Thanks for your interest in asking a question, making a comment, or sending a message to ExcelTips. I welcome both, but there are a few things you need to understand before you submit either one.
What Happens to My Question?
As you can imagine, ExcelTips receives LOTS of mail each week from people needing help. I typically look at all the queries within a day of so. If I know the answer right off the top of my head, I will answer you back right away. (Well, right after I read your e-mail.) If I need to do research, I collect all the requests and then look at them once a week. I only choose one or two requests to appear in the Help Wanted section of each issue of ExcelTips, so I look for those that are unique or of perhaps the widest interest.
Because of the volume of requests for help, this means that your query might not even make it into the newsletter. I don’t delete the questions, however, for several months. I hold on to them, just in case another reader later has a similar question. (Multiple readers with questions on the same topic results in a greater chance of being in the Help Wanted section.)
If your question is selected for use in a Help Wanted section, readers often respond with potential solutions. These are tested out, and the best ones are formatted into tips which appear in future issues of ExcelTips. If there are no responses, or if the solutions provided by readers don’t work, then there are no future tips related to the question.
Please don’t be worried or get angry if your query is not answered. To be honest, I don’t have time to respond to every query. Believe it or not, it takes quite a bit of time to put ExcelTips together. Rest assured that I will do what I can to help, within the time and resources at my disposal.
In the meantime, you might try searching for an answer at the ExcelTips Web site. There are thousands of tips on the site, all geared toward helping to use Excel better. All you need to do is use the Search box located at the upper-right of every page. (Look quick—you’ll see a Search box even on this page!)
What If I Just Have a Comment?
If you’ve got a comment about the Web site or about the ExcelTips newsletter or about anything else you think I should know, care, or have something to say about, then I’d love to hear from you. I believe that feedback—of any type—is a gift, and look forward to hearing from you.
Why Can’t I Just E-mail You?
I used to publish an e-mail address for sending in queries and comments, but after a few years I ended up getting more spam at the address than anything else. So, I switched to using this Web form.
What Do I Do Now?
Well, if you’d like to ask a question or make a comment, just fill out the form, below. The more completely you fill out the form, the more assistance you are to me and the better I can answer your question or respond to your comment. I appreciate your attention to detail in this matter.
Obligatory Disclaimers
You should know that by submitting a question or a comment, via the web site or via direct e-mail, you grant Sharon Parq Associates, Inc., Tips.Net, and ExcelTips the unrestricted right to publish or reuse your question or comment in other forms, including but not limited to other publications and web sites. Questions may be edited as needed prior to publication, if they are chosen for publication. Your e-mail address is never published, and we take all reasonable precautions to protect the information you provide. (You can see our complete privacy policy if you’d like some light reading.)
You should also understand that if you choose to follow any of our advice or use any of the tips we publish, you do so at your own risk. I’m not sitting in front of your computer; you are. You should use your own common sense regarding any information you receive from us (as you should for information you receive from anyone) and follow it only if you agree that it is appropriate and feel it could help you.
Are you finally ready to submit your question or comment? Good. Here you go: