Can you tell me how quickly you generally respond to your clients' emails?

[MaplePecanPlait]

Say, I emailed you (assuming you check emails every day) and asked for an update.

Just out of interest really.

I have given some work to a freelancer and she sometimes takes a fortnight to come back to me. To top it all I have had an email from her today complaining that I have not been in touch with her! I last spoke to her around a month ago and gave her my instructions - shouldn't she be in touch with me with an update of what she is doing?

For the record I have complained about the lack of attention and reminded her that I am her client and as such need to receive the services I am paying for.....am I going mad??

seems shabby.

is it too late to get someone else to do it?

oh gawd - messed up here and have two identical threads going on this...doh.

I would really like to fire this woman but she does know my project very well. As bad as she is I do trust her with the actual work.....when she gets her finger out. I was quite surprised to hear recently through a third party that she works from home but has no computer or internet at home so it seems I have to wait until she gets access somehow. I wish she would come clean about it and just explain that she has limited access and I could contact her by phone (although complicated by the fact that she is abroad so expensive to call).

smoke signals? psychic messaging?

really, it's no way to conduct yourself professionally... it's up to you- if she's worth the bother then fair enough but in my eyes, she'd have to be the best at what she does.

what industry are you in?

um
yes she should
i try to reply within the day to emails. though that might initally be just a quick note, with full report to follow.
if you are going to continue using her you need to agree the reporting mechanism - key dates and milestones when you give her the work. if the brief is at all woolly, then she may feel she can be woolly back....

Our work protocols are:

1. Respond to voicemails within 3 hours
2. Respond to emails within 4 hours

Thanks all.

As I thought - a quick response is kind of standard!