I’ve recently signed up for two services: Uberconference and Zirtual.
As expected, I recieved several well-designed, templated emails as a part of the onboarding process for each company. The emails I received from Zirtual were signed by the Founder and CEO of the company. That’s not uncommon and I wouldn’t be surprised if responses didn’t go directly to her.
What was interested me was the contrast between how I felt about an email from a Founder and CEO as opposed to an email from Customer Support, which I received from Uberconference.
Even though I know there is a possibility that Zirtual’s CEO isn’t involved or directly reach-able (maybe I’m jaded?), her email signature still made me feel better than the one I received from Uberconference. I think it’s because the idea of a ‘standard’ customer support representitive carries baggage, which is often expressed through a lack of authority. A Founder and CEO, on the other hand, possesses supreme authority. Perhaps even the pretense of access to that authority is preferrable to the alternative.
