Am I dense or are they rude?

Not to defend this idiot, but maybe he/she doesn't "do" emails.

I have co-workers who do the same thing. They don't want to take the time to compose an intelligent response to my carefully worded email.

I once worked for a company that monitored emails so we sent as few as possible. It could be a privacy thing.

I guess I could kind of get it, and it would be okay, if we were on an equal footing.

But they want my business. Or so I thought. I'm not so sure they do if they can't bother to respond to my email with other than "call us".

When I'm after someone's business I "do" phones, or pretty much whatever else I have to do to get it. If they send a letter, I send a letter. If they send an email, I reply. If they call, I call back.

Maybe I'm old fashioned!

It's probably just laziness.

I agree, boomer, it shows a lack of interest in your business that they're not being more cooperative.

I was gonna say what mac did, about people not "doing" emails. One of the moms I know kept trying to contact me via phone -- she knew that I'm deaf and prefer email (and had my email) but kept trying. Then she finally gave in and wrote me an email, it was like 20 words.

The next day she asked if I got it and then said it had taken her half an hour to write, that she's really bad at email (this seemed to mean really bad at typing), etc. She definitely doesn't do email.

I'm trying to coordinate something at school and said that email was the easiest way to get back to me about it, ONE person wrote to me. (I don't have everyone's emails so did a paper handout with my email on it.)

It's possible that some of these people don't have a computer, but it seems like many more have a computer but are email-averse.

It's not just moms/ school, it's something I run into a lot (since I obviously much prefer email -- I can do relay if I have to, but it's almost always awkward on both sides). People who HAVE email and CAN do it but plain don't want to.

I agree that it's not good customer service, though. Maybe go ahead and say "actually, I'd really prefer email if that's possible" and see what they say. Maybe MOST people prefer phones and they made an assumption.

I was wondering how you dealt with such things, soz! I can't imagine someone insiting on calling you. I've dealt with relays and they're a mess. Email is so much better.

This is a business. They have computers. The questions I had are not addressed on their web site and were not sufficiently clear when I visited them (twice).

I wanted rules in writing. The "call me" thing seemed evasive -- as if they were unwilling to commit to ground rules.

Privacy? Hmmmm. I don't think that was the case here. I can understand how that might come in though. There are some things I don't want to commit to either!

Maybe they are concerned about making a commitment (to a price? or a timeframe?) in writing.

Well, I am not a business, but I would certainly rather answer questions by phone, than email, if possible.

Part of is that, if I am busy trying to write an email, the phone keeps ringing, and I am therefore constantly interrupted. If I am talking on the phone, while they can still email me, at least they can't phone me and it doesn't have the same annoyance and demand factor.

Also, typing for me is harder and slower than talking.

Also, often when you write replies, someone still has lots of questions, and it goes on and on with the emailing. Talk to me already! I also (dealing in a very emotive area) feel much more able to guage and deal with the affective component of someone's questions, and am more able to sense blocks and problems.


They were probably less than courteous, though.

Okay.

Maybe I'm making a big deal out of it. Maybe I shouldn't write them off over this.

Still, if I'd wanted to call and talk about it, wouldn't I have called to talk about it? Or made an appointment to talk about it?

What I said was essentially -- before I commit any money (which would be the next step) and before we schedule another visit (and waste each other's time), I need these specific questions answered: 1 2 3 4 5.

I've run my own business for many years. I know it isn't always easy to give answers and be held to them. Sometimes you take a hard knock. It's the cost of getting in the game.

I'd just respond back and tell them you're very busy during the day and have very little time to call, yet prefer corresponding via email where
you can read the info at your leisure, and respond later in the evening.

Don't give in and call.

I don't like to pick up the phone, so people know that I am easily
reachable via email and act accordingly.

I'm with you boomer, though I do get the counterpoint. I much prefer email. I hate making phone calls. Sometimes because the call might takes quick thinking in a situation that requires tact, thought, etc. But, mostly it's because I don't hear well and like to have things in writing to ponder more leisurely.

I always list my preferred contact to be via email. Almost everyone makes the call anyway. I'd answer for business, especially at first, but I'd try to steer towards email as time went on.

Perhaps you could have the phone call, keep notes and then write up an email with those notes and have them respond to make sure you're all on the same page.

call them and get their response to your questions. after the call write down what you believe was discussed and what the answers to your questions were then email the answers, that way you both know where you stand.

E-mail morphing into a return phone call happens a lot in my work world.

I send an e-mail with information or questions. They call back - or if they're really crazy-making they come to my desk (sometimes to tell me they got the e-mail )

Vendors, clients, colleagues - lots of people don't do e-mail.

Given that you don't like phone calls and they don't like e mail, do you really want to have a business relationship with them?

I don't do e-mail 'conversations' either. I don't have time. If something is going to take more than one e-mail/response, then I won't do it through e-mail. If I felt the questions you asked were the beginning of what would turn into an email conversation, I would have responded about setting up a phone call. I wouldn't have said, "call us", but I would have said something like, "please let me know when it is a good time for me to call you to discuss your questions. That would have been the end of my email discussion about it.

Depends on the questions. If you're trying to negotiate some kind of deal over email, and they have no clue who you are, email may be a little too informal.

I was long a manager of small businesses. Many people wouldn't do e-mails, and others wouldn't do anything else.

But the in the final analysis, don't do business with anyone who won't spell out the proposition in writing. Not only did we always provide written estimates, we included a covers sheet, which was a signature sheet, and which required the customer to sign to show they accepted the estimate (we didn't provide a final estimate and signature sheet/cover letter until the final and firm details of the job were determined upon). One provision of the signature sheet was that at a given point in the job, the customer pay 40% of the estimate. If that did not occur, we would down tools, and no work would proceed until that payment was made. If six weeks elapsed without payment, we would remove any equipment which we had installed (we avoided installing equipment if possible, though, until the first payment was received). If all went well, we demanded 30% when the work crew left, and the final 30% when the final punch list was signed by them.

Your business many not work exactly as a contractor's does, but it is common business practice to get all the terms and payments schedules on paper before work begins. A telephone call may be nice, and convenient for those with whom you deal. Never, ever come to a final business agreement without the terms spelled out on paper and signed by a responsible person in the company with which you are dealing.

I've found I get better responses when I tell them up-front that I'm deaf and don't do telephones at all.