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Hi All, 

If I get sent an e-mail which requires a response should I reply to the e-mail or phone them, maybe both?

lindge's picture
Training Badge

It depends and therefore requires a judgement call.

e.g.

- Is an official response required or a record to be kept? e.g. in the IT world production deployments would require physical signoffs, or likewise, if a question on some requirements, would likely need this in writing

- How urgent is the response and are you at a computer? If not, then fine to call, and if necessary follow-up by email later

- How complex is the response? If overly complex, then may be worth of organizing an in-person workshop session or something similar

- Can the problem be solved quicker by phone than in email/writing? If yes, then use phone/or meeting

- How many cycles has the email thread already been through? If too many, then you may want to call an end to it and get people together by phone or in person

These are just some examples, likely loads of others.  Think it really boils down the situation and making a judgement call...

TomW's picture
Training Badge

I generally respond in the same medium I receive a message unless explicitly asked otherwise: respond to email with email, voice mail with a phone call, Facebook message with Facebook message, Tweet with Tweet, IM with IM..... see a pattern? ;-)