I think I would like that feature as well!  Its really hard to keep up with comments.

Will have to look into, am on Typepad if anyone knows how to set this up would be appreciated.

I don't know.  I suspect that I would prefer to close comments than send a canned response.  I don't like getting them and I doubt that I would send one. 

Oh my goodness... we don't get enough junk email?  I'd rather not receive an auto response to blog comments and it might be enough to make me stop commenting.  Sharon, thanks for telling us about this.

I thought about that on my blog, but decided if someone left a real email address I would personally send them a thank you note.  (Can you imagine if they commented more than once and received the same 'thank you' email response?)  Too impersonal for me.

Sharon - Really?? To me that just says the person doesn't want to take the time to respond individually.

Sharon, the plus side of an auto responder is an immediate response when an email is sent. The negative side is they aren't very personal, but then again it does tell the recipient they received the email. IMO not a very good response for a blog.

I guess I prefer the personal touch...and then there is the time element...but sooo much more effective.

I much prefer the personal touch than the automatic response.

It amounts to nothing more than SPAM. No thanks.

Sharon, I think if used properly thereme aplace for them. I would certainly want to change the message frequently. Also, I think I would use it as more of an acknowledgement that their comment has been recieved and let them know I'll be back with tem to anser any questions or concerns. You could also provide additional contact info.

Too 'canned' for me.  I am not sure that it has the personal touch that it should have.

I prefer to read through my new comments and submit responses on my schedule.  I don't respond to every comment but I do try to answer questions, etc.

I think the auto response is cold.  I like the personalized touch.

Interested.............might be worth testing it to see how people feel about it. I wouldn't not do it here, because there are too many comments, and it would get old pretty quick, but on a outside blog if might be effective. If you decide to do it, let me know how it works.

Not that I have strong feelings, but I loathe auto responders that only tell me that my email was delivered. If I started getting them from blog comments I made, I would be less inclined to making them in the future unless they actually referenced the fact that it was a comment received and published.

For a blog comment, this seems too impersonal and doesn't allow me to "connect" with the writer.  

Welcome to the automated world of give it to me and give it to me now. Can you imagine back in the day when all there was was snail mail and if everytime you sent mail they automatically send you a reply back with " thank you for replying and we will get back to you shortly" how cool would that have been.

Great Idea!  What a nice way to connect and start a dialog!  I am going to do it

Sharon - Hmm. I can see the pros of having this but not sure that I am in favor personally. If we are trying to build a relationship I don't see that this helps.  HOw many comments to consumers really make on outside blogs anyhow. Do folks get that many htat they can't keep up? Lucky them.

Jeff

Sharon - Automated blog response is too impersonal for me. I would still want to connect with readers personally, but who knows it may work for some. It would be interesting to know if it works for you and how your readers respond to automated commenting.

Hi Sharon,

Interesting. I was talking with fellow rainer the other day who just finished a session on blogging. They recommenced just the opposite and said not to use auto responders. How people can see right thought them and how they're counter productive in the long run.

Guess opinions are like belly buttons, everyone has one.

The auto-responder remarks area  bit like spam -- perhaps we are looking at this wrong-- but that is how it feels.

Sharon~ I could possibly see someone using it if you they were too busy to respond quickly, BUT I think you would have to personally respond as soon as possible or lose the customer!  As for me, I wouldn't use that because it depersonalizes too much! 

Hi Sharon, I think it could be a good idea, but blogs are about the interaction.  The only auto responders I really appreciate are the ones that say people are out of the office.

Sharon, this does seem like a great idea for the outside blog so that folks are not just lost. I utilize the AR outside blog platform that is available at active rain and I am pleased with the response so far!

I kind of liken it to clerks in retail stores saying, "have a nice day" while not looking at you and dealing with the next customer already.  How about "your call is important to us please leave a message and someone will call you back."  Too impersonal for me but if it's an option...go for it.

Sharon:

I have to agree with the majority of the posts here. I know that these businesses want to get back to the people ASAP with an auto responder so they know that their comment was received, but I think the whole idea is to keep up with your business and reply back to these people in a personal way....It goes so much farther in building those good relationships that we crave here on Active Rain and elsewhere.

As for business auto responders when you email a company to inquire about something and they ask for your telephone number, how impressed would you be if that person actually CALLED you back first instead of emailed you with an auto responder.

We surprise the heck out of people by practicing this concept. Sure this is NOT always possible or practical, but throw a few call backs in there now and again and hear the surprise in their voices. You have a captive audience who wants your attention NOW, chances are good you convert that caller into a client.

Thanks though for throwing that thought out there.

Peter Vekselman

sharon .. how do you set up an auto-responder?

Sharon- Sounds self-defeating. 

We go to the trouble of writing our posts to give the reader a personal view our ourselves.  We encourage comments so we can start a dialogue.  Replying to a comment with an auto-responder sends the wrong message.  At best, it says thanks for reading what I have to say, but I don't have the time or inclination to reply to you.

Sharon - I can see the benefit; personally, think it's a matter of opinion.

Thanks for sharing..

Bobby Wallace

I'm not big on the auto-responders, either. I would rather take the time to respond in person, and potentially make the person into a prospect. (But I do use drip campaigns...)

There is a husband/wife team in our office who have the auto response message to their email. Send an email to the office, get the same response from each of them. Drives me nuts! Even to have to delete the auto responses makes me crazy.

sharon - I have mixed feelings about this one.  I know our lives are busy, but having certain automatic responders in place makes us appear less personal and real estate is a people business.  For me, I would rather receive a response back from someone personally thanking me for commenting on their blog rather than an auto-responder.  Better yet, I would love if they would check out my blogs and if they feel they have something to contribute, reciprocate by commenting on one of mine.

  I know we can't always address each comment we receive, however I would rather see someone respond thanking everybody for their comments and really acknowledging the great import, rather than an automatic response.  Over time people are going to realize how automatic it is when they see the same message come up time and time again.

Midori - I thought it would be a good lead to a later followup, but obviously a lot of people see it as spam clutter, so I won't proceed.

Miriam - you may want to read the later comments before you spend time on it.

Lenn - you make a good point. I think it would be clutter here on Active Rain, and it certainly shouldn't replace personal contact. I think I reacted because it was unexpected from that source. But yes, if I made multiple comments and received that each time, I'd be upset. Perhaps there's a way to send it only once.

Margaret - you and others have brought up a very good point. That's why discussions are so great - we see perspectives we hadn't considered.

Kris - Wow! It's good just to get a response to a comment on the post, but to send personal notes for each one is a challenging endeavor.

Bill - as you can see from my comments above, I'm now agreeing with you and the majority.

Michael - yes. When I think of my reaction to autoresponders on e-mails, I would no doubt feel the same from blog comments. Just reacted since this was the first one I had ever received.

Sally and David - of course I prefer the personal touch, too.

Jeannette - me, too.

Craig - I got the message.  Thanks.

BB - useful comments! Sometimes we can take a kernel from an idea and make it much better.

Tim and Pam - personal touch is always better.

Jon - that's what I generally do as well.

Carol - true - but is some response better than none? Many here obviously would say No.

Missy - based on the comments, I'm not going to try it. Look at all the work Active Rain saved me on this one!

Mary - even an autorespond to say the comment had been published would be annoying.

Maureen - you're right. And it obviously came from the company rather than from the blogger.

Charles - a potential problem is an eternal loop between autoresponders.

Jean - you may want to read the comments before deciding to go ahead with it.

Jeff - I'm in the same boat you are - grateful for the few comments that come on the outside blog.

Petra - fortunately, by listening to the comments, I don't have to find out what my readers think.

Lynda - interesting that autoresponders were talked about there. I hadn't even thought of them before.

Bob and Carolin - it's all about how we feel!

Vickie - the majority agrees with you.

Christine - agreed, especially if they say when the person will be back in the office.

Russell - you make a good point that different things are appropriate for different blogs.

Richard - yes, all those things are irritating.

Peter - you bring up a whole other interesting topic - to call or not to call, when there is a number filled in.

Pippa - in an e-mail program it's one of the setup options. I haven't a clue how to do it on a blog, and from the comments, you may not want to.

Marilyn - true. We can see if a comment has been posted by just looking up at the original post - no need for an email to tell us that.

Bobby - like so much in life, there are pros and cons. Obviously here the cons have outweighed the pros.

Jennifer - drive me nuts, too.

Jessica - good suggestions. Good efficiency, too, to summarize all the points and comments, but it's still nice to get a personal one. I agree - I find the most appreciated Thank You is a reciprocal comment on a blog post. I try to do that when there are less comments than this post elicited. Thanks for yours.

I have to come back to this...today..I have been out all day servicing a listing...and truthfully..when I am focused or in front of a customer..I can't respond its that simple...if you send auto responders for your email..I really don't see anything wrong with this...of course..to me it depends on your objective..if I could sit in front of my blog and wait...and have all of these consumers there immediately by all means  I would spend all my time commenting...but to leave a autoresponder comment and saying you will get back to them..shortly..sounds pretty professional.

When I look at the sample of autoresponder..it might very well suit what business they are in...but just like any marketing we do on line...its editable...and usually can use our own words..I really like the idea...its not a substitute for commenting...NO WAY but its definitely a good way to let readers you are coming back.

p.s.  I don't respond to every comment...but an autoresponder would allow me just that...you know what...I really like the idea! 

Midori - thanks for the followup comment. We're in agreement that an autoresponder should never replace a personal comment, but I think from reading the above that there's more potential for offending someone than not. Certainly readers and commenters know that we're not sitting at our computer 24 hours a day.

Wow, these comments will certainly change a person's mind quickly. I started reading with the idea that an auto-responder is a great idea...then I started reading the comments! Can that idea! Seems to me that an auto-responder may have it's place where you are sent an email and you want to confirm receipt and set a personal response expectation ("I've received your email and will respond within 8 hours.") but not for blog comments, where I am just voicing my 2 cents worth.

Keith - Like you, I changed my mind from the comments. At this point, about the only use I see for an autoresponder is if someone has faxed me a contract or anything meeting a deadline, so that the sender would know the deadline was met.

Not meant to offend..but think about this

See I still see value...if it were the first time someone contacted you...you can give your info and various methods to reach you..doesn't have to be everytime someone leaves you a comment.

Considering how big the blogosphere is...are we just appealing to those that just responsed to this post less than 1% of all blog readers respond to posts..I would say the majority of the population would not experience this auto responder not even one time! 

I think if someone leaves you a comment..why not..its a chance to really touch them possibly one extra time with any message...an extra message..it might help you to get bookmarked..or remembered or even called.

I really want to check into this!  It just got my creative juices flowing..now I have to go find the computer scientist..I'll blame you for the new project..on his list! 

I imagine sites with extremely high traffic where a person of great stature is blogging probably approves comments..and I bet they customize their auto responder..by approving a message ..I wonder do they really blog? not necesssarily so...I doubt very seriously they respond to every comment but I am sure they still want to get their message out!

It's no different to me than approving a comment on blogger or wordpress..I like the idea..still!

It's a great idea!  But how do you do it?

Hi Sharon, I actually considered puting an aout responder on my website inquiries and then I thought, come on I check my e-mails constantly and my VM and if I can do that I sure can take the time to respond directly. Just like how would you have liked if I had an autoresponder to your post.:)))

Midori - please let me know what The Computer Scientist has to say, and what your test shows.

Evelyn - sorry, but I don't know.

Endre - perhaps an autoresponer would have at least let me know that you read the blogpost .... not as good as hearing from you, but better than not knowing whether you'd seen it.

I'm sorry but I thought blogging was actually pretty cool and personal. Canned responses are just spam to me.  No thanks.

Auto respnders like auto pilot for driving - at sirst they are great time and energy savers, but seem to encourage sleeping at the wheel.

Marian - that opinion has a strong majority.

Sharon - great analogy.

Hi Sharon, add my vote to those that aren't big fans of autoresponders.  I use them when I go on vacation or know that I won't respond within a few hours of a message so those awaiting a quick response will know it might take some time.  Or send them to my partner or one who is covering for me to take care of them.  But, sending the same canned answer all the time gets old for the recipient.

I'm just new to AR, and I was glad to see Sharon Simms raise this topic so I could get my first post out of the way.

There's a business person in our area who uses the auto response system for all of her incoming email.  Not only that, but for some reason, her auto responses are often followed by 'delivery failure' notices.  Every time I receive these, I wonder how many potential customers this person might have lost over time.

I agree with most of you ... auto responses tend to be impersonal, and in our business that's less than ideal.

I confess that an auto response to a blog comment would offend me.

Great ideas Sharon. I gotta look into this one a bit more but it seems like a great way to make one's blog more professional and at the same time give the consumer a chance to get more information when they at first couldn't find it. Perhaps a link to a listings page might help them. I'll think of some ideas. 

It is something to think about. I have based my business on personal customer service.

I agree for a personal blog it lacks that special touch.  For a mass blog, I can see perhaps why they would have that auto response.

I'm not sure autoresponse is so great.  I mean, at this point, 99% of the time we clrealy know it is an autorespond, and that adds nothing to personal touch, even if I do get it a 1/10 of a second after submitting something.  I wuold however consider an auto responder that was delayed.  To me (with no statistical background on this) that would be more "human" and personal. 

Gabe, St. AugustineReal Estate, Margaret, Castellum, Vickie, Christopher and Stephanie, and Steve -

Thanks for your responses. The preponderance is still against the autoresponder.

Hi Sharon,

In response to your comment to me, like you it wouldn't have occured to me either on a blog. So far I haven't seen anyone else using them.

I hadn't thougt about an auto-responder until you raised it.  I'm in agreement with what seems to be the majority -- seems a distantancing response rather than establishing a personal connection.  But then I can't seem to even get a drip campaign set up!

Morning Sharon,

I see this post was a great one for getting comments. I know that wasn't your original intent though.

I agree with Broker Bryant, it would be okay for an acknowledgment but not as a personal response. However to do that, would only be generating extra mail. I prefer to respond to each comment even though it is sometimes a little time consuming. I know from experience you do respond personally as well.

Lynda - that's the only one I've had.

Alexsandra - I've been putting off my drips for years, too.

Hal - it's so interesting. I never know which posts are going to get comments.

i seem to have mixed responses on pro and con - I thought it was a good idea... I like the idea of a link and pushing them there if they have some general questions.. but that's just me....

Sutoresponders annoy me so I assume that they will annoy most people as well.  If I tag a comment to notify me when the topic is updated, then I get a notice in my handheld with other emails so that I can respond personally.  The same is true if you are on my site and send me an email from my "contact" link. People love the quick personal response.

Marcia - we're all "just me"s.

Judy - if you can give people a quick personal response, you've won their loyalty.

I prefer the personal touch Sharon.    Nothing like a 'handwritten' note :)       

Hi Sharron...interesting, however I doubt I would use it, it could be good to let people know you'll get back to them. In my case I get way toooo many emails and Blog inquiries, when I had an auto response on my email, friends and regular clients said ...Enough !

Cheers, thanks for sharing!

Kara - handwritten notes are always impressive.

Fred - I've said Enough! to lots of autoresponders, too.

Your personality and professionalism comes out in your replies and gives consumers a much better idea of what you're all about.  I'd venture to say if they implemented them, everyone would have them. An autoresponder is like a faulty "check engine" light.... after a while you don't even pay attention to them.

While thestreet.com's autoresponder might be appropriate, my impression of Active Rain is that it is a more personal place to get to know people and it is the individual comments back and forth that, as Lenn Harley says, become sometimes even more interesting than the blog itself. I think you would lose a lot of that with autoresponders.

I think it's great when you're out of town, etc., but here is business AND social :) PS I like your name!

Sharon:  I am inclined to be turned off by "automated comments or responses."  I think it really is worse than not getting any response at all.  I mean... talk about feeling like you're just another number on someone's list.  Yuck.

Sharon - I too like a personal touch, I really don't like get a respond via an auto responder.