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Metrics 404: Complaints

As a marketer with a great program, no one would complain about your emails, right? Sadly sometimes complaints happen. The following questions are based on the metrics and tactics you need to know to protect your program from complainers. Ready to go? Sharpen those #2 pencils… your time begins now.

How mailbox providers receive subscriber complaints?

  • A
    They fill out a survey and submit it to the suggestions box located outside your store.
  • B
    They start a petition with fellow disgruntled subscribers and send it to your CEO.
  • C
    They click the “report spam/junk” button inside their mailbox providers' platform.
  • D
    They reach out to you personally with some constructive criticism on what you can improve on.

What impact does a high complaint rate have on your program?

  • A
    None, it helps mailbox providers discover trolls in their platform.
  • B
    Like baseball, three strikes and you are out (of the inbox).
  • C
    It harms your reputation and ultimately your deliverability.
  • D
    It harms your reputation, causing other email marketers to shun you at networking events.

What is the most common reason a subscriber would complain about the first message?

  • A
    They wouldn't, or else they would have never signed up.
  • B
    They didn’t realize they had signed up for your email program.
  • C
    They were dissatisfied with the lack of a discount.
  • D
    Because they are from a competitor and are trying to make you look bad.

According to GDPR, as long as you have someone's email, can you email them?

  • A
    Of course, I mean they gave it to you for a reason.
  • B
    Yes, but only if they bought something from you.
  • C
    No, you need to call them to personally confirm.
  • D
    No, unless they have given explicit consent.

As soon as you get a new email (with the necessary consent) you should:

  • A
    Wait a week before sending to build up the suspense.
  • B
    Send them a welcome email and let them know what to expect from your email program.
  • C
    Send a new email every hour.
  • D
    Add them to your regular sending cadence.

To avoid complaints, your friendly from should be:

  • A
    The name of your CEO, so they feel like a real person is reaching out to them.
  • B
    Their own name, to build a personal connection.
  • C
    Your Brands name, so they know who it's from.
  • D
    Their mother's name to make them open it quickly.

To keep complaint rates low, the optimal sending frequency should be:

  • A
    Once a day, to get them used to seeing your messages in the inbox.
  • B
    Once a month, you don’t want to overwhelm them.
  • C
    Whatever the latest best practice says it should be.
  • D
    A frequency you have determined based on testing different cadences to identify the best one.

A complaint feedback loop is:

  • A
    When your radio produces feedback so you call up radio shack to complain.
  • B
    A service where a mailbox provider will alert senders when a complaint is registered on their account.
  • C
    Feedback received from your employees.
  • D
    Subscriber feedback from survey emails.

How many feedback loops should you sign up for?

  • A
    Every feedback loop service available.
  • B
    Just Gmail, as it's the largest mailbox provider.
  • C
    Every one except Gmail. Since their service doesn’t send in ARF format, it's not worth the hassle.
  • D
    None, if you don’t know that someone complained, you are not responsible for it.

Which of the following will not help you manage complaints?

  • A
    Monitor your Sender Score to know how your content is perceived by mailbox providers.
  • B
    Sign up for all relevant feedback loops to respond to complaints.
  • C
    Always send discounts so clients won't complain.
  • D
    Track your engagement metrics to understand how subscribers are interacting with your messages.

Congratulations! You’re on the email honor roll

You understand how to take advantage of complaints to optimize your program and build a more engaging program for your subscribers. Check out some of the following resources to help you further expand your email knowledge.

  •  Guide Marketer's Field Guide to Gmail, Outlook.com, and Yahoo
    Marketer's Field Guide to Gmail, Outlook.com, and Yahoo
  •  Research Lifecycle Metrics Benchmark
    Lifecycle Metrics Benchmark
  •  Guide The 2019 Email Hero Awards Lookbook
    The 2019 Email Hero Awards Lookbook
Quiz Congrats

You’ve got a few gaps in your email knowledge. Not understanding how complaints occur and how to respond and limit complaints can have a large impact on your sender reputation and ultimately, your inbox placement. Restart your education with these helpful resources.

  •  Guide Ultimate Guide to Deliverability
    Ultimate Guide to Deliverability
  •  Research 2019 Sender Score Benchmark Report
    2019 Sender Score Benchmark Report
  •  Research The 2019 Hidden Metrics of Email Deliverability
    The 2019 Hidden Metrics of Email Deliverability