I’ve heard this before from other VA’s and thankfully, I’ve only had one client for whom “URGENT” was as common as “the”.

When you are working with a virtual assistant, giving time-lines is crucial.

As a client, you should be aware of your VA’s standard turnaround time, as well as the manner in which “URGENT” items will be handled.

As a VA, make sure that you outline your expectations for turnaround and emergencies in your contract – it’s as simple as attaching an appendix outlining your hours of operation, standard turnaround time and definition of urgent.

Many VA’s I know, myself included, charge a premium for urgent matters that require less than a 24 hour turnaround. We know that things will inevitably crop up and we will really need to drop everything to put out your fire, and yes, that can come with a price.

And as the title says, please use URGENT sparingly – using it on every single email means that eventually your items will be “taken with a grain of salt” – and you will become the client who cried wolf!