Shutting down interest
I wrote a note to the Strand bookstore, inquiring about an old set of encyclopedias. Here’s the entire response:
Dear Customer
Thank you for your recent order/inquiry.
Unfortunately, the title(s) you requested are not in stock. Please
consider the search completed.Thank you again for thinking of Strand Book Store.
Strand Bookstore.
Oh. Well, see you later.
At the same time, political candidates are viewing even the slightest gesture on your part (an encouraging email, for example) as proof that you want to receive daily fundraising emails for the next two years.
There’s a middle ground, one that is not computer-decided. It’s based on a human being treating another human being the way they’d like to be treated. And it’s easy to see how just about any organization, at just about any scale ought to be able to make thoughtful decisions about setting expectations and then meeting them. (and doing it profitably.)
The Strand walked away from hundreds of dollars of orders, all because they couldn’t write a more encouraging standardized note.
Political campaigns extinguish plenty of goodwill because they instantly move from 0 to 60 miles per hour.
Permission has never meant ‘access to my email.’ It’s a privilege, one that you earn or lose.