Time-management, I’d say… But then there are exchanges that just don’t work out in e/m or txt…
Like catching up with friends on the west coast. sigh. Phone calls are the only way to go.
Email… I actually love love love to chat on the phone but it takes more energy than I have and I end up paying for it later. So email is a thousand times easier for me.
For a business communication call first, then e-mail. E-mail gives you proof that you communicated the message.
Personal:
For a close friend, or close family member, you should call them first. E-mail isn’t personal enough. If you are both very busy than use e-mail to arrange a date, time, and place, to talk.
For Internet friends I think e-mail, twitter, is adequate. You can always decide to follow-up with a call/skype.
For any who calls me I never answer the phone. If they don’t leave a message than I figure the message couldn’t have been that important.
depends on the person and if I’m busy or if I want to chat or whatever.
I like talking on the phone but only to certain people. And email is just easier for most things. I really only talk to certain people on the phone at all times. Everyone else needs a “phone date”….special time set aside without distractions. For those people, it’s email.
Do you ever see someone’s name on caller ID and think, “If I answer this call, that’s 30 minutes of my life that I’ll never get back?” Yes. I’m a horrible person. I’m very chatty, and I love a good conversation. But there are just some people that seem to literally suck the life out of me. I’m an artist, and I always volunteer to design the sets for my kids’ school musicals. This year, I’m working with a nice lady who is a bit of a control freak. (I’m sure I’m her worst nightmare.) Anyway, I was at Catalyst One Day with my phone on vibrate. When I head out the door, I check my messages. The woman left me NINE voice mails in a row! I called her back to tell her that I am out of town, but she was no doubt trying to leave yet another message, so it went to her voice mail. I said, I’m out of town. I’ll call you when I get back! Sheesh!
First of all, I’m so glad you put deodorant on that list. I know I feel better now.
As for your real question, it depends a lot on who you’re contacting, in what context, and why. Personally, I prefer email over phone at all times. But I’ve learned – reluctantly – that there are times at work (and okay, fine, in non-work life, too) that a personal phone call is better. It’s better if you need to convey some emotion or a level of caring, and it’s better if you need immediate response.
But with email, you can make sure you carefully get your message across and you have the whole conversation in writing just in case you need it in the future. Plus it’s easier. But that’s just me, and sometimes I’m wrong.
I’d email. Lol. I tend to email more than call.
Call. I like getting the immediate response. I’m not very patient.
Depends on who it was too and what it was about. Personally I am an email person unless it is something that would better be served with a phone call.
Email.
Email.
Email.
Email.
Email.
(Just being clear because somebody always calls me out for not leaving an answer to my own question. SO DEMANDING.)
It depends on how immediately I need the answer and whether or not I think they will check their e-mail in a good amount of time.
But I greatly prefer email when possible.
Actually, I’d probably text….
Email!!
email. text. but then everyone under 40 would probably do the same. we just don’t call. nonconfrontational?
Time-management, I’d say… But then there are exchanges that just don’t work out in e/m or txt…
Like catching up with friends on the west coast. sigh. Phone calls are the only way to go.
Email… I actually love love love to chat on the phone but it takes more energy than I have and I end up paying for it later. So email is a thousand times easier for me.
Or friends on the East coast!!!
For a business communication call first, then e-mail. E-mail gives you proof that you communicated the message.
Personal:
For a close friend, or close family member, you should call them first. E-mail isn’t personal enough. If you are both very busy than use e-mail to arrange a date, time, and place, to talk.
For Internet friends I think e-mail, twitter, is adequate. You can always decide to follow-up with a call/skype.
For any who calls me I never answer the phone. If they don’t leave a message than I figure the message couldn’t have been that important.
YELL IT!!!!!!
yeah, i am all about the email. i’m not a phone person AT ALL.
depends on the person and if I’m busy or if I want to chat or whatever.
I like talking on the phone but only to certain people.
And email is just easier for most things. I really only talk to certain people on the phone at all times. Everyone else needs a “phone date”….special time set aside without distractions. For those people, it’s email. 
*way to make an answer complicated Brandy! DANG!*
Ok. So you’re saying call…
wait. No. Email….?
Do you ever see someone’s name on caller ID and think, “If I answer this call, that’s 30 minutes of my life that I’ll never get back?” Yes. I’m a horrible person. I’m very chatty, and I love a good conversation. But there are just some people that seem to literally suck the life out of me. I’m an artist, and I always volunteer to design the sets for my kids’ school musicals. This year, I’m working with a nice lady who is a bit of a control freak. (I’m sure I’m her worst nightmare.) Anyway, I was at Catalyst One Day with my phone on vibrate. When I head out the door, I check my messages. The woman left me NINE voice mails in a row! I called her back to tell her that I am out of town, but she was no doubt trying to leave yet another message, so it went to her voice mail. I said, I’m out of town. I’ll call you when I get back! Sheesh!
For me? Email. Unless it’s one of … two … people in the universe.
I’m NOT a phone person.
Email unless convo is needed for clarity. Sometimes we email each other when our offices share a wall with each other even. Sometimes we yell.
Sometimes I yell in response to their email.
Interpersonal communication sure is interesting.
Now that I think about it, we also call each other when we can hear ourselves talking across the hall.
I wonder how we decide which thing we are going to do each time and why? Isn’t that what you asked originally?
EMail. It keeps me from talking so much.
If it’s about getting together for something then I’d email. If you need to talk about something important then call.
depends on the person, my relationship with them and my understandinf of how they function.
if i know someone else is not a phone person, if they are crazy busy or if its not urgent i’ll send an email.
i think i would tend to call…
“we also call each other when we can hear ourselves talking across the hall”
Seriously, Trav, there’s something wrong with this picture.
First of all, I’m so glad you put deodorant on that list. I know I feel better now.
As for your real question, it depends a lot on who you’re contacting, in what context, and why. Personally, I prefer email over phone at all times. But I’ve learned – reluctantly – that there are times at work (and okay, fine, in non-work life, too) that a personal phone call is better. It’s better if you need to convey some emotion or a level of caring, and it’s better if you need immediate response.
But with email, you can make sure you carefully get your message across and you have the whole conversation in writing just in case you need it in the future. Plus it’s easier. But that’s just me, and sometimes I’m wrong.
I wish I had deodorant that worked. I so can not wait for a target or walmart or gas station so I can buy some. Seriously.
I will call you when I do.
I almost always choose email or text over call. It’s easier, but then I’m not a phone person
email
email
email
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