While a survey of 3,500 commercial web sites found that 400 of these sites did not respond to e-mail requests. More than likely, these companies recognize the importance of responding to consumer inquiries, yet lack an efficient system for actually producing and delivering responses. If that is indeed their problem, these companies need to develop an efficient system-and quickly. Otherwise, they will miss the tremendous opportunities for relationship building that interaction with online consumers presents. There are several methods you can implement to develop an effective and efficient e-mail response management system.
Some methods involve the actual response process, while others focus on site management.
The best approach to effective e-mail management includes both. Consumers expect your response to an e-mail inquiry to arrive relatively quickly. That is, preferably within hours and never more than 48 hours after their initial inquiry. They also expect your messages to contain the information they're seeking. And they expect your replies to be well written so they can easily understand your responses.