Reading still an important business practice

The channels of electronic workplace communication are many nowadays, whether phone calls, voicemails, texts or ever-reliable emails. Monitoring all these technologies can be overwhelming but is a business requirement nonetheless. Sometimes it’s easier to pick up the phone and call people. But in the business world, many dealings require a trail in writing, necessitating email communication. We even electronically sign formal documents or contracts via email, making this one of the most official forms of communication. As such, this makes reading and absorbing the entire document important.

We’re all inundated by messages in our inboxes. You likely use software that specifically screens emails, occasionally routing them to another folder or two. Some are legit, and some are not. Even so, it seems that lots of people aren’t reading messages. I’ve had several experiences of this exact situation.

We were working with a machine tool supplier to clear up a past-due invoice. I requested an account statement from the company to get the bill paid and ensure that our records matched the vendor’s. All this communication was important and required an email chain for confirmation. The entire day progressed with no statement or response. Then, many hours later, the supplier followed up again and requested the payment status with no mention of the needed statement.

It was frustrating because I had the electronic verification that my email had been received and read, but the company still didn’t address the issue at hand. Bottom line: The vendor didn’t read my email, even though I had copied three key managers to resolve the matter. This situation created another delay and wasted more time dealing with the same issue I had tried to resolve. Once I pointed out the failure to read my written, official request, the supplier apologized and provided what I had already asked for.

Unfortunately, other vendors also regularly contact us about orders or payments, requesting updates or information that’s already been provided.