I've shopped online at Crate and Barrel a few times, so got added to their email list. My appetite for household stuff is actually pretty small, so when the most recent sale notice arrived, I clicked to unsubscribe. I landed on a web page that let me opt-out in a single click: easy.
A minute or so later, this arrived in my inbox:
It might seem risky for a company to email to a customer after that customer has explicitly removed herself from their list, even if it's just to confirm the opt-out. But I thought Crate and Barrel got a few things really right:
- They confirmed my request. They restated my choices and gave me a link to their privacy policy. This gave me confidence they'd registered my preferences and will act on them.
- They thanked me for my business. In fact, that's the lead, the main story. They acknowledged my business is meaningful to them. My cabinet full of snow white dinnerware was not cheap, thank you very much, so this is gratifying.
- They asked for the next sale. Just because I've opted out of receiving emails doesn't mean I'm no longer their customer. It just means I don't want to receive their emails, at that particular email address. Where other companies might have lead with a "Sorry to see you go," Crate and Barrel assumes I'm not actually gone.
Crate and Barrel understands it's the last experience that sticks in the customer's mind, and is the one they'll judge you by. With this email, they've demonstrated good faith, so my final impression was positive: I'd shop there again. Just not today.
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