Send invoice by email unreliable

[Max]

Hi there. I got too many emails vanishing into thin air at the moment - sometimes not even making it to Spam folders. It started as a sporadic thing but been gradually worsening. Currently spending considerable time re-sending, chasing, etc. Is it just me? Many thanks

[FolkLondon]

There are a whole host of factors that can cause issues. I started using QF because invoices sent as attachments were a big issue, now spam filters seem more hostile towards embedded links. My own email provider has started putting all my messages from Stripe into spam.

1. Are you sending through the QF server or through your own SMTP server?
2. Is your email address your own domain or a public service like Gmail or Hotmail?
3. Is there any pattern about non receipt?
   3a Public services like Gmail and Hotmail are more likley to filter aggressively.
   3b In large organisations many staff don’t know where their spam folder is located (they see a folder on their desktop in Outlook but the real one may be on the server)
   3c. Are you sending to team emails? There is always somebody on the team who thinks that checking the team mail is beneath them, its usually the one you need to contact!
4. Are you getting any bounce messages?

• With any new client I always follow up the invoice with a direct email in case of problems.
• The word “invoice” in the message title used to be a killer with some providers, I soon stopped using it.
• Do check the account activity in QF in case clients are telling you porkies.
• I send all regular clients a statement each month. Some are more likely to check this than the invoices!
• Where the invoice has to go to a different person to the one placing the order I make sure that both are included in the invoice - and in chasers.

I could probably think of a few more points if I had time.