Conference 7.286::digital

I _DO_ think it's important to have the courtesy to at least leave them
a message indicating the nature/importance of your business with them.

I'd call them back, leave another message indicating the gravity/business
cost of their not returning the call, and asking if they couldn't please
have a secretary or someone else return the call to indicate who the
appropriate person to deal with, or their direct manager, might be.
Assuming a response is received, the rest is self-explanatory.

If still no response, I'd chase them down from the top through my own upper
management, making it clear what pains you've already taken.

-Jack

    I encounter this on a daily basis. Same with answering mail.
    Management? Well, where I sit they don't seem to be able to
    get their reports to respond and at times they don't either.
    
    Short of tracking them down physically and sitting in their
    office until the question or information requested is granted
    I don't know what the answer is.
    
    I have to qualify this as not being a DEC only lack of activity.
    
    Jim C.
    
    

    .0
    
    Don't sell their stuff - sell stuff from groups that give you support.
    
    (or is that too rad! :-))

They're not necessarily corporate people with products to sell!

    i think if someone dont call you back you should treate them their own
    medicin and not call them back too !
    
    this way they'll know how it feels and may be they'll change and start
    calling people back.
    
    for the lifes of me i dont know why people do this, i mean why they dont 
    call back or reply back in mail and stuff like that , may be it is some 
    childhood complex they have that causes this when they grow up.
    
    \bye
    \nasser
    

    Childhood? Maybe, however I feel it is just ignorance and a lack
    of respect for others.
    
    Jim C.
    

    Call one level higher, until you reach Bob P.  I have yet to
    hear of a call to the President's office that failed to be returned
    within the same business day.
    
    DOn

    
    	What you do is, you call and leave a message something like:
    
    	1. Re: concerning that large amount of cash due to you
    	2. So and so wants to know what to do with the photographs
    	3. The doctor called and said the rabbit died. What to do next?
    
    	You get the picture...once you get their attention the rest is
    	easy.
    
    	;) 
    	John
    

    
    This has been a pet peeve of mine since coming to Digital,
    but there are two sides to the story.
    
    When I was a product manager, I got numerous phone calls from all
    over the company.  I got wise quickly to the fact that some calls
    are from people who genuinely need your attention and others are
    from people who figure that their time is more important than yours
    and will call you at the drop of a hat with a question rather than
    look up the answer themselves.  Once I figured out which was which
    I always responded immediately to the former and only after the second
    message from the latter.
    
    One thing we can do to improve this situation is to respect each
    other's time.  Before I call anyone, I alway's ask myself whether
    making the call and request is the best or only way to find out what
    I must.
    
    fwiw,
    Steve
    

    
      Try Electronic Mail.  Often, real time interupts are not practical,
     but MAIL is.  In fact, for a while my phone was out of order, and
     using MAIL, I found the day was more productive.  (But I need a phone
     for outside calls.)
    

    re: .9 (MACDONALD)
    
    < Once I figured out which was which I always responded immediately
    < to the former... etc
    
    This is exactly the problem!  We have a lot of people "out
    there" who feel totally qualified to judge, by looking at some
    secretary's note and caller's name, which calls are important 
    and which are not!  I only wish I had such abilities!  
    
    One of the previous noters hit the nail on the head.  IF it is 
    indeed a product type person you're trying to reach - stop selling
    their product.  I've done exactly this, and believe me, they wake 
    up real fast.

Re:                  <<< Note 2403.11 by MSDOA::JENNINGS >>>

>    One of the previous noters hit the nail on the head.  IF it is 
>    indeed a product type person you're trying to reach - stop selling
>    their product.  I've done exactly this, and believe me, they wake 
>    up real fast.

That sounds really productive for the corporation.

-  David

re: .9

>    When I was a product manager, I got numerous phone calls from all
>    over the company.  I got wise quickly to the fact that some calls
>    are from people who genuinely need your attention and others are
>    from people who figure that their time is more important than yours
>>    and will call you at the drop of a hat with a question rather than
>>    look up the answer themselves.  Once I figured out which was which
>    I always responded immediately to the former and only after the second
>    message from the latter.
>    
>>    One thing we can do to improve this situation is to respect each
>>    other's time.  Before I call anyone, I alway's ask myself whether
>    making the call and request is the best or only way to find out what
>    I must.

The problem is at the ">>" lines ....

1st, in spite of all the electronic tools at our disposal, we are completely
inept at communicating effectively in this company.  Often, the only way a
field person can begin the hunt for information is by calling a product
manager -- IF they can determine who that is.

2nd, we can respect each other's time by taking steps to encourage more 
effective communication within this company and promoting changes where
needed to help this happen.  Then we will have more time to respect.

Steve

    I agree with .11.  I consider my job in line with the revenue flow. 
    When I have a question to ask of a Product Manager it is because I am
    holding up customer orders.  To often I never get a call back, and when
    I call I usually follow up with E-Mail, and to often don't get mail
    back.  Last month alone I had 75 new products that I had to stall
    customer orders untill I got the information I needed to process the
    orders.
    
    Dave

RE: .9;
    
>    When I was a product manager, I got numerous phone calls from all
>    over the company.  I got wise quickly to the fact that some calls
>    are from people who genuinely need your attention and others are
>    from people who figure that their time is more important than yours
>    and will call you at the drop of a hat with a question rather than
>>    look up the answer themselves.  Once I figured out which was which
>    I always responded immediately to the former and only after the second
>    message from the latter.
    
esp >>
One thing I would like to request of the product managers in the crowd
is to consider (reconsider?) your assumptions as to what can be easily
"looked up for yourself".

I do my best to find out info before I ask for somebody elses time,
but often finding information requires having a starting point.
I may not have spent the last year of my life living and breathing
product X.  I may have only heard of it today ("Oh by the way, do you 
think X could do this for me? Joe Blow told me about it...")

Also, if something is what I consider to be a business issue my first contact
is usually the Product Manager.  Sometimes I get a response.  Many times not.
Sometimes I'm able to influenct a customer to buy a product (I'm not a
salesman, but I DO have daily contact and influence). If I don't have the
information and ammunition, I may not be.

So, before you blow a call off, assuming that the person was too lazy to
look something up themselves (which IMHO is NO excuse for the unprofessional
act of not returning a business call!) consider that they may not have the
means to find that out for themselves.

Thanks,
Kevin

    
    
    Boy, did I strike a few nerves.  Let me clarify.  First, I started by
    answering *every* call that came my way within 24 hours of receiving
    it and more often than not sooner than that.  By experience I got
    to learn who was jerking me around and who wasn't.  Certainly not
    everyone in the field or elsewhere was doing that.  I'm not painting
    with a broad brush.  It was very irritating, however, when returning
    a call, hearing a question, and answering it, to say as an aside where
    the information could be found to hear "I don't have time to look up
    information.  That's what I expect you to be there for."  It was
    certainly a minority who responded this way, but that minority was a
    lot more than just one.
    
    nuf said by me,
    
    Steve
    
    

    
    
    COMMUNICATIONSYSTEMS WON'T
    AS LONG AS HUMAN BEINGS DON'T!!
    
    /hope this explains
    /jan
    

    i think too this might be a mostly north east phenomena, i know may be this
    is not PC to say, but i noticed more people complaining of this in 
    lovely northeast than any place else i hanged around, i think it has 
    something to do with nature of people in north east compared to other 
    parts of America. i know some friends from  school who work in different 
    companies around lovely Boston and they tell me this problem exists 
    there too, so it not a DECeee problem per says.

    dont take me wrong!, i think northeast is such such a lovely place, but i 
    think different parts of America has different type of people nature in it,
    and this all follows too from it, but i bet if we move to Texas with its
    worm climate like i hear we are going to, this problem will disappear 
    from DEC environment if not be reduced completely. 

    i bet you a whole dunketts donuts that Texan's DECeee's folks do return 
    phone calls better than massusususuttteesustete's (sp?) or 
    new_hamshiriants's DECeees, in general offcourse.

    ps. since we are on the subject, does any one when we are actually going
    to move to Texas? 

    any way, i just wanted to illuminate this angle to the discussion so
    i hope it helps.

    \bye
    \nasser

re: .18

>    dont take me wrong!, i think northeast is such such a lovely place, but i 
>    think different parts of America has different type of people nature in it,
>    and this all follows too from it, but i bet if we move to Texas with its
>    worm climate like i hear we are going to, this problem will disappear 
>    from DEC environment if not be reduced completely. 
>
>    i bet you a whole dunketts donuts that Texan's DECeee's folks do return 
>    phone calls better than massusususuttteesustete's (sp?) or 
>    new_hamshiriants's DECeees, in general offcourse.
>
>    ps. since we are on the subject, does any one when we are actually going
>    to move to Texas? 

Well, speaking from the Lone Star state, home of the world champion Cowboys, as
well as certain rather militant cults, 'roun here if ya don't return 'phone
calls, we say "Howdy" to your next higher up.  Or make you join a local cult.

:-(

    i couldn't count the number of times I call sales people about an
    account and never get a call back.  I think that once they see an
    internal number and don't recognize the name they drop it in the
    basket.  I bet they figure that what they do takes precedence over
    everything else in the company.

    re .18
    
    Nassar, let's not start that Donuts thing again...
    
    :-)
    
    q
    

        Gee, I have a major problem with people NOT calling back too!  BUT...
    it's not me that is not getting the return calls!

    I have one person I answer phones for, she is NOT in my group I do this
    as a courtesy... she can not get VOICEMAIL as we are waiting for
    additional lines to this building......  I get anywhere from 10 - 40
    calls per day for her, most of them are repeat calls, the majority are
    repeat repeats... these people call usually only once per day, but at
    least every day!  I put messages on her desk... and suggest the people
    send her E-mail..... most do and tell me they have done so!  She just
    absolutely refuses to return calls or answer her mail.  I have talked
    to her former secretary and she had the same problem... for years!!!!

    Not only that... but I have asked nicely, requested sternly.. and even
    demanded.... that she tell me where she is, at least write it on the
    board.... I have not known for 4 weeks where she was... she has not
    been in the office, and she hasn't called (surprise!!!) to let me know
    where she is!  I have started telling people she hasn't signed out, so
    I don't know where she is!!!  I had one of her daily callers inform me
    that he heard (from someone else) that she was in Paris.... GREAT!!!! 
    I am the one answering the phones, and I have to find out from someone
    else where she is/has been!

    I have even had people get upset with me and demand to know if I gave
    her their last messages..... as nicely as I can be, I tell them that I
    have not seen her personally, but the messages are on her desk, that
    history has taught me not to send her phone messages over the net, as
    she doesn't read her mail either....  Now I'm the bad guy because I
    don't sit in her office or on her lap and make her return the calls,,,
    HELL.... I DON'T EVEN SEE THE WOMAN!!!!

    Sooo, to all you frustrated callers... I can sympathize with you
    totally... I have one who doesn't return calls too.. and I get beat up
    for it!!!!!

    Mary-Lynn

    PS.. please don't suggest I go to her manager... he could care less
    about it, seeing as I don't work for him!!!!  She may, but that is
    something she has to work out.. not him!!!!
    

    re .22
    
    Politely explain to callers that you do not know where she is nor when
    she will be back, but that you will leave a message on her desk.  If
    they find that unacceptable, provide them with the name and telephone #
    of her manager.
    
    You are not paid to make excuses for rude people.
    
    Of course, that may be just MY opinion.
    
    Dave
    

	I would forward her phone to her manager for a day.. That 
	would put a stop to her carelessness.

						mike

    
    	Post her name in this notesfile. I'll bet her behavior changes!
    
    
    		fred deady

    Thanks Fred... but I like my job!

    i cant believe my own ears this morning !

    i mean, may be the DECeee in question is trying to answer back but she 
    is busy and is running around with other work, did we wait to hear from 
    this DECeee before saying she is guilty before the benefits of the doubt? 
    have we?  did we? have we asked what kind of childhood rearing this 
    DECeee had? did we? after all the explaining i did many times ago about 
    the effect of childhood precious days and the northeast environment of 
    this aspect of the DECeee human behavior as far as relating to
    answering the messages? have we? offcourse not! we just jumped in and 
    and started screaming at the poor DECeee!! 

    what is happening to DECeees nowadays?

    i think all the DECeees should be more understanding to each others and 
    stand by each others in times of difficulties and hold each others hands 
    and help any DECeeees in need and when one DECeees cant keep up with 
    things around and return all the phone calls and related messages then 
    other DECeees can step in and chip a hand and help out! 

    we should work like a team spirit , you scratch my back i scratch your back
    and not get all upset when you answer phone messages to other DECeees for 
    crying loud out ! 

    i just wanted to outline some aspect of this issue and related because
    i dont think any one has looked at the picture from above, as you know
    sometimes it is easy to miss the trees when you look at the forest and
    i just wanted to outline this point on this.

    \bye
    \nasser

    
    
    nasser,
    
    what planet you from anyway.... this is the new DEC... not
    much different than the current outside world.  Business
    is tough, not for the meek.
    
    gb
    

    If you constantly do not return phone calls or E-mails, what are you 
    paid to do anyhow?
    
    I firmly believe that each and every employee be customer responsive.
    
    several years ago, I phoned another DEC office, trying to get a hold of 
    a certain  person, (B.V. before Voicemail), I let the phone ring at
    least for 5 minutes.  When the phone finally was answered ther response
    was a very rude " Why did you let this phone ring as long as you did,
    this is not in my department, and I had to walk a long way to get here
    to answer the #$%@@ phone!" 
    
    My response was a simple , "Boy am I glad that I am not a customer, you
    would have just lost an account!"
    
    I sure got a courteous response then !!
    
    
    
    I generally leave the person 1 voice message, then wait a day or 2,
    depending upon the urgency.  I may even send an E-mail, as a followup.  
    
    
    I am finding, that as DEC time goes on , less and less phone calls,
    E-mails, are being returned.
    
    What are we doing that is so busy that we can't answer a customer's
    question?
    
    
    
    GP

       Being both a victim and a receiver of abuse in this arena, I have
    some comments:
    
      (1)Firstly of all...Try to put yourself in the shoes of the person on
    the OTHER end of that phone... While I'm not going to dispute the fact
    that there are some BOZOS out there who are abusing their positions,
    not all of it is so cut and dried. Much of the company has downsized
    numbers rather than wisely, and in some cases people are being asked to
    perform like they had magic wands. My department used to be 14 fulltime
    and 5 temps...and believe me, we were BUSY! Now its ME and voicemail...
    I get an average of 50+ calls per DAY!  I MUST prioritize...so V.P.'s
    USUALLY get called first, then folks who give me a clue as to what
    they're calling about, and then the ones who leave numbers are put in
    the queue... Many people call and hang up when they hear the recorder.
    I have a big problem calling back someone who leaves a "CLANG....." on
    the line!! I ALSO have a problem with a person who never answers
    <THEIR> phone when you call >THEM< back 15 times!!! 
    
      (2)Understand that the person you call is not usually just sitting
    there WAITING for YOU to call.... I get the feeling sometimes that most
    of the people who I deal with think I'm personally assigned to them!! 
    Wish I had the luxury, but I, like MOST people today, are about
    stretched to the limit!!
    
      (3)BELIEVE it....Voicemail is NOT the alltime answer to all the ills
    and delays of Digital and/or the industry!! In fact, in some
    environments it's a handicap, because it has effectively removed the
    "personal" aspect from the business and lef a machine in it's
    place...and folks....that has a tendency to turn a lot of people OFF!!
    
      (4)We've been saddled with numerous "time-saving" and "productivity
    improving" systems, devices and objects in recent years....and most of
    them have been introduced and implemented and given to us by people who
    haven't got a good clue about what we do and who haven't had the
    decency or intelligence to ASK us if we needed them or if they helped
    us....we just HAVE them!! I am working with systems today that I'm
    forced to use that have cut my productivity in HALF in some cases....
    
    
      SO...before throwing stones, try to see things from the other side.
    One thing that has a tendency to REALLY delay stuff is this idea that
    escalating to management will always help. Usually it simply forces the
    person who has the manager called to spend half a day trying to defend
    her/his position and it causes about 20 OTHER people to have their
    calls not returned...
    
    
      John M 

    Er, just wondering:  How does a DEC employee disappear off the face of
    the earth for four weeks?  No matter what your job here, how can your
    whereabouts not be known by *someone*, including the manager, for more
    than a few days?  Does this missing person have it knocked or what? 
    Someone thinks she may be in Paris?  Geeeesh!  This person's manager
    should be held accountable.  

    Enough complaining!
    
    Re .LAST You hit it on the head.  I thought you could be fired if no
    one knows where you are.  At least thats what I've been told out here
    in the trenches.  I'm not in the office in general, and my office is
    still living BV (Before Voicemail).  Guess what you call me, and you
    actually get a human.  I call in at least twice a day.  If a previous
    customer has a problem, or a complaint I want to be the first one to
    know, not my manager, not his manager, NOT BP.  After Friday's DVN,
    I would hope that we all become a little more CUSTOMER FOCUSED. 
    
    As for this person who nobody know where they are, well if their
    manager does not care that they return the calls, then maybe they
    both need to be reminded of the fact that the customer comes first.
    If they can't grasp this simple concept then maybe they are not
    qualified for their jobs.
    
    Is this to hard to except.  Did anybody listen to the DVN on Friday.
    
    Just fed up with internal politics, and hoping thing will eventually
    turn out for the better!  United we stand, Devided we fall!
    
    - Ahh it's monday!  :-)
    
    Mike

        Re: .22

>    I have one person I answer phones for, she is NOT in my group I do this
>    as a courtesy...
          ^^^^^^^^

        If this is truly a courtesy, then stop doing it if it causes you
        problems.  You probably want to check with your manager first,
        give a warning, and then change the forwarding for her phone.

        If, however, your manager believes that answering that phone is
        part of your job, then follow the advice in .23.

        					B.J.

    Regarding Product Managers as a source of product info:
    
    Life in the field is very confusing.  You are burried in a sea
    of information on paper and on-line.  The field is the internal
    customer for most product managers, so I suggest the following
    proactive approach to the too many phone calls problem:
    
      1.  make sure that your product information is available
          and easy to find from the field
      2.  call some field personnel to verify that it's easy to
          find
      3.  recognize that your product info won't answer 100% of
          the questions
      4.  decide the most time efficient way for the other
          questions to be answered--i.e. notesfile, email, etc.
      5.  screen all your calls with an outgoing message that
          tells where to find the basic product info and what
          the proper channel is for other questions
      6.  put an autoreply in your email address with the same
          information
      7.  ask people in the field if this system is working for
          them
      8.  be firm with the few obnoxious callers who want you to
          spoon feed them at the last possible moment
    
    It's your product and it's your phone problem.  You can solve
    it.  If you just complain about the calls and don't call back
    or provide some reasonable channel for support, you could be
    costing the company sales of your product.

    A "professional" is someone who can get the job done even on those
    occasions when (s)he doesn't feel up to it.  An "amateur" is someone
    who can't do the job even if (s)he felt like it.
    
    "Commitment" is what transforms a promise into reality.  It's the words
    that speak boldly of your intentions and the actions which speak louder
    than words.  It's making the time when there is none.  It's the daily
    triumph of integrity over skepticism.
    
    Teamwork:  "internal customer astonishment".
    
    	[All quotes I saved from somewhere.]  

    Well, I talked with her managers secretary today, to see if she knew
    where this woman was... she said someone in the woman's team called
    yesterday and told her that she was on vacation.  BUT, seeing as the
    sec'y did not handle the woman's affairs (I do) she was not involved,
    and did not know the woman's work habits!  In other words, "Don't
    bother me kid".....

    I will start referring them to the manager, when they start giving me a
    hard time.  I will continue to be cordial, if they are... but when they
    start hassling me, I will either tell them to call the manager or just
    forward them to him!

    Thanks for the suggestions!

    M-L

    i suggest we leave only outside numbers,and tell them it is about the 
    body found in the trunk of their car...
    
    al b