It's a lot less common than you think, especially by email. In my spare time, I work on motorcycles, and I often have to source specific parts or - in rare cases - reach out to a local machine shop. I've given up on email, a phone call is often the only way to get a response.

When you work in the tech industry, you get accustomed to everything being done by text, but the rest of the world isn't so convinced :)