Tag Archives: email marketing

There Is No Excuse for a Legitimate Company to Spam

Somehow, a few years ago, the health club I used to frequent called Scioto Reserve Golf and Fitness, Powell, OH got my email address.  Most likely from the application form.

Now, I never gave them permission to email me anything other than membership info.  However, one day I started getting “What’s New” and “Special Offers” and other marketing/promotional emails.  Sometimes multiple emails in the same day.  All from different email addresses.  Sometimes, not even Scioto Reserve domain addresses.  The emails were poorly designed and highlighted events and things I had no interest in.

Here’s two examples:

Note-this email was almost 44 inches long!

Sample Spam email 1
Click to enlarge
Sample Spam Email 2
Click to enlarge

Since I was a paying customer, I didn’t mind getting a few emails from them once in awhile.  But, not multiple emails every week.  Especially when I didn’t ask for them to begin with.  And, it seemed that my address was being passed around the Club.  After a few months of this, I had enough.  I started emailing each email sender a request to remove me from their list, since there was no way to do it in the actual emails (first strike against them).  Many of the emails were returned that the sending email was not a valid email (second strike)!

Finally (at least I thought at the time), I had enough and called the club manager.  At this point, I also cancelled my membership.  I figured if this is how they handled their business practices, what short-cuts were they taking with the rest of the club?  The Club Manager said she would make sure the emails were stopped.  Were they?  Of course not.

Instead, I got more emails.  Including from other health clubs in there management group MarqueeClubGroup.com (third strike).  That was the last straw.  It was time to take it up a notch.  I went ahead and contacted the spam lists and the website administrator.  Results?  Nothing.  Emails kept coming.

Eventually, I get an email from the Head Golf Pro at Scioto Reserve, Chris Casto.  My “remove me now” email actually got through!  He said he’ take care of it.  After he intercedes, most of the emails stop.  There were a few stragglers, but I sent them on to him and he gets them stopped.  Until…today.

Today another email arrived.  This time from the club’s management company.  “Great”, I think, “it’s starting all over again”.

Here’s what I received:

From: Kinsale Golf And Fitness Club [mailto:gsmith@marqueeclubgroup.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 4:50 PM
To: Rufo Samantha
Subject: Kinsale Golf/Social Test Drive
Just a Reminder:  You have not signed up for your Kinsale Test Drive!!
What is this?This is a way for you to Join as a Golf or Social Member with NO Initiation at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club.  
This is a Fantastic Opportunity that must be acted on NOW before time runs out.Your Test Drive would start as soon as you 
want but you have to get it started before September 1, 2009 to qualify.  Your Test Drive would last for 10 months and you 
would have all the benefits of your Golf or Social membership during your Test Drive.There is only ONE Risk to you.....the 
risk you will miss this opportunity if you don't act NOW.
Call Membership Services at 740-881-6500 for all the details today

Since I can’t get any satisfaction from this organization, I at least wanted to pass on the experience and provide a few take-aways for other businesses currently doing or contemplating email marketing:

1. Let ‘em go.

Once a customer has decided to leave, ask if there’s anything you can do to keep them, if not, let them go.  Begging, pleading, and discounting might work, but not for long.  Once the relationship sours, learn from it and do your best to make sure not to do the same things to your other customers.

2. Act like a business.

Email marketing may have been new 15 years ago, but it is not anymore.  That means if you are going to do it as a business, make it worthwhile and follow the rules.  No excuses!

-First, use correct list management with ways for people to subscribe and unsubscribe immediately.

-Second, only send to people that have given you permission to send to them.

-Third, use your business domain to send emails.  Not Hotmail, AOL, or Gmail.

-Fourth, only send an email if you have something to say.

-Fifth, watch how often you send emails.  More than one email in a day is too much.  And, more than 2 emails in a week will probably make people mad.

3. Get it together.

If marketing has one message and sales another, don’t send two emails in one day to the same address.  Combine the message, schedule different times, or segment the lists.  Just because people may be in different departments is no excuse not to get it together when it comes to marketing.

4. Get professional help.

If you are not sure how to effectively manage an email marketing program, get professional help.  Not only will professional help you increase your open and click-thru rates but we can decrease the number of unhappy unsubscribers.