But that doesn't mean they can immediately get to your message. Perhaps they're buried by other emails or work or non-work responsibilities. Just like you need to prioritize how and when you complete every task, so does everyone else. And what is a high priority for you, just might not be for someone else.
JC Christensen, chief experience officer for Symphony Communication Services says, "In email, the signal-to-noise ratio is terrible." Christensen points out how our inboxes have become a notification channel for everything from small updates in project management tracking software to document sharing. "It is also where I get my lunch order reminder, Expensify, Amazon, and Uber receipts," he explains. "Email hasn't fully figured out how to effectively filter this information for users," Christensen continues, "and as a result, users now want to spend as little time there as possible."
So you might be inadvertently giving people a reason to delete or ignore your message. Your subject line might be too vague or left over from a previous conversation. Or maybe they simply don't realize you expect their reply -- for example, if you've "replied all" to a large email thread or CCed too many people.
So yes, sometimes you're not getting a reply from someone "because they're busy and likely getting pelted with communications all day long," says Ryan Wallace, vice president and general manager of PAN Communications New York. "But then there are times where I myself question if I was clear enough in an ask in my communication to them," he says.