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What happened to basic courtesy?

BassyBill

BassyBill

Gold Supporting Member
In Memoriam
Mar 12, 2005
18,174
4,621
West Midlands UK
#1
On a number of occasions when conducting business online, people have just been plain ignorant. One guy who works for a major local venue trying to book our band emailed back and forth for days. His last message several weeks ago promised to get back to me "after a meeting with my boss tomorrow to confirm". Since then, nothing. That's inexcusable, imo. What a dick.

I had a similar situation with a woman who worked for a publishing company who had asked me to write some material. Emails back and forth, taking quite a bit of time and effort on my part. As soon as it was obvious that this wasn't going to work out - nothing. Not even "Oh well, thanks for your time anyway." This doesn't do a lot for my impression of her or her company.

How come these people have no idea how to do business, or even the most basic conception of good manners? I wonder if they're lazy and inconsiderate in other ways or if the lack of simple etiquette is confined to their dealings online?
 
#2
This behavior reflects poorly upon their parents.

bassybill said:
On a number of occasions when conducting business online, people have just been plain ignorant. One guy who works for a major local venue trying to book our band emailed back and forth for days. His last message several weeks ago promised to get back to me "after a meeting with my boss tomorrow to confirm". Since then, nothing. That's inexcusable, imo. What a dick.

I had a similar siutation with a woman who worked for a publishing company who had asked me to write some material. Emails back and forth, taking quite a bit of time and effort on my part. As soon as it was obvious that this wasn't going to work out - nothing. Not even "Oh well, thanks for your time anyway." This doesn't do a lot for my impression of her or her company.

How come these people have no idea how to do business, or even the most basic conception of good manners? I wonder if they're lazy and inconsiderate in other ways or if the lack of simple etiquette is confined to their dealings online?
Click to expand...
 
#4
in answer to your last question....

i had a friend one time who used to say "when you're drunk, you speak your sober mind"

well, on the computer, you speak your sober mind as well...

...i think the internet and by extrapolation, emails etc...any form of computerized dealing with others, allows people to act the way they would LIKE to act in person...they just don't usually dare too.

what you witnessed is a couple of people who are straight up inconsiderate, and they can let that inconsideration hang out on the computer....what the hell, i'll never have to face the guy....

as far as it being the parents' fault....i don't think so.....more and more people are getting like this....

welcome to the brave new world

davesignatureII-1.png
 
#6
You're first anecdote isn't surprising. I've always said that if some of the unprofessionalism that exists in the music/entertainment business happened in any other business sector, those people wouldn't last very long. I've known so many club owners that would get eaten alive in any other business just because they can't get their poop together enough to run a decent business.
 
#7
I saw an example of this recently. I auditioned with a band and thought I nailed it. I received compliments from everyone and the BL asked if I wanted to jam again the next day. He said he would call me the next day. Later, the drummer told me they had three other guys to audition so it would probably be about three weeks until I heard anything from them. Well, I never did get any calls from anyone. Three weeks later I sent the BL three text messages, one every other day, and called him twice. He never replied to my messages and did not answer my calls. I finally sent him a border-line nastygram today and he informed me that they had found someone else. I wrote "border-line" but what it said was something to the effect of, "is it really so difficult to reply to a text message and tell me you found someone else?" At first I was disappointed not to get the gig. Later, I found myself glad that I didn't because I'm not sure I could deal with that kind of rudeness on a regular basis.
 
#8
Email is still pretty new in terms of human communication. There are a lot things we still have to work out with in it when it comes to social awareness. A lot of companies have things like a 'must respond to emails within 24 hours' kind of rule. It really doesn't take a lot of time to type 'hello' or 'good morning' and end with some kind of 'thanks for your time'. People need to realize these little things go a long way. Personally I like a message, if needed that says, 'I don't have your answer right now, I'll get back to you'.... and then DO follow up. It's good social behavior and good business.
 
#9
Yeah, you're only as important as long as they feel they cab get somethi g ffom you. The way of things too often these days...you get a good sense of who to do business with in the futurs but also, unfortunately that comes with a modicum of distrust to any future dealings in general with whomever...it's up to you how bad you let that taint you.

Oh and yeah...HOW is that bad parenting again? (Mind spinning at that one)

There was a good saying (loose quote) "you can judge the character of a man by how he treats those from whom he stands nothing to gain"...
 
#11
This isn't really something to do with parenting, since parents don't typically teach their kids about business and email relationships. Not to mention that when people are running a business the first thing on their mind isn't always informing someone they were thinking about using that they're no longer going to be using them for that thing, chances are they're more likely to either find a new person or start ironing out the details of whatever it was they were looking for a vendor for with the one they decided to go with.
 
#12
MJ5150 said:
Parents? It is the parents fault for everything?

-Mike
Click to expand...

hahahaha

while i agree that you're overall contribution to society is in general a result of the job your parents did- including manners and such- when it comes specifically to online stuff, i can understand.

i agree its rude after a conversation to get no reply. but being swamped with emails needing replies and other work to be done i can understand not sending that last courteous message.

still annoying though.
 

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