--- title: Email Support Rigmarole --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2005/04/email_support_r.html#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # Email Support Rigmarole April 6th, 2005 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) For one of my several email accounts, I use [EarthLink](http://www.earthlink.net/). I've generally had good service with them. But the content in the EarthLink customer service messages make me want to scream. This is not the way to market with content. I have a pre-payment plan that allows me to save money by paying for a year in advance. The period was near expiration, so I got a message with these instructions:     *** Your prepayment plan will be expiring soon ***     Renew by contacting Customer Service at service@earthlink.net. So I sent an email as directed to service@earthlink.net. This is what came back from EarthLink: --------------------------- Thank you for contacting EarthLink, We received your email on 4/6/05, however in order to better serve you  EarthLink only accepts replies to outbound email messages or new messages created by completing our online email form.  To ensure that your inquiry is handled by an EarthLink representative we ask that you resubmit your request using our online email form which you can access using the "support by email" link on your personal start page, or, by inserting the following URL in your web browser: http://support.earthlink.net/email Using this form will help us direct your email to the right department so that we can provide you with an accurate and timely response. --------------------------- So I had to go through a rigmarole with all sorts of drop down menus, none of which offered me the option to "renew my pre-payment plan". Ugh. Communicating with customers via email is a great way to build loyalty and sell more services. But the content needs to be right.  All automatic email messages (as the ones from EarthLink obviously were) need to be checked and re-checked by humans to make certain that the information in them is accurate and makes sense. Don't ever make your most valuable customers (those who pay up front, in advance, for long-term contracts) jump through hoops to do business with you! Check your email messages to make sure they are friendly and accurate. [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Topics: [ Worst Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/worst-practices) [ Case Studies ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/case-studies) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pirated%20books.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=Pirated%20books.jpg) ### Move Fast and Steal Things: Meta Pirated 53 of My Books and Stories to Train Their AI March 26th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/move-fast-and-steal-things-meta-pirated-53-of-my-books-and-stories-to-train-their-ai) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Toyota%20website.jpg?width=1253&height=822&name=Toyota%20website.jpg) ### Automaker Website Frustrations Push Buyers Elsewhere December 10th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/automaker-website-frustrations-push-buyers-elsewhere) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Do%20not%20play%20Yamaha.jpg?width=1500&height=1125&name=Do%20not%20play%20Yamaha.jpg) ### Please Do Not Play Without Permission November 12th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/please-do-not-play-without-permission) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Teen%20and%20Young%20Adult%20AI.jpg?width=1338&height=886&name=Teen%20and%20Young%20Adult%20AI.jpg) ### Generative AI Not Understood By Young People… Educators Are To Blame July 9th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/generative-ai-not-understood-by-young-people-educators-are-to-blame) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Crush%20Apple%20video.jpg?width=1500&height=845&name=Crush%20Apple%20video.jpg) ### Apple’s Soul Crushing, Creator Destroying Metaphor for what AI is Doing to Society May 8th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/apples-soul-crushing-creator-destroying-metaphor-for-what-ai-is-doing-to-society) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_126631127.jpg?width=1500&height=999&name=shutterstock_126631127.jpg) ### Customer Testimonials Are Not Effective Storytelling March 26th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/customer-testimonials-are-not-effective-storytelling) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/we%20annoy%20our%20clients.jpg?width=1000&height=670&name=we%20annoy%20our%20clients.jpg) ### We Annoy Our Customers March 5th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/we-annoy-our-customers) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_272153462%20copy.jpg?width=1000&height=628&name=shutterstock_272153462%20copy.jpg) ### Legal Caution vs. PR Clarity: University Presidents' Legal Advisors Muddled Congressional Testimonies December 19th, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/legal-caution-vs.-pr-clarity-university-presidents-legal-advisors-muddled-congressional-testimonies-on-antisemitism) [![Man holding a tablet computer with tip options](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_2328873613.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=shutterstock_2328873613.jpg) ### Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should October 19th, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/just-because-you-can-doesnt-mean-you-should) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/max%20logo%20win.jpg?width=925&height=621&name=max%20logo%20win.jpg) ### Max Mayhem: Warner Bros. Discovery's Rebrand Fail April 21st, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/max-mayhem-warner-bros.-discoverys-rebrand-fail) [![T-shirts and ball caps with letter F for fandom](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/fandom.jpg?width=1974&height=1256&name=fandom.jpg) ### Every Customer Touchpoint Is A Way To Build Fans (Or Not) November 16th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/every-customer-touchpoint-is-a-way-to-build-fans-or-not) [![Photo of somebody using the LinkedIn app on a smartphone](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LinkedIn.jpg?width=1500&height=995&name=LinkedIn.jpg) ### Why Salespeople’s LinkedIn Profiles Don’t Sell October 5th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/why-most-salespeoples-linkedin-profiles-stink) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Summer%20Sale.jpg?width=2456&height=1652&name=Summer%20Sale.jpg) ### A Focus On Product Alone Results In A Race To The Bottom August 16th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/a-focus-on-product-alone-results-in-a-race-to-the-bottom) [![subject line of an email from Citibank](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_1554045272.jpg?width=1500&height=928&name=shutterstock_1554045272.jpg) ### Branding Gone Amok™ August 9th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/branding-gone-amok) [![Ticketmaster lusting for Bruce Spreensteen tickets](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Springsteen%20tix%20after.jpg?width=2132&height=1638&name=Springsteen%20tix%20after.jpg) ### Bruce Springsteen and Ticketmaster Anger Fans with AI Dynamic Pricing Fiasco July 25th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/bruce-springsteen-and-ticketmaster-anger-fans-with-ai-dynamic-pricing-fiasco) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/nobody%20cares.jpg?width=1135&height=635&name=nobody%20cares.jpg) ### Back to the Basics: Nobody Cares About Your Products (Except You) January 31st, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/back-to-the-basics-nobody-cares-about-your-products-except-you) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Gobbledygook%20manifesto.jpg?width=1628&height=1184&name=Gobbledygook%20manifesto.jpg) ### Two Super Simple Actions You Can Do Right Now to Create Fans of Your Business January 18th, 2022|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/two-super-simple-actions-you-can-do-right-now-to-create-fans-of-your-business) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/email%20spam%20shutterstock_172545959.jpg) ### Non-Targeted Broadcast Public Relations Pitches Are Spam November 18th, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/non-targeted-broadcast-public-relations-pitches-are-spam) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Facebook%20Anger.jpg) ### Your Own Content to Educate Instead of Spreading Hatred Through Facebook November 3rd, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/your-own-content-to-educate-instead-of-spreading-hatred-through-facebook) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Merch%20table.jpg) ### Real and Perceived Scarcity as a Marketing Strategy October 26th, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/real-and-perceived-scarcity-as-a-marketing-strategy) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/LinkedIn%20messaging.jpg) ### On LinkedIn, Educate and Inform Instead of Interrupt and Sell September 21st, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/on-linkedin-educate-and-inform-instead-of-interrupt-and-sell) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/junk%20mail.jpg) ### Sorry, no, I am not your colleague September 3rd, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/sorry-no-i-am-not-your-colleague) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/Made%20by%20We.jpg) ### When Fandom Turns Into a Cult August 25th, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/when-fandom-turns-into-a-cult) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/An%20Ugly%20Truth%20cover.jpg) ### An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination July 14th, 2021|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/an-ugly-truth-inside-facebooks-battle-for-domination) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott" }, "datePublished" : "2005-04-06T08:37:38.000Z", "headline" : "Email Support Rigmarole", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2005/04/email_support_r.html", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png" }, "name" : "David Meerman Scott" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person", "@type" : "Person", "description" : "Marketing and sales visionary, international bestselling author of 12 books, keynote speaker in 47 countries, and advisor to emerging companies.", "email" : "mailto:David@DavidMeermanScott.com", "image" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/DMS-Homepage-Featured.jpg", "jobTitle" : [ "Keynote Speaker", "Author", "Business Growth Strategist", "Marketing Advisor" ], "knowsAbout" : [ "Content Marketing", "Fandom Marketing", "Newsjacking", "Real-Time Marketing", "Public Relations", "Sales Strategy", "Business Growth" ], "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "sameAs" : [ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Meerman_Scott", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmeermanscott", "https://x.com/dmscott", "https://www.instagram.com/dmscott/" ], "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#website", "@type" : "WebSite", "author" : { "@id" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/#person" }, "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "potentialAction" : { "@type" : "SearchAction", "query-input" : "required name=search_term_string", "target" : { "@type" : "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/search?q={search_term_string}" } }, "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "David Meerman Scott", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott" }, "dateCreated" : "2014-09-10T21:36:00", "datePublished" : "2005-04-06T04:37:38-0400", "description" : "", "headline" : "Email Support Rigmarole", "image" : [ "" ], "inLanguage" : "en-us", "keywords" : [ "Worst Practices", "Case Studies" ], "learningResourceType" : "article", "name" : "Email Support Rigmarole", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://413105.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/413105/_Assets/Logo/david-meerman-scott.png" }, "name" : "Freshspot Marketing LLC" }, "timeRequired" : "1 minutes", "url" : "https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2005/04/email_support_r.html" } ```