Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Hello? Hello? Anybody out there?

It's the most common complaint I receive:


People don't respond when I contact them through Community Weaver.

It's like I sent an email into a black hole.

I set up a time to meet them but they never showed up.

Yep. It's a common problem. But it has a simple solution:

Common Courtesy

Which, sadly, is not all that common anymore.

It is really important that, as a Time Trader, you respond quickly to messages you receive through Community Weaver. Really important.

We all want instant gratification. When we decide to do something, we are almost always in a hurry. So when someone contacts you through Community Weaver because you fix widgets and their widget is broken, they want to know right away if you can fix it for them or if they need to look for another widget-fixer.

As a Time Trader, one always has the right to refuse to participate in a transaction. No need to offer a reason, just please respond.

If one cannot participate in a transaction, here are some phrases that could be used in a response:
  • No.
  • I'm sorry, that won't work with my current schedule.
  • Actually, I was going to delete that offer because I am very busy right now.
  • I can't do it until ______. You can either wait until then or find someone else.
  • I am unavailable.
  • That is not convenient for me.
  • I can't accommodate your request at this time.
Please, please, please -- respond as soon as possible to messages in Community Weaver. In fact, if you haven't visited CW in some time, perhaps today would be a good day to go look around. Check your profile and make sure it is up-to-date. Make sure your email is correct. Sweep any cobwebs away and update those offers and requests.
Your profile in Community Weaver is your responsibility -- check your messages regularly, and be sure your
contact information is correct. If you never check the email address where your Time Trader mail goes, think about changing it to a more convenient account -- or forward it to your primary account. Ask people to contact you via phone if you rarely check email.
It really is the complaint I hear most on a daily basis. Reply to your messages -- it is the most important thing in keeping our community active and healthy.