Go Tokyo Your Experience
Has anyone ever asked someone for help only to be refused? If you contact the person via email in this situation, would you send a follow-up email thanking them for their reply, or would you simply not reply at all? Recently, it has been found that the new generation of office workers in Japan tends to choose not to respond anymore.
This phenomenon, referred to as “one-time email correspondence,” has left many middle-aged professionals feeling very rude! Let’s delve deeper into how this trend has formed.
New knowledge for young people in Japan: “Single Correspondence Email Principle”
Recently, Japanese media have widely reported a phenomenon that is popular among young people: “Single Correspondence Email Principle”. This refers to the practice where, after requesting help from someone via email and being rejected, the email communication ends there.
However, for older professionals, this behavior seems quite inappropriate. According to traditional practice, even if this request is rejected, one would still send an email thanking the other party for their response in order to maintain future cooperation opportunities.
“Email Correspondence One-Time Principle” refers to the practice of not continuing to reply after a request has been rejected.
This atmosphere has sparked intense discussions on the internet, and many television programs are also exploring this topic.
According to past conventions, email communication is often “once or twice,” and even after being rejected, one would still send a simple email to thank the other party.
Supporters of the “One-Time Email Correspondence” have the following views:
Not knowing how many times emails will go back and forth each time is simply a waste of time.
It’s really annoying to receive a bunch of replies after being rejected; one exchange is enough.
On the other hand, opponents believe that:
It is necessary to let the other party know that you have received the letter.
Sending an additional email can increase the customer’s trust.
So, why has “email correspondence minimalism” emerged among young people? Career consulting companies explain:
For Generation Z, not replying to a message already signifies “understood,” so they don’t see this phenomenon as a problem.
In addition, Generation Z has been accustomed to using simple and time-saving instant messaging tools since childhood, so they are not very adaptable to emails that require lengthy writing and the etiquette of letter writing.
Career advisors suggest that if a response is not needed, one can indicate “no reply required” at the end of the email, and it is said that 80% of people will be very grateful to see this. However, business etiquette advisors remind that such a note may also prevent the recipient from replying when they have questions, so special attention should be paid.
A business etiquette consultant suggests that in order to let the other party know you have received the email, or to avoid leaving them with the impression of being ignored, it is still more appropriate to use the “one and a half exchanges” method. Unless you are sure the other party does not like receiving too many emails, or simply wants to express that they “understand,” it is a different matter.
Do you prefer one exchange or one and a half exchanges?
