Why do people hate email?

[Crazy Dazz]

I'm 48, and fast becoming an old fart. I dislike most modern gimmickry, yet I reckon e-mail is the best thing since Gutenberg.
Documents, plans, contracts, pictures, all flashed around the world in seconds.

NB: I understand that for the hip generation, snap-chatting and twitting are prefered, but that's not what I'm getting at.

As someone whose short-term memory is starting to get a bit dodgy (and at times is downright psychotic) I LOVE email. I have a record not only of what you said, but what I actually said. I find this especially useful when doing something like looking at cars. If I'm "conversing" with a dozen different people about very similar vehicles, it is much easier to keep track of the details in emails rather than scribbling on post-it notes.

So WHY are so many people reluctant to engage in email? When I see an online ad, my first contact is always by email (or the "contact seller" system) and I reckon at least half don't respond.
Some advertisers basically say that only scammers use email, which I find weird. If anything it would be easier to be dishonest on the phone?

And its not just in these situations. At work I find it much easier to keep track of issues with emails, than making phone-calls and taking notes. Yet I find that so many people when I send an email to them in head office, will respond with a phone call, which I then have to transcribe and file the notes. It's worse when the topic is somewhat sensitive, as I have to go outside to take the call (assuming my mobile works.)

[Franco Cozzo]

+1 for email, if dealing with internal stuff at work, email everything with follow up phone call, so when it comes meeting time said person can't deny you didn't tell them to do X or inform them of Y in meeting with boss when it turns to crap.

Even dealing with business, quote is on paper and there is a record of it.

Contact with the buyer of my ambo was all done through email, only phone call he made was to local mechanics for inspection and I called him once to see who he was at Melbourne Airport when I picked him up.

I prefer email contact, rather than phone, plus you can send them at all times of the night without annoying people, if I called you at 2AM you'd probably be pretty angry.

[cosworthfreak]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

... I have a record not only of what you said, but what I actually said...

I think for the more dodgy seller, the above may be why they don't use emails. But I'm like you, I think they're excellent.

Jamie

[cs123]

I'd get well over 100 work emails a day, some days 200. I *&%&^^ hate email.

[BH13ST]

Originally Posted by cs123

I'd get well over 100 work emails a day, some days 200. I *&%&^^ hate email.

I second this... Being in I.T as a support officer... I get around 100 - 150 emails, some days even more! they really tick me off .. even more so if your waiting for a reply and it doesn't come. Easier to pick up the phone and say what you need to with context and tone behind it.

[Raysie]

It's basically ignorance. One thing I've found though is that individuals that don't use it... don't use it for good reason. lol

[BH13ST]

Originally Posted by Raysie

It's basically ignorance. One thing I've found though is that individuals that don't use it... don't use it for good reason. lol

This is true, And you may find some people that do use it should just stop haha..

[Raysie]

Slightly going off topic here, but one thing that has always grinded my gears has been when I send a email with a number of questions clearly pointed out, to then get a brief one line response answering none of the questions!

Kills me just thinking about how often it happens to me. Especially being in IT Support when I need as much info as possible to resolve the issue at hand. I ain't no mind reader!

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by cs123

I'd get well over 100 work emails a day, some days 200. I *&%&^^ hate email.

Not really the same thing.
I agree that at work, you tend to get added to groups and cc'd in on an awful lot of *****. It would be the same as if every POST in these forums was sent to EVERY user. At my last job, it was a PITA. Our department had a shared inbox, and we would thousands of emails a week. We had to keep archiving because we kept exceeding the Google limit.

But I'm talking about correspondence between two people with an actual need to communicate.

I KNOW why car dealers don't like it, because you have a record of any ***** they sprout, and can point that they are repeatedly refusing to answer questions.

I'd also make the point that if people don't want to transact in the 21st century, they should stay off the internet.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Raysie

Slightly going off topic here, but one thing that has always grinded my gears has been when I send a email with a number of questions clearly pointed out, to then get a brief one line response answering none of the questions!

Yeah, damn I HATE that.

I suppose that is one downside to email, as in on the phone you would just keep asking till you got an answer, but at least with email you have a record.

[BradEL]

I reckon email is great, much preferred than using social media by me. It is great being able to send messages to anyone, and at any time. A lot of people take email for granted, but it is really something everyone needs to have, and I personally think they are better off for it. Sure it can get annoying getting too many emails, but think of Facebook, and how often people post on that, just a fact of living in this day and age. Using email is only going to get better and better and now days we Cam access emails from almost anything, computers, tablets, phones, tv, PlayStation, even a smartwatch. And let's not forget it's free.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

+1 for email, if dealing with internal stuff at work, email everything with follow up phone call, so when it comes meeting time said person can't deny you didn't tell them to do X or inform them of Y in meeting with boss when it turns to crap.

Even dealing with business, quote is on paper and there is a record of it.

And thats the other thing that grinds: Companies that advertise their "competitive prices" on-line, but don't give any, so I drop them an email asking "how much is X?" and their response is "yes we have the best prices in Australia, please ring one of our friendly staff who'll be happy to give you a quote" So I have to RING them to ask somebody to email me a written quote?

[Raptor]

+1 for email. Love it

I Hate it when my phone rings. Why do people love phones

And mobile phones, in cars, with Bluetooth, so people can call you anytime

NO THANK YOU!

When I'm in my car it's my time.

[MITCHAY]

Well for a start most people put a lot more thought into what they wrote before email came along because you couldn't recall it or quickly follow it up.

A lot of people would rather send a 100 emails back and forth and on every single trivial detail then get in a room together or a phone hookup and flesh out the things that matter.

Email is all well and good if it is appropriate for the task, just like every other communication medium. I don't hate email, I hate the way some people use it.

[mik]

i dont mind emails, i am a bigger fan of the messaging app on my phone though, i dont get junk mail so much on my smart phone.......well very rarely anyway, and transferring text or a photo with my smart phone is very easy .

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

I prefer email contact

Ditto. Everything's documented, they can't pretend you told them something you didn't.

[zilo]

people can send me as many emails as they like.

it's the bloody sms requests that tick me off.

I refuse to correspond by sms.

[Itsme]

Emails are ok just depends on who you communicate with, too many spam with emails especially when its your home PC, this spoils it when having to sort junk mail.

The best thing about emails is the very quick response you can get, sure beats snail mail.

[Feathers]

My father refuses to use a computer at all. We do not have one in the office at work.
Until our secretary retired in 2007 they were still typing letters/invoices/faxes out on a typewriter. Even then, Dad's 1.5 finger typing speed made him angry about wasting his time, when he could have written it by hand much faster.
Now I use my laptop for the invoices, but the new secretary writes everything else by hand.

Jobs are confirmed in writing by fax, and handwritten in a diary.

We often get people ring asking for an email address to send us junk.
The reply, "we don't have one" floors them.
Even Telstra: "We don't have an address on file for you."
"Yeah, because we don't have email."
"uh..I know, but we need one for your file"
"...I can't give you something we don't have!"
"....."

And the idiots that ring saying "we can make you a website/sell you software, and put everything in the cloud, and make life 'so much easier'..." don't seem to understand when he says we don't have a computer either. They just keep going with their spiel.

Email is too hit and miss. If we leave the office for the day at 3pm and someone sends an email to cancel a job that's due to depart at 7am the next morning, no one is going to see it. The driver leaves the yard at 6.15am, and doesn't have keys to the office...

We turned up for a job a few months ago, where we had to drive across Sydney for the pick up, and waited for 40 minutes, before someone came out and said "Oh, no we cancelled that weeks ago. We sent an email".
Don't know who they sent it to, but it certainly wasn't us... Then they wanted to argue when they got a bill for $400 because we turned up and the driver had to be paid for his time.

It's also happened more than once that schools have faxed for quotes on jobs, which we faxed back, and then never bothered to book it. So the day comes and they have 60+ kids on the side of the road waiting to go on their camp/excursion, and there's no bus. Had they called and checked up, then the error would have been found.



And don't get me started on the time I listed an old bus on ebay, with as much information as I was given, and a message in BIG font saying to call the office to speak to the boss or mechanic for more specific information, not to email (because obviously I have no idea), and got abused by some moron who accused me of being a fraud.

It would have taken me at least 24 hours to get the information from anyone, and reply, and they probably wouldn't have understood it anyway, or be confused about something, and that would draw the whole thing out longer.
Call the office, ask your question, someone who knows can answer and give you all the information you want (and probably more than you ever wanted to know) on the spot. Simples.

[jstanovic]

Email has its place but it is easily ignored/sent to junk. I often get people sending me plans but because my laptop thinks its a dodgy email it gets sent to junk.

And don't get me started on selling stuff and email/sms. How many times I get an email/sms with "will you take $XXXX for the falcon" and that's it?

In my books, if you want a quick response call me and then ask for a follow-up email if you want it. Don't send an email, then 2 hours later send another one, then 2 hours later send an abusing email for not replying! I don't check emails everyday!!!

In saying that, having all the details on an email has saved my **** a few times at work and I wouldn't be without it.

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by BH13ST

I second this... Being in I.T as a support officer... I get around 100 - 150 emails, some days even more! they really tick me off .. even more so if your waiting for a reply and it doesn't come. Easier to pick up the phone and say what you need to with context and tone behind it.

Is that all?? Geez I wish I was on your helpdesk, I'd be bored.

I'd prefer all users I deal with email me, but in saying that email the right *** email address. Otherwise if it goes to my personal inbox it gets forgotten or ignored, which is much the same really.

[Polyal]

Yeap email must be one of the best things about the internet from a business perspective.

No tears for the people in IT support though, thats a pretty pivotal tool for the job and sector..LOL

Atleast people can screen shot problems instead of trying to give some dodgy explanation over the phone.

[TheSneakiness]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Yeap email must be one of the best things about the internet from a business perspective.

No tears for the people in IT support though, thats a pretty pivotal tool for the job and sector..LOL

Atleast people can screen shot problems instead of trying to give some dodgy explanation over the phone.

Or take pictures on their phone and attach them to the email instead of hitting print screen on the keyboard.

[Raptor]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Yeap email must be one of the best things about the internet ....

Besides Australian Ford Forums of course

[Ducati888]

Email is often used as a cop out, in exchange for actually talking to people. Most of the time its far easier to pick up a phone, yet people with send an email to the person in the neighbouring cubicle rather than speak to them. That way they can lazily discharge their duty and pass the buck.

By all means use email to record a summary of what's said and to follow up, but what's wrong with actually talking to people and engaging them? If you do so, you will find that you get closer to the top of the priority list with people, rather than just lost in the in box.

[Nova 8]

I like email more now that is it attached to my phone and beeps when I receive one as I always use to forget to check it and would miss it a lot. Only issue with email is spam! Spam is a *****!

Personally, even though I'm from the 'modern' generation I still prefer to communicate face to face and would rather drive to someone's house than pick up the phone.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by Rapid_Axe

Or take pictures on their phone and attach them to the email instead of hitting print screen on the keyboard.

Reminds me of my service desk days. I've had people print out templates in Word, fill them out with pen, and fax them when the template says fill in and email to the service desk.

I'm glad those days are over but even being a developer these days you still get the same sort of special moments.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Ducati888

Email is often used as a cop out, in exchange for actually talking to people. Most of the time its far easier to pick up a phone, yet people with send an email to the person in the neighbouring cubicle rather than speak to them. That way they can lazily discharge their duty and pass the buck.

By all means use email to record a summary of what's said and to follow up, but what's wrong with actually talking to people and engaging them? If you do so, you will find that you get closer to the top of the priority list with people, rather than just lost in the in box.

Because talking to people leaves you open for the your word against theirs in front of the manager when the inevitable happens and someone doesn't do something which needed to be done and they try turn it around onto you.

Email than follow up phone call/chat.

Purchasing officer was always trying to throw the storeman under the bus in front of the boss until photo copies and emails came out.

[Crazy Dazz]

Rather than start another thread, something else that really irks me is when companies with websites don't properly utilise the simple available technology to make information available on line. Eg put up a simple pdf fact sheet with a products details and specifications. Do it once, and its done, and eliminates who knows how many phone calls of people asking for details. In fact you can integrate it with your document management, so its virtually no extra work. I wish I had a buck for every time I've had to phone somebody, then wait whilst they look up the details on THEIR computer
Same goes with prices.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Because talking to people leaves you open for the your word against theirs in front of the manager when the inevitable happens and someone doesn't do something which needed to be done and they try turn it around onto you.

Email than follow up phone call/chat.

Purchasing officer was always trying to throw the storeman under the bus in front of the boss until photo copies and emails came out.

Yes I remember when I started in my first professional role that one of the clients disputed something that was said and me being a whipper snapper didn't keep emails much long after I got them.

So I got burnt and ever since I make sure I keep an email trail (but only the last one) as it is a valid record.

There have been a few times since where I have been able to refer back to call someone out.

This is when you might follow up a meeting/phone call with minutes and give people the opportunity to dispute it/add something/sign off. That is the best combination I find.