Hello dear readers and followers!
Last Friday I received a follow-up e-mail on a pre-order of mine and felt like writing about it because it’s a nice example of a well crafted e-mail. It also demonstrates how to properly communicate with customers; good communication is EVERYTHING in business and it’s key to success. (and for oh, so many other life’s aspects…)
Here’s the follow-up message I received for my pre-order:
Blizzard Order *********
“Cheers, love! The cavalry’s here!”
Greetings Sirus ****,
You may have noticed a recent authorization attempt from Blizzard Entertainment on your credit card. This authorization occurred because the current pre-order period for Tracer has ended and we’ve started to prepare for the next stage of the process. Please be aware that this authorization is only a temporary hold of funds to authenticate your purchase. You are not being charged at this time.
The Tracer statue is expected to ship in the second quarter of 2015.
Regards,
Blizzard Gear Store Team
Scalpel Please…
Although the e-mail is short, EVERYTHING’S there. Let’s see in detail why it’s a great example to follow:
Numbers
Using an order number or a reference number (aka ticket number), gives both parties the ultimate information: a unique number that refers to a specific interaction between them. I love those.
Humor
The funny quote at the beginning is a very clever way to introduce the purpose of the message (subject). Just like an inside joke, only the recipient knows what it’s about. Anyone familiar with Blizzard’s products knows the e-mail is about Tracer, a game character from Blizzard’s upcoming title Overwatch, as the quote is from her. It creates a deeper intimate connection for something very process-oriented. A nice touch.
Content
Then, the user is politely greeted and the message clearly explains what’s going on: they simply checked the validity of my credit card so that when it’s time to charge for the product, it’ll work. Fine by me! For the control freaks out there, they even explained that it’s NOT a charge. Twice… Hum… no. Make it three.
Using quarters, bubble gum not included
Finally, a time frame is given. In the world of pre-orders, dates are a rare commodity. Using quarters instead of precise dates is also very clever: it tells the customer approximately when to expect the product, and at the same time, gives the company a 3 months grace period to deliver. Smart, huh? I’ll definitely use that for my big quotes!
Conclusion
For good communication (or a radio hit), repetition is essential, even critical. Reiterating the origin of the message in the signature is a good idea. In this case, the Blizzard Gear Store.
Voilà! Just a little example of how to build a clear concise follow-up message.
For those wondering who’s “Tracer” and what this pre-order is all about, here, some pictures.
Enjoy!
TIME SENSITIVE BONUS!!
Though they said the pre-order period has “ended“, that “Add to Cart” button still looks pretty darn workin’! :D
Last chance for collectors! Check it out!
Sirus
sirusdark.ca
References
-http://us.blizzard.com/
-http://us.battle.net/overwatch/en/
-http://gear.blizzard.com/index.php/default/collectibles/overwatch-tracer-statue.html
Sirus Dark 
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