I'm a bit of an email geek.

I evaluate nearly every email in my inbox and many in my spam folder. I read and contribute to many of the industry blogs and publications. I peek over my wife's shoulder as she's scanning her inbox to better understand how she "consumes" email marketing campaigns. Unfortunately, I'm often disappointed at the number of email communications that fail; those that miss the boat, forget to treat consumers like humans, and don't set proper expectations.

That's why when I see something like this from Chase (see landing page below), I get jazzed. I want to celebrate the good. They did it! Yay! Yay!

Brief Backstory

I recently made the switch to the Southwest Credit Card, mostly because I love Southwest Airlines. I signed up my Southwest/Chase credit card online and promptly forgot my username and password. Awesome, right? Thankfully, like most sites, they have a step-by step process to retrieve my information. You've likely stepped through this before. You answer a series of challenge questions. Then, your username and/or password is either displayed or some type of code/link are sent to you via email. Standard procedure.

Setting Proper Expectations

The Chase Online process was quite similar to the typical one described above, with a twist. When it came to the deliverability of the Identification Code, there was a nice alert informing me of what could happen with the recently sent email. Take a minute to read what's inside the red box. You may have to click the image to enlarge. (Note: I added the red box.)

They set clear expectations. Not only that, but they used language that was aligned with the average consumer - internet traffic, software settings, etc. They didn't barrage me with technical-speak. They told me what to expect and when.

Nice job Chase Online! You win today's gold star.

Are you setting proper expectations? Do people know what to expect, when, and how often?

DJ Waldow
Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory
@djwaldow