Do you respond to all your member's private messages?

Discussion in 'Member and Staff Management' started by cpvr, May 5, 2011.

  1. cpvr

    cpvr Regular Member

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    A lot of my members like to contact me - with ideas - or simply just to chat, so I was curious, as a community owner - do you make an effort to chat with, and respond to all your member's Pms?
     
  2. Kaiser

    Kaiser Regular Member

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    I reply to all of them if they need advice or help.. im a very kind person. But if its something useless then I just avoid it.
     
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  3. SpacewardAsh

    SpacewardAsh Lurking From Space

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    I try to reply to them all, but stupid ones I will just ignore and tell them to read the FAQs, etc. What also annoys me is when I get PMs at 4am in the morning, when it is something that could have easily been posted on the forums staff area being that I read every little thing.
     
  4. Trombones13

    Trombones13 Regular Member

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    I don't see why you wouldn't (unless it's at the end of a discussion or there's really nothing to say, I mean)...the whole point of a forum is for communication, and leaving a PM unanswered would insinuate that you don't care about what they have to say, which will leave them more likely to leave the forum.
     
  5. SpacewardAsh

    SpacewardAsh Lurking From Space

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    Whailst I agree with you, I also do not. Would you reply to a staff members PM that came in at 4am that said: What do I do? if that was already answered in a FAQ thread stickied in your staff area?

    I don't see the point in answering PMs I have clearly expressed not to receive e.g. support, especially when things may already be answered around the forums, etc.
     
  6. Trombones13

    Trombones13 Regular Member

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    Yes--I'd just give them a link to the FAQ, lol. I guess it's one thing if you've explicitly asked not to receive support emails, but I haven't, so I'll answer those too even if it's only with a link to the rules or something (though it is certainly a bit annoying >.>).
     
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  7. Shole93

    Shole93 Regular Member

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    I do I love to communicate with my members :D
     
  8. SpacewardAsh

    SpacewardAsh Lurking From Space

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    why is that? Some more input into the subject would be very good to read ;)
     
  9. Kaiser

    Kaiser Regular Member

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    Shole, I agree with Ashley, if you go through the thread you will see everyone giving their reasons instead of just saying they respond to PMs.
     
  10. Shole93

    Shole93 Regular Member

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    That's my reason I like to chat with people. I mean who does not like to open a conversation with his members that means that they are active and they will probably contribute to your forum.
    Also I respond to pm's because i think it is one of the admins duty to try to help every member :D
     
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  11. lucasbytegenius

    lucasbytegenius Regular Member

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    I try to reply to all of them, I believe it keeps them coming back if they know that their admin is active and listens to them.
    Though nonsensical PMs I just ignore.
     
  12. Kaiser

    Kaiser Regular Member

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    Yea, I get many PM's I reply to all of them and many members like that. Its not hard, and it keeps your members happy so thats why I reply to PMs.
     
  13. Ashley

    Ashley Regular Member

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    I'm like Ashley here in a sense. I try to respond to all PMs, but if a person is just not making him/herself clear, or if their PM is not making sense at all, then I'll ignore it. I'm also like Kaiser in a sesne too: If they're looking for advice, and as long as they aren't asking for support, then I'll try to help them to the best of my ability. However, if I don't understand or I don't know everything there is to know about the subject I'm being asked about, I'll redirect that person to someone else on staff who I feel might know about the subject more than I do. For example, if you were to ask me a question about something regarding phpBB, and I only knew half of the story or half of the information, but that was all I'd know, I would probably refer you to Ashley.S. as he has more knowledge and experience in the technical end of phpBB than I do. I don't know all there is to know about phpBB, which is why I refer people to Ash when it comes to technical issues, as that's his department, not really mine.
     
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  14. AbuTaj

    AbuTaj Regular Member

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    I try to, and try and be respectful at all times.
    "The only stupid question, is the one that is left unasked!" - Be nice, even when referring the member to an FAQ. Their activity is a favour to you, even if it doesn't feel like it.
     
  15. Trealix

    Trealix Gamer

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    I love to PM Kaiser something that is not useful...

    on-topic: I love to communicate with others, although I do not know anyone here except the old members from February, If they drop a PM ill PM back no harm.
     
  16. Trombones13

    Trombones13 Regular Member

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    (that's because it's your name too ;))

    Agreed, though--I do reroute people to another admin if need be (particularly on the site where I'm not the root admin and occasionally have to tell people that :P).
     
  17. Ashley

    Ashley Regular Member

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    That doesn't even make sense. I'm just saying that's how Ashley.S. and I are alike because we both do things in a similar way. It has nothing to do with having the same first name.
     
  18. Kaiser

    Kaiser Regular Member

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    He didn't mean it in a bad way, it was just a friendly joke about you two having the same first name.
     
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  19. Trombones13

    Trombones13 Regular Member

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    lol, yeah; just a joke ;)
     
  20. Ashley

    Ashley Regular Member

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    Well, okay then. I'm not the type of person that likes to start arguments straight out, so I'll just let this go.
     
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