When To Send a "Thank you!" E-mail | Business Email Etiquette

There are those out there who feel e-mails that simply state “thank you” are a waste of time and bandwidth. Bandwidth? I don’t think so… Maybe if we concentrate more on blocking spammers from our networks we can then begin to worry about the minuscule bandwidth used by what is in most cases a well received sign of gratitude.

So, when do you send and e-mail to simply reflect your thanks? I say whenever you are sincerely thankful and want to let the other side know you appreciate their efforts!

Here is where I am coming from. I get hundreds of e-mails each day. As a WordPress Consultant, I also get over a bunch of new client inquires every day. While many of these e-mails are informative publications or Blogs that I subscribe to, as far as my WordPress Consulting site goes, I answer each and every inquiry promptly, personally and in detail.

Do you know it is the rare occasion that any of those folks thank me for my time? They e-mail their questions and quandaries asking for my assistance and inquiring if I can help them out. I take my time to give them the details they’ve asked for — and that I know based on my over 15 years of experience that they need to be aware of.

No thank yous…

Does this mean if you ask a person or company for information in a business inquiry that you always send a thank you? Nope. What it does mean, which for most this thought never even crosses their mind, is that when trying to find a new partner that can contribute to your business success, you have a small window to show what type of customer or partner you will be.

To request (and in some cases demand) information, that is then provided to you and to never be heard from again, to me is very telling. 9 out of 10 times those who do send me a little note thanking me for my time and letting me know they’ll be in touch are those who coincidentally I do end up partnering with.

Even when you are e-mailing a retail or consumer site, (using your business e-mail address) for information or about an issue or problem you may have, if the support person responds promptly and helps you with your concerns, that little thank you e-mail goes a long way towards making their day and reflects what type of business/company you are running. And you make them feel as though their efforts are appreciated.

So, treat others as you would have them treat you. A little thank you e-mail is invaluable in building those strong partnerships you will need to rely on!