It's that time of year -- time to make your resolutions. I've been online helping folks for over 20 years now (Wow! Time flies when you are having fun!) and there are still some issues that onliners struggle with or, honestly, refuse to embrace. And some, just need an annual little reminder! So … [Read more...]
Don’t Kid Yourself: E-mail Etiquette = Courtesy
Recently, I've noticed a trend of incoming commentary pushing back against e-mail etiquette. From one-liner e-mails with no greetings: "...e-mail after all is only extended IM." Or, even comments about: "...why take the time to type all this ancillary 'nicey' stuff? Just type what you mean and … [Read more...]
Apology by E-mail?
"Is it O.K. to send an apology by e-mail, should you pick up the phone or should it be handwritten?" Apologies are never easy. Apologizing means you are admitting a fault, wrong decision, mistake or lack of proper judgement. It takes real character to admit when you are wrong. It takes a heap of … [Read more...]
NSFW = Not Safe For Work?
I was interviewed recently on my view in regard to the use of the acronym NSFW. Apparently some felt that an acronym noting "Not Safe For Work", is necessary when sending e-mail to those they knew were at work to warn them that the content or links contained within were of a questionable nature and … [Read more...]
Are You Getting E-mail Returns? Here’s Why…
Undeliverable error messages are the protocol in place to let you know when messages sent do not (for many reasons) make it to the intended recipient. You want to become familiar with how these messages relay exactly what the problem is. What causes you to get these messages? User gave incorrect … [Read more...]
We All Make E-mail Mistakes, Right?
This difference between onliners is how each handles their errors in judgment or oversights as well as those of others (READ: Give and Take Corrections with Grace) once we discover they have been made. With e-mail in particular, the biggest mistake made is simply not paying attention to what you … [Read more...]
How to Handle E-mail Mis-sends
A site visitor writes: I was wondering if you had any advice about the best thing to do when you accidentally "mis-send" an email to the wrong person--whether it's embarrassing, like a complaint meant for a co-worker that you inadvertently send to your boss, or something more simple, like hitting … [Read more...]
How to Handle URL Errors in Mailings
We are only human. I've yet to run into anyone who is perfect or never makes a mistake. Over the years, I've lost count of the number of mailings I receive where the link contained within is either "404 Not Found" or does not take me to where the e-mail stated it would. This is generally due to the … [Read more...]