I realize that I am old school, and some of my opinions come from that perspective. But old school or not, I think we need a refresher on communication basics. So here goes.

1. The appropriate response time for an email is within 24 hours. Yes, 24 hours. Not several days, not a week, and certainly, not no response! Unless an email is for information only, not requiring a response, we are considered rude if we do not reply, and do not reply in a timely manner. Do we really think people have time to send emails that require a response, and have to send a second email, and maybe a third, to get a response? Even if we do not have an answer yet, are not sure when we will, some response is required. Be aware that in this day of technology glitches, if we do not respond, the sender does not know if the email reached the intended recipient. Save the sender and yourself time by replying within 24 hours, with as much information as you have at that point.

2. Texts also require a response, and the same 24-hour rule applies. Actually, a case can be made that texts require a quicker response than within 24 hours. Many people use texting for quick information sharing and expect a fairly immediate response. Which means that we should check our messages several times a day, which requires very little time to do. I am amazed at the lack of responses to texts. Again, if we are asked a question to which we do not know how to respond, then a reply stating we will be back in touch with an answer later today, tomorrow, or whenever is the appropriate response. Just respond.

3. Phone calls are not as common these days as emails and texts. But if we are left a message on voicemail, we should respond in a timely manner. And yes, the same 24-hour rule applies here as well. I have some family members and friends who do not listen to messages, so I have learned to not leave them one. I just call them again, or use an alternative communication method. I had to figure this out on my own, however, since none of my contacts who do not listen to messages told me this. I would have appreciated it if they had.

The other side of this issue is that we should not waste others’ time. We should be efficient in what we send to others, and only expect a response when we need one. Note I said “expect” a response. Even if a response is not needed, it is gracious to let the sender know that we received what we were sent. A “got it,’ is sometimes sufficient.

I am sure there is more that I could add to these points. But I hope you get the point. It is rude to not reply to emails, texts, and messages. And life is difficult enough without us being rude.