Friendly Email Pointers

When sending emails from a customer service perspective, it is very important to make sure that your emails are not misconstrued. It is hard to decipher tone and intent through emails and being short in an email can be interpreted incorrectly and being abrupt. Following these pointers can help ensure that you emails do not come off making you look rude:

• Include a greeting. In addition to addressing the email recipient by name, add a greeting.
• Identify your name and your company name. This can be done in the greeting or it can be an additional component.
• Thank the customer or client. Thank them for their email, if they emailed you first or thank them for being a loyal customer.
• If you are addressing a problem, be sure to apologize first off and again in the conclusion or end of your email.
• Be understanding of your customer; let them know that you understand what they are writing about by repeating their concern or issue. On the other hand, if you do not understand the email that was sent to you, ask for clarification rather than continuing the misunderstanding.
• Do not be afraid to pick up the phone and call a customer if email is not working out in the efficient manner it was made to.
• Do not be afraid to include niceties; just keep them short, such as, “I hope this email finds you well.” Or include similar friendly comments.
• Do not be afraid to get a little personal. This is especially the case when trying to solve a problem or explain a problem, in most cases if you explain to the client or customer a reason for a policy or if you are upfront with the company expense, they will be more likely to understand things from your perspective. An example could be, “I understand that the shipping cost is high, however that is the rate the shipper charges us. In addition, I agree with you that it is high, but that is what our company pays.”
• End with a friendly closing.