One of our local employers was on the front page of the Monadnock Ledger last week regarding a $400,000 settlement with OSHA for worker safety violations. Ouch! They not only have to pay the fines, but they also must take corrective actions & improve the safety of their workplaces for all of their employees. They have agreed to get a full time safety &...
The Endless Email
Submitted by TWP on Tue 8/17/10 10:07 am
Emails are a marketing tool as much as website content, brochures and any other written communication. Whenever you write for customers, you're selling them on your expertise and quality of service.
Yet, email can quickly become frustrating for both you and your customer--an endless cycle of misunderstanding--unless you observe a few rules.
First, if the customer has emailed about a problem, please don't argue about whether the problem exists. The most frustrating experience for any customer is when a company responds to a complaint with "that couldn't happen." Unless your business address is Wonderland, something happened.
Second, if you're emailing with a question, make sure you actually ask a question. Statements ("we need more information") are not questions. Divide your own questions into small parts so that the majority can be answered yes/no. This takes more time, but it ensures answers you can use. Essay questions ("what happened next?") ensure long rambling responses. You'll have to go back and extract the details anyway.
Third, always respond in the simplest, clearest English possible. Solving their problem will convince customers of your expertise. If you can't solve their problem, a large vocabulary won't help.
Fifth, save the exchange to reuse, especially if you're come up with the perfect wording to explain a problem, policy or offer. One of my computer support clients hired me specifically to create technical instructions that could be sent to any customer requesting advice on a recurring problem. Their help staff had been sending out so many different versions of the same solution that follow up was difficult, and simple procedures were becoming complicated by second thoughts and elaborate explanations.
Finally, if your frustration mounts even though you've followed the five rules, stop emailing. Pick up a phone and call. One phone call can replace endless emails.
Have you ever been caught in a frustrating email exchange? Let me know about it; I may be able to help with wording that satisfies both you and your customer.