Why it's right to reply

Is it just me or are people losing the ability to reply?

I've lost count of the enquiries I've made recently to potential suppliers which have gone un-answered.

And they say, business is tough out there. You wouldn't know it based on that performance, they obviously have so much going on they don't need any more.

I treat online enquiries as if they're face-to-face or telephone calls. Imagine how it would go if someone walked up to me, asked if my business could help - and I just ignored them?

It doesn't end with the initial contact, it's all about continued customer service. Whenever I receive an email, tweet or post, I acknowledge it, doesn't matter who it's from or what it's for, I reply.

I guess some people feel they don't need to respond to online communication. Big mistake, huge mistake!

I've actually won business based on this . . .

A potential customer contacted me for a print quote, which I acknowledged and acted on straight away. They were astounded. The previous supplier was taking up to 5 days to even respond! How on earth they're still in business I have no idea.

And now that customer is now one of my biggest, all from me replying and offering good customer service.

Maybe replying to enquiries is going to become a USP. How sad would that be? I'm not complaining . . .