Oral communications almost always take much longer because people have a tendancy to veer off in off-topic discussion. Email allows you to get your part in something done immediately and off your desk — it allows the recipient to respond when they have time.

Email provides a definitive timeline of when requests were made and received — or not.

Oral communications require more time because, in addition to the time spent talking, you must subsequently document the meeting.

Email can be sent 24/7; which for people who are workaholics out of necessity, is very important and less time consuming then waiting to talk to someone verbally.

Oral communications should be reserved strictly for issues that may prove sensitive to the recipient.

That’s my view.