How do you sort out your Emails ??

[Pilatus]

I am sure some of you run large businesses,so I am interested to know if you have a system (or computer program) to select out Emails that are "REALLY" relevant to your business and need replying to ,while the others are just "TIME WASTING JUNK MAIL". When you arrive at your office in the morning and look at your computer I dread to think how much junk mail is on your computer.
Or is there some merit in adopting the approach "sod em if it is urgent they will phone me",but then that can lead on to nuisance phone callers

 

[Notquiteretired]

I have inbox rules to move emails by specific sender or business specific to their own folder so if it's in my inbox I'm not expecting email from them and way down my priority list. Try to only check all email 3 times a day otherwise the day never goes to plan.

 

[Clive]

i get about 200 emails a day delivered to 6 different accounts / addresses - use Outlook across all devices PC/mac/iphone

set rules and unsubscribe from any junk regularly - don't use folders just use search to find stuff

but basically its a big job, I spend a lot of time on it

 

[Oat]

I use rules to divert specific emails to separate folders.
For example all TFF notifications get sent to a TFF folder. This way I'm not getting distracted by TFF notifications all day, and just check each folder when I want.

PS. I realise I could turn off TFF notifications

 

[Boysground]

I use outlook and rules to put into folders. So anybody who regularly sends invoices will end up in the invoice files. Any junk gets blocked immediately. I am never as up to date as I would like.

Bg

 

[Pheasant Surprise]

Try to only check all email 3 times a day otherwise the day never goes to plan.

This!!! Especially if you get lots of email. It can be a major distraction. Better to just go though a big lump of email then drips and drabs throughout the day.

 

[Clive]

Emails have become a bit of a nightmare - 1 week holiday last week and I come back to 1500, its taken me the first 3 days of this week to catch up (1000 of them either junk or needing no reply)

its makes it imposible to actually stop working ever - I'm beginning to hate them

 

[Pilatus]

I am not very computer literate or running a large business, but it seems to me the common Email has got out of hand as in Clive’s example. There must me an opportunity for a very bright computer proggramer
“Geek” to come up with a “thinking out of the box” solution to sorting out essential emails from junk.
How about people needing a code as well as your email address, the code only to be given to only those you want to be able to send you emails. You could change the code once junk mailers get hold of it,and if you can’t be bothered to give the code to all those that need it,surely they will phone you up if they really want to contact you.

 

[multi power]

Very simple, don't ever give anyone your email address

 

[Old Boar]

I have an email address for friends and family, and another for GPs, electricity etc and another for companies I may have ordered from, been in contact with in one way or another and I dont look at that one for weeks on end. Sorts it out fairly well as all the viagra offers go to the last address.

 

[Banana Bar]

I rarely give out my proper email address. Make one up if asked for it.

 

[Simon Chiles]

I rarely give out my proper email address. Make one up if asked for it.

We all know your email address, it’s [email protected] or that’s what you told me!

 

[Cowabunga]

I use folders and rules, in Apple Mail. All my Outlook and Gmail go there as well as Apple mail.

Unfortunately I find that the rules do not always work for some reason and mail gets sent to the wrong folder. No idea why that is as the rules themselves seem sound.

Another anomaly is that Ian Potter's newsletters, more often than not, appear in my inbox anything from six weeks to three months late. I've contacted IP and they are aware of the problem with an apparently small number of accounts but have no more idea of the reason than I do. Royal Snail Mail is lightening fast by comparison.

 

[Clive]

I am not very computer literate or running a large business, but it seems to me the common Email has got out of hand as in Clive’s example. There must me an opportunity for a very bright computer proggramer
“Geek” to come up with a “thinking out of the box” solution to sorting out essential emails from junk.
How about people needing a code as well as your email address, the code only to be given to only those you want to be able to send you emails. You could change the code once junk mailers get hold of it,and if you can’t be bothered to give the code to all those that need it,surely they will phone you up if they really want to contact you.

new version of outlook that I use has a "focused" and "other" system on the inbox (they call it smart inbox I think) I does help but ist not infallible

 

[Oat]

I rarely give out my proper email address. Make one up if asked for it.

I do this all the time with when getting free wifi in restaurants, airports etc...

 

[chickens and wheat]

firefox folder rules sort mine, then some folders have a delete after a year policy others never auto delete. The machinery folder for one doesnt auto delete as its a good reminder of what filters you bought last for a tractor and when, and age of new parts if they fail before their time.