RE: Your e-mail
Reply to messages with useful
information—automatically.

by Ward Lowe Thanks for reading this page of the magazine. The author is currently unavailable but will write the rest of the article as soon as possible. Have a great day.

How’s that for customer service? You probably wouldn’t stick around to find out when the article was finished, would you?

People who send you e-mails might get that same feeling if you set up your autoreply feature to respond with a vague message every time you receive an e-mail. An autoreply can be a valuable tool to further your relationship with a potential client, but it can also aggravate people.

Pick your method
How you set up an autoreply will vary depending on your situation. If you work for a larger brokerage that employs technology professionals, those staff members can set up an autoreply for you using a message you supply.

Those of you working at home or in a small office can create an autoreply via your Internet service provider. ISPs such as Road Runner and Earthlink offer sections on their Web sites where users can log in and insert an autoreply for their account. Contact your ISP for specific instructions.

You also can create a rule in Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express that responds to every e-mail with your autoreply message. This method, however, requires you to leave your e-mail program running and your computer connected to the Internet at all times—not an option for dial-up users.

Whichever method you choose, make sure your autoreply provides good information to prospects, customers, colleagues, and clients. Here are examples of autoreplies based on actual e-mails received in response to legitimate messages. An analysis accompanies each.

Time is of the essence
Hi. I am unavailable to read your message at this time.

A consumer can’t do anything with this information. You, the agent, are not at your computer or in your office right now, but are you going to read the message? Are you going to respond? Can the customer contact you on the phone?

Thank you for your message. I will respond within
three hours or you may call me on my cell phone at
555-123-4567.

A consumer knows what to expect. You received the message, and she can expect to hear from you within a specific time frame. Of course, you must deliver on the three-hour promise; if you go on vacation and forget to turn off the autoreply …

Thank you for your e-mail. I usually check my e-mails before 11:00 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m. daily. If you have an urgent message, please try to use my cell at 555-123-4567. Thank you.

This message lets the recipient know specifically how you handle e-mail. It also doesn’t tie you down to a three-hour window and enables the consumer to decide whether or not to call you.

Image matters
thank you for your email request i’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

The lack of professionalism in this message reflects on the sender. If you can’t be bothered with little details like punctuation and grammar, will you bother with the details of a contract?

I RECEIVED YOUR EMAIL MESSAGE. I WILL RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Writing in all capital letters is considered bad manners in the world of e-mail. It’s akin to yelling at someone over the phone. If you’re going to use the Internet for your business, know the customs of the medium.

Going on vacation?
I will be out of the office Jan. 1 through Jan. 10. If you need assistance please call 555-123-4567 and ask for John Doe.

What’s wrong with this message? It was received in response to an e-mail on Jan. 18.

I’m away on vacation. I enjoy receiving your e-mails, but I’d never get through the more than 750 I receive while on vacation if you continue to send them to me. Please wait until my return.

This message doesn’t tell the recipient when you will return nor does it provide an alternate contact for someone who wants timely assistance. Also, the message implies that you won’t even read any e-mails sent during your vacation and inconveniences the consumer by asking him to contact you at a later time.

Thank you for your message. I will be out of the office until Dec. 13. Should you require assistance before then, please e-mail Jane Doe at janedoe@texasrealtors.com or call her at 555-123-4567.

This message is simple, informative, and gives the recipient the option of an alternate contact’s e-mail address and phone number.

Drive ‘em to your site
Thank you for your e-mail and interest in finding a home. I received your request and have attached
a questionnaire that will help me customize your search. Please visit http://askrealtyquestions.com and submit the questionnaire. Once I receive your submission, I will contact you to discuss your search for a home. You can also contact me immediately at 555-123-4567.

Those consumers who want to conduct business via the Internet can go to the questionnaire and make your job easier by filling in some basic information; those who want personal contact can call you immediately. The only missing element is how long it takes you to contact the consumer after they submit a questionnaire.

Technical difficulties
Due to computer difficulties, I do not have regular access to my e-mail account. Your e-mail may not be acknowledged beyond this reply for several days.

Consumers understand that technology isn’t perfect,
but they probably won’t wait for you to resolve your “computer difficulties.” Include your phone number in the autoreply so people can contact you right away. And if your difficulties drag on for an extended period of time, cancel your e-mail account rather than frustrate people trying to send you messages.

Thank you for the e-mail. I am having problems with this e-mail address. If your e-mail is not answered within 24 hours, please e-mail me at johndoe@texasrealtors.com.

With your unresolved technical problems, why would anyone send you another e-mail? Include a phone number in the autoreply and, like the previous example, abandon e-mail as a means of primary contact if you can’t quickly sort out your technical problems.

Don’t forget to test it
mail from website

Whatever you use for an autoreply, test it to ensure it’s not sending out a message like this. A consumer—or colleague—who receives this isn’t likely to correspond with you again.

Once you set up your autoreply, ask three or four people to send you e-mails and let you know what message they received in return. If possible, get people with different ISPs (i.e., one with AOL, one with Road Runner, etc.) because providers handle messages differently.

This is an autoresponder. I’ll never see your message.

Again, test your e-mail account. This was probably generated by a spam filter. How many legitimate inquiries have received this same message?

Use them for good, not evil
Autoreplies can be useful when they give the sender the answer to one simple question: When will you get back to me? If your autoreply tells someone when they can expect to hear from you and offers the person an alternative way to find you (i.e., cell phone, office phone), it’s done its job.

You can also set up your e-mail account to respond to different e-mails with different replies. Put an instruction on your yard sign that people interested in more information about that house can send you a message with the words “current listings” in the subject line. Then set up an autoreply to reply to e-mails with “current listings” as the subject with particulars about that house and all your listings, which you update weekly.

An automatically generated e-mail can never replace a response from a real person. However, with a little thought and a test run or two you can create a message that does more than tell people that your e-mail account is working—it can improve your customer service and help your business.

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