Do Not Reply to This E-mail.

This morning in my inbox there are no less than 7 emails from marketing companies actively telling me, as a prospective customer, that they are not interested in hearing from me. The sender address looks something like this; noreply@server2.clientpost.co.za. And if that is not enough to put me off ever doing business with them, some of the emails further stress in the text that “Please do not reply to this email message via email. This address is automated, unattended, and cannot help with questions or requests.”

Then they go on to request that I “like” them on Facebook and Twitter. What’s to like? Unless one “likes” to do business with a company that is rude (read impolite, discourteous, bad-mannered, and offensive).

Next gripe: The long-thread email And yes, whilst I am being irritable, please also remember to change the subject line in those long-thread email communications… you know the one that starts off with “RE: The meeting this morning” and then goes on to ask about the content of the report that needs to be done, and then on to the fact that there is no coffee in the canteen, and then on to the quote that you have been waiting for… on and on for days, all under the same subject line “RE: The meeting this morning”. If you find this is happening to you, break the thread and change the headline to make the contents relevant. So much easier for you and your recipient to find your emails when you are looking for them.

There, I feel better getting that off my chest. So what do you feel most irritated about in your inbox? I would welcome your thoughts below. And to everyone that responds, I will collate and send the top 5 pet gripes re South African inboxes.

Colleen Backstrom colleen@kscope.co.za | 021 4622291