I wrote this piece to help clients understand why I don’t pick up their phone calls every time, and why I love emails so much.
I hope that this helps you understand my point of view, my values, and how I prefer to communicate.

1. Because I’m Busy

I’m not saying you aren’t important and what you have to request isn’t going to be important to me, but if I’m working on client work that isn’t yours – I probably don’t want to switch projects in my mind, to take onboard what you are saying. Most clients want to call because it’s “more convenient” for them, but in most cases it’s not reciprocated. Which is why I Love e-mail

Clients can take solace in the fact that I don’t always answer – It means (if I’m working on your project) I’m more focussed on the job and don’t want any distractions so I can complete the work in a timely manner to the best standard possible.

2. There’s No Audit Trail

When I discuss something over the phone, the client and I often make decisions or change the scope of what may have been previously agreed. The problem is that the call leaves no trace of these decisions. There’s a chance for conflict down the line if the client denies the changes or references a request made during a call as there’s no trail to prove otherwise. That’s why I often follow up a call with an email discussing any decision’s we’ve made. Which is why I Love e-mail

3. Because Your Communication May Not Be Fully Considered

Calling is a like showing up to someone’s office. It’s convenient for the caller, because it’s immediate. Unfortunately, this increases the chance of the caller to think out loud, because they didn’t take the time to think before reaching out to contact a designer. This is where an email would work better as the time could be spent thinking about the message you want to transmit. Make sure that it’s clear and concise. In some cases, you may realise that you don’t actually need to send that email or make that call. Which is why I Love e-mail

3. Because I Have A Pretty Terrible Memory

I have to write everything down or I’ll be likely to forget to do it, there’s time’s my partner will ask me to do something and I’ll start doing it, then find myself forgetting what she’s asked me to do. Maybe it’s a man thing. If you send me your request via e-mail, I’ll flag it and it will get done for when you request it.

Please don’t be offended if my memory fails at recalling what you have requested over the phone, it doesn’t reflect on my interest in your project – If I wasn’t interested by you and/or your project, I wouldn’t have taken you on as a client.

If you are going to contact a designer, please use email. Thank you for your consideration and understanding!