What to do if your raw contact data list are missing first names, and/or contain inaccurate names

What to do if your raw contact data list are missing first names, and/or contain inaccurate names

From time to time, a client will upload or send us their raw customer contact data, but the contact data is missing first names, or includes inaccurate names.  If your data looks like this, here's what we suggest.

1. Take the time to correct this in your source system(s).  This will be time well-spent, and there is a price we all pay for inaccurate data.  Ensure you have a process in place where all staff members know the importance of capturing accurate customer details, and ensure they do so in the normal course of business.  Have a process that regularly audits customer first name (and other details), and correct them often.  Don't let inaccurate data build-up, as it gets messy fast.  Using this method ensures that when it's time to send your contacts to LoyaltyLoop, or use them in your online marketing, the data is correct.  

 

2. Despite your best efforts, if your contact data is still messy and does not consistently have first name values, then the best course of action is to update your survey invite emails and other LoyaltyLoop emails to NOT use the first name variable data tag.  You can edit your emails directly, or simply contact us to do it for you.  We would reword your invites to read "Hi," "Hello," or "Good Morning," This is not our recommended approach, as we’ve found that using first names to personalize your survey emails greatly increases your response rates - which means more feedback and more reviews.  

 

CAUTION: If you enter incorrect values in first name fields, and use the variable data tag in your emails, you're actually making things worse.  For example, if the first name is incorrectly entered in your source system as "Account", then your invite emails would read "Good Morning Account,” - not very personal nor friendly.