I have noticed a significant improvement in response rate to my emails to the gas and bank teams since last fall. They still have never responded via email; all responses have been by phone. I always write "Please go ahead and assign me; no need to call and confirm", but they always call anyway to confirm. I sometimes chuckle to myself and wonder if they are calling from a rotary phone. It's hard to fault them for the unusual technological atavism, though, as I have found them to be the friendliest, most polite, and most pleasant bunch in the mystery shopping business.