Raeco Communication & Branding Document

Raeco Communication & Branding Document

commun i cat i on & brand i ng

communication & branding document

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C ON T E N T S

INTRODUCTION

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mission / vision / core values

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emails

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phone communication

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Communication guide - various

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consistency guide

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1 call, 1 resolution

24

visual branding guidelines

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code conventions

34

product description conventions

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commun i cat i on

Raeco communication document

i nt roduct i on

Communication is key to satisfied customers, employees and stakeholders. Many issues, concerns or complaints can be quickly resolved with timely, consistent and accurate communication. This document presents the Raeco way to communicate, the style of our communication and guidelines for consistency in words. Please keep a copy close by and reference it regular ly. Our communication guides are derived from modern day best practices, our mission/core values and Raeco’s overall philosophy of:

Prem i um Qual i t y Soph i st i cat i on Forward Th i nk i ng

In summar y, our language is positive, we don’t apologise for keeping customers on hold, we thank them for waiting . Ever y email commences with a “ Thank you ” We provide a reply to customer and staff members within 24 [business] hours.

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M I S S I ON / V I S I ON / CORE VALUES Please review these impor tant guides – they are the foundation of all our communication styles and effor ts.

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ema i l s

We send and receive hundreds of emails ever y day, however, writing emails can often create some challenges for writers. The tone you wish to present and the customer’s perception of your tone may be two different things. If you need any assistance in constructing / revising customer emails, please feel free to speak with Marketing.

EMA I L AUTO REPLY & PHONE MESSAGE WHEN OUT OF OF F I CE :

Thank you for your email. I’ll be out of the office until _________. If your matter is urgent, please contact _________. Otherwise, I look forward to assisting you when I return

RAECO EMA I L RUL ES :

RULE 1 : ALWAYS START WI TH A “ THANK YOU” All emails to customers, suppliers and in most cases, co-workers, should commence with a “Thank you”. Thanking the reader puts him or her at ease, and it will make you appear more polite. It’s also a non-confrontational way to commence any subject. If a customer has an issue/complaint/ outstanding invoice etc, by star ting with “Thank you for …” creates a professional, customer friendly introduction to your communication.

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“Thank you for…” can be worked into all communications. Some examples: • Thank you for speaking with me yesterday… • Thank you for your email yesterday…… • Thank you for providing us the oppor tunity to…. • Thank you for requesting a [quotation, order, etc] • Thank you for discussing [what was it you discussed] • Thank you for contact i ng Raeco… .

RULE 2 : ALWAYS USE SALUTAT I ONS

• “Hello” or “Dear ” should always be first in your email. • “Yours sincerely”, or “Kind regards” should always be at the end of your email.

RULE 3 : DON ’ T BE ROBOT – WR I TE L I KE A HUMAN Customers want clear, easy to read emails that sound personalised. It’s also impor tant to sound personal, friendly, and natural — just as you would talk to that person if they were standing in front of you.

• •

Use that person’s first name — they will like you more.

Use your name — they will believe you more.

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A robot i c ema i l :

Hello, We just received your inquir y. Your reference number is XYZ632. Please quote it for future correspondences. We will get back to you with more information as soon as possible. Thanks, The Suppor t team

A human ema i l :

Dear Thank you for raising your concern with our team. We take customer feedback seriously. I have launched an investigation to rectify this issue. I will personally contact you within 24 hours with a fur ther update. Your CCR (Customer Complain Resolution) number is If you have any fur ther enquiries about this issue, please do not hesitate to contact me. Kind Regards Name

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RULE 4 : DON ’ T BE AN ANGRY PARENT Avoid harsh / strong / parental type language. Write in a friendly, helpful tone. I have seen a lot of customer emails that sound like orders are being “barked” at them in anger, i.e.: “go to this page and then you’ll have to ….do that.” When we’re writing to customers, suppliers or co-workers, sounding friendly is more than just good hygiene — it’s a mandate. I nstead of : “You’ll have to”, “You must” “You’ll need to…” or “I’ll now have to....” “You claim that…” “I’ve got to go and …” I’ll have to speak with….” “We need you to…” “We cannot see how….” Try: “To complete your request, I’ve attached the document to this email”. “I’ll speak with the Production Manager and……” “To place your order simply visit our website…” “Can you please send an image of the damage” etc. By removing words like “have” “must” “you’ll” from instructions, will soften the tone and your message will sound more friendly / helpful AVO I D : “You’ll have to go to the website and press the microscope icon on the top right.” TRY: “Our website contains all product information. The easiest way to see the product you are looking for is to visit the homepage www.raeco.com.au and enter the product code, description in the search window, it’s on the top right hand side.”

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RULE 5 : EXPL A I N YOUR MESSAGE / DON ’ T LEAVE READERS HANG I NG If your email includes information about a deliver y delay, product out of stock issue, an error by Raeco or something similar, please provide an explanation on what has gone wrong and why it occurred. Also provide a solution or promise to follow up. AVO I D : “I am writing to advise the product you have ordered is out of stock.” TRY: “Thank you for placing your order with us. Unfor tunately, due to , the product you have ordered is out of stock. We expect to have this line available from and have prioritised your order to be filled when they arrive.”

RULE 6 : KEEP I T SHORT

• Keep email brief. If it is becoming long, consider calling recipient, discussing topics and THEN sending a summar y email of your resolutions. • Keep paragraphs to 2-3 lines • Use bullet points when providing a lot of information or steps • Avoid industr y jargon

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HOWEVER… . Don’t keep your email TOO brief. A one-line email to customer – simply asking a question or making a statement [either good news or bad news] comes across as abrupt. Always add an opening “Thank you for ….” line and a closing “Should you require fur ther information....” line.

RULE 7: PROV I DE CLEAR D I RECT I ON Let the recipient know exactly what is going to happen.

Avo i d :

• • •

I’ll get back to you as soon as I can

I’ll have someone from Raeco contact you We’ll let you know when the product arrives

I nstead, use spec i f i c dates :

•

I’ll contact you with an update by

• I’ll discuss your issue with our Marketing Manager, his name is Dean, and I will provide an update to you by • The product is due to arrive late August. I will call you on the 15th of August with an update, or before, if the product arrives ear ly.

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RULE 8 : DON ’ T MAKE customers TH I NK / GUESS / SEARCH FOR CLUES

You know how frustrating it is when someone only gives you half the information. The same goes to email recipients. If they need to perform a task, please ensure you provide all the information and all the tools that will enable them to do so. This may include attachments, links to pages, or documents. It cer tainly includes clear, concise instructions.

If recipients need to visit our website, always include the website address in your email – if you type “www” before the website address, and press space after typing the address, it should transform to a “hyper link” meaning recipients only need to click the link to get where they want to go. Alternatively, copy and paste the website address from the specific page they may need to visit.

Let them know all the steps of what they need to complete. If they need to take a photo of a product, ask them to do this, don’t wait until information is received THEN ask for a photo. Ensure all steps they need to complete are clear ly included in your initial request.

Use bullet points for clarity if required. Bullet points are easier to follow than a long slab of text.

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RULE 9 : END ON A H I GH

Always let the recipient know you are there to discuss this topic if needed. It also provides a positive finish to your email. IE: “Should you require fur ther information, or wish to discuss this in more details, please feel free to contact me directly.”

RULE 1 0 : WHEN NOT TO SEND AN EMA I L

If it is excessively long. If you require an urgent response. If it’s to a co-worker and a discussion will enable a faster resolution. If your email conversation with a co-worker exceeds four emails on the same topic, please visit them or call them to arrive at a resolution. If an email chain with a co-worker turns into a dispute. Excessive emails will only exasperate the problem. Please speak with them, or if necessar y, their manager to resolve the issue. There is no need to CC a co-worker / manager on day to day issues. Please restrict CC’ing Raeco employees on emails.

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phone commun i cat i on

COMMENCE CAL L

Welcome to Raeco, This is how can I help you?

T I P : Wr i t e name of customer i n your not e pad for future re f erence !

POS I T I VE L ANGUAGE :

Creating a positive, engaging environment for ever y customer will enhance their experience and increase their chance for re-purchase.

WHEN RAECO STAF F MEmBER I S UNAVA I L ABlE :

To customers – Raeco staff are NEVER :

• • • •

AT LUNCH

IN A MEETING

NOT AT THEIR DESK

JUST SKIPPED OUT FOR A MINUTE

THEY ARE ALWAYS WI TH A CUSTOMER .

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CONCLUD I NG YOUR CAL L

1. Before I go, can I confirm the best contact names for your to ensure our >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36

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