More than just Orange Mango Body Gel.

The Hunt
We've all been there, standing in front of the sales person and completing your purchase when you get the question - what's your email address. I get that "deer in headlights" look and think, what am I getting my email inbox into?

The Skunk
Last weekend while doing a little retail therapy, I happened into my local Bath & Body Works. I wasn't looking to purchase anything in particular but started to sniff around anyway. A $30 impulse buy later, I'm giving the sales person my email address right after I forked over my credit card. Let me first start by saying that I'm impressed that my email made it to their distribution list in less than 5 days. With such a big retail footprint however, it would have been a really good idea to make "introductions" first. I’m sure that I am just one of thousands that made their way to their database and starting off on the right foot can be the difference between engaged and indifferent customers when it comes to engaging in their email program.

The Resolution
As retailer go, they get credit for striking while the iron is hot however, they missed an opportunity to welcome me to their email program and give me the lowdown on what and when to expect their marketing messages. In general, collecting email addresses at the point-of-purchase a sure-fire way to grow your database, you just need take a step back from the process and ensure that the customer experience is on track as well. Ask a quick question while checking out, "do you want to receive special offers from us via email?" Yes, I know, the fact that they asked me for my email address makes it kind of obvious that I might be getting a message from them soon but perhaps a better approach is to start off with a thank-you-for-your-purchase communication. Tell me what I’ll be getting from you and how often I can expect to receive messages as well as giving me an opportunity to actually opt-in to the communication.

Nowadays, rapidly growing your database with customers that haven't confirmed an expressed interest to receive messages from you can ultimately have a negative effect on your deliverability. What happens when the auto-enrolled recipient becomes indifferent to your messages? You run the risk of your messages being perceived as SPAM, increasing chance recipients are going to complain, sending your email reputation right down the toilet. Your big list is not so big if no one is actually receiving your messages.