I created a thread on this topic a couple years ago and caught a little grief for it. Anyway, how hard is it to return an email? I'm talking to the pdga here. Why is it every time I send an email to the pdga I never get a response? I know there are some members who claim they always get a return email in a timely fashion. Why do I never experience this?

If you click on "contact" in the above menu it will give you options as to who or what department you are wanting to contact. When you send the email it puts a prompt up that says the following: "your message has been sent. If you have not received a response within a few days, please take the time to send a gentle reminder. If then you are not satisfied, contact the PDGA Webmaster." Why should we even have to go that far to get a response? I guess I expect a better level of service to pdga members because personally I think the way emails are handled now is very un-professional.

It depends on who the recipient is. If it is a PDGA staff member, I would expect a fairly prompt response, unless it was sent around the time of a major tournament. If it is anyone else, that is, a volunteer, there could be many reasons why that person cannot respond promptly - vacation, long weekend, tournaments, etc.

If I were not a paying member I would not gripe about this. I've been paying my yearly dues for 7 years it's not like I'm a newbie. I just don't see why it's so hard to hit REPLY and answer whatever question a paying member might have.

With Am worlds going and pro worlds just around the corner I can totally understand why an email may get overlooked. But I'm talking about 2 emails I sent. One was about a week ago and the other about 3 weeks ago. It's just frustrating that's all.

If I were not a paying member I would not gripe about this. I've been paying my yearly dues for 7 years it's not like I'm a newbie. I just don't see why it's so hard to hit REPLY and answer whatever question a paying member might have.

With Am worlds going and pro worlds just around the corner I can totally understand why an email may get overlooked. But I'm talking about 2 emails I sent. One was about a week ago and the other about 3 weeks ago. It's just frustrating that's all.



I agree with Ex, staff members usually give me a fast reply, vols can be slow. That's what you would expect.

You might want to change your opening from "Dear Dipwad" to Dear God or Goddess, :D

Thanks for the tip fellas.

My emails were sent to the tour manager, which is still Dave Gentrt I believe. I like Dave I met him at tulsa worlds, he is a sharp guy.

I almost mentioned this subject in the "Is the PDGA committed to the promotion of disc golf?" thread.... I sent numerous emails regarding my email address change ( just sent another one yesterday) and have yet to be updated. I had to wait for the snail mail ballot to vote.... We had to wait for the Am worlds invatation to arrive by snail mail.... I used to receive email news letters...Is it so hard to update an email address and send a response notifying you of the change..... What are we paying dues for?

I hear you, Senior.

The emails I sent were not lengthy by any means. One email I asked the tour manager if the td report from a regional tournament had been received yet. That's all. A simple yes or no would have been great. I understand they are busy with the pro and am Worlds happenings but I still think it's a legitimate question.

If we were non members I can understand how it might take a while for a response. But we are paying members who have been a part of the organization for a long time. Just seems like there should be an easy solution to email replies.

I just receive an email from Karolyn Garlock and she answered my question completely...what a sweetheart!

I can't believe belly aching on the message board worked :D if you are reading this Karolyn thank you, thank you, thank you for answering my question :cool:

I'm not surprised...This is at least a real-time environment with many people from the PDGA frequenting it.... maybe someone will get to me too :D

Mike & Mark,

E-mail is not always the most reliable means of communication as it is nearly impossible to know if the recipient received your message. I personally receive about 60 to 70 e-mails a day, many of which are spam. I also have to check my spam folder on a daily basis to ensure that legitimate messages did not get filtered out. This message board is also not the best means to request information or attention to a matter, as it is would not be a wise use of your membership dollars to have office staff constantly monitoring every thread and reading every post. We invite you and all members to call the office anytime you have an issue that needs to be addressed. As Mike found out through his interaction with administrative assistant, Karolyn Garlock, the office staff are more than willing to do whatever we can to serve our members.

PDGA Office (706) 261-6342

Regards,
Brian Graham
PDGA Executive Director

I'd bet that if none of your emails got to the same individual, there is something going on with their spam filter that is filtering you out. Everyone who has much experience with email knows that odd things sometimes happen to emails. Why complain on the message board? Why not just pick up the phone?

I've experienced this myself handling emails to/from about 70 swim team families each summer ... some folks' spam filters have treated my emails very unkindly, with the result that the parents involved then complained most bitterly that no one ever told them anything, that their kids were being ignored, etc. Some of those parents went out of their way to complain to every other swim team parent they saw! Now, did those parents go to the swim team web page or the physical swim team bulletin board to get a phone number and make a phone call? Of course not -- they preferred to complain. Chapped my chops, but I guess they were really more interested in trying to prove that the swim team was at fault than they were in getting the email thing worked out!

I can't believe you people didn't know about this here Email thingy.

An Alaskan Senator says it best when he explains the internet - Sen Ted Stevens (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtOoQFa5ug8) :D

You'll understand why after you view it. Very Educational!

Why is it that whenever somebody questions something on the message board there is always someone that tells them to stop complaining? :confused:

I am sick and tired of it.

I agree. If email isn't a good way to contact the staff and committee heads, do away with the links on the Contact page and just post their phone numbers. It gives people a false expectation that their correspondence will be received and replied to.

Anyone got a few hundred dimes? I need to call GA from CA and get this email thing worked out.....

I say leave the links, but also outline what peoples expectations should be if they communicate in this fashion. And, as stated by our ED, that direct contact by phone is the best and most reliable method for contact with the staff.

Brian,
I never intended to try and solve my email problem here on the MB. In the past I had great results when emailing Lorrie or David Gentry. It was only when I changed my email address and attempted to email the PDGA to convey the new address communication deteriorated. I used to recieve the news letters and correspondence via email. Which by the way is what you hear the PDGA saying is the first level of communication to its members. Only after an email is returned do they snail mail you important information. A limited amount of information for that matter. No news letters have arrived in the mail. Granted I have tried to convey this message about the address change only by emailing, It still appears that there is a problem with the system if that is the PDGA's first level of communication.

You would think we still live in the early 90's. Remember answering machines? I used to hate it when the tape ran out.

Email is an amazing form of communication, I use it for the simple fact that it's convenient.

It's 2007 Y'all!!!!!!!!!!

MC, If you keep rocking the boat so hard someone is going to fall out ;)

When are we playing golf again my game is getting SICK again...was -1 for my last 6 holes (9 Pars, 1 bird in 14 holes) at the big course at LaFourtune....I think I am ready to try to qualify for the US OPEN next year.....................oooooooooorrrrrrr maybe not quite yet ;)

I LOVE your POPS TaylorMade 320 Ti....LONG and straight

I'm down for a round sometime next week, need to keep it under $20.

Yeah that taylor made 320ti is a well seasoned club...my pops can hit that thing a mile.

Mike & Mark,

E-mail is not always the most reliable means of communication as it is nearly impossible to know if the recipient received your message. I personally receive about 60 to 70 e-mails a day, many of which are spam. I also have to check my spam folder on a daily basis to ensure that legitimate messages did not get filtered out. This message board is also not the best means to request information or attention to a matter, as it is would not be a wise use of your membership dollars to have office staff constantly monitoring every thread and reading every post. We invite you and all members to call the office anytime you have an issue that needs to be addressed. As Mike found out through his interaction with administrative assistant, Karolyn Garlock, the office staff are more than willing to do whatever we can to serve our members.

PDGA Office (706) 261-6342

Regards,
Brian Graham
PDGA Executive Director



If you can't handle normal email, you've already got the whole message board thing up and running. You should be able to do a similar thing for directed communication to the staff. (Not readable by the general populace, but though a similar interface to this one that I'm typing on now.)

Some folks don't get to think golf until late at night or on the weekend. Is everyone still in the office?

I manage an organization whose entire focus is email and phone technical support for almost 170,000 credit union members. Our goal is to respond to all inquiries within 1 hour during regular business hours. We actually respond to a little over 98% of all email inquiries within 10 minutes. Our monthly average is about 2,000 emails and 2,000 phone calls. All of those phone calls and emails are handled by 4 people.

At least a couple of times per week we get emails and phone calls from people complaining about our lack of response via email. Without fail either we never received an email from them or their spam blocker would not allow our response to reach them.

Contrary to popular belief the internet and email is not a bullet proof communication method.

Kirk