would be both polite and easy. It drives me crazy to have to write a second e-mail asking if they got my first e-mail.

Is there some minimum time that people wait to respond, even if they have the opportunity and a response would just take a moment? Is being "fashionably late" part of modern e-mail culture?

Sometimes people check and read email on their phone but find it difficult to respond using small keys while typing. They might put it off till they get home then they forget. I check my email only once in a while unless I'm expecting something.

Perhaps they don't know what they want to say just yet or need information before they can respond.

But I haven't heard of anything that suggests there's a "fashionably late" modern e-mail culture. It's a individual situation. Some people are attached to their email some are not.

If someone gets a quick reply from you 2 or 3 times, then on a harder or more in-depth or personal email- they may consider your longer time in responding as being ignored, or some other perception. Because of this, for certain people, I never respond back right away. I may even type up a full response, and save it as a draft to send a bit later.

I agree with you that there are trade-offs, because if you don't respond right away, you're basically guaranteeing that you'll be spending more time looking at that e-mail, while also increasing the risk that you forget to get back in a timely manner.

I try to "touch it once", so if I get an email needing a response, I usually write back immediately. OTOH, I only check email once/twice a day on average, so it might be 24 hours before I respond. No mind games - just trying to be efficient and not computer-bound. If it's a response requiring a detailed reply and I don't have the time, I'll tell the person I got their message and will take some time to respond, just so they're not hanging.

Emails that take a simple answer I try to get back to instantly when I am sitting and can see them. If I only have my phone I wait to reply unless it is very important. Count me among those that have bad eyes and don't like the small keys. But I will say I am at my phone and got it, will get back.

In my line of work "emergencies" are rare. Sometimes they come up and if they do I try to use the phone as what needs conveyed often is too much to type.

In the end, most of what I am typing revolves around "did you get it?", "I got it," and "do you have it." Since my replies take just a line no need to wait. Additionally, I want to keep my clients so I return emails. Many are M-O-N-E-Y, so no fooling around.

Quote: AxelWolf

Sometimes people check and read email on their phone but find it difficult to respond using small keys while typing.

Ding, ding, ding.

That's my excuse / reason.