Jeremy was frustrated. He had sent an e-mail to Will, his account rep, to solve a billing issue and hadn't heard back in 4 days. This was the last straw, after a second billing issue in two months, a couple late deliveries, and now even Jeremy's rep is ignoring him.
The next day, Jeremy called a competitor and placed a large order. Later that day, Will called back.
- Will: Hi Jeremy. This is Will with Acme Paper Plus.
- Jeremy: Yes.
- Will: Great news! We not only got that invoice corrected, but I got you a 5% discount on your next purchase!
- Jeremy: Well, that won't help.
- Will: What do you mean?
- Jeremy: I just made my next purchase. . .with your competitor.
- Will: Why? I've been working on your issue ever since I received your e-mail.
- Jeremy: How was I supposed to know that, Will?
Acme Paper Plus lost Jeremy as a customer. The last straw was not Will ignoring Jeremy's issue. Rather, the last straw was Will not acknowledging Jeremy's e-mail.When you don't acknowledge e-mails, the sender may feel that they're not important, or that you dropped the ball, or that you might not have received the message or that you're not working on it. Realize the importance of acknowledgement to take control of the customer's expectations. Acknowledge the message, note the next steps and provide a timeframe.If you're working on the customer's behalf, make sure the customer knows it!
