Email replies

[billybutcher]

@Stella

I’m sure we’ve chewed this topic over and over a short while ago…

More than once

Email: Why do they bother having an address?

<rant-mode=on> Why do French companies even bother with email, or “send us a message” functions on their website when they don’t bother to respond? OK, I should know better, this has been discussed often enough. But I’m a bit peeved at the moment. Towards the end of last year I got a letter from SAUR inviting me to make an appointment so they could check my connection to the village public drains. Fair enough. But I had no chance to be in France on the offered dates and with Covid rampant in both countries travel was looking very dodgy anyway (in fact I had two trips over cancelled in Jan & Feb). So, when I arrived in April I wasn’t overly surprised to find a further letter (this time from the local SIAEP) - though this one with the prospect of a 300€ fine if I don’t comply. I should stress I don’t mind complying, but only have a small number of dates when I will be around (and I’m not making a special trip). So, I replied by email stressing my willingness to cooperate, explai…

French business ignoring emails

Can I add a comment in support of a local (fairly) business here in Haute Vienne. Abeille Vidange who have all singing, all dancing trucks which empty your fosse septique, answered me on the second email asking for an appointment, confirming when they would be with us - and they were. Superb guy who gave us all sorts of information, also emptied our neighbours' and gave us a 10% discount on each as we were classed as a group........... So not all bad, then.

What is the point of email in France?

Last Friday I tried to call a local optician for my daughter's frames to be tweaked and a dog 'hairdresser' for one of our two filthy mutts. I got answering machines, left messages but no responses. I tried again on Monday but imagined both might have been closed. Anyway, both have websites and respectively recommend sending emails. I did so. No response. I was a couple of hundred metres from the optician for my physio this morning so called in. We were on the list for returned calls and he said it might have been today or tomorrow. In response to the email, the optician said that they do not look at them very often. Perhaps once every couple of weeks. I did a very emphatic "Doh!" inside my head. Anyway, the old system works. Go to the shop, but rely on modernity... Even the phone did not do the trick. Internet - long way to go. So, dog's toiletry. Aha, called this morning. The 'assistant' answered and took a message. I said I had left an email. She said her boss 'never' looks at …