Question

Topic: E-Marketing

Opt Out List For Survey Launch Need Help Please

Posted by Anonymous on 10/19/2007 at 11:37 PM ET 250 Points
I work for a large communications solutions company in the E-marketing department. We have been trying to launch a survey to existing customers to find out more about them. Unfortunately, we are at a standing point, because Legal has told us we can't launch without an Opt Out list so we exclude customers who have already stated they don't want to recieve any communications from us. We have searched 'high and low' for one but every person/dept. we go to doesn't know of one. Does anyone know any way we could launch the survey 'safely' without risk? Any way out of this endless 'search'? Really appreciate your help, this is a top priority for me. Thank you!!
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 10/20/2007 at 8:37 AM Accepted
    Do a customer communications survey first. Email everyone, telling them you're updating your email communications preferences. Give them a choice to opt-out of future emails, receive regular emails, or only receive special offers. If they don't respond, assume opt-out.
  • Posted on 10/20/2007 at 9:44 AM Member
    There are a lot of online survey companies, all of which have opt out features. Try, for example:

    www.zoomerang.com
    www.surveymonkey.com

    Search for "opt out" information in their help facility. You can upload a database of email addresses to these survey vendors, providing only those who have not said that they don't want to hear from you.

    If you already have customers who have stated they don't want to receive mailings from you, can't you just omit them from your survey mailing?

    Hope I'm understanding your question.
  • Posted on 10/20/2007 at 1:19 PM Member
    it may be a detterront initially the permission based communication howver in long run it is good. you are putting in your money at better targets.

    try to give an incentive to reply this may work
  • Posted by Neil on 10/20/2007 at 1:54 PM Accepted
    I agree with Kathy. Did you attorney research this matter or did he just say this off the cuff?

    The important law is this:
    https://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/canspam.shtm
  • Posted by Neil on 10/20/2007 at 2:16 PM Accepted
    Because the truth is that you may have never given your customers the opt out option up front so you either do this or you don't. Take an extra step by putting the opt out link on top instead of in the footer (where it often is).

    But listen pervarakapadiaatmp above, who says offer an incentive to do the survey. Everyone asks what's in it for me? If this survey is just to help your company make more money why should your customers do it?

    You have an existing relationship with these customers, you did not just go purchase a list. I think the issue is more marketing and human one, than a legal one. That said, with all due respect to your attorney, ask him to do more research. Because he may have put up a road block without doing diligence on this matter. Or maybe this is based on good, solid legal research on his part, in which case you cannot do the survey of your customers at all. Does that seem correct to you?
  • Posted by Neil on 10/20/2007 at 5:38 PM Accepted
    I have thought about this some more, and I think you need to minimize risk of pissing off your customers.

    - Do not send emails to those that have not been signed up with you (without repeat business, etc.) within the past 6 months. You do *not* want to send to people that don't remember you.
    - for the rest perhaps a normal mail campaign saying that emails would start with a way to allow people to be removed BEFORE the campaign begins. Yes it could be a bit expensive, but it's a good way of making sure people are not angered by emails.
    - Of course, make it clear and easy in the emails that you are going to be handling opt-out requests and that customers can be *completely* removed from email contact.
    - make sure the message is professional whether it is for linking them to a survey or for other things in the future.

    In the end, you want the messages going to customers active with your company so you get good results (a filled out survey, repeat business, etc.). Active customers won't be pissed off to receive an email.

    You should also maintain a somewhat consistent communication so you can use your list further. Letting it go another 6 months means they may forget about you.
  • Posted by Chris Blackman on 10/23/2007 at 3:52 AM Member
    If the company-wide aggregated opt-out e-mail list contains zero entries, apply that list (makes no difference, I know), tick the box and send it back to the lawyer - you've done exactly what they asked!

    Just make sure future e-mail messages contain a CAN-SPAM compliant opt-out link. Services like www.constantcontact.com and www.eliteemail.com do all that stuff automatically for you.

    I think it was Shakespeare who said (in Romeo & Juliet) something along the lines of: "It's better to e-mailed and have had to apologise once or twice, than never to have e-mailed at all". Something like that, anyway...

    Good luck.

    ChrisB
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