E-mail has become the preferred means of communication in the business world these days. So much so, I think that some people have developed a fear or phobia for actually picking up the telephone and calling someone—or returning a phone call. Of course this is all conjecture and opinion, but in the world I move in, I am running into more and more people who avoid using the telephone…
I do not want to appear judgmental, but I do have issues with folks who seem afraid to use the phone for business. First, the phone can be much quicker than e-mail sometimes, depending on whether or not you actually get a human voice on the phone. I know that the reverse can be true and we have many of us become trained to check our e-mail several times a day and we can access it anywhere (although cell phones have made it possible for us to take phone calls anywhere too.) Secondly, I think that a person should respond in the way they were contacted—so, if someone calls, they should get a return call—not an e-mail. I assume that if someone only gives me their e-mail address as contact information that is how they want to be contacted, but if they give me their phone number—that should be tried first. I don’t imagine this is a universal rule, just my own personal preference.
If I have telephoned someone a couple times and they keep sending me e-mails in response, I DO start to get annoyed. Are they afraid of using the phone? Are they trapped somewhere and do not have access to the phone but only have their trusty laptop? I understand how it can seem easier to e-mail—having the time to write things out and not have to deal with the other person’s responses in real time, but e-mails get lost or sucked up by spam blockers. Messages and requests might be unclear and involve taking the time to write back and forth while a phone conversation in real time can save time and take care of business in one brief connected interaction.
Also: Leaving Work at Work: Phone Calls at Home