I've been doing our scheduling for many years. How long? I used to play phone tag with shoppers to get people to commit to visits and then Snail Mail them forms with SASE's. The instant communication has drastically changed the playing field. I feel Deva's pain here and I also can see the shoppers' point of view in needing to get an answer to a question 'in a hurry'. I've always done my best to answer email as quickly as I possibly can; I'm constantly monitoring the Inbox for those in immediate need and do my best to answer them. I'm often baffled at how many of those 'emergencies' could have been avoided if the Guidelines had been fully absorbed. It baffles me even further when I get emails from I-Pads and am told they are at target and need a question answered and the answer is right in front of them in the Guidelines on their I-Pad. I want to say what part of 'independent' in IC don't you understand. But that isn't what I do because it is my job to support you all. So I answer the question and gently point out where they can find the answer in the Guidelines in case they forget and need a refresher on their next shop.
Here is my tip for Deva; I've started doing this in the past year when I need some 'me' time. Use your automatic reply feature. Tell the truth; kinda. Example; Explain it is midnight and you are finally dragging off to bed and have an important duty to perform in the morning so won't be answering emails until 10am. Then get up, make and have breakfast with your kids, drive them to school, go to Starbucks and get a coffee and mosey on home to slogging at the email box on your time. I've also started doing this on Friday afternoons and reminding people it is the weekend and hoping they enjoy theirs but not to expect a a reply until Monday unless it is an 'emergency' because I have a yard and house to maintain and a life too. Then I get away from my computer and take back some of my life. I do monitor email by notifications on my phone (I don't read the email unless the first line says 'help' in some way.) and reply if I can from the phone or if not make my way to a keyboard. It has helped me to feel a little less beholden to the Inbox and for me that's a good thing.
Getting the auto-reply let's people know you are there somewhere but not immediately available; it reduces the immediacy of their expectation and yet lets them know their email was received and will be replied to in due course.
Schedulers are people too and the job is very much a never ending proposition. 24/7/365. My schedule and the assignments I need to fill go with me on my vacations, a weekend away or just out to dinner. Shoppers just go away; on cruises mostly it seems. :-)
Bill Koch
Owner / Founder / Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
ServiceSense
Norwell, MA
www.servicesense.com