One of the most common ways business interact with their end users is via email.
With all the great minds at Google, I find it appalling to see this as the first paragraph in an email that is asking me for more money:
This message was sent from a notification-only email address that does not accept incoming email. Please do not reply to this message. If you have any questions, please visit the Google AdWords Help Center at [Link Removed] to find answers to frequently asked questions and a ‘contact us’ link near the bottom of the page.
Loosely translated, “we don’t care what you think, we are busy, can we just get this over with please?“
At Google’s size and scale actually reading and responding to replies to these messages would be a challenge. However, considering all they have already achieved, this is a monumental opportunity for them. People want to work with and give money to businesses who care about them. Google, at least indirectly, is saying they do not care.
At KickoffLabs, we have gone to great lengths to make email as rewarding as possible:
- All emails have a single valid reply to address (support@kickofflabs.com)
- All emails include a footer informing the reader they can respond to the email (seriously, write back, we love to hear from you!)
- Our product allows our customers to send a thank you email and requires it come from a valid email address (we are opinionated and think you should want to hear from your users as well)
You have to cherish and respect every time you get to directly interact with a customer. Never look at an email as just a notification. Think of it as an opportunity to wow and inspire your users.