Every social media and e-marketing “how-to” includes the admonition to respond to customer input promptly. Rightly so. Promptness is critical but so is the content of the response.

Perhaps that hasn’t been emphasized enough.

Consider it emphasized now.

A friend of mine sent an inquiry to the company that handles her prescriptions, asking a very specific question. She got a prompt, generic response that did not address her question although it did address the general area of her question: bill payment.

A second, somewhat snarky query by my friend yielded the correct response, signed “My goal is to ensure you are completely satisfied. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to meet my goal. Joe”

She replied with a thank you for the correct answer, to which she got another response, “My goal is to ensure you are completely satisfied. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to meet my goal. Sue”

The point? It’s clear that this is a canned script, not a real exchange. The email exchange was with multiple respondents using the same script, not a conversation between customer and service rep. It left the customer feeling ill-served, not well-served.

Yes, it’s not the end of the world. She got the answer she needed eventually.

But as we all know, a recorded message that “Your call is important to us” is not as satisfying as reaching a human being without being put on hold and reaching a human being is only satisfying if the person you reach is empowered to be human.

Compare that to the e-marketing practices of the Yes To! company. Who would you rather do business with?

Prompt and personal: Both must be part of your e-marketing.

How do you make customer service personal? Do you have an example of the right way to serve customers? Or examples of what not to do?