May '06 Tools

Email filters have drastically reduced the volume of email received - including legitimate messages - for many businesses.

What happens to your email after it is sent?

When you send an email, your email program connects to your Internet Service Provider's mail server. Many emails are then broken into smaller pieces called packets, so that they can travel quickly from one server to another. These packets are reassembled when they reach their intended destination. Depending on where the destination server is, your email can pass through may different servers until it reaches it's final destination.

During this process - your email may be misdirected or dropped.

It may surprise you to learn that some Internet Service Providers drop, delete, or delay huge numbers of emails intentionally. Most of this is the result of diligent efforts to increase security by thwarting spam and viruses.

There are many kinds of filters and some are more stringent than others. Some filters are programmed to block email containing certain words and phrases, specified email addresses or the server the email originated from. Content filters scan the text of an email and use fuzzy logic to give a weighted opinion as to whether the email should pass through or be filtered out. And sometimes the software simply makes an incorrect assumption and valid emails are filtered out. Filters can usually be overridden by explicitly authorizing (whitelisting) email from specified domains.

If you are using your company's email system, be aware that all email processed through your company's server is considered to be company property.

Businesses have the right to access all incoming or outgoing email. They also have the right to filter, archive, block, and delete emails. As a result, occasionally, valid emails sometimes simply do not get delivered. This is not due to any malicious actions by the company - it is simply the result of an ever increasing need for security.

A growing number of businesses say they are losing emails to spam filters that are sidetracking legitimate correspondence. This also applies to emails generated from the completion of online forms. Lost emails are costly to businesses - not only in terms of lost information, orders and revenues, but in time spent searching for and trying to retrieve the misdirected emails.

How can you be sure your email was received?

Using the Return Receipt option that many email programs make available is one way to try to verify that your email was received. However, this method is far from foolproof. The Return Receipt verification process is dependent on actions that may or may not be taken by the intended recipient.

* Many web mail programs do not activate the Return Receipt option so the recipient may not even be aware that you requested a return receipt.
* In many instances a recipient can choose the "NO" option on the Return Receipt request and they are still able to view your email.
* Many companies and service providers simply do not recognize the Return Receipt due to privacy concerns.
* The recipient may not be connected to the Internet when they open the message.
* Some Return Receipt options will tell you if the email was delivered to the server - but this still does not let you know if it also was received by your intended recipient. It could have been deleted from the server for any number of reasons.

If you do not receive an expected response from an email you have sent or on online form you have completed, don't assume your email was delivered or that the lack of a response is the fault of your intended recipient.

Even if your email was, in fact, not delivered, you shouldn't assume the non-delivery of your email was due to malicious or even careless practices. In most cases it is just the opposite. If you do not receive an anticipated response to your email, it's a good policy to simply send a second email, or if it's a time sensitive matter - place a phone call to the recipient.