Why subject lines matter when sending customer service emails

OABPO Blog Team Published on July 25, 2014

customer-service-representative-thinking-about-a-good-email-subject-header--Open-Access-BPO
If your business uses email as a customer service channel or as one of your outsourced call center support services, you probably send your customers dozens of emails a day. You surely devote a great deal of time to ensuring that the each message’s body is well-put-together, but are you doing the same to the subject line? If you treat email subjects lightly, you’re making a big mistake.

Your email subject line, being the first thing your customers see in their inbox, is just as crucial as the actual content of your emails. In fact, the efforts you pour into composing a winning customer service email response can be rendered useless if your email subject line sucks.

The importance of email subject lines

Simply put, the subject line you or your email support agents use determines the probability of your emails being opened and how its recipients are going to respond. It gives your customers a hint as to what the email is all about. Hence, if it does not spark their interest, your emails are most likely going to end up in their trash folder.

customer-service-representative-thinking-about-a-good-email-subject-header-customer-service-emails-Open-Access-BPO--

Most people who receive several emails daily would just quickly browse through subject lines in their inbox when determining which emails are worth reading. A single misspelled word is enough to send an email to virtual oblivion. Lengthy subject lines with annoying characters and punctuation can make your emails look like spam messages. This can lead to customers blocking you forever or unsubscribing from your email service.

How to get it right

Choosing the best subject line is not just about ensuring that it’s attention-grabbing. There are other rules you need to keep in mind. The words you choose and sense of urgency they send to readers are important considerations too. Every letter, punctuation mark, and letter case in your subject line counts. Keep it short and make sure it specifies the topic of the email in a compelling and focused manner.

A report by MailChimp reveals that emails with subject lines containing the words “urgent” and “important” have significantly higher open rates than normal because they imply sensitivity to time and are therefore more captivating to readers.

customer-service-representative-thinking-about-a-good-email-subject-header--Open-Access-BPO---

The same report implies that personalization is another way to make your subject lines convincing enough to be clicked on. Mentioning both the first and last name of the recipient can create a positive impact on the person reading the subject line. This is an interesting finding since most industries choose to just use the first name of the recipient when personalizing subject lines.

So, the next time you send a customer service email, reflect on what you like to see in your inbox if you were the recipient. People are constantly flooded with spam every day and are also pressed for time. If your subject lines contain vague teasers, requests for money, or nagging reminders, there’s a high probability your emails will be immediately ignored, deleted, or flagged as spam upon receipt.

Join us on facebook
Open Access BPO 14 hours ago
Embrace the power of #diversity and drive positive change with #InclusiveHiring practices!

Our new blog post explores the transformative impact of inclusive hiring, providing insights and strategies to build a stronger, more inclusive workforce: https://buff.ly/3uHQV7c

----------
Our recruitment & training practices are meticulously designed to ensure exceptional #CX: OpenAccessBPO.com/get-started

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#DiversityandInclusion
#inclusivity
Open Access BPO 17 hours ago
When it comes to #CustomerService, every ounce of effort—both tiny and grand—counts.

Here's a list of 10 modest gestures your #CallCenter agents can do to build meaningful customer relationships: https://buff.ly/3Rc0wdZ

----------
Elevate #CustomerExperience by #outsourcing to a trusted 24/7 multilingual #BPO: OpenAccessBPO.com/get-started

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#outsourcing #CX #CSat
#CustomerSatisfaction
Open Access BPO Yesterday
Ensuring memorable #CustomerExperience by providing high quality #CustomerSupport means two things:
• brands need to gain a 360-degree view of their customers; and
• brands need to satisfy a large part, if not all, of their customers' needs.

Do both by implementing a multichannel #CX management strategy: https://buff.ly/418ASeP

----------
Give your customers an unforgettable customer experience with multichannel #CustomerService: OpenAccessBPO.com/get-started

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#outsourcing #CX
#CustomerSatisfaction #CSat
Open Access BPO 11 days ago
Aside from the location advantage, the 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 in Southeast Asia because of these Filipino qualities:
• neutral accent;
• multilingual proficiency;
• dedicated work ethics;
• resilience and adaptability; and
• close affinity with Western cultures.

Read: https://buff.ly/47sGAKD

----------
Partner with a #CallCenter with strong #CustomerExperience expertise: OpenAccessBPO.com/get-started

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerSupport #CustomerService
#CustomerSatisfaction #CSat #CX
Open Access BPO 11 days ago
𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 is a valuable metric to determine the challenges your #CustomerSupport team will face.
It allows you to manage your team and distribute the workload accordingly, paving the way for an efficient operational output.

Read: https://buff.ly/3R0VCk2

----------
Effective employee and ops management ensure high #productivity for optimal 24/7 coverage.

So, only partner with an #outsourcing specialist with robust and foolproof ops strategies that will make your brand soar: OpenAccessBPO.com/get-started

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#CustomerExperience #CustomerService
Open Access BPO 12 days ago
Creating culturally diverse teams in #CallCenters is not just a moral imperative but a strategic advantage.

Here are 6 more compelling reasons for ensuring #CulturalDiversity in the workplace: https://buff.ly/3MYaCO6

----------
Choose an #outsourcing partner with diverse teams and cultures:
OpenAccessBPO.com/get-started

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#diversity #inclusitivity
Open Access BPO