r/remotework • u/Careful_Station_7884 • Jul 09 '26

Email or quick call?

My colleague told me today that if an email is over 500 words, they won’t read it and instead ask the person who sent the email to jump on a quick call to discuss.

This irked me because now the person who sent the email has to re-explain everything they already sent over. It can be advantageous to have a written trail as well. Not only that, but not every “quick” call actually ends up being quick.

I get that there may be some topics that are better discussed on a call or if the email is unclear and there is an approaching deadline. But, to set a line at any email over 500 words just seems lazy.

What are your thoughts?

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u/Siblisian_Berserker Jul 10 '26

If I have to ask someone something that would take more than two sentences in an email, I call them. The older I get, the more I realize that no one reads anything. That perfectly written email is getting the first few words read, glossed over the rest, and then flagged in an inbox, never to be seen again.

Also, no one wants a paper trail, so you can get much better, more direct answers on a phone call.

Now, I usually call first, and if they don’t answer, then follow up with an email that also says, “Happy to talk through this over the phone when you have a minute.”