When email was in its nascent stages, it fascinated people. While plenty of individuals still use electronic mail on a regular basis, they have found some more efficient ways of communicating with other people. For example, they will often send a text message or request a live chat session so that they can receive an immediate answer. Since the world of email is evolving, your company needs to do so as well.
Understanding the Figures
While you may think that the number would be much higher, the fact is that 8 percent of millennials email a company when they have a question. That is not a huge percentage of people. You may think that means focusing on email is really not that important. However, you should consider why the number is so slow; it may be because companies, including yours, have proven inefficient in addressing emails. Any time your business is viewed as inefficient is a matter for concern because it could mean reduced customers and profits.
Creating More Efficient Response Times
Part of the reason why people do not send emails when they have inquiries about companies is because of the slow response times. Some individuals have sent email inquiries in the past, and they either never heard back from the company or had found an answer before a response appeared. While you probably cannot have a person checking email every minute of the day, you should work to respond to inquiries as soon as possible. This is something that non – profits have found useful for even getting better attendance rates from volunteers. If only eight percent of a large population is using email, then you probably have the time to answer them.
Crafting Specific Responses
Form responses are other stumbling blocks that many people encounter. They send an inquiry out through email, but they receive a response that is only peripherally related. Just because a customer includes a specific keyword in his or her email does not mean that topic is the focus of the inquiry. Sending out a form email that indicates when they will receive a response is a smart idea, but when it comes time to actually answer the question in detail, leave the response to a person.
Sending Spam Emails
If your company is sending spam to your current or potential customers, then you need to stop. However, it’s not just about emails that actually are spam; it’s also about emails that look like spam. When you are constantly sending out messages, some email programs may assume that they are spam. Then, the customers never get to see them in the first place. Also, proceed with caution when it comes to the material that you include in the emails. Most people are not going to click a random link in an email because they are afraid of what viruses it may contain.
Providing Additional Contact Information
Perhaps you have developed a fairly strong system for sending emails back to customers, but you often find that they have additional questions after you answer the first one. Once you have an understanding of the situation, speaking over the phone or in person is often more efficient. You may want to end the email with a phone number at which you can be reached in the event that the customer has more questions.
Discovering What Consumers are Using
It is clear that email is not the only way that people communicate with businesses, and in fact, it does not even necessarily play a huge role in the marketplace. Therefore, you need to figure out what it is that your customers are using. Chances are, they are taking to social media sites and review sites to write about your products and services. Furthermore, they are probably also trying to contact you through the social media or any other new tech/channels open for communication. Which means that you need a representative who replies to people. Always keep in mind that when consumers do not receive a fast response, they assume that no one is monitoring the site, which is a poor business practice. They may also think that the company does not care about its customers.
Examining the role of email in the modern workplace is interesting because it yields some surprising conclusions and helps businesses to understand what they really need to do.