[gaspoweredcat]

likewise there is nothing wrong with my "no phonecalls" policy and yet people still insist on me using it, ill often contact people or companies about things and get the response "just give me a call" why? theres no reason they cant simply reply using the method i contacted them with but thats not all

first up phone calls tend to go "off the rails" no one simply answers the question and says goodbye and hangs up so you waste a lot of time, not only that but theres the fact that phone calls arent very private, not only is the person youre talking to hearing you but anyone within earshot and the person on the other end of the phone is usually oblivious or ignorant to your location and who may be around you, if they ask something which you may consider sensitive you then have to avoid the question (and potentially reply by a more private means of communication after, wasting more time)

youre also put on the spot, theres no time to consider your response to something youve been asked you have to respond pretty much instantly which can go wrong in many ways, its why salespeople like to use the phone, its much easier to get someone to agree to something they otherwise wouldnt if they had more time to consider what theyd been asked

sadly the bottom line is we are all at some point usually forced to use a method of communication we arent comfortable with, the best you can do is try to minimise it

[lioeters]

Nothing wrong with my "email only" policy either - no phone or video calls. Granted, I don't work in sales or customer support, but in the "back office".

My working, thinking, and writing style requires big blocks of focused time, with no interruptions. A phone call or a scheduled meeting is a sure way to disrupt and reduce my productivity. I reserve phone/video calls only for personal purpose, not work-related, and even then it's rare.

Surprisingly, in my X years of working I've found that most people are willing to tolerate or adapt to my preferred communication methods.

On occasion, in particular when I need to interact with those working at large corporations, I've had people who just insist on "hopping on a call", even after repeated explanation. Every time I've begrudgingly agreed, I've regretted my decision, lost time, and less productive discussion.

Email is (near) perfect for me, as I can batch them at the start/end of my day. I get to sit back, think things through, and reply at my own convenience.