f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Live Chat works well too!

One of my customers installed Live Chat and more than half of new enquries via LC results in an order!

Phones are so 20th century

Moley

iTrader: (9)

They simply take too much time, although i agree they are a very handy tool to use.

As i said, if you are busy why spend 20 minutes on an e-mail conversation when you could get it done in a 2 minute phone conversation.

If you're not very busy e-mails are fine, but when you are rushing around all day it's hard to find the time unfortunately.

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Don't agree, you can write an email any time, try calling someone back at midnight and see how far you get

Also with email you have it all there in writing rather than a phone call where nothing gets recorded.

If the enquiry needs a protracted dialogue than I agree the phone is the answer, but if not then I prefer email all day long!

dpb

Well there's the best and worst right there,you can send anytime and you can pick up anytime

Moley

iTrader: (9)

I won't be writing a business e-mail at midnight either

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

That's where we differ then

Alan Jeffery

We do our best within the limitations of really poor BT broadband sometimes.
We respond daily if not hourly to PM's, emails, and Faceberk along with having a full time receptionist who answers the landline phone.
I live 25 miles from the business, so please excuse me if I'm not available when driving as I refuse point blank to use a mobile in the car. Apart from that, we have some means of contact every day between 7 am and 11 pm.
I figure that's quite enough thanks!

Moley

iTrader: (9)

Unfortunately my work is 25 miles away from my home, and i can only access my work e-mails from the work computer.

But hey, if you're willing to do a 50 mile round trip at midnight just to send an e-mail you're a better man than i am

(and we're not allowed to send e-mails from our personal e-mail address)

Moley

iTrader: (9)

(I do however respond to pm's on here at all hours, including nights and weekends)

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Apologies as it was genuinely not meant as a criticism, but I didn't word it well.

All I meant is that I work for myself from home and obviously have the capability (and do tend) to write emails when ever I need to and I like the fact I can write one at midnght if I so choose whereas the phone is obviously limited to specific times of day. That's one of the key reasons why I like using emails over the phone!

That's all I meant!

Moley

iTrader: (9)

No probs, i'd like the chance to do some of my work from home, but that's a big no no apparently.

pflowers

Just because you don't get a reply don't assume they haven't done it.

I get about 30 email enquiries a week off our contact form and I always reply, sometimes within minutes, never more than a couple of hours.

However I would say around a third of my replies get rejected by the customers server as spam, or just as common the customer entered an invalid address.

urban

iTrader: (1)

And here lieth the problem