When Eileen Landauer’s hotel in Jasper, Canada, was evacuated because of a wildfire last summer, she faced more than a battle with her online travel agency for a refund.
Landauer, an accountant from Palo Alto, California, also had to endure several “no-reply” emails from Booking.com – a polite way of saying, “Don’t bother writing back.”
There was an email acknowledging her complaint, to which she couldn’t reply. And another one asking her what she thought of the service she received (not much, it turns out). But this email, too, was a “no-reply.”
“The process is opaque, time-consuming and difficult,” she said. “I’ve reached a point of exhaustion.”
‘No-Reply’ Emails Are on the Rise
Experts say travel companies have been putting roadblocks in front of their customers lately. They include “no-reply” emails, unhelpful chatbots, and seemingly endless phone trees. But among the most alarming are the “no-reply” messages.
“Instead of improving efficiency, these impersonal messages create frustration,” said Mario Matulich, president of CMP, a customer service consultancy. “They force customers to navigate numerous chatbots, play phone tag, or even resort to posting on social media just to be heard.”
Booking.com did not respond to requests for a comment about its “no-reply” emails. Landauer’s case is another matter.
Her problem exposes a growing challenge among travelers: Why are we getting these announcements that we can’t respond to? If you get a “no-reply” email, how do you get through to a real person? And what do all of these messages say about customer service, anyway?
Why Travel Companies Send ‘No-Reply’ Emails
For companies, the “no-reply” email is about efficiency, said Matulich, “or at least the illusion of it.”
“Businesses implement these automated responses to reduce inbound volume, streamline workflows, and push customers toward self-service options,” he said.
The problem is, “no-reply” emails don’t always work, especially for travelers. Often, customers need an immediate answer because of an upcoming flight or stay, and not being able to respond to a message is frustrating.
“No-reply emails send a terrible message,” said Liviu Tanase, CEO of ZeroBounce, an email validation platform for businesses. “‘We want you to shop with us, but we don’t want to hear from you.’ At a time when customer experience is everything, making it harder for people to reach you is bad business.”
Tanase also noted that “no-reply” emails can trigger spam filters and miss the inbox. Since consumers tend to mark these emails as spam, other no-reply messages may automatically be directed to the spam folder – including essential communication like booking confirmations.
How to Get Around a ‘No-Reply’ Email
Fortunately, there are easy workarounds when you receive a no-reply message from an airline, car rental company, or hotel.
First, understand that the “no-reply” email may not actually bounce back. Some businesses create a “no-reply” address to discourage responses, but they do, in fact, monitor the replies. So try doing something counterintuitive: reply to the no-reply email anyway.
But there are other ways to break through:
- Switch channels. “Dig through the website for a live chat, a phone number, or an email that takes replies,” said Harry Folloder, chief digital and technology officer for Alorica, a customer service technology company. Often, companies provide those in the same thread or in your confirmation.
- Go social. “If you absolutely can’t find a direct line of connection, take to social media,” recommended Rob Gold, vice president of Marketing Communications at a cloud communications platform. “Then DM them or comment publicly. The latter tends to get a quicker response because you’re having that conversation in front of potentially thousands of people.” Keep your communication polite and to the point.
- Appeal to a higher level. Travel advisor Emily Dreilich said if she’s getting nowhere with conventional channels, she finds executive contact emails through customer advocacy sites like Elliott Advocacy. Reaching out directly to an executive often resolves problems quickly.
The point is, just because a company said it doesn’t want to hear from you doesn’t mean you have to stay quiet.
What ‘No-Reply’ Ultimately Says About Customer Service
Whenever a “no-reply” email arrives, it’s worth understanding both sides. Usually, it’s an FYI — a confirmation or quick notification, not an invitation to start a dialogue. But at the same time, it sends a message: “Here’s a note — we don’t care what you think.”
For Landauer, the woman trying to get a refund after her hotel was evacuated, persistence paid off. Even though she eventually reached a real person at Booking.com, no one could initially locate her money. After further advocacy, Booking.com returned the funds in full.
Christopher Elliott is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit that helps solve consumer problems. Reporting by Christopher Elliott, Special to USA TODAY / USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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