Tell people immediately that you'll check for the answer ASAP, and delay your response.
This will lead to several desirable outcomes:
- people might try to figure things out, or find an answer that might not strictly how things works, but consistant with it. (this last thing can be extremely powerful, as it can lead to better communication with clients).
- people will internalize that they won't have instant answer and organise themselves with that immuable fact. They'll naturally end up to compound potential questions, and that probable async replies lead them to refine their question in a more precise way.
- occasional instant reply gets valued for what it is.
If instant replies with sync conversation are expected, there is an organisational problem, and it's not sustainable. It's bad habit, being small business is not a good enough excuse.
- people might try to figure things out, or find an answer that might not strictly how things works, but consistant with it. (this last thing can be extremely powerful, as it can lead to better communication with clients).
- people will internalize that they won't have instant answer and organise themselves with that immuable fact. They'll naturally end up to compound potential questions, and that probable async replies lead them to refine their question in a more precise way.
- occasional instant reply gets valued for what it is.
If instant replies with sync conversation are expected, there is an organisational problem, and it's not sustainable. It's bad habit, being small business is not a good enough excuse.