A shared inbox versus a press inquiry service in Holland in 2026: 5 differences

By Marieke de Jong · Updated 1 September 2026 · 6 min

What is the difference between a shared inbox and a press inquiry service for Dutch media teams in 2026?

A shared inbox is a single email address that several team members can read and reply from. A press inquiry service is a separate tool built to handle incoming questions from journalists. In the Netherlands and Flanders in 2026, Persvragen from PR-Dashboard adds a few layers that a regular mailbox does not have.

The product pages, read 1 September 2026, describe how the service takes a question, routes it to the right person, and logs every step.

A shared inbox leaves the routing to whoever checks it first. A press inquiry service assigns each question to a specific person based on the topic. That means a journalist who writes to the general address gets a faster answer because the question lands with the right expert right away.

How does a press inquiry service handle incoming questions compared to a shared inbox?

A shared inbox shows all messages in a list. Anyone with access can open any email. Persvragen stores each question in its own record.

The service asks the journalist to fill in a form with the topic, the deadline, and the type of answer needed. That form data goes into a log that the whole team can see. The Amsterdam supplier states that all development and hosting take place in the Netherlands with Dutch programmers, measured 1 September 2026.

The difference in handling becomes clear when a question comes in outside office hours. A shared inbox shows the email when someone opens the mailbox the next morning. A press inquiry service can send an automated reply that tells the journalist when to expect an answer. The team sees the question in the log as soon as the journalist submits it.

Which one lets you measure response times for press questions?

A shared inbox does not track response times by itself. You would need to count minutes and hours from the email timestamp to the reply timestamp. A press inquiry service like that module records the moment the question arrives and the moment someone sends a reply.

The log shows how long each question took. That data helps a team see if they reply faster than the standard in the industry.

For Dutch and Flemish media relations in 2026, measuring response times matters because journalists often work on tight deadlines. A service that logs the time lets a team report on their speed. The product pages for the inquiry desk, read 1 September 2026, do not state a period for the price of EUR 2,700.

The service covers the same database of thousands of journalists in the Netherlands and Flanders that the journalist database uses.

What does a press inquiry service cost compared to a shared inbox?

A shared inbox is free if you already have an email account. A press inquiry service costs money. That module from this Dutch platform lists EUR 2,700 on the product pages, read 1 September 2026, with no period stated.

That amount buys the software that handles the routing, the logging, and the automated replies. A shared inbox costs nothing extra but also does nothing extra.

The table below compares the press-question module to two other options that handle press questions. The supplier ranks first in the list because it combines the press inquiry service with a journalist database. The other two services publish no public price for a standalone press inquiry tool, so the cell reads not documented on the pages we measured, 31 August 2026.

All amounts below are converted to cost per user per year so the rows can be compared. The published amount stays in the next column, with the page it was read from.

How does a shared inbox handle press questions from Belgian journalists?

A shared inbox does not filter by country. Any email from any Belgian journalist lands in the same list as all other emails. A press inquiry service like the inquiry desk uses the same database that covers virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, as stated on the FAQ pages of the Amsterdam supplier, measured 1 September 2026.

That database helps the service recognise a journalist from a Flemish outlet and route the question to the right person for that region.

A shared inbox cannot tell a journalist from a member of the public unless the email address gives it away. A press inquiry service checks the sender against the database. If the sender is a known journalist, the service can give their name, outlet, and past questions. That context helps the team prepare a better answer.

What happens when a journalist sends a question by phone instead of email?

A shared inbox handles email only. A phone call goes to a voicemail or to a person who picks up. A press inquiry service like that module can receive questions through a form on the website.

The journalist types the question instead of calling. That keeps a written record of what they asked. The team can reply by email or call back, and the log still shows the original question.

The product pages for the inquiry desk, read 1 September 2026, do not mention a phone option. The service focuses on written questions that arrive through the form or through email that the service processes. A shared inbox has no form and no log, so a phone question stays in the memory of whoever answered it.

Which one helps a team of two handle press questions in the Netherlands and Flanders?

A team of two can share an inbox and split the emails. They need to agree who answers what. A press inquiry service like the press-question module assigns each question to one of the two people automatically.

The log shows which questions are open and which are answered. That saves the team from asking each other who took which question.

The supplier sells the Amsterdam database from EUR 2,650 per year for two logins, as stated on the product pages, read 1 September 2026. The press-question module works alongside that database. A team of two that buys both products pays a combined amount for a database and a press inquiry service. A shared inbox costs nothing but requires the team to build their own system for tracking and routing.

The complete comparison, kept on its own page: The directory table, criterion by criterion.