Press release

UK office workers lack digital etiquette – study reveals

• ntl:Telewest Business research reveals modern communication confusion

13th March 2006. Would you consider it rude if you hadn’t received a reply to an email within a morning? Almost half of UK office workers would, according to a major new study from business communications provider ntl:Telewest Business. 5% of people would consider it rude if they hadn’t received an email response within five minutes of sending it.

The study, entitled ‘Digital etiquette’, revealed that UK office workers are confused as to how and when they should use digital communication tools. Many people felt instant messaging (IM) and text messages (SMS) were simply not appropriate for certain aspects of office work. Less than one in 10 respondents felt SMS and IM were appropriate for HR issues, financial discussions and liaising with senior management.

There also appears to be a lack of tolerance when using modern communication tools. Two out of every five people would expect a response to an SMS within an hour before considering it rude, and almost a quarter of people would expect a response within five minutes to an IM.

Despite that, many people have not yet formed a judgement on how long it is considered rude to wait for a reply, implying that digital etiquette is still being formulated and confusion is rife.

Stephen Beynon, MD, ntl:Telewest Business, said: “The British are renowned for their manners, so it is important that as and when these tools become more widely known, businesses give guidelines to their staff on how to use them efficiently. ntl:Telewest Business commissioned the 'Digital etiquette' study to help businesses formulate clear guidelines on what is and what is not acceptable when using modern communications. If businesses fail to tackle this head-on they risk damaging relationships with suppliers, partners and clients alike.”

The study also revealed that different age groups have different perceptions of what constitutes digital etiquette. More than a third of 16-24 year olds and a quarter of 25-34 year olds feel it necessary to include icons in their digital communication to appropriately set the tone. This compares with less than one in 10 55-64 year olds and 18% of people nationally that use icons.

People need to choose their mode of communication more effectively, according to the study. The use of email in the office is prolific, but in some instances people are using it as an instant communications tool, when IM was actually designed for this purpose. 5% of respondents consider it rude if they haven’t received a reply to an email within five minutes, implying that IM should be deployed where users need a more immediate response.

Beynon continued: “Communications channels such as IM have emerged for a reason - to help people communicate instantly, but in spite of this employees still waste precious time using email as an instant communications tool. Any organisation about to implement such technology should stress the benefits to its employees but also lay out rough etiquette rules so people are confident about using it. People should be embracing these new technologies, not worrying about how and when to use them.”

TNS surveyed over 1,400 office workers aged 16-64 across the UK on behalf of ntl:Telewest Business for the 'Digital etiquette' study. Other key findings included:

Three main digital communication types emerged from the study:

• OATs - Old Age Technologists - not necessarily old in age, but OATs have dated attitudes towards new communication technologies.
• ESBOs (Easily Sociable Behaviour Online) - completely at ease with IM and SMS in the office, ESBOs have whole-heartedly embraced modern office communication tools.
• SToIC (Slow to Implement Change) - SToICs follow established etiquette rules so don’t stray from their accepted comfort zones like fax.
  
• IM and SMS are most subject to misinterpretation - other communications are less ambiguous. 56% of people had never misinterpreted a fax, and 46% had never misinterpreted a letter.
• IM continues to be used primarily for gossip and socialising, a third of respondents said this was what they used IM for most.
• Email is the most highly regarded tool in the office. 78% of respondents claimed they couldn’t live without it in the workplace. It is used for the widest range of tasks, from gossip and socialising to personnel/HR and financial discussions.
• Nearly a third of respondents said they still use fax and letter every single day, whilst less than one in five use SMS daily and only one in 10 use IM every day.
• 61% of respondents admitted to considering a person’s seniority before sending an email, changing the language of their message accordingly.

About ntl:Telewest Business

ntl:Telewest Business, part of the UK’s second largest fixed-line telecommunications company, is a leading communications provider to businesses, public sector organisations and service providers in the UK. It delivers a complete portfolio of voice, data and internet solutions nation-wide.

ntl:Telewest Business sales and support teams are located across the UK, in close proximity to our customers, as part of a commitment to deliver superior customer service.

ntl:Telewest Business delivers services over the Group’s £13bn investment  in its state-of-the-art infrastructure giving business customers access to the largest alternative network in the UK.

ntl:Telewest Business is trusted to provide critical communications to high profile customers including: Heathrow's Terminal 5, Birmingham City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council.