I have always taken pride in replying to all emails sent to me. Even if the reply was to advise that I was unable to help.
I saw it as a basic professional courtesy. But I am beginning to rethink the situation.
What if you have advised a person repeatedly what the process is, at what stage they are in the process, and that you will be in touch at the appropriate time? What if they continue emailing inane requests which you have already dealt with?
Are you expected to continue wasting your time repeating yourself and explain? Are you supposed to spend time replying to emails that should never have been sent rather than doing the work involved in the process? Should you delay doing the work that really matters simply to be able to say, ‘I reply to all emails, no matter how irrelevant or needless they are’?
I am beginning to think the answer is ‘no’. I am beginning to think the person needs to back me to do the work and let me get on with it.
Or fire me. Get another solicitor. For the frustration and time spent in seeing and dealing with these emails in my inbox outweighs the benefits of replying to everything.
Perhaps replying to everything encourages the repeated sending, especially when the sender knows that I always reply.
This is going to change. It has to, for it is a waste of my valuable time, time I could be spending on the client’s file and doing the work that is important.