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View Full Version : Example of a really bad email newsletter from Shrink The Web



Harold Mansfield
03-27-2011, 11:23 PM
I got this from Shrink The Web (on a Sunday) and my first reaction was "Who the hell is this talking to me this way?"

For such a seemingly popular tool, their communications and customer service are horrible.
The emails reads more like a reservation denial from a snooty restaurant or nightclub than it does a company looking to grow it's subscribers.


Hello xxxxxxx,
If you are a PRO user, then this will not affect you.

However, if you are NOT a PRO user and your account isn't working (i.e. you don't bother reading our emails), then there is a very good reason why. If you email or call about this issue, WE WILL NOT RESPOND so READ carefully.
The auto-responder links to the relevant posts and I hope to have an FAQ on "Lock to Account" posted this weekend.


To me it comes off as arrogant. I immediately looked to make sure none of my websites were using this and to unsubscribe from any future mailings.

To me it's a prime example of how not to talk to people. If someone had spoke down to me like this in public..as if I was an idiot, we would have some immediate problems.

Am I the only one that looked at this and wanted nothing to do with this company or any more emails from them?

Capitalist
03-28-2011, 12:58 AM
Wow. I regularly subscribe to email lists just to see how other people handle them over time - I set up custom filters in Gmail, automatically archive, tag, and mark them as read, and review them every couple of weeks.

I've *never* seen anything that bad. That's just... kinda sad, actually. Like the dying moans of a company who failed to see the business value of investing customer service in the first place.

Harold Mansfield
03-28-2011, 11:53 AM
Update:
I sent a reply email explaining how put off I was about the newsletter and here is what I got back from Shrink The Web:

Blah blah blah... If you delete your account (or click the unsubscribe below), then it had its intended affect. Thanks. :)

Brandon Elliot

Amazing.
I think it's the first time I have ever had a company get me to sign up for their newsletter and then tell me "screw you", before I was even a customer.

CloptonCapital
03-28-2011, 12:37 PM
I got this from Shrink The Web (on a Sunday) and my first reaction was "Who the hell is this talking to me this way?"

For such a seemingly popular tool, their communications and customer service are horrible.
The emails reads more like a reservation denial from a snooty restaurant or nightclub than it does a company looking to grow it's subscribers.



To me it comes off as arrogant. I immediately looked to make sure none of my websites were using this and to unsubscribe from any future mailings.

To me it's a prime example of how not to talk to people. If someone had spoke down to me like this in public..as if I was an idiot, we would have some immediate problems.

Am I the only one that looked at this and wanted nothing to do with this company or any more emails from them?


Snob appeal advertising might be making a comeback, it was big in the 80's. Remember Fancy Feast being served from crystal?

greenoak
03-28-2011, 08:48 PM
wow....thats awful...

Duston McGroarty
04-01-2011, 07:54 AM
Sounds to me like they've got their IT guys running their email marketing campaigns... bad, bad mistake (sorry if there are any IT guys here).

They understand computers and software but are never too good on the communication side of things.

KristineS
04-01-2011, 04:35 PM
Wow, that is pretty bad. Clearly, they didn't want your business, and they succeeded in their goal of not getting it.

maebee
06-15-2011, 01:23 PM
Everyone in this thread is absolutely right. This was a horrible way to treat our customers. When ShrinkTheWeb was much smaller, excellence in customer service was a source of pride for the company. The CEO, who for a long time was a one man show, and our Co-Founder was handling everything personally. But as the company grew rapidly, it quickly became too much too fast and under the stress of wearing so many hats our customer service suffered dramatically. It was actually the public response to these emails that brought that fact most harshly to light and led them to bringing me on board.

So let me introduce myself, my name is Mae, and I am the new dedicated Customer Support Rep for ShrinkTheWeb. As you pointed out our effective level of customer service was anything BUT. So I'm here to let you know that your comments have been read, your advice taken, and a professional has been hired to turn it around; namely me! Please accept my sincerest apologies to all our customers who were treated roughly or unfairly and allow me to reassure you that is all in the past. If you would like to speak with me directly please feel free to contact me anytime at mae@shrinktheweb.com or call me at (888) 763-6797. If you get our voicemail PLEASE leave a message, and I will call you back as quickly as possible. I hope you will consider us for future projects knowing that we really do listen and we really do care.

Sincerely,
Mae

greenoak
06-19-2011, 09:11 AM
thats pretty neat..i wonder if she is a far off personel person or someone in house , who does actually know the company and can answer the questions......
having a truly listening, engaged, communicative person dealing with our customers is what we all try for.......

Spider
06-19-2011, 11:07 AM
Good post, Mae - and welcome to the forum. I have used ShrinkTheWeb in the past and have not, myself, experienced any customer service problems. This is a good start and I wish you all success in turning things around.

tylerhutchinson
06-20-2011, 01:07 PM
That is bad. If I got something like that I would never buy their services regardless of how much I liked the product itself.

Dan Furman
06-20-2011, 08:23 PM
Everyone in this thread is absolutely right. This was a horrible way to treat our customers. When ShrinkTheWeb was much smaller, excellence in customer service was a source of pride for the company. The CEO, who for a long time was a one man show, and our Co-Founder was handling everything personally. But as the company grew rapidly, it quickly became too much too fast and under the stress of wearing so many hats our customer service suffered dramatically. It was actually the public response to these emails that brought that fact most harshly to light and led them to bringing me on board.

So let me introduce myself, my name is Mae, and I am the new dedicated Customer Support Rep for ShrinkTheWeb. As you pointed out our effective level of customer service was anything BUT. So I'm here to let you know that your comments have been read, your advice taken, and a professional has been hired to turn it around; namely me! Please accept my sincerest apologies to all our customers who were treated roughly or unfairly and allow me to reassure you that is all in the past. If you would like to speak with me directly please feel free to contact me anytime at mae@shrinktheweb.com or call me at (888) 763-6797. If you get our voicemail PLEASE leave a message, and I will call you back as quickly as possible. I hope you will consider us for future projects knowing that we really do listen and we really do care.

Sincerely,
Mae

Color me impressed.

nealrm
06-21-2011, 05:11 PM
Sounds like Mae has her work cut out for here. The prior emails sounds very much like it came from someone overly stressed.