Rules for replying to urgent email requests - !

Many email users are flooded with more messages than they are able to reply to in a timely fashion, if at all. When it is determined that a particular correspondence requires a priority response (!), there are important guidelines one should follow to produce an effective reply. Simply producing some sort of reply may not be sufficient. The following are some of these which will insure having optimal results.

Replying to urgent requests, some rules

1.   Be proactive to avoid critical email

2.   Maintain consistency in replies

3.   Follow "Netiquette" guidelines

4.   Keep promises

5.   Follow up on completed actions to verify that an "urgent" matter has been properly addressed

6.   Stay on target

7.   Keep messages brief

8.   If apologies are required, do so quickly

9.   Make sure of facts

10.  Keep "marked" messages and replies marked until all issues are resolved.

Some common templates to use when sending proper Netiquette emails

                                              

Sending templates

        Just as with replying to emails with personalized templates, templates for sending can be proper Netiquette, although not ideal. Their use is highly preferred to a mail-and-merge whenever at all possible. These messages are best for general mail where a recipient is not well known, or likely may not be contacted again. Some examples of these are;


1)   Thank-you for meeting, orders, interviews, and so on;
2)   Company hire
3)   Survey or opinion;
4)   Reminder;
5)   Retirement/promotion/award;
6)   Seasonal event;
7)     Meeting schedule;
8)     Rejection of a bid, offer or job request;
9)     Company announcement; or
10)   Referral of a colleague or group.

 Any comments or additions here are appreciated.