B1K3R

Hehehehe....OK

So, is this the general culture in QLD? I mean, even at work they take it easy? Or you'll find lots of human machines too working like dogs and giving their 100% most of the time.

If the former, then I'll have an advantage at work in QLD (cause I work a lot and not one single email skips my eyes!)

Cheers
B!K3R

MartinLuther

Sorry. I'll shut up. (The NBN thing was a joke - Hot topic in Aus at the mo. And I missed the bit about using forms.)

Kim67

I recently emailed about 15 Brisbane schools for places in October and heard back from all but one I think.

B1K3R

No please don't! I think I was a bit aggressive there...So I should be sorry not you

Cheers
B!K3R

Yes, I believe you....we were really surprised how the school we chose didn't reply back (to 2 of the 3 emails.)....

Pollyana

I'm generalising a bit, but I think part of the Queensland attitude to internet/email enquiries comes from the fact that its not really an accepted part of life here as much as in the UK (and even other parts of Aus). A lot of people I deal with find it strange that I try to respond to work emails at once, and virtually live on computers and computer "chat" - there is often a tendency by staff to leave emails thinking they aren't as important or "real" as letters and paper queries. I'm considered "strange" because I keep in touch with people mostly by email - its as if they don't think email is "real".

Qld Government paperwork is stunning in its amount, and in the amount of duplication, yet the electronic systems are chaotic and uncoordinated. There is still a resistance in some departments to archive electronically, for instance - they still insist on multiple paper copies indexed on paper and filed away. We had a big win a few months back when we were allowed to start some electronic archiving - but in spite of having files and backup files on computer systems, we still have to do a copy on cd - which is placed in a cardboard file in with the paper records!
As the State gradually (very slowly) moves forward in the world of email then I think responses may improve as staff get more au fais with the idea of communicating by electronic media, but its going to take a very long time.

For instance, we have problems emailing documents to Queensland Police - thats just department to department - because firstly not every officer has an email account as its considered "frivolous, unnecessary and a possible security issue" and secondly because those that do have such a small inbox that after about a dozen emails its full!
Another example - part of my role is to take details of people wishing to volunteer to join the SES. There's an electronic form for us to fill in ( ) but although it has space for 2 addresses and three phone numbers, there is nowhere for a contact email address

Wol

No, it's not "laid back" - it's self indulgent, incompetent and insulting.

Laid back is what they do in central Africa, where they make no pretence of being a first world country - and where they are in fact a lot brighter than they give themselves credit for.

Gems

Its the same here in WA.
I got really fed up with emailing things here. They very rarely email you back even on the online customer forms.

Recently completed online email regarding possible purchase of a new vehicle. No reply, not a word.

When Hubby came over here for his job, most of the Head Teachers in the school didnt bother to email back the overseas teachers who needed info for arrival and for the start of their job. These head teachers had all been contacted by DET and knew the teachers were coming!

Back in the UK I could email hospital doctors and got a reply the same day, and most business. Here they just dont bother to reply. Email response is non-existent in Australia from what Ive seen.

Oh and dont get me started on the 'We will call you back' but never do.

Gems

Pollyana

It really annoys me, as when some of us really try and provide a good service by email/phone we get let down by the more usual lazy attitude to communication.
I've even come across website "contact us" forms which go to an email address only monitored once a month, and "contact us on...." phone numbers which are no longer connected. As for the outdated information on a lot of government websites......don't get me started!

IvanM

I call it prioritisation. I set aside times for replying to emails. Unfortunately at work those times are getting fewer and fewer.

If something is important I put it in email. I will then follow up with a call with a "did you not read my email". Gets them acting very quickly then.

E-mails also get classed as spam and missed amongst the junk. If it is important you need to follow up.

Right now my work inbox is 300 unread.

Wol

To be fair, there *are* some firms and people who will get back to you, and *some* that are efficient. (We dropped off our Self Managed Super Fund documents to the accountant yesterday, for example, and he had the accounts ready for signing and auditing today, which must be a record.)

An estate agent once told me when I complained, and without a hint of embarrassment, that they routinely don't "bother" to get back to anyone making enquiries until they've got three calls or emails from them which "proves" they are serious.

So they expect to pick up tens of thousands for treating potential customers like dogsh1t on their shoes?

As I said - you will get used to it.

OzSheila

Don't jest. Many moons ago we moved to Qld. We lasted 3 months. My father who was in a mgmt position couldnt get the employees to do a decent days work - they blamed the heat!

B1K3R

Wow....we have very hot weather (humid too) here (little rock in Mediterranean), like, always over 30 for the 3 months of summer, can get hot too in spring and autumn and we work like dogs! We whine cause of the heat, but still do out job No excuse for me.

Guess it's a culture.

B1K3R

I have no doubt, I'm very adaptive

Now I feel better knowing that that's the way it is there

B1K3R

Shame on you!


I get around 50 (ok, i admit some of them are just alerts) emails everyday at work...not even one goes missed! And yes, I am very busy with other things

Pollyana

Just checked mine, Since leaving work 12 hours ago I've received 52, half of which are deletable at once - thats not including the 40 plus which are news/weather/quake alerts etc. I currently have 250 unread, but most of those are unread so they can be found more easily and they are flagged to follow up on certain days - they've all been read, but a lot of them I then mark unread to come back to. Its just a question of develioping a system to manage them. I work with people who read the lot, delete everything once actioned and then can't find info when its needed further down the line.