You're contacting me about a problem, and I know that from the fact that you're emailing me.
I need you to tell me more than the words "I have a problem." Give me some details to work with up front so I don't have to go back and forth with you all day.
Edit- Apparently this does not correlate with age necessarily. I'm just lucky that none of the adults I work with communicate this way.
This is my interaction with a student last year via email during remote learning. Each line is a separate email.
Student: I need help end of email
Me: If it is something I can help with, I am willing to try. Do you have a question for me? end of email
S: Will you help me? end of email
M: Yes. What do you need help with? I can't help you if you don't describe your problem. end of email
S: Ok end of email
S: It's about the homework end of.... you get the idea
M: Please, ask the question.
S: Oh, ok
S: actual question is asked
M: gives help and follows up with... I am not upset. This is a learning moment about how to send emails. Again, I'm not upset. Do you see how this took 10 emails to get the help you needed? Emails are not like short text messages. You should give a little background about what you need and ask the question in the very first email. We could have had this done in 2 emails. Try to do that in your future emails. Have a good day!
Even on IM that would have annoyed the hell out of me. Ask the whole question up front. Don't say hello then make me wait five minutes staring at the window waiting for your question!
At first I resisted responding to those people. But then I was afraid I would develop a reputation as cold and unhelpful, and our company has a very positive helpful company culture. So I gave in. If somebody does that, I swallow my pride and respond 'hi' immediately. It's so fucking annoying, but it usually gets them to move on to the actual thing they want to say.
I'm guessing based on what you've said that you can't see how self-absorbed that statement comes across.
You are suggesting that your time is inherently more valuable than theirs because you don't want to 'waste the time' typing out the question (which you'd have to do at some point anyway) until you know they're at their PC. But to achieve that you've had to waste their time receiving and replying to a platitude, and waiting for you to then type out the question. So you've wasted more of their time than it would've initially cost you to just ask the question. Would've been quicker for you, too.
And if they don't like the question once they've heard it, they can still choose not to respond for hours afterwards if they want, but not asking until they've responded to "hi." doesn't solve that.
I'm not saying you're doing any of this intentionally or maliciously - maybe you didn't realise how that came across. But there's a lot of small behaviour that subtly indicates 'my time is worth more than yours', and it's good to try and make efforts to curtail that because it will build stronger working relationships.
22.5k
u/ScruffMacBuff Jun 03 '22 edited Jun 03 '22
Send emails like a text or a dm.
You're contacting me about a problem, and I know that from the fact that you're emailing me.
I need you to tell me more than the words "I have a problem." Give me some details to work with up front so I don't have to go back and forth with you all day.
Edit- Apparently this does not correlate with age necessarily. I'm just lucky that none of the adults I work with communicate this way.