As we deal with customers via e-mail, we need to remember e-mail is a substitute for what we used to put on paper and snail mail. E-mail that goes to customers is business correspondence, not IM. Because it's business correspondence, it needs to meet the rule of business correspondence. Here's a formula for a good customer e-mail:
1. Use a salutation: Dear Title Last Name: or Dear First Name,.
2. Offer your help.
3. Use a meaningful subject line, re: or title.
4. Keep the e-mail short and simple.
5. Provide assurance that any promises will be fulfilled.
6. Leave the customer with a positive feeling.
7. Use a signature line that shows your name, department and phone number.
8. Proofread.
9. Use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
