As some people know, I currently work as a customer service representative for a family history website. (No, it's not Ancestry.) So I spend my wonderful time at work answering phone calls and responding to emails from customers. Most of our customers are totally nice, sweet elderly genealogy nuts. Some are demanding and whiny. Some are angry and mean. And some are just plain confused (and confusing.)
Customers purchase subscriptions to the site in order to have access to different genealogically relevant records and databases. That's it. That's the service. They pay money, log in, and start searching for their ancestors. But you'd be amazed by how many questions and how much confusion this generates.
So one of my favorite emails to get from customers--and we do get it often--goes something like this:
why can't i find my family
Yes, they do leave out any punctuation or capitalization.
Another popular version:
I CANT FND ANYTHOIMG ON YOUR SITR
The all caps and obvious misspellings are also very common. Sometimes the combination of misspelled words and poorly constructed sentences is so acute I have to email the person back and ask them to clarify their question before I even address the real problem.
But the really great thing about the emails above is that they give me no information with which to help them. "I can't find my family" isn't even a question, it's just a statement. And there could be any number of reasons why they are unable to find the information they want on the website. But without knowing what information they are even looking for (a surname would be nice), or what searching they have already tried, I can do nothing for them.
We get these emails so often that I have wondered what kind of mindreader these customers think I am. They seem to think that by looking at their email address and reading the urgency of their detailed message "I can't find my family," I will magically know how to find their great grandfather's grave (obviously that's what they're looking for), or their biological mother's current whereabouts, or their entire personal pedigree.
Oh, the bright lights that exist in the world.
Tips for emailing (or otherwise contacting) a customer service department:
1. Be specific about your questions, suggestions, or concerns.
2. Don't swear.
3. Tell them who you are. If you have an order or an account with the company, give them your order number or some sort of customer ID so that they can help you specifically.
4. Read stuff. You're literate--go online and check out the company's policies and FAQs. Chances are, they've already answered your question. (However, if you can't find the answer online, don't be aftraid to contact them about it. They are getting paid to help you.)
5. Proofread. Please.
9 years ago
