Team e-mail

What is a good Name@ for team e-mails?

Didn't find your answer?

I am setting up a new practice and dont want to be relied on as the face of the firm. So I am setting up as I mean to go on. I will be setting up a team e-mail (althought there is only me presently) so what do people think is a good name@ I have seen info@ hello@ amongst many others.

Replies (29)

Please login or register to join the discussion.

avatar
By Paul Crowley
14th May 2021 11:58

Use the names of people
info, enquiries, support et all give me zero confidence that the organisation considers me important. Let the lowest ranker reply
Info when there are less than 20 people looks pretentious
Would you really want to send emails out from info@

Thanks (0)
Replying to Paul Crowley:
avatar
By David Ex
14th May 2021 12:23

Paul Crowley wrote:

Use the names of people
info, enquiries, support et all give me zero confidence that the organisation considers me important. Let the lowest ranker reply
Info when there are less than 20 people looks pretentious
Would you really want to send emails out from info@

Agree.

You could just use the firm’s name, eg [email protected]

Thanks (0)
avatar
By pauld
14th May 2021 12:11

How about 'idontwantyoutoknowwhoiam@'

Thanks (1)
By Duggimon
14th May 2021 12:14

I would say something a little more formal than info or hello, I think enquiries@ is fine, or some abbreviation of the firm's name, which is what we use.

I don't think it's too impersonal using a general mailbox, it's preferable for receiving unsolicited email and it's essential for using some services relying on emails communications, but you should ensure anyone you're addressing directly gets an email from an actual named person, we never send anything other an automatic emails from our general mailbox, it's primarily a receipts only account.

Thanks (1)
avatar
By JohnStead
14th May 2021 12:25

The replies will be by the FirmName, the xxxx@ does not show up on sent e-mails, also when clients respond the to will show FirmName. It is more the first time contact when we will give out the e-mail address.

All e-mails will be signed off by a person.

Thanks (0)
Replying to JohnStead:
avatar
By Hugo Fair
14th May 2021 12:39

Not sure why you believe "The replies will be by the FirmName, the xxxx@ does not show up on sent e-mails, also when clients respond the to will show FirmName"?
As far as I'm aware ... whilst format of an email address is always [email protected]; how this is displayed at the recipient's (or the originator's) end is dependent on the software they are using and the settings applied. So not under your control.

The issue IMHO is what 'prefixes' to use on open public platforms - partly to help you negotiate the plethora of unsolicited junk that will follow, but also to position yourself professionally to those whom you've never met but may want to do business with.
For those scenarios, it's best to use a prefix indicative of the required function - hence enquiries@, sales@, accounts@, etc (using words that you're happy with).

But I wholeheartedly agree with others that any response should be from a name@ address (i.e. an individual) if you want to be seen as providing a human & professional service (as opposed to an automated software-driven service).

Thanks (1)
ghm
By TaxTeddy
14th May 2021 13:14

A California-based tech company which I worked with were very early adopters of email when it was in its infancy. They were heavy users of "group" aliases and this worked extremely well for them.

So for example, all of the secretaries at the company could be reached in one go by simply emailing [email protected], and so on for the European salesforce, the R&D team, or whatever group you wanted to reach.

It worked very well.

Thanks (0)
Replying to TaxTeddy:
avatar
By Open all hours
16th May 2021 16:52

That’s a relief. For the last 22 years we’ve used ‘tiger@....’
Easy for clients to remember and I believe the dti also used it.

Thanks (0)
Routemaster image
By tom123
14th May 2021 13:15

I wouldn't use enquiries..

We have 'enquire' here, and it is a pig to spell over the phone, and people get it wrong - then emails do not arrive.

If you must, use a common word like support@ or something.

Thanks (1)
Replying to tom123:
Avatar
By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
14th May 2021 14:29

You can fix the misspelled prefix by creating a catch-all wildcard email address eg *@Deloitte.com and then map that address to forward its emails to your proper email address [email protected]

Thanks (1)
avatar
By Maslins
14th May 2021 13:55

We use named email addresses (ie chris@), but use software Front App to help us share inboxes. You can choose which staff members are given delegated access.

With this you can both have staff cover when you're off, you can assign emails to different staff members, or collaborate (eg get a junior to draft it, you then tweak and send).

Historically I had the fear that clients might get annoyed about someone other than me replying to them...but it never happened, not once. Whether that's cos the staff give better answers than I do I don't know!

Thanks (3)
By ireallyshouldknowthisbut
14th May 2021 13:57

I have a spam filled "contact@" on my website for general contact.

And then use myname@ for myself & staff

Plus I have the good old IR@ for HMRC - probably dating that one to a long time ago.

Thanks (0)
A Putey FACA
By Arthur Putey
14th May 2021 13:59

accounts@ etc is fine for functional communications, but hello@ might as well be goodbye@ for client facing stuff. Some time ago we experimented with made up names where we didn't have a dedicated person e.g. Sandra@ for payroll

This experiment included replying to spam from nospamplease@ in the hope they would desist

The other thing to consider is who if anyone they get to speak to should they phone the practice.

But it all sounds a lot of faff for what is currently a one person practice. People buy people.

Thanks (0)
avatar
By tltodman
14th May 2021 13:59

If you're looking for a general mailbox then personally I like and I'd use mail@ - whatever you pick it needs to be easy to say, easy to hear, easy to spell bearing in mind regional dialect variations. FWIW I also think replies should come from a real email.

Thanks (1)
Avatar
By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
14th May 2021 16:38

Cadwallader's a mightily impressive name. I often use it at coffee shops whenever staff want to write my name on the paper cup.

And when they ask how you spell that it's C-H-A-D

Thanks (0)
Replying to I'msorryIhaven'taclue:
A Putey FACA
By Arthur Putey
14th May 2021 16:53

RichardWalterJohnMontaguDouglasScott10thDukeofBuccleuchand12thDukeofQueensberry
@hotmail.com

Thanks (1)
Replying to Arthur Putey:
Avatar
By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
15th May 2021 13:44

Bob@ LlanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochAccountant.co.uk

Thanks (3)
Replying to I'msorryIhaven'taclue:
A Putey FACA
By Arthur Putey
18th May 2021 11:08

I know Bob, he has now abbreviated this to lgbtaccountants .....

Thanks (0)
Replying to I'msorryIhaven'taclue:
avatar
By New To Accountancy
14th May 2021 22:13

I went to a coffee shop (pre covid) with my friend and her husband, he told the barista his name was Marc with a 'c'.

Over comes his mocha with 'Cark' written on it.

Thanks (5)
Replying to New To Accountancy:
Avatar
By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
16th May 2021 13:16

Heh heh! I guess baristaing has its lighter moments.

I never mind such poor service as it makes me feel a little better about not leaving a tip.

Thanks (1)
avatar
By legerman
16th May 2021 11:53

I use admin@ for general stuff and documents@ specifically for that purpose. Seems to work ok.

I also have payroll@ (3 clients still use it) but it was confusing to some and they would send general stuff to payroll and payroll stuff to admin so I stopped giving that email out.

Thanks (0)
ALISK
By atleastisoundknowledgable...
17th May 2021 08:47

Can’t remember which service provider it is (Vodafone?), but if you want to leave, you have to do so in writing to ... customerloyalty@... ! Made me more likely to leave, not less.

Thanks (1)
None
By FCExtraordinaire
18th May 2021 09:45

Just use the trading name of your practice, [email protected], [email protected]

Thanks (0)
avatar
By jayesh21
18th May 2021 09:58

"I am setting up a new practice and dont want to be relied on as the face of the firm", you are thinking too ahead of the game and my concern is you will get caught in your own web.

First start where you are and be the face of the business, as you grow and employ staff, you can start delegating and move away.

It is only my learning, the important fact of not being the face of the firm is choose a firm name that is not associated to you.

As you grow, the client will know the firm name they are dealing with and not you.

Hope this helps.

Thanks (0)
accountant in london
By Accountant in London
18th May 2021 09:56

It's just me so I use [email protected] for displaying on website etc, new clients contact me via this email.

otherwise for day to day, I use [email protected] for all emails.

For HMRC logins I use [email protected]

Thanks (0)
FT
By FirstTab
18th May 2021 10:20

support@xxxx is another option. It reflects your practice is there to support clients.

Email can be signed by whoever responds to add a personal touch.

Thanks (0)
avatar
By tracey2412
18th May 2021 10:34

Also consider that if you are intending at any point to use an email platform (Active Campaign, Mailchimp, etc) to send either bulk marketing (to potential clients) or notification emails (to clients) or an automation sequence (for e.g. onboarding if someone signs up through a website) that some mail providers (hotmail, etc) are more likely to block receipt of any emails from non-person addresses as they are more likely to be seen as spam.
I have a domain name & have used hello@ as my website contact email so if it isn't an actual enquiry form, then it's spam / cold sales email as that hello@ is nowhere else & I always reply from tracey@.
I do have several other emails client1@, client2@ only because it helps me keep it all segmented in my head & in folders as I don't have a Practice Mgmt system.
Good luck - you just gotta find what works for you.

Thanks (0)
Avatar
By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
18th May 2021 11:04

For non-sales / non-clients emails the address is FHoffman@

Thanks (2)
avatar
By North East Accountant
18th May 2021 11:52

Shorter the better as you have to type it in everywhere you log in nowadays.

Our general one is enquiries@.

Going to change this to help@ in due course.

Thanks (0)