Good customer support is the formula for success, so hey, why aren’t you answering?

How frustrating is it to be in a situation where you urgently need a worker or a builder and you send an e-mail request to eight different specialists, but none of them respond? Or, at best, only one of them answers… This situation may seem familiar to many readers. Sometimes it can even be the case that one specialist answers after six months, asking if they can come and see the site now. Of course, the answer in this situation is obvious: no you can’t!

In situations like that, the question inevitably arises: why do we create a fancy website for ourselves with contact forms and a promise to get in touch quickly and carry out work, if we don’t even bother to answer our e-mails? Situations where it is recommended on the website to contact by e-mail leave us especially frustrated. If you allow me to write to you, please answer! In a situation like that, how can we expect the customer to trust us if we don’t even bother to answer their mail?

I will share some tips with the reader below, which will hopefully help any service and product providers to organise their customer communication much better.

Use an automated response

If you’re busy and can’t answer all the e-mails right away, use an automated e-mail response to let senders know that you’ll answer later or ask them to call you. It is also especially useful during the holidays.

If you are already a Zone customer, you can activate and configure the automated response from Zone webmail.

Respond to mail at least once a day, either in the morning or in the evening

Respond to your mail at least once a day that’s arrived in your inbox. This shows the customer that you value their inquiry. You can even prepare a batch of the most common standard answers, which you can quickly send to your customers with a little tuning.

By responding quickly, you leave a good impression on the customer. Even if it doesn’t lead to an immediate transaction, they are more likely to choose you in the future when they have new needs.

You may be doing well now, but in the future when you need more customers, such customers will be appreciated.

To make your life easier, you can use countless e-mail clients on your computer and phone with which you can quickly communicate with customers.

Client programs for reading/responding to e-mail

For example, if you have a Windows computer, we recommend using Outlook or Thunderbird. Windows’ own client Windows Mail, eM Client or Mailbird are worth mentioning as well.

If you have an Android phone

• Gmail: If you have a Gmail account, the official Gmail app is a great choice.
• Microsoft Outlook: Outlook offers many features and is a good choice, especially if you use Office 365 services.
• Blue Mail: It is a universal e-mail client that supports many different e-mail services. It also offers a number of customisation options.
• K-9 Mail: If you are looking for a simple and open source solution.
• Aqua Mail: Aqua Mail is another versatile e-mail client with a number of customisation options.

If you have an Apple phone

Apple devices have a built-in e-mail client called Mail, which is quite powerful and user-friendly. However, there are other popular e-mail clients for iOS. Some of these include:

• Microsoft Outlook: As with Android, Outlook is a great choice for iOS, especially if you use Office 365 services.
• Spark: Spark is a popular third-party e-mail client with a beautiful user interface and a number of convenient features.
• Airmail: Airmail is another widely used e-mail client on iOS devices. It supports several different e-mail services.
• Gmail: If you use Gmail, the official Gmail app is also available for iOS and offers good integration with Google services.
• Newton Mail: Newton is an e-mail client that focuses on user-friendliness and speed. It supports several e-mail platforms.

All setup guides for common clients can be found in the Zone help centre.

Webmail – the best choice for Zone customers

And as a final recommendation: if you can’t be bothered or don’t want to set up a separate e-mail client programme on your computer or phone, as a Zone customer you can use our awesome, modern and secure web-based e-mail.

Politeness

When responding to an e-mail politely, it is always important to leave a good impression and maintain professionalism. Here are a few steps to writing a polite e-mail response:

• Start with a greeting: Start your response politely, for example “Hello [name]” or “Good [morning/afternoon/evening]”.
• Thank them for their response: If the e-mail you received contained an answer to your earlier inquiry, be sure to thank the sender for it. For example: “Thank you for your quick response.”
• Content of the response: If you are the one answering the sender’s inquiry, explain your answer clearly or answer the question. Be specific and avoid confusion.
• Ask if they need anything else: If your answer may raise additional questions or needs, politely ask if there is anything else you can do or explain if necessary.
• Finishing: Finish off the e-mail politely. For example: “If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to ask” or “I’m looking forward to your response.”
• Signature: Add a professional signature with your name, position and contact information.

Here is a simple example of a polite response:

Hello [name],

Thank you for your fast response. I appreciate the clarification and your help on this matter. If you need anything else or have any questions, please let me know.

Best wishes, [Your Name][Your Position][Contact Information]

This is a simple example that you can adapt according to the specific situation and communication partner.

Zone offers you all the possibilities

In order for you to have the best e-mail and the most secure service, Zone offers you the option of creating and using e-mails in all of its web server packages. Make as many mailboxes as you want, there are no limits. E-mails can be read via our webmail or by setting up your favourite e-mail client programme on your computer or phone.

If your mailbox needs a lot of extra space, that’s not a problem either. If necessary, you can upgrade your e-mail to the Premium package, which comes with either 50GiB or 100GiB mailbox capacity.

Don’t make a bad impression. Polite, professional behaviour and quick reactions are the way to a good reputation and success.