South Simcoe Business Week

Businesses Growing Together

E-Mail Etiquette

To and Cc

The addresses in the 'To' are for the people you are directly addressing.

The addresses in the 'Cc' are for the people you are indirectly addressing. They are the FYI-ers or CYA-ers. Don't over do it here. Copy only those who need to be copied; not your entire universe of contacts. If you are cc'd on an email you are not expected to respond

Reply To All

The 'Reply to All' button is just a button, but it can generate tons of unnecessary e-mails. For example, if I send a dozen people an e-mail asking if they are available at a certain time for a meeting I should get a dozen replies and that's it. However, if each person hits the "Reply to All' button not only do I get a dozen replies, but so does everyone else for a total of 144 messages!

I'm not saying that the 'Reply to All' button should not be used. I'm saying that it should be used with care.

Salutations

The question here is "How personal is too personal?" or to be more specific, how do you open your e-mail: "Dear Sir", "Dear Mr. Smith", "Joe" or none of the afore-mentioned.

In the business situation, each situation will need to be evaluated on its on, but in general, I would use the following as a guide: If you normally address a person as Miss/Mrs./Ms./Mr. Smith then that's the way I would initially address them in e-mail. If you normally call them by their first name then I would either omit the salutation or follow the guideline specified in the prior paragraph. If you are unsure, stick to the formal salutation. It's the safest bet.

Save A Tree

One of the goals for e-mail usage is to eliminate (or greatly reduce) the shuffling of paper, but what chance does that have if a significant number of people are going to print every message they receive. I'm not saying that all messages should not be printed. I'm saying that too many messages are printed for no reason (a lot are printed and never retrieved from the printer).

Unless you have a very primitive e-mail system, it probably has some system (usually called "folders") that can be used to permanently store messages for recall at any time in the future. If the same people who print messages for paper file systems would create the same structure in the e-mail system with folders, it would accomplish the same goal, but would save an enormous amount of paper (and trees).

Subject lines

Always include a subject line in your message. Almost all mailers present you with the subject line when you browse your mailbox, and it's often the only clue the recipient has about the contents when filing and searching for messages. You should not write your message in the subject line. If you are replying to a message but are changing the subject of the conversation, change the subject too - or better still, start a new message altogether. The subject is usually the easiest way to follow the thread of a conversation, so changing the conversation without changing the subject can be confusing and can make filing difficult.

Above all else, remember that electronic mail is about communication with other people. When you compose an e-mail message, read it over before sending it and ask yourself what your reaction would be if you received it. Any time spent on making our e-mail clearer is time well-spent, so let's start taking the time.

7 PHASES THAT BUILD CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

You’re well aware of the basic of good customer service. Now you need to act on those principles with everything you do and say. Start by familiarizing yourself with the following “magic words” You’ll make great strides toward building solid relationships when customers hear you say:

“How can I help?” When you ask how you can help, you begin the interaction on a positive note. Give customers a chance to tell you what they want and need, and let them know that you’re eager to learn what you can do for them.
I can take care of that for you.” Many customer expect a runaround – especially if they are calling about a problem. Instead of passing customers and problems along to someone else, take responsibility yourself for guiding customers toward a solution.
I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” If customers ask you for something that you can’t provide admit that you don’t know the answer. Don’t worry about damaging the relationship by showing your lack of knowledge or expertise. An honest answer always enhances your integrity. And trust is a crucial part of all successful, long term customer relationships.
“I’ll keep you updated” Even when you’ve done your best, unavoidable setbacks may crop up and delay customers’ orders or cause problems. Assure your customers that you’ll stay on top of the order until it’s complete, advising in the customers of any unforeseen difficulties as soon as you become aware of them. Your customers will learn to trust and respect you, even if the updates you deliver to them are less than rosy – as long as you present the facts honestly.
“It will be just what you ordered” If you’re helping customers on the telephone or online, they may need a little extra reassurance. After all, they can’t see the products they’re ordering, so they’re completely dependent on you. Let them know that their trust is not misplaced. And make sure that they know how to contract you directly, just in case something goes wrong once the order leaves your hands.
“Here what I’ve done for you.” Don’t leave customers in the dark. Eliminate all their doubts and fears by spelling out exactly how you helped them. Say “I updated your shipping address, and I’ll see that the packages go in the mail today.” Then ask “How does that sound?” or “Did I overlook anything?” That gives customers a chance to point out anything else that might be standing in the way of their complete satisfaction. And it gives you one more chance to meet their needs.
“I appreciated your business” It’s easy to toss off a simple line like “Thanks for the order” But you make a greater and longer lasting – impression when you offer a more personal expression of gratitude. When you say “I” you let customers know that you personally value the relationship you’re forming. Continue to show your genuine appreciation by making routine follow up calls. Offer to answer questions, make sure everything is performing satisfactorily or check that the original problem has been solved.

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