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03-25-2002, 10:37 PM

I guess the biggest question I have about this communication issue is:  How do you keep up with it all?

Somehow people got it into their heads that I know a little bit about corn snakes, and I am getting inundated with questions.  These cover the entire spectrum from "I am just getting into snakes and would like you to tell me everything you know" to "Please send me a price list of what you have available", thru "Is there any genetic relationship between the Lavender corns and the Caramel corns?", and everything in between.  Being in the business, I have to set priorities, without sounding mercenary about it, but when you get dozens of emails like this PER DAY, the ones you put off till later just never get answered.  Not without dropping everything else you need to do just to answer the emails.

So, again, how do you keep up with it all?  Right now, I have 498 emails that I have not responded to (and that doesn't count the ones I prunned off because my email file was getting too big.  Oops!  Just got the flag go up that MORE emails have just come in............

Is a short note explaining you are busy, sufficient?  Many of the emails to me will start off with "I know you are busy..."  but they still expect an answer.  Last year (or was it the year before?)  I used an auto-responder to try to fend off the bulk of the emails.  I think it caused me more trouble than it saved me.

So, I'm groping here.  What can I do to keep up with the volume of email without losing my business because I can't do what needs to be done to keep it running because I am answering emails (and maintaining these boards&#33<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='

'>, or suffer from lost customers from the fact that I choose to spend my time taking care of my animals and ignore the bulk of the emails?  This is one hell of a catch-22, and I can't figure out an answer.

Before you say it, yes, I have set up message boards (one in particular about Corn Snakes specifically) to help draw off some of the questions for other people to help out with, but it seems to only draw more people to personally ask me questions.  I really wish I could respond to them all personally, but quite frankly it's just not possible to do any longer.

<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>

03-25-2002, 10:37 PM	#10
WebSlave	I guess the biggest question I have about this communication issue is:  How do you keep up with it all? Somehow people got it into their heads that I know a little bit about corn snakes, and I am getting inundated with questions.  These cover the entire spectrum from "I am just getting into snakes and would like you to tell me everything you know" to "Please send me a price list of what you have available", thru "Is there any genetic relationship between the Lavender corns and the Caramel corns?", and everything in between.  Being in the business, I have to set priorities, without sounding mercenary about it, but when you get dozens of emails like this PER DAY, the ones you put off till later just never get answered.  Not without dropping everything else you need to do just to answer the emails. So, again, how do you keep up with it all?  Right now, I have 498 emails that I have not responded to (and that doesn't count the ones I prunned off because my email file was getting too big.  Oops!  Just got the flag go up that MORE emails have just come in............ Is a short note explaining you are busy, sufficient?  Many of the emails to me will start off with "I know you are busy..."  but they still expect an answer.  Last year (or was it the year before?)  I used an auto-responder to try to fend off the bulk of the emails.  I think it caused me more trouble than it saved me. So, I'm groping here.  What can I do to keep up with the volume of email without losing my business because I can't do what needs to be done to keep it running because I am answering emails (and maintaining these boards&#33<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>, or suffer from lost customers from the fact that I choose to spend my time taking care of my animals and ignore the bulk of the emails?  This is one hell of a catch-22, and I can't figure out an answer. Before you say it, yes, I have set up message boards (one in particular about Corn Snakes specifically) to help draw off some of the questions for other people to help out with, but it seems to only draw more people to personally ask me questions.  I really wish I could respond to them all personally, but quite frankly it's just not possible to do any longer. <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='???'>