“Dear customer, we have heard that the invoice for ... has not yet been paid. We request that you transfer the amount as soon as possible.” You know it: the reminder email. What we notice about reminder emails is that the tone is often businesslike and not always friendly, sometimes even a bit pushy. Is there no other way and is there such a thing as a friendly reminder email? As ambassadors of customer friendliness, we believe so and are happy to give you some tips.
What do we use reminder emails for?
In the example above, a customer is reminded of an outstanding payment via email. But in addition to payment reminders, you as an organization can of course send reminders for many things. For example, remind your customer to complete a questionnaire, participate in a loyalty program or leave a review.
5 tips for friendly reminder emails
1. Professional and friendly
Many companies tend to adopt a very businesslike tone with a reminder email, especially when it concerns a payment. That is not necessary at all, because you can be very professional and also friendly. You are professional by providing the correct information to the customer and drafting an easy-to-read, error-free email. You are friendly by speaking to your customer in normal language – exactly as you (hopefully) always do.
2. Make the reminder email personal
Emails that start with 'dear sir/madam' are not very personal. Therefore, it is better to choose to address the customer by name. By addressing the recipient personally, there is less chance that your email will end up unread in the trash.
3. Refer back to previous communications
A customer may receive 100 emails a day, so there is a good chance that the customer no longer knows exactly what you are emailing about - even if you have done so 3 times before. Therefore, always start with a short summary of any previous communications or agreements and ask your question in a clear and friendly manner.
4. Give the customer a contact option
A customer may have several reasons for not responding to your reminder email, for example because the customer is busy with other matters or has simply overlooked your email. But a customer may also have a question or prefer to communicate with you via a different channel. When that is the case, it is always good to give your customer the opportunity to contact you. Make it as easy as possible for the customer by clearly stating your contact details in the email.
5. Automate where possible
Drawing up and answering reminder emails can be a daily task for employees within large organizations, especially when this is largely done manually. It is therefore advisable to automate this process as much as possible. There is software that allows you to automatically send a customer a personal reminder email after a certain period. It will take you some time to set up those processes properly, but it will save you a lot of time in the long term – so it's worth it.
Do you have any questions regarding this blog? Let us know! Wondering if Belco is something for you? Try our software for free for 2 weeks and experience what it's like to work in an all-in-one customer service environment.This trial is completely without obligation and stops automatically after 2 weeks.
