📧 Email Communication Best Practices for Support Professionals
As a support professional, email is likely the most commonly used form of communication with your customers or end-users. While email is an efficient way to communicate, it fails to account for human emotions and can be one-dimensional. To ensure that your customers feel heard and valued, it's important to follow several important rules when communicating via email or any other written form of communication.
1. Use a Descriptive and Specific Subject Line
Using a descriptive and specific subject line will help you and the user identify this particular email conversation in the future. Many support ticketing systems automatically add a ticket number, but if yours doesn't, consider adding a ticket number manually.
2. Personalize Your Response
Personalizing your response by including the user's name can go a long way in making them feel valued and heard.
3. Reread the Sender's Original Email
Before responding, take the time to reread the sender's original email to ensure that you're answering all of their questions and haven't inadvertently overlooked any of the issues in the email.
4. Never Assume Prior Knowledge
Never assume that the customer or end-user has prior knowledge. It's much better to be too thorough than to omit necessary steps because you assume the person receiving your email already knows something.
5. Anticipate Related Issues
Anticipate related issues that the user or customer might have and include links to support pages or necessary steps for the recipient to follow if they encounter any related issues.
6. Use Bullet Points
Bullet points can make it easier to read your responses. Long paragraphs are difficult to read and can cause the reader to miss important points buried in lengthy blocks of text.
7. Number Your Steps
If your response includes step-by-step instructions, be sure to number them. If you're creating such instructions from scratch, be sure to test them to ensure that you haven't omitted any steps or made false assumptions about how the steps should work.
8. Use Proper Grammar
Show professionalism by using proper grammar and avoiding the use of texting shortcuts. While they may be fine for personal use, they have no place in business.
9. Proofread Your Email
Proofread your email for meaning, spelling, grammar, and mechanical errors such as repeated keystrokes or incorrect autocorrect. Get in the habit of rereading every email completely before hitting the send button.
10. Use Emoticons Sparingly
Emoticons can be used to express or clarify emotions, but be careful about their overuse. Also, be sensitive as to who will be reading your email. You probably wouldn't, for example, put a smiley face in an email to the CEO or other c-level executives of your company.
11. Include Your Contact Information
Ensure your contact information is included in every email. Automated signature features and most email programs make this easy. Include your name, phone number, email address, office hours, and appropriate links such as your company or department website, support pages, and any work-related social networking sites such as LinkedIn.
By following these rules, you can ensure that your customers feel valued and heard, and that you're not wasting valuable company or personal time. Remember, communication is about treating other people with respect and empathy, and when we follow these rules, we help everyone, including ourselves, get the job done in the most efficient manner possible.
Pros
- Personalizing your response can make customers feel valued and heard.
- Anticipating related issues and including links to support pages can save time and frustration for both you and the customer.
- Using bullet points and numbering your steps can make your responses easier to read and follow.
Cons
- Overuse of emoticons can come across as unprofessional.
- Proofreading every email can be time-consuming.
🤔 Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What should I do if I don't know the answer to a customer's question?
A: If you don't know the answer to a customer's question, be honest and let them know that you'll need to do some research to find the answer. Then, follow up with them as soon as possible with the answer.
Q: Should I use texting shortcuts in my emails?
A: No, texting shortcuts have no place in business communication. Use proper grammar and spelling to show professionalism.
Q: How can I make sure I'm not overlooking any issues in a customer's email?
A: Reread the sender's original email before responding to ensure that you're answering all of their questions and haven't inadvertently overlooked any of the issues in the email.
Q: Should I include my contact information in every email?
A: Yes, including your contact information in every email ensures that the customer knows how to reach you if they have any further questions or issues.
Resources:
- [Surgical Science](www.surgicalscience.com)
