Communication...

I like email. I really do. I use it quite frequently to email friends and family, co-workers, etc. I answer many reference questions via email. I even use it for business--like emailing companies who's services I use or want to use. I'd rather email them than go the the phone hassle, press 1 for blah and 2 for blah blah and 3 for blah blah blah and 4 if you want me to start over.

But this week, I think I'll just give up with trying to email businesses.

This week, I emailed a local business with a question regarding Internet service. I just had a question and I wanted some price quotes. This company is in the "Internet" business. I assumed they'd get right back to me. But, after 5 days and no reply, I called the office. The receptionist (who was human) said; "Oh, the guys never answer their email."

What??? Then why give it out? Why give it on the web page? Why print it on all of the company's literature if you will N.E.V.E.R. use it? The idiots.

This week, I emailed our Satellite TV provider. I hate their phone system. I've called it, and I HATE it. So, I thought I'd email them a complaint about how the technician hooked up our system after we moved and ask if it's something I could fix. They replied, "...yes, you can switch you TV sets, they are not a part of our system."

They didn't read my question, and I'm not an idiot, I knew I could move the TV's around. Heck, I'm the person who figures out why a signal was lost or how to find the right TV channel. I am not an idiot. So, being the understanding and patient person that I am, I fired an email right back asking; "did you even read my email. I was asking about the RECEIVER, not the TV, but the RECEIVER." Idiots. The second time, they got it right and answered my question. Why couldn't they have done it right the first time? (I helped them though, I put the word receiver in all caps every single time I used it; and I used it a lot!) Idiots.

Today, I emailed another business. They are related to health insurance and such. Once again, they didn't read my email, but just sent a form for me to fill out to get medical "reimbursement." Not at all what I asked for in my email. I fired another email back. And, no, the word "idiot" never appears in my message. But I really wanted to use it.

Don't people READ? Don't the people that businesses hire to check their email expect them to READ it and then respond, or do they just hire idiots and don't really intend for their email to be used by customers.

I don't get it. I really don't. But, now, for me, email correspondence is out and phone calls are out. It really would be inconvenient to travel to every corner of the country just to get a simple question answered, but I'm out of options. Is customer service a thing of the past? Is reading a thing of the past? Weren't we all taught communication skills in school?

Maybe it's not the businesses and the idiots...I mean staff they hire. Maybe it's me... Do I communicate well? Can you all understand what I write, or am I the idiot?

Don't answer that.