E-mail Etiquette for Cleaning Companies
In the past few years the use of e-mail has exploded and although hard to believe, we're using e-mail more than all other methods of communication. The exact number of e-mails sent daily is unknown - estimates vary from 2 billion to 170 billion - and that's each day! What do all these e-mails going back and forth mean for your cleaning business?
First, many of your customers will want to know your e-mail address. Although you can get a free e-mail account at yahoo, g-mail or msn, you will look more professional if you get an e-mail address with your business name - such as [email protected]. If you have a website you should be able to get an e-mail account with your business name. Check with your web designer or hosting company. If you don't have a website, you can get a business e-mail account at www.godaddy.com.
Once you have your business e-mail account, it's important to remember that writing a "proper" business e-mail will help you maintain a professional image. If you send e-mails full of grammatical errors, incorrect punctuation and abbreviations, you may give the impression that you don't care about your customers. Or worse, you could give the impression that if you're sloppy with your emails, you must be the same when it comes to cleaning their building.
Following are a few email etiquette tips for keeping your business e-mails professional:
- Always use your subject line and make sure it clearly states why you are
e-mailing. If you don't tell your customer why you are sending the e-mail, they
may just hit the delete button thinking the e-mail is spam.
- Limit your e-mail to one idea and keep your e-mail short and to the point.
Put the most important information first.
- Write your e-mail as if you are writing a short letter to your customer. Use
proper punctuation, spelling and grammar. Make sure to use complete sentences
and break up your messages with paragraphs. Most e-mail programs have a spell
checker; use it, but remember that a spell checker does not know the difference
between some words, such as "too" and "two".
- When writing e-mails you don't want to appear cold and unprofessional. Use a
friendly tone and write as if you were speaking face-to-face with your customer.
Avoid using all capital letters - which is considered "shouting".
- Be sure to cover all your bases in each e-mail you send because e-mail is
not always the fastest way to communicate. An e-mail may sit in someone's inbox
for days or weeks! If sending an e-mail to answer a customer's questions, make
sure you answer each question thoroughly - otherwise you might be e-mailing back
and forth until you have answered all the customer's questions and concerns.
- Use plain text when writing business e-mail. Don't use HTML, fancy fonts or
colors that are hard to read. Also avoid using moving graphics or photos and
images that don't pertain to the subject of the e-mail. If you don't know the
person very well, avoid using emoticons - you know, those little faces made with
parenthesis and colons :-) . You might offend the reader of your e-mail or,
depending on their computer expertise, they might not understand what you are
trying to convey.
- If corresponding back and forth, cut out areas of the e-mail that are no
longer necessary. Send back only the part of the message you need to reply to.
- Answer your e-mail in a timely manner. People now have the mind-set that
using the Internet is instantaneous and they want quick responses to their
e-mails.
- Always be sure to end the e-mail with your name and use a signature line.
E-mail programs allow you to set up different signatures for different purposes.
For your business e-mail, you might want to include your full name, business
name, phone number, your business' tag line and a link to your website.
- Establish written e-mail guidelines for your employees. If it is company
business, you always want to look professional. Make sure all of your employees
know what you expect when they are sending out an e-mail relating to company
business.
- Using e-mail can be a great way to communicate, but there are times when picking up the phone or having a face-to-face meeting is a better way to get your message across. Do you need an immediate answer to a question? Then pick up the phone and call your customer. Some individuals answer their e-mail immediately, while others may wait several days. In addition, you never know when someone might be having computer problems and the e-mail is either delayed or ends up lost in cyberspace.
Is the issue too complicated or too sensitive to discuss in an e-mail? Did your customer ask why something wasn't done to their satisfaction? Pick up the phone and talk to them or arrange a face-to-face meeting to explain why or to let them know how you will correct the situation.
Remember, e-mails are not private. Other parties can read, forward and even intercept your emails. There have been times when e-mails have been subpoenaed for use in lawsuits. If you are writing a confidential e-mail or something you don't want "the world" to see, it's better to choose a different way to communicate.
Using e-mail can be a quick and efficient way to get a message out, but e-mail messages can also be misinterpreted, lost, and at times end up in the wrong hands. When using e-mail, always make sure it is the best way to get your message across and that it is written in a professional manner.
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Jean Hanson helps owners of residential cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. Read inspirational cleaning success stories at http://www.cleaning-success.com, and sign up for House Cleaning Profit Tips at //www.myhousecleaningbiz.com.
