Simon Says Reply To Emails

My BFF, Simon Oboler, just had a rant about people who don’t respond to emails. And I must say, I’ve been a recent victim myself.

Recently I got in touch with someone at an agency. We had a chat about the possibility of working there and they said someone would be in touch by the end of the week. I received an email saying they’d call me in a few days.

I never got a call.

About a month later I followed up with an email as a polite reminder. Never got a response. We’re now about two or three months from the initial conversation I had about working with them.

This is not a rant about the fact I didn’t get a job. I really don’t mind. But I did expect someone to get back to me.

With the number of recent graduates making calls and sending emails lately, surely these people realise that not only are personal brands being tarnished here, but organisation and agency brands too? My opinion of the agency isn’t what it once was. And we all know what Gen Y’s do with brands they don’t like…

I know someone from the agency in question will be reading this. Feel free to pass it along. =]

20 Comments
  • Ben
    Posted at December 8, 2008 3:27pm, 08 December Reply

    it’s very easy for ppl to say they’ll email/call you back when in reality they have no intention of doing it.

    remember – agencies get loads of calls every day … it’s easy (i speak from experience) to miss things as well.

  • Stan Lee
    Posted at December 8, 2008 4:15pm, 08 December Reply

    I returned from working in London in Feb 2002.
    In March of the same year I was approached about a creative director role at an agency in Melbourne.
    I had three interviews.
    We discussed money and a start date.
    They said they’d call me on Monday to tee up a time to meet the team.
    I’m still waiting to hear from them.

  • Stan Lee
    Posted at December 8, 2008 4:19pm, 08 December Reply

    But wait, there’s more!
    In September 2004 I was approached about a creative director role at a multinational agency in Melbourne.
    I had three interviews.
    They wanted to know when I could start.
    I told them I was off to Bali on holiday later that week but could start not long after I returned.
    I had a conference call with them from my hotel in Bali.
    Not once but twice.
    I’m still waiting to hear back from them too.

  • Zac Martin
    Posted at December 8, 2008 4:50pm, 08 December Reply

    @ Ben

    I understand people can be ridiculously busy, but if you can’t deal with your customers and employees, that’s not acceptable.

    @ Stan

    And how do you feel towards these two agencies?

  • Solitude
    Posted at December 8, 2008 5:27pm, 08 December Reply

    I completely know what you’re talking about. I was told I’d need to talk to someone about working at a company. I asked when I could, and they told me they’d tell me. I reminded them a few weeks later, and they told me this person was busy, and I’d need to wait. After a few months, I rereminded them, and they told me that they were no longer looking for anybody to work for them, and are not interested. I was annoyed..

  • Julian Cole
    Posted at December 8, 2008 7:26pm, 08 December Reply

    If you really want something chase it. We are very good at finding reasons why we will not do something.

    Gen Y is very good at asynchronous conversations, they are not so good at synchronous. They struggle to pick up the phone because SMS is easier and less confrontation.

    I used to respond to every single email that I got, now being on the other side of the full time fence, where you get hundreds of emails a day, I can fully understand why an email can go a miss. I have tripped up on this a few times myself.

    Pick up the phone OR make it as easier as possible to respond to an email aka write short emails.

  • Stan Lee
    Posted at December 8, 2008 8:24pm, 08 December Reply

    Jules is right. If you want it, make it happen. If it doesn’t happen, keep trying.

  • Zac Martin
    Posted at December 8, 2008 10:39pm, 08 December Reply

    @ Julian

    Couple of things. Firstly, I wonder if you consider IM or online chat as asynchronous?

    Secondly, no phone number available publicly. Although I could get a hold of one, I’ve been told email is the best way to contact them given how busy they are.

    I guess it’s just gotten to a point now where I’m over it.

  • MrTruffle
    Posted at December 9, 2008 5:51am, 09 December Reply

    If you email and call a couple of times and find they don’t respond don’t hassle them as they probably seem busy and if they can’t find the time to reply then they will have trouble finding the time to be part of what you’re trying to get them involved in.

    Not replying to emails is understandable. Not getting back to people in time has cost me personally lots of money and heaps of missed opportunities. I think peopel just use email badly. Lots of bad habits.

    The post you refer to was about an email to get involved in something. I usually ignore these emails on purpose unless they interest me as responding back nicely with “I don;t think I’ll be able to help out we’re bsy until XXXX” which I’ve done many times means that come XXXX I get another email.

    I’ve tried “I’m not interested” and I get back “But what about this or can you help me find someone who is”

    But an email ignored usualy leaves me with no more stress.

    That is unless they call! Which is more annoying.

  • Ben
    Posted at December 9, 2008 9:29am, 09 December Reply

    @zac – you aren’t really their customer or employee … they don’t really have to do anything.

    i’m with julian – if you want something, chase it. in the time it’s taken you to stew over it and write this post you could have called and resolved the issue.

  • Renee Creer
    Posted at December 9, 2008 9:39am, 09 December Reply

    Can Simon also say to reply to RSVPs? Nobody does this either.

  • Simon Oboler
    Posted at December 9, 2008 10:41am, 09 December Reply

    In my experience Renee, (which for RSVP invites is probly only about 4) most of them have only said to RSVP if they are unable to make it.

    That being said if/when I get married, my invites will be on facebook, that way i will know who is maybe coming and can maybe set a place for them, depending how i feel at the time.

  • Renee
    Posted at December 9, 2008 11:38am, 09 December Reply

    Simon, I like your approach, but good luck getting it over the line with your bride!

  • Julian Cole
    Posted at December 9, 2008 2:39pm, 09 December Reply

    Simon you have got to be joking? Facebook invite your wedding! Why don’t you do the whole wedding over Skype, who needs F2F contact these days anyway? Actually you should probably just do the whole thing in Secondlife, you would save a heap on wedding dresses and all that.

    @Zac Synchronous to asynchronous is on a sliding scale and IM is closer to synchronous but not as close as telephone conversations or F2F.

    If you really want it, find a number. Make it as easy as possible for them to say ‘yes’. Work out what they need and make yourself indispensable.

    I do not have much time for people who think that things will fall on a silver platter for them.

    Even the smartest man in the world has to be able to sell himself.

  • nat
    Posted at December 9, 2008 4:55pm, 09 December Reply

    I agree with Julian to an extent. You have to sell yourself and the telephone is a great tool (which Gen Y have forgotten how to use).

    But politeness and common courtesy are important. I think if a company wants to be successful in this day and age the need to get out of that old-fashioned mindset that business is business and personal is personal and they never intersect. That it is OK to be a successful business person but rude and obnoxious (not say that this guy was that) is just such a 1950’s mentality and companies that continue to operate like this will have difficulty attracting and retaining quality Gen Y’s.

    It takes balls to stand by convictions and it take a little extra effort to be polite as well as successful. But the payoff (RESPECT) is worth it.

  • Matthew Bowen
    Posted at December 9, 2008 5:51pm, 09 December Reply

    Julian is corect. When I first started in the full-time gig I was constantly feeling too intimidated to pick up the phone and have the more personal consultation, the email was far less confrontational and a lot easier, click send and wait…but wait you will do. Nowadays, its so much easier to get a clear response over the phone, no need to wait and no need to explain yourself seven times over. Find the number Zac, punch it in and you’ll have a response within seconds…not days.

  • mumbrella
    Posted at December 12, 2008 2:52pm, 12 December Reply

    Hi Zac,
    Do ring next time.
    If I’m an employer, I want someone who’s going to get stuff done, not worry about politeness if it gets in the way of making things happen.
    Unfortutely the job probably went to the pushy dude who kept ringing.
    Better luck next time.
    Cheers,
    Tim

  • Zac Martin
    Posted at December 12, 2008 2:56pm, 12 December Reply

    @ Tim

    Thanks for the comment. It wasn’t actually a position they had advertised, more so one I had hoped to create. But you’re right. Thanks!

  • electronic cigarette
    Posted at May 15, 2011 6:58am, 15 May Reply

    Julian is corect. When I first started in the full-time gig I was constantly feeling too intimidated to pick up the phone and have the more personal consultation, the email was far less confrontational and a lot easier, click send and wait…but wait you will do. Nowadays, its so much easier to get a clear response over the phone, no need to wait and no need to explain yourself seven times over. Find the number Zac, punch it in and you'll have a response within seconds…not days.

  • Anonymous
    Posted at November 24, 2011 10:32pm, 24 November Reply

    i bet you read your emails from nissan..ha…ha.

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