Thursday, January 8, 2009

Epic Fail: Lisa Caputo and Citibank Marketing Emails

Citibank sends many non-essential emails to their customers, and today sent this:

At Citibank, we make your e-mail security a top priority. We understand that your e-mail provider undoubtedly features a blocking or filtering system to help you cope with the problem of unwanted solicitations.
As a result, we are concerned that you may be missing your Citibank e-mails without even knowing it. If you think that might be the case, we urge you to 'whitelist' Citibank e-mails by adding us to your address book of trusted senders before delivery is interrupted

So I decided to reply, with this (please forgive my seething not-really-concealed anger):

When you send me far too many non-essential marketing messages, why would I add you to my address book? Spamy tactics on your part equal no-you-don't-get-on-my-white-list decisions on mine. If you'd like assistance with your email tactics, please let me know.
Best of luck, and thank you in advance for not "marketing" (read: email blasting like I'm a target in a war) to me just because loop-holes in the can-spam act seem to suggest you can with out prison or fines. If this email returns undeliverable, I'll blog about it.... and you. How many ads will you have to buy to undo the damage to your brand? Does Lisa Caputo, I believe the Chief Marketing Officer of Citigroup, want her name associated with such fail? Does she want it Googled, for the rest of her career? Do you? Bailouts aren't needed when companies treat customers as people. Please help me blog about your wins by giving me more.
I clearly like you, I chose to do business with you. Thank you,
David

And their systems sent this back:

You have responded to an email box that cannot accept replies.
If you require assistance, please contact us at www.citibank.com.

Citibank received $300,000,000,000 in bailout money from the US government (tax payers) 6 weeks ago. Citibank and Citigroup's failures are various and big. Treating customers better could help make bailout unnecessary in the future. Spending some of the money on retraining their marketing department could also be a wise choice.

No comments: