Your inbox is probably full of marketing emails which, like mine, have a Subject Line that includes the word Coronavirus. I’d count mine, but what’s the point? There are so many that it seems pointless to open one, apart from to use as a basis for a blog.

One of the most irritating mistakes in email marketing is over-familiarity. I don’t like my forename being used when the intent is to sell me something. Mr Smith is fine by me. Imagine my irritation to be confronted by one which, after starting with my forename, continued with: ‘I hope that you and your family are safe and well.’

This smacks of a copywriter desperate to appear concerned. Just in case I wasn’t convinced, it was followed by: ‘I know that you will be adjusting to a different way of living.’ Oh, dear! Firstly, the company knows nothing about my family and secondly, they know nothing about my adjustments. The only contact I have with the company is to register my domain names.

A second marketing email explains that there will be no change in ‘our customer service operations’ yet it suggests that there might be a delay in response times. I wondered what the point of the emails were. Neither provided me with useful information.

It’s a good policy to only send an email for a specific and measurable purpose, although there are no concrete rules in email marketing. What was the point of these two? If it was to prepare me for longer response times, then tell me on the landing page, or at the time of sale. We all know the difficulties. 

If you have problems with regards to telephone calls, then have an automated welcome that points this out to a caller. It won’t come as a surprise. Do something similar for contact by email. Put something reassuring, positive and mildly apologetic on your website as well. 

These companies lost a gap in their sending times for an obscure purpose, and this at a time that may cause them problems. Don’t abandon procedures that have served you well just because of the current situation.