I just got an email from a health product company. It was one of those advertising newsletters that I signed up for some time back.
Taking a quick look at the email I noticed a promotion for a give away. Woo Hoo! I clicked the link and found that all you had to do was sign up to get their newsletter and you’re in the draw. By the very fact that I was reading their newsletter I figured that I’m already signed up and entered.
Thinking that it might be a little confusing for some readers I decided to shoot the company a note to let them know.
Unfortunately it was one of those emails that warns you DO NOT REPLY to this email. OK – I won’t reply.
Why do businesses make it so hard to contact them? You would think that if you were running a business you’d make it as easy as possible to have customers get in touch with you yet so many businesses add DO NOT REPLY on their emails.
Even if the address they’re using for the mail out isn’t the right one to contact, it’d be very easy to set up a ‘reply to’ email address. The DO NOT REPLY message shouts, ‘We’re interested in your money, but you can keep your opinions and questions to yourself’.
Posted by Rodney Olsen
Technorati Tags: Email – Newsletters – Business Contacts
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Frustrating, isn’t it? I spend an inexcusable amount of time digging through the email, or searching the company’s website looking for “who-to-contact” information. It would be simple enough to include in each email a signature with the reply-to addresses for each circumstance (help, unsubscribe, feedback, customer support, etc.).
Another source of frustration are certain phone calls. I’ve been getting a phone call from a collection agency twice a day looking for someone I never heard of. The caller is automated and simply leaves a message for “Wrong Person” to return the call with their account number. I’ve tried calling the number but can’t get through to anyone because I don’t have an account number, so I’m unable to make those calls stop.
Yes, it is annoying if you can’t reach a company by email. But I can also understand that some big companies receive too many messages and are not able to answer them all. That’s also the case with big internet companies – they often give you a faq list and try to hide their email addresses…
Of course I HAD to reply to your blog post. Thanks for offering this opportunity 🙂
I bet all of us can relate to this one. Its very maddening the way some companies make you work so hard just to contact them.
I know exactly what you are talking about, I got one too. Hey, we use the same products too, we have so much in common.
Good luck with the draw, it’s some cool sporty prices isn’t it.
Take care my friend, have a happy weekend with your family.
I Don’t like going into some shops because they are rude. Talking to another staff member about their social life while service you irates me.
Did you say something? LOL
Most companies probably *are* more interested in your money than your opinions anyway. Personally, I focus on taking that away when they do something to upset me. Threats of lawsuits or taking my business elsewhere seem to get me a lot further than trying to reason with them, so that’s what I do.
Unless, of course, the e-mail was just spam anyay.