If you send a lot of email marketing like I do, it’s always good to approach your email in a different frame of mind now and again. With more than 50+ emails to read in just 30 minutes, I had little time for messages that weren’t totally relevant to me.

Email newsletters that I would normally scour for something useful didn’t get a glance before I hit the delete key. It goes to show why you need to send regular emails to prospects; I might open and read the same email next week.

But I got one email today that really made me chuckle, from a company called MarketingFile.com. I think I bought some data from them a few years ago.

The email told me that I hadn’t logged into my account for 12 months, so as a security measure they had changed my username and password from the familiar login I know, to a bunch of random characters.

Why? What’s the benefit to me, the customer? There isn’t one; in fact they have just made it harder for me to buy from them in the future as my usual account login won’t work.

And since that will probably frustrate me (as I will have forgotten about this change by then), surely that can’t help the company either, as they could lose a sale.

The email suggested I login right now and change my new “random” login to something I’ll remember. Er, no thanks, don’t think I’ll bother.

Is this a case of the IT department ruining the marketing? Security is very important, but really there was no need for them to change my account details without being requested to. Nobody benefits here.

The old one conked out on average every 3 months. The very reputable local heating firm that service & repair it sometimes had to send their boss to fix it, as it was – in their words – “one of the worst boilers ever made”. Pah.

So we’ve had about half of this firm’s staff to our house over the last three years.

Yet 10 minutes ago, while chatting to the new boiler fitter over a cup of tea, he mentioned that the business does basic plumbing too. You know, your blocked sink-type plumbing.

I was staggered. I’ve got a great three year relationship with this business, and trust them enough to replace a major item in my home. Yet I didn’t know basic plumbing was one of their core services.

It certainly would have saved me a lot of hassle six months ago trying to find a local guy to change the leaking waste pipe on the toilet.

It made me wonder how many other businesses I have a healthy relationship with, but don’t know everything they do.

This is where customer loyalty tools such as email and physical newsletters are essential. If I received a newsletter once a year from this firm updating me on their news – and of course reminding me what services they offer – they would have had even more business from me by now.

Two thoughts on this. Firstly, it has driven me to garages I would never normally go to, just to fill up on the cheapest petrol. If your business successfully competes on price, are you listed in the price comparison websites? Are there any kind of price comparison schemes locally, maybe offline?

And secondly, it was only yesterday I realised I looked forward to getting this email. How cool is that? I look forward to getting an email from a business. That makes me incredibly valuable to them, as I would miss their emails. The website is run by a commercial company, which makes its money back referring on motor insurance etc. If you send emails or newsletters to your customers, do they look forward to them as much? They’ll be more interested if you send them free information that’s going to help them, rather than a list of your latest offers.

PS This website has a great press section. Listing all your previous media appearances helps build confidence in the media that you are worth contacting.