Who is using the incomplete order email?

[superdetail]

How do you have it implemented?

Do you send the customer a coupon code to get a discount on their order?

Have you ever had a customer complain about the follow up email?

[jhkaplan]

We just started expirimenting with the stock email, no coupon codes or anything like that yet. We're gonna keep it going a few more weeks before we change strategies. Right now, my main priority is to decrease abandoned carts and increase conversion. I thought we might be getting too many abandoned carts because people were adding items to cart to see shipping costs. We simplified our shipping and now display it in the buy box, so hopefully that helps.

I'd be interested to hear other's experiences using the incomplete order email. Maybe some others have some best practices to share.

Josh

[superdetail]

Well.... the stock email makes it sound like the customer completed the order and the items are on the way. I hope you are not using that.

What changes did you make?

[Luxlife]

We have not had time to really give it any thought but the stock email has been a positive for us. It has led to a couple of sales and some communication with potential customers.

[DaveW]

We are using it as well, with the stock email.

It has resulted in a few conversions and a few conversations with potential customers so we are happy.

I am not sure how far into the checkout process they have to go, but we seem to only get a few email addresses collected and getting the emails.

DaveW

[cashmore]

I jut started using that automatic email for incomplete orders a couple of weeks ago. I modified the stock email quite a bit. I have not seen any results from this yet. Most of the incomplete orders were abandoned in step 1, so I don't have an email address to send to.

[lml]

We've just started using it & I would call it successful...for us.
I reworded the subject to: Order Completion Discount at <<<store name>>>

[cashmore]

Here is the text of our incomplete orders email. Anyone else?

Thanks for your interest in [store_name]!

Dear [ofirstname] [olastname],

We noticed that you recently visited our store, but did not complete your order.

Did you have any problems placing your order? Is there is anything we can do to help make your shopping experience better?

If you would like to continue this order click here.

If I can personally help you in any way, please let me know and I will do my best to address any issues or concerns you might have.

Thanks for your feedback. We look forward to serving you soon!

Charlie Ashmore
[store_name].


Order Summary

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[itemid] [itemname] [unitprice] x [numitems] [itemsubtotal]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Click here to resume your order

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cherryville Nutrition Center [address1] [address2]
[city], [state] [zip] Canada
Phone toll free: [phone1]
Fax toll free: [store_fax]

[Miked]

We also just started trying to get folks to complete their orders by sending them a message. We have not yet resorted to offering coupons and have had some limited success in convincing folks to finish.

One thing we have discovered in this process is that it opens a personal line of communication between once strangers. This is a good tool.

The other thing we discovered is that a certain portion of the customers gave up and left their carts because of errors. Specifically, if they tried to do us a favor and enter their zip+4, they get an error message stating something to the effect that they entered 10 characters and it is not allowed.

I turned in a trouble ticket about this but have any of you found a fix for this bug?

[cashmore]

As an update, we are getting about a 20% conversion rate on people we have sent these incomplete order emails to.

[hanzoswords]

I started using coupon codes with this email we set it to send after 4 hours. I looked at the stats today and see the coupon code was used 114 times so obviously its working. I give a 10 percent off code.

[Evolution]

I started using coupon codes with this email we set it to send after 4 hours. I looked at the stats today and see the coupon code was used 114 times so obviously its working. I give a 10 percent off code.

I thought about including a coupon code in my email but have reservations about the code getting out to some of the coupon/code sites.

Ideally what I would like would be a randomly generated, single use coupon generated by the email but that functionality isn't available.

[hanzoswords]

What is wrong with it getting out to a coupon site?
Sales are sales, if they are proting a coupon for you what is your logic on that being a problem?

[Evolution]

What is wrong with it getting out to a coupon site?
Sales are sales, if they are proting a coupon for you what is your logic on that being a problem?

The site I manage here has some products that have a very tight margin. Coupon codes are generated and exclude items from certain manufacturers and those terms are identified when the coupons are issued.

Coupon sites don't identify this so when a coupon ends up there the shop gets complaints or questions about why a coupon isn't working.

So, it boils down to an administrative issue, not just a matter of making a sale.

[wcsjohn]

Using coupons, especially one's that get out on coupon sites also trains your customers to expect and use coupons at your store.