How to use shared email

In our lab, we use a single shared gmail account for communicating with research participants: childlanglab@sas.upenn.edu. Everyone in the lab is responsible for checking this account and sending friendly, prompt responses to our participants. Because everyone checks this email, we use a simple email processing system to ensure we stay organized and don’t miss any emails.

Responding to emails

To processing emails in the shared inbox, we (1) apply a label, (2) respond or forward, and then (3) archive. If an email is still in the inbox, it means it hasn’t been processed, yet, or it needs another response.

We keep things simple and use only two kinds of labels:

  • Names for emails that need the attention of a particular person. A name label is always required. If an email doesn’t apply to one particular person, you should appy the name General.
  • No reply, an optional label for emails that don’t require a response

Responding to robots

Sometimes we get emails from robots; notifications, announcements from services we use, and other automated messages that don’t require a response. Here’s how you should handle them:

  1. Apply a Name label and the No response label: Decide if they are General or should be labeled with a particular lab member’s Name; then, apply the No reply label to indicate a response is not required.
  2. Decide whether to forward: If you applied a specific Name label, you must forward the email to that person with a note about it’s contents. If you applied the General label, forward the email to schulerlab@googlegroups.com only if you think everyone in the lab should see it.
  3. Archive it: Once you’ve forwarded (or decided nobody needs to see it), you should archive it to indicate it’s been handled.

Examples:

  • appointment bookings or changes (no-reply, name, forward, archive)
  • a service we use is soliciting us (no-reply, general, archive)
  • a severice we use is expiring (no-reply, katie, forward, archive)

Responding to people

When the lab recieves an email from a real person, we need to send a friendly response pretty quickly (within 24 hours on weekdays) to make sure our participants feel heard and respected. Review our email etiquette guidelines to make sure you are using the right tone in your response. Here’s how you should handle emails from a person:

  1. Apply a Name label: Decide if the email is General or should be labeled with a particular lab member’s Name. Use General for things like people asking for more information about the lab or expressing interest in participating in a study. Use a Name for someone who participated in a study with a particular lab member (or wants to!).
  2. Send a friendly, prompt response: Respond in a natural, friendly tone (see our email etiquette guidelines for tips). Start with “Hi FIRSTNAME” and end with a personal signature (“Best, YOURFIRSTNAME” or similiar). Check out our canned responses for examples of responses sent to the most common requests we recieve.
  3. Decide whether to archive: If you’ve responded to the email and it doesn’t require any more action from us, archive it to indicate it has been handled. If you weren’t able to handle the request, respond and let them know that you can’t answer their question right away, but you’re looking into it. Then, apply the Katie label and forward the email to Katie to let her know you need help responding.

Email templates and canned responses

Drafts of common responses in gmail (called “canned responses”).

  • Requests for more information
  • Wants to participate - fill out form and we will check your elligibility and add you to our database
  • Not elligible for a study
  • Elligible for a study
  • Schedule for a study
  • Cancel a study

Cold emailing (recruiting participants)