Brad Roberts

Unfortunately, Internet "gurus" have sold us on the idea that auto-responders are the answer to timely communication.  They've told us, "You'll lose business if you don't respond immediately."  Sure, everyone would like a quick response, but they also want a real one.  Here are three reasons why I do not use auto-replies.

They're disappointing

Here's a common scenerio.  Let's say I write an email to George, hit the send button, and before I can log off.... Wow!! George replied!  That was quick!  Excited to read the answer to my question I quickly click on the new email from George, only to be let down by a canned message that doesn't answer my question at all.

They solve a problem your customers don't have

Email is not realtime communication. When a customer sends an email, they're not looking for an immediate response, just a timely one. If they have an urgent need, they'll call. Think about it... when was the last time you sent an email and waited by your computer for a reply?

They're annoying

Many auto-responders are setup to reply to every single email.  If a customer emails you seven times, they receive seven meaningless emails in their inbox. We should regard our customer's time as sacred and not fill it up with trash. They're trying hard to fight clutter in their inbox, don't be the source of it.

Real world examples

Here are some silly examples I've received. I can laugh at these because I've done similar things myself. These are not examples of things to avoid. I recommend avoiding auto-responders altogether for the reasons already mentioned.

I am away from my desk at the moment, please leave me a message and I will get back with you ASAP.

"Leave a message"? Isn't that what I did?!

I'm currently showing property at the moment...

Not at 1:30am. Remember, customers will email you at all hours. Also, it's unnecessary to tell customers what you're doing.  They're not impressed that you're busy helping someone else.  They only care about you helping them.

If you have an urgent need, please call me at....

People are smarter than we think.  If they had an urgent need, they would have called in the first place.

I received your email...

Actually you haven't yet, and may not due to spam filters or delivery problems. The customer may not send a follow up if they believe you received their email and are ignoring them.

A better solution

Anyone can setup an auto-responder. If you want to knock your customer's socks off by super quick replies that actually answer their questions, there's only one way to do it. Go mobile.

Most agents have smart phones and can check their email anywhere. However, you may shy away from alerts on your phone because of the amount of email you receive.  Here's a solution that I use on the iPhone and it's very effective. I'm sure there are similar services for Android and Windows phones (if not... ditch it and get an iPhone - kidding... kinda ;)

If your'e out of town, auto-responders can be a great way to let people know you'll be replying once a day.  Just make sure it's setup to only send at most, one auto-reply a day.  Another alternative might be to forward your emails to an assistant or colleague while you're away.

Conclusion

We often look for ways to automate our business, but some things we just have to do. Communication is good example. Real estate is a personal business, and we should find technology that helps us keep a personal touch.  I hope you've found this article helpful. Let me know if you have questions or feel free to leave a comment.