STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Elle · Hermes

What do you consider a reasonable response time?

luckylily · Gucci

Personally, I try to respond to calls and emails within 24 hours. If I can't respond within that time frame, I'll send a quick email letting the individual know when I'll respond.

That's my goal anyway, sometimes things get too hectic.

If it has been more than a couple days, I say you are justified in being frustrated.

laken1 · Hermes

I agree with the 24 hour rule. Sorry. But when I was working, my day usually consisted of meetings for a large portion of my day, so to answer calls / emails very quickly was just not an option. Lots of people found that aggrivating, but I don't know what to tell them. Fact is if you are doing your job, you aren't tied to the desk / computer all day (unless that is your job). If someone got snotty with me about it, I tried to remind them that when i was physically working on their issue, I wasn't returning the calls of the other people that needed my attention either. But I also think that over 24 hours or no response is just rude. I would also try to get my assistant to call & let them know what to expect, but that isn't always an option either.

I would say if you are really worried about rather those people are working on your issue, keep calling. Bad as i hate to say it, squeeky wheel does indeed get the grease! Also, maybe ask them their policy on such things or let them know what you expect? Like say "I know you are busy but this is a really important time for me & I would like to hear from you within XXX on this matter.

HTH

Elle · Hermes

Okay, so it's not just me then. Some more info:

2 months ago, I emailed our coordinator at our ceremony/reception location to verify some things that I had failed to write down or even ask when we booked in February. She responded back 2 days later, but did not answer one of my questions, so I replied back to re-ask the question, as it was an extremely important possible budget-breaker. She never responded. So 2 weeks ago I called and left a message and asked them to call me back. 10 days later ... nada. I called back again - her message said that she was temporarily out of the office and gave her assistant's number. I called her assistant, who informed me that she had a family emergency and had been out of the office all that time. WTF?!? She has all my sympathy for whatever difficult situation she was dealing with, but she heard my message before she left the office!! Is it too much to ask that she would slap my name and number down and toss it to her assistant - even just so she could have told me it was going to be awhile before she returned my call!

When the assistant did call me back, she had this awful 'calm the bridezilla' tone - like she was trying to smooth my crazy-bride feathers or something. Instead of being genuinely apologetic, she was assuming and fake, poo-pooing on my concerns and reassuring me that everything would be fine. "You'll have your dinner, and then the cake cutting, first dance (we aren't having dancing), garter toss (no way in hell), and bouquet toss (flowers are expensive - throwing them is stupid IMO), and everything will be fine."

I emailed them with a couple more (yes or no) questions on Wednesday morning, and still haven't heard back. This is stuff that needs to go on our contract! We could buy 2 cars and/or put a decent down payment on a house for what we're paying them, and I can't even get a 2-line email! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Even though it sounds like I was a bitch to them, I swear I've restrained myself IRL - all my frustration is spilling out here! This is getting long and irrelevant, but my thanks for validating my concerns.

bex · Chanel

i would definitely address my concerns with them on their timeliness (sp?)

in my professional life, i try to answer all emails and phone messages within a 24 hour period- and you know what- i get a lot of compliments on that! apparently people in my position in my industry don't answer calls at all a lot of times.

best of luck with these wackos!