Right time to reply

[j4]

A poll, to get some information for a future post (hopefully). Feel free to point other people here (though obviously they'll have to have an LJ account); this isn't Serious Research, but it would be nice to get a decent number of replies.

[Poll #1489527]

Comments

[rmc28]

I've given up halfway down your poll. For me, it is not the medium but the content of the message that determines a) whether I expect a reply at all, b) the timescale, c) the reaction if I don't get one.

Most letters I send are not ones that expect any reply at all, but sometimes I send a formal letter of complaint that does, usually, include some kind of deadline, so they do.

With email, I personally don't feel I "should" check my work email more than 3 times a day (on arrival, at lunchtime, when winding down to go) though in practice I usually check it after every RSI break and when changing work contexts. I therefore don't expect replies from others any faster, and if I need an instant response, I telephone or walk to their desks. If I have a deadline for responses, I put it in the email so people know what to expect.

With personal email I'm much slacker in my expectations - again if I want a reply by a specific time then I'll put that in; otherwise I don't really have expectations (because I am so poor at responding to things myself I don't expect more from other people).

Text messages again: if it's "what train are you on" then I will have a different expectation of response from "just seen this great offer at X" or "Charles did the most hilarious thing just now".

[juliet]

Mm, I think roughly this: chatty personal stuff I don't have a timescale expectation for, more organise-y or work/business related stuff I am more likely to.

(I get grumpy that it takes train companies upwards of a month to process one's refund request, which must be sent by post, for example; & if I emailed someone about an order with them or similar, I'd expect a reply within about 1-2 working days.)

I do fairly deliberately attempt to separate "practical urgent-ish stuff" from "chatty stuff", so that "are we still meeting up at 7pm?" doesn't get tangled up with a whole bunch of other things & thereby become harder to reply to.