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E-mail Autoresponder Etiquette

BY: Judith Kallos
Words: 483

E-mail autoresponders, also known as automatic replies or away/vacation messages are used quite often without a full understanding of how and when they should be used. While this e-mail tool has many effective and useful applications, there are also times when using an autoresponder is not recommended.

Here are five easy tips to help you use your autoresponders properly with knowledge, understanding and courtesy:

1. When using autoresponders for your business away message, engage the autoresponder just before your leave the office. Then, write yourself a note to disengage the autoresponder so it is one of the first things you do when upon your return. Nothing smacks of lack of organization or attention to detail than away messages still going out after you are back in the office and available for business communications.
2. A greeting and a closing including your name and title should be part of your away message. Business away messages should also include your name, the time-frame you will be unavailable as well as the name, phone number and e-mail address of someone that can be contacted in your absence.
3. Autoresponders used to confirm receipt of an inquiry or for disseminating commonly asked for information ("Click here to get our automated message on...") need to have an e-mail address in the From: field that is not the same as that of the autoresponder. Folks will hit reply to ask questions or give you their input. Rather than having them get another copy of what they've already received, replies should go to a different account.
4. When subscribing to e-mail lists, forums, discussion boards or when simply requesting information, refrain from using an e-mail address that has an automated response attached to it. Virtual loops can be created that can create literally thousands of back and forth e-mails when an address with an autoresponder makes a request to another e-mail address using an autoresponder. The inquirer makes their request, the request gets replied to by an autoresponder, the inquirer's autoresponder goes back to the address that responded, which responds again and this back and forth will go on until one side or the other shut's down their autoresponders.
5. When engaging an autoresponder away message on an e-mail address that you know you have used to subscribe to e-mail lists, forums, Blogs or discussion boards, be sure to unsubscribe from all those services and resubscribe when you come back. This will prevent your message from being repeatedly sent out to those also subscribed who are not e-mailing you directly. To avoid this situation all together, have an e-mail address that you use specifically for such activities.

Autoresponders are a great tool and when used appropriately autoresponders they can help keep others informed while freeing you up to do other things. Keep these issues in mind so that when you do use autoresponders, they are viewed as more of a benefit than an annoyance.