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I hate to tell you, but you may be one of those people we wish just texted every time we have to stop what we are doing and pick up a call. 99% of the time it

I hate to tell you, but you may be one of those people we wish just texted every time we have to stop what we are doing and pick up a call. 99% of the time it could be handled better via a text or email, which allows both parties to answer when they can. It is infuriating when I have to spend 30 minutes of my day trying to phone people back and getting voice mail so that they can tell me something that was best put in a simple text.

thesuperbigfrog 5y ago
>> I hate to tell you, but you may be one of those people we wish just texted every time we have to stop what we are doing and pick up a call. >> 99% of the time it could be handled better via a text or email, which allows both parties to answer when they can. I think it depends very much on your relationship with the person with whom you are communicating and the conversation itself. The "bandwidth" of communication of a voice call is much higher than a text or email because of voice inflection, voice tone, and other audible factors. For example, you might be able to immediately tell that the person you called is sick and adjust your plans or request, but a text or email would not tell you that. A voice call also allows for quick clarifications that could take several rounds of texts or emails. This means that a 30 second phone call could be faster than several rounds of texts or emails spaced over several hours. A voice call is also better for more sensitive or urgent communication. Urgent or sensitive news conveyed over text or email can feel impersonal or even uncaring. For asynchronous one-way messages, I agree that texts or emails are better since they do not interfere and allow each side to handle responses asynchronously. >> It is infuriating when I have to spend 30 minutes of my day trying to phone people back and getting voice mail so that they can tell me something that was best put in a simple text. I completely agree. I HATE voice mail and have actually turned it off. People who know me and need a voice call can call back or try reaching me by text or email.
- fuzzer37 5y ago
  > I completely agree. I HATE voice mail and have actually turned it off. People who know me and need a voice call can call back or try reaching me by text or email. Yeah... You're the kind of person people wish would just text us.
  - thesuperbigfrog 5y ago
    Honest question: Would you prefer to receive bad news by voice call or by text message? Personally, I would prefer to receive bad news by voice call, but I am curious about what others prefer and why.
mrweasel 5y ago
Different solutions for different situations and people. I don't see the 99%, more frequently it's meetings that can be replaced by emails. Some of my customers are fine sending an email or creating a ticket, and are able to tell me in writing what they want. Others, I'd say around half, can't clearly tell me what they want. Maybe they don't know, or they don't fully understand the problem Either you send a few emails back and forth for a few days, trying to figure out what people want, wasting hours. Instead you can call the same people, and in less than 30 minutes have the job clearly defined. Then you still need to follow up via an email, so you have the clients OK in writing. It's not a generational thing, it's down to how different people best communicate, and what situation you're currently facing. The clean and clear dismissal of phone call as a means of communication isn't productive. My dismissal of texts in professional settings might also not be super productive, but that's would mean that I have to give out my cellphone number to clients, and that's not really happening.

thesuperbigfrog 5y ago

>> I hate to tell you, but you may be one of those people we wish just texted every time we have to stop what we are doing and pick up a call. >> 99% of the time it could be handled better via a text or email, which allows both parties to answer when they can. I think it depends very much on your relationship with the person with whom you are communicating and the conversation itself. The "bandwidth" of communication of a voice call is much higher than a text or email because of voice inflection, voice tone, and other audible factors. For example, you might be able to immediately tell that the person you called is sick and adjust your plans or request, but a text or email would not tell you that. A voice call also allows for quick clarifications that could take several rounds of texts or emails. This means that a 30 second phone call could be faster than several rounds of texts or emails spaced over several hours. A voice call is also better for more sensitive or urgent communication. Urgent or sensitive news conveyed over text or email can feel impersonal or even uncaring. For asynchronous one-way messages, I agree that texts or emails are better since they do not interfere and allow each side to handle responses asynchronously. >> It is infuriating when I have to spend 30 minutes of my day trying to phone people back and getting voice mail so that they can tell me something that was best put in a simple text. I completely agree. I HATE voice mail and have actually turned it off. People who know me and need a voice call can call back or try reaching me by text or email.

fuzzer37 5y ago
> I completely agree. I HATE voice mail and have actually turned it off. People who know me and need a voice call can call back or try reaching me by text or email. Yeah... You're the kind of person people wish would just text us.
- thesuperbigfrog 5y ago
  Honest question: Would you prefer to receive bad news by voice call or by text message? Personally, I would prefer to receive bad news by voice call, but I am curious about what others prefer and why.

mrweasel 5y ago

Different solutions for different situations and people. I don't see the 99%, more frequently it's meetings that can be replaced by emails. Some of my customers are fine sending an email or creating a ticket, and are able to tell me in writing what they want. Others, I'd say around half, can't clearly tell me what they want. Maybe they don't know, or they don't fully understand the problem Either you send a few emails back and forth for a few days, trying to figure out what people want, wasting hours. Instead you can call the same people, and in less than 30 minutes have the job clearly defined. Then you still need to follow up via an email, so you have the clients OK in writing. It's not a generational thing, it's down to how different people best communicate, and what situation you're currently facing. The clean and clear dismissal of phone call as a means of communication isn't productive. My dismissal of texts in professional settings might also not be super productive, but that's would mean that I have to give out my cellphone number to clients, and that's not really happening.