# Question for business professional Dopers **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 5, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382 "2009-03-05T14:19:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/21 "2009-03-06T03:11:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > “[......@sbcglobal.com](mailto:......@sbcglobal.com)” or “[.....@aol.com](mailto:.....@aol.com)” or whatever are perfectly _valid_ emails. > > So, you’d reject a vendor as you think their email addy is lowclass and common? Even if he underbid the others?:dubious: It has nothing to do with “low class” or “common”. I work for a large conservative public company and the vendors I deal with have something to do with legal or technology or (usually) both. There’s this whole risk assessment process they have to go through. We ask al kinds of questions about how long have they been in business, what safeguards do they have for the data they retain, how are their financials, etc, etc. IOW, the vendor doesn’t have to be huge, but they are generally sufficiently large, well established and stable that they have their own email server. It might help to know what kind of business you are thinking of where the people have gmail accounts. I’m imagining something like a small roofing contractor or something which isn’t really what I deal with. ---
**Author:** ![straggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@straggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straggler)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/22 "2009-03-06T07:49:17Z")
Thanks for the response, LSLGuy. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/23 "2009-03-07T16:12:57Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > “[......@sbcglobal.com](mailto:......@sbcglobal.com)” or “[.....@aol.com](mailto:.....@aol.com)” or whatever are perfectly _valid_ emails. > > So, you’d reject a vendor as you think their email addy is lowclass and common? Even if he underbid the others?:dubious: As mentioned, it depends upon the service. And the adjectives “lowclass” and “common” aren’t correct, as we’re talking about levels of professionalism and organization here. It’s not the “common”-ness that’s the issue, having a generic email address implies a lack of technical sophistication within your organization, which can be a bad thing… or not. The couple that comes in twice a week to clean the office does not need a website/email domain because the task (cleaning) is non-technical. My printer needs one, however, because I want to see PDF samples of their work: I would expect somebody capable enough of investing the hundreds of thousands of dollars in capital equipment and knowledgeable staff needed to be a professional print shop to have their own website and email domain. Same thing with my lawyer, CPA, phone services provider, internet provider, electric company, all up and down the chain. Having your own business domain is the rule, not the exception. Lastly, being able to provide the lowest bid doesn’t guarantee you the work - you still have to convince me you will be able to perform. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/24 "2009-03-08T03:41:48Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > How do you feel about doing business with a company whose email is from a generic domain such as [aol.com](http://aol.com) or [comcast.net](http://comcast.net)? Personally, I’d rather deal with [bob.smith@greatcompany.com](mailto:bob.smith@greatcompany.com) than [greatcompany@aol.com](mailto:greatcompany@aol.com), as the guys with their own domain seem successful enough to afford it. Does it make a difference to you? certainly. I am a lot more doubtful of a generic email address. It indicates (assuming no question of fraud) that the person works for a very small outfit who isn’t interested in technology. Not necessarily bad, but I am more cautious. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/25 "2009-03-08T04:26:10Z")
As a big company, we don’t generally do business with very small vendors. A few years ago I needed some software from a nine person company, and it was hell to get purchasing approval to buy it. If we need a freelancer or a consultant, we go through an established firm to get a person - less liability, less chance the IRS is going to tell us they were “really” an employee. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/26 "2009-03-08T05:44:50Z")
I occasionally get emails from [username@generic.com](mailto:username@generic.com), and it almost always means I will spend hours answering basic and/or stupid questions and in the end they won’t do what I advise they should do anyway. This pattern is so predictable. I try to think of it as charity work. Thankfully, 99.5% of my emails are from [username@lawfirm.com](mailto:username@lawfirm.com), and they always ask straightforward questions and they always do what I advise they should do. Everybody wins. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/27 "2009-03-08T05:58:08Z")
I’m not in a position to decide whether to engage the OP’s services or not, but I think some kinds of email address domains would betray potential cluelessness. If someone uses \@aol.com, or even \ I question their tech savvy for not having kicked AOL to the curb by now, their common sense for subjecting themselves to AOL’s pop-up and banner laden experience when they are already paying their ISP to get on the Web, and their ability and means to work and communicate online. Somebody who uses AOL might ask you for a fax or something, where others would ask for a scanned signed document attached to an email. On the other hand, if I don’t have the luxury of favoring some associates and disfavoring others, I have to suck it up. IMHO hotmail and gmail addresses look a lot better for those who don’t want to set up their own domain. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/28 "2009-03-08T06:48:38Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > Yeah. More than affordability I think my first reaction would be either that they’re not technically savvy enough to find and set up business domain email, or that they don’t care about meeting that image expectation. Not a big deal, but something I’d notice. Same here, I note it in passing, but unless they prove themselves not fit to be our vendors, I don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/29 "2009-03-08T09:41:13Z")
that stuff goes straight into my junk mail. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2009, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/30 "2009-03-08T12:00:12Z")
Hell, even the [homeless](http://news.aol.com/article/pimp-this-bum-catches-attention/373649)have their own web sites now. That doesn’t mean I want them as a vendor. ---
**Author:** ![tesseract](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/31 "2009-03-09T06:30:09Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > My IP attorney works alone with an assistant and paralegal. He always without exception refers to himself as a firm. I always want to ask him who the fuck this “we” he’s always talking about is that’s handling my work. Him, and his assistant? I don’t mean to denigrate his assistant and paralegal but from context, he’s clearly trying to sound like there’s a small firm of actual lawyers and I know there isn’t. In his case, he’s competent and very affordable and has experience in my space, so I’m fine with him being on his own. I just wish he’d stop pretending he’s plural. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law\_firm:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_firm:) A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. A firm is just what it’s called. I would call that a firm, too. I bet a lot of lawyers would. I’m sure he knows you know how many people are there. I venture to guess he just means “my firm” as in “my company” – same thing. I doubt he’s trying to sound bigger than he is. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/32 "2009-03-09T06:44:52Z")
It’s a minor point in the overall scheme of things, but it is a point. If I don’t know you and you don’t come recommended, it will probably be enough not to have me take a second look at your company and what you do. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/33 "2009-03-09T14:19:54Z")
> [@tesseract](#): > > [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law\_firm:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_firm:) A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. > > A firm is just what it’s called. I would call that a firm, too. I bet a lot of lawyers would. I’m sure he knows you know how many people are there. I venture to guess he just means “my firm” as in “my company” – same thing. I doubt he’s trying to sound bigger than he is. I didn`t mean to imply there’s an absolute right or wrong. It’s more a matter of my perception. It seems to me that if you have, say, an hour long meeting with someone, whether they’re a 1 man shop or from a huge firm, they ought to naturally switch between referring to themselves as the firm and as an individual. I was commenting on a phenomenon I’ve observed where some small shops seem unwilling to refer to themselves as anything but plural. For instance, it might be reasonable to say “yes, we’ll do a patentability study in 3 weeks and we can have another meeting to discuss.” But then when we’re having a lengthy in-depth discussion of the findings, I want to hear his opinion on how the examiner is likely to respond to claims, not “our opinion”. It’s unnatural to have a conversation with someone who insists on being plural. It’s like talking to the Borg from Star Trek. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382/34 "2009-03-09T18:46:19Z")
In Spain it is very normal for small companies to have an email that’s littlecompany@bigprovider.es; I would find it strange if a place with more than 20 employees had one of those, but for a small company or a self-employed professional it’s perfectly normal. Some prefer gmail to bigprovider because if they switch internet providers, the gmail address doesn’t change. .es adresses are ridiculously expensive and require setting up, at the very least, the email server. For someone like me, always on the move, it’s a completely unnecessary expenditure of time and money; for many small firms as well. I’ve seen too many webpages (some from very large companies which really should be able to afford better) which were little more than the company’s logo: no webpage is better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-business-professional-dopers/488382.md?page=1)