Archive of "Customer Service" Category

Can the Spam – How to Reduce Your Junk Email

December 30, 2010 // No Comments »

Tired of spam and junk email? You should be – Symantec tells us that 72% of your email messages are spam. In spite of rules and regulations, clever marketers and spammer gurus just keep changing the game and how they get their messages to you. They’re pretty crafty, but if you follow some basic guidelines you can reduce your junk email significantly. Here are some tips to can the spam:

1. Never respond. Sure, it’s tempting to lock and load a hostile or sarcastic response, but all that tactic does is assure the spammers that your email address is valid. They’ll simply cross you off their list and sell your email to someone else.
2. Report the sender right away. Spam is illegal and even if the sender is going around the regulations, the messages are still junk and you can turn them into spam@uce.gov or to your ISP.
3. Block the sender’s domain. Most email services have a handy tool that lets you block all email from specific sources. Block the whole domain, since they may use a specific email address just once.
4. Block images. If you automatically block all images, you can reduce your junk email quite a bit. Once the image opens, even if you don’t click through any links, the spammer knows he has a good address.
5. Protect your email address. Don’t post your email address in a public place where anyone can see it and capture it – be wary of posting your email on blogs and Twitter. Extra special tip – spell out “at” instead of using the @ sign – spammer software won’t pick it up as an email address.
6. Include antispam software in your Internet security package. Go the extra mile when you buy security software and select an antispam option as well.
7. Update your email address. If all else fails, you can start over with a new email address. If you decide to make a change, try a more complex address that what you had before. It’s a pain, but it may be worth it if you are inundated with junk email.

Whatever course you take – do something! We all have to make a concerted effort to stop spammers and minimize the unwanted and uninvited email in our inboxes.

Posted in Customer Service, Resources, Small Business, Technology

Email Lite–Reduce Your Unsubscribes with Lighter Frequency Lists

November 12, 2010 // No Comments »

It’s great to build email lists, and we know that your subscribers love to hear from you – but how often? If you are a prolific emailer, your favorite subscribers may end up hitting the delete button before the ever open your message. Eventually, they may even unsubscribe just to lighten up their email boxes.

So why not help them lighten their load? With a couple of content changes and technical switches, you can create email lighter frequency lists that give your subscribers the options to get your broadcasts weekly, bi-monthly  or monthly. Here’s how:

Condense your content:

• Highlight the top news stories or tips each day
• Remove any announcements for timely events that will be obsolete
• Merge related articles
• Create topic lists that link back to the full story on your Web site

Tweak the Opt-In

• Make sure that your subscribers who opt in to lighter frequency aren’t still on the original daily deluge list
• Create a self-explanatory Web form for each list that makes it clear they are signing up for fewer emails
• Create confirmation messages that spell out what they have signed up for and when they will get emails

If you make the decision to offer lighter frequency email content, now may be the perfect time to reach out t your subscribers who haven’t opened your emails in a while. Send them an email that lets them know they can opt- in for your email lite version. Write a subject that lets them know it’s a new opportunity.  Ask them to select a frequency option and link them to a Web form that will set them up seamlessly. It may be just the way to get their attention again!

Posted in Clients, Customer Service, Marketing, Resources, Small Business, Virtual Assistants

Email Etiquette For Your Business Communications

August 5, 2010 // No Comments »

When it comes to online communication, it’s just as important as offline communication, if not more important. Oftentimes when speaking to someone in an online atmosphere, they can take things the wrong way, simply because they cannot hear your voice or see your face. Because of this, it is vital that you get your message across right the first time because you might not get another chance, especially if you offend someone. Here are a few guidelines to follow when you are speaking to someone online; have it be through email or IM.

• It is typically considered rude and impolite to talk IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS LIKE THIS. It is commonly referred to as shouting. Shouting = rude. Instead, you can emphasize words using bold or italics but if at all possible stay away from all caps.
•  Make sure you check your spelling and grammar before sending out emails and IMs. Most IM and email programs these days have a spell check function. Be sure to turn it on, this will allow you to look professional. It will also keep people from getting confused by sloppy typing. 
• Make sure when you send an email, that you use a signature file. Email programs and sites like Gmail and Hotmail have an option for this. It will allow you to “attach” it to the bottom of all your emails you send out. This email signature will contain your name, business name, phone number, URL, etc. Whatever you want. There are two points to this. First is to introduce who you are and possibly what you want. Second is to possibly promote your website or business. 
• Make your email subjects text as concise as possible. Keep it short and to the point.. Oftentimes when people read or receive an email that is incredibly long, especially when it comes to a partnership, sale, email sales letter or newsletter, if it’s too long, they will just delete it. Remember to always enter a subject, if you leave it blank it has a greater chance of being filtered into spam or just deleted. 
• Always use the best customer service skills possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s through an email program or if you have a support desk. Don’t make your clients, customers or prospects wait more than two days at a time for an answer. If you get a lot of people that email you once, email you twice and email you three times in a very minimal amount of time – set up an auto responder. Gmail has one of these and it is quite frankly, very useful. It tells people, okay, I got your email, and I will get back to you soon. It shows you care and it puts them at ease. 

By using these few guidelines, your business will run smoother, and people will be able to communicate with you on a clearer level. Communication is such a HUGE aspect in the online world. Use these guidelines as you will, when you want and customize them for your businesses.

Posted in Customer Service

Your Customers Are People, Get to Know Them!

August 22, 2009 // No Comments »

When you go  into a store to purchase an item or call a company for their service, most times you are using that company because you have had a satisfied experience. Perhaps the customer service people know your name, they know that you like a certain brand of item or that you really do your homework so they aren’t going to haggle you on choosing a different item. They just know how you like to be treated.  The people at that store know YOU. 

Shouldn’t that be the way every business is?  If yours isn’t running this way maybe it’s time to reevaluate your number one priority and that’s the customer.  Here are a couple tips to showing a customer your business cares:

• Associate unique experiences with each individual, not just a carbon copy of every interaction you have with every customer
• Get feedback from customer or clients after the sale, don’t just let them walk away to never hear from you again
• Get a lead database to keep track of customers and clients so that you can make notes about what clients and customers like that come to you
• Treat customers and client the way you would like to be treated, just like when you go into your favorite store.

It may sound like common sense but showing a client or customer right off the bat that you care and are interested in their needs can lead to them being a long standing customer.

Posted in Customer Service