Biz on the Web: What is your response policy?

It is not uncommon for me to interface with photographers.

A local photographer had in the past been hired by my client to take photos of the exterior of their building. That client now was wishing to have those shots used on the website. I was to contact the photographer and coordinate the purchase of the necessary rights to use the photos for the web.

Sounds simple enough, right?

I originally called and spoke with an assistant. She explained that I would need to speak with the photographer. She took my name and number, and told me he would call me back that same day.

He never called.

I gave him a few days and called again. This time no one answered and I left a message.

Again, no response.

After another week I called, and spoke with the same assistant again. I explained that I had left a message with her and one voicemail, but never received a response.

"He isn't very good about returning phone calls", I was told. The solution? I was instructed to simply continue to call back until I was able to catch him at a time when he wasn't 1) at lunch, 2) busy with a client, or 3) "out of the office".

What does this response policy tell me about the business, or at least the photographer? Plain and simple:

• My business is not important to them.
• My time is not important to them.
• I am not important to them.

Perhaps they would change their attitude and response policy if they stopped to consider the message that it sends to others.

What is the "web" specific application of this little story?

Email and other forms of digital communication can easily become overwhelming. That being the case, it is easy to become like the above mentioned photographer and simply ignore it.

This is an approach that will never help your business. It certainly has potential to hurt your business.

Instead, take a moment to review or establish a response policy for your business. It doesn't haven't to be a long formal written document. Perhaps it is a few sentences or keywords. The point is to take a moment to think about how you will choose to handle email or other digital communications, and the message you wish to send by the way you do so.

Second, integrate that policy into how you and your co-workers go about their daily business. Include the necessary time in your schedule. Build it into your workflow.

Personally, I try to respond to all digital communications within 1 business day (although it is often much sooner). In the actual response I try to focus on what I can do, instead of what I can't. If solving a problem I try to provide more than one option. I try to avoid placing blame.

What is your response policy?
Do you have a policy regarding digital communication? If so, what is it?