TIL how much time we lose waiting for email answers

I emailed a store about a return question four weeks ago. They just got back to me yesterday with a vague response. I checked my inbox every single day, feeling more annoyed each time. It made me think about all the hours spent just waiting for things. Why does something so simple take so long these days? Has anyone else gone through this with customer service? What do you do when replies take forever?

3 comments

3 Comments

emmao551mo ago

Actually, my experience has been pretty hit or miss (but mostly hit). My local hardware store replies to emails in like two hours, and I've had good luck with a few online clothing brands too. Maybe it's because I try to be super clear in my first message (like including order numbers and photos right away).

the_tara19d ago

But what if the slow replies are actually better? Sometimes a quick email back is just a bot or a copy paste answer that doesn't help. When a person takes time to look into your problem for real, that can take a couple days. I'd rather wait for a real fix than get a fast reply that says nothing.

oliviabennett1mo ago

You hit the nail on the head with this one. I swear, some companies treat email like it's carrier pigeon delivery. By the time they reply, the product is out of warranty and you've moved on. It's almost impressive how they can stretch a simple answer into a month-long mystery. I start to think my inbox is where good intentions go to die. Maybe we should all just switch to smoke signals for faster service.