We have been looking for a reputable service that could handle sending emails to consumers that have requested information. Our goal is to send out upwards of 50,000 emails on a daily basis, through numerous independent distributors, using a cost effective medium. These emails are in response to customers that have opted-in on various websites.
When I read their intro, I thought we might have a winner, and so put them on a trial basis.
From their website:
"What Makes Us Different
Than All Other Auto-responders?
The number one feature that makes us different than any other auto-responder is we allow you to upload your own opt-in leads. No other system out there will allow you to do that. You will have to use their high cost leads to use their system or you will have to place a form on your web site or use their landing page to create leads. The question is, if you can't upload leads, how do you get people to your landing page? We never understood that nor do we have an answer to that question.
So here is what you can do with us, upload your own leads as long as they have an IP address and Date/Time Stamp. You're upload limit is only limited to the package you buy. We allow you to upload up to 70,000 leads per day. You will not find that on any other auto-responder out there! We don't make you send out an opt-in letter either. You can send your leads your first email if you like. There are many other differences but this is the major one that will make a difference in whether you succeed or fail in your business!"
After six days and 60,000 emails we had not received a single positive response. All except 11 customers opted-out from receiving any future information from us. According to the reports this company provided us, of those 11 that did not opt-out, not one of them clicked on our links for more information. I found this to be an unacceptable return on investment, and so created some email accounts and opted-in to my own lead lists as well as having a few trusted associates do the same thing. What I found caused me great concern.
Only three accounts of the fourteen created actually received the email. Of the three accounts that received the email, the only message received in the body of the email was the opt-out blurb that is required in all consumer emails. My original message was not included leaving "opting-out" as the only option available to the consumer.
In trying to resolve the situation I was forced to rely on "live help" chat, online "tickets" and email. When asked to be contacted by a supervisor, and after leaving my phone number numerous times in my correspondence, I was told that they are switching to new phone systems that would not be installed until next week and so it would be impossible for anyone to call.in such a High-tech industry I cannot possibly believe that their is not at least one person around with at least a cell phone. When I asked to speak with someone in management I was forced to rely on emails... All of which were routed through the same email address to me.
The stories kept getting wilder, the explanations more elaborate and the whole operation more unbelievable. From the bottom of the ladder to as high up as I could possibly get it was the exact same situation:
Evade, Attack, Lay Blame, Brush-off, Ignore:
Here is an actual transcript sent from them to me after an attempt to work through the "live help" chat after two days of run-around. Errors have been left in transcript. The only editing is the removal of my name and not including the extremely long, detailed explanation in the middle and near the end:
Tiffany: How May I help You?
[my name]: Hi Tiffany, I am waiting for an update on my current issue that Jim Duncan was healping me with
[my name]: I emailed Jim, but have not received a response, and I know the day there is ending soon
Tiffany: This is a call center, so I'm not exactly sure who Jim Duncan is. But how can I help you?
[my name]: Are you working with MLM Power Marketing?
Tiffany: Yes, but that doesn't mean I would know who that particular employee is, this is a rather large center.
Tiffany: I can help you the best I can, if you would just tell me what you need help with.
[my name]: ahh... He had told me he was the supervisor there
Tiffany: That doesn't mean that he's not.
Tiffany: This is a really large center.
[my name]: I need my emails to be sent as they were approved... Unfortunately your system has not been sending out my emails... Only the opt-out option
Tiffany: Our system has been working fine. I actually just sent some test emails for another client, and uploaded some leads for someone that was having trouble doing so.
[my name]: Unfortunately, your system is not working fine. They only information that has been sent out in my emails is the Opt-out blurb that is sent with all emails.
Tiffany: And how exactly were you sending it? As a test or? Did you add yourself to the leads?
[my name]: I have the capability of capturing leads with ip addresses... I have sent my email to myself, to others I asked to opt-in to receive messages from me and then I ran the list through your system
Tiffany: That doesn't sound right. If you are sending it that way, that would be the reason as to why you aren't viewing the email correctly. Have you sent it to yourself using the test feature? [ even though you say you have gathered the IP address, you can't add yourself to the leads, its explained in the FAQ's how the server actually pings those certain IP addresses that are used]
[my name]: hello?
Very long, detailed explanation of the entire situation removed here for purposes of space followed immediately by:
Tiffany: We are actually closing right as we speak. That is the only solution I can give you. Unfortunately, without having someone in the tech department checking our system for errrors. Which, we have a screen that is updated throughout the day telling us of system errors. We have zero today.
[my name]: please give me a phone number that I can contact a supervisor with
[my name]: your solution is no solution
Tiffany: Our phones won't be up until next week. We changed call centers and won't be taking calls until then.
Tiffany: I'm sorry you feel that way.
Tiffany: Have a great day.
[my name]: I am sorry you feel you have actually given what you consider a solution
Tiffany: That's the only thing I can tell you. We have no system errors. I've asked you to send it to you as a TEST to see if it would still appear the way you are talking about. You are being very vague, when I even ask you how you sent the email to start with.
[my name]: did you not read my response that explained again in detail how it was done?
Tiffany: Okay, well have a great day sir.
[my name]: Of course not, you responded to it in under 5 seconds
Tiffany: Okay, well have a great day. Jim Duncan will contact you if he said that he would
[my name]: I have not been vague... I have been waiting over 2 days for a resolution to an error on your end
Tiffany: This is what you said
Tiffany: I included myself in this last mailing and was disappointed to learn that my email message is not being received by the recipients of my campaign. This is all I received in the email from my campaign:
Tiffany: You can not add yourself to the leads.
Very long, detailed explanation of the entire situation removed here for purposes of space followed immediately by:
Tiffany: Have a great day. Bye
[my name]: read FAQ 10
Transmission was then ended by Tiffany.
This is typical of every "contact" that I have had with this company, their "customer service", their "supervisors" and their "management". All blame is laid at the feet of the incompetent customer. If an error is actually shown and proven to be on their end, which I was able to do, the stories grow and the evasions continue until the consumer has no choice but to eat their losses. I am only grateful that I found out their character and practices before we actually started funneling massive leads through their hands.
One statement I truly enjoyed was this one from Jim Duncan, supervisor?
"We don't want unhappy customers. If you are that insecure about the system, please feel free to cancel your account."
Thank you Jim! Let's not solve the problem, if a customer is unhappy just have them cancel their account! What better way to only have happy customers!
Whether or not they have fixed the error in their system I cannot say for certain. I am actually waiting to see the results of some current emails to round out my entire adventure with this company. I do know, however that their "customer service" is anything but. I shudder to imagine what it is going to take to make sure my account is not charged for any more "services" from this operation.
All transcripts are available for posting for anyone interested.
Www.xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com
Orem, Utah
U.S.A.
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