We’ve all heard the horror stories about bad emails. Chances are you’ve sent one or two yourself. They are usually good learning experiences because once you’ve sent a bad one, you rarely make that mistake again. Consider the misuse of “Reply to All”, or the email in ALL CAPS that makes it seem as though you are yelling. Clients and colleagues have shared that they’ve lost business in some cases due to the misinterpretation of emails. When I hear this I feel sad because I know this doesn’t have to happen.

For a little communication insurance, consider the following:

• Mystery shop your email system on a regular basis to see how you are being perceived by the customer. Add a few email shops into the mystery shopping mix of phone calls and on-site visits to make a full assessment of all the ways customers attempt to contact you.
• Craft “canned” emails to be used when such responses are appropriate. You’ll see this used in situations where questions are asked frequently and the response always remains the same.
• Train your staff on the rules of when to use emails (sometimes a phone call is much more appropriate) and how to use emails. There really is an art to this form of communication.

Oh and by the way…You’ve Got Mail!