Any experience with live mail?

#1

Morning all :slight_smile:

My client views her Microsoft Exchange emails through Outlook (web app and on iphone), and they appear to come from livemail.co.uk

Anyone used email in this way?

I’m trying to figure out how to add an additional email so that it can then be delegated to me to manage. Does this mean getting access to whoever hosts her email?

She also uses iCal for her calendar, and while that works fine for her on her iPhone/iPad, I’m thinking there’s potential to sync all this up in Outlook.

I’m wondering if she needs an upgrade to how she currently uses email… I think she’s using a free version of Outlook so doesn’t appear to have everything I’m used to.

But I could be wrong, of course. And I don’t want to go changing things before I’m sure I’m heading in the right direction!

Any help/input/similar experience would be much appreciated :slight_smile:

Thanks
Allison

#2

Hi Allison

I think Livemail is just Microsoft’s freebie email address… So she would need to either give you the login details for her email address or put a forwarding rule onto her email to give you the emails. Either way, you would need to figure out a way of deciding what she delegates to you and what she deals with directly - otherwise you might double up on stuff.

The simplest way might be to have a folder marked “DONE” in the webmail that everything gets moved to once dealt with. Working with online email is actually quite a good way of working with VA clients as it means you can clock on and clock off succinctly - you agree to check that email once or twice a day say, and charge accordingly. If there is something urgent in the meantime, the client can always email you direct.

iCal is capable of being synched with Outlook but it depends on your version if it will then synch back to the online iCal when you make changes - double check!

#3

Thanks Caroline, that’s great.

Yup it does seem to be a freebie version.

I have her login info, and love the idea of a DONE folder. She’s quite organised with folders herself so that will work.

I’m a bit twitchy about us both doing things at the same time though, but I have what I have to work with at the moment. Forwarding is a good option too, I can always forward things to an email I create for her work in my own setup, and that keeps a better track of what I’ve done.

I can always suggest a paid Outlook if we’re going to be working together longer term so functions like delegated access are possible. (Am actually surprised she’s on a freebie version, her email was provided through a local website company and they are certainly high-end)

Thanks lots
Allison

#4

Hi Allison,

I’m currently working with a client where we are both using the same email address. It’s a complete nightmare. We have different ways of working (I had to go through over 300 emails when I first started, just to get the inbox to ‘zero’=no emails in the inbox).

Some of the nightmare is to do with her not following the agreed process of putting emails into appropriate folders/labelling correctly and some is a technical issue as emails she sends don’t end up in my sent folder due to a sync issue (yes, webmail should solve this, but she or I are sometimes mobile so this isn’t a suitable solution).

To solve it, we’ve recently decided she gets a new email, and I manage the original inbox and forward emails to her when she needs to take action. It just doesn’t work to have two people looking at the one inbox, both having the opportunity to action. It’s messy, there are constant conversations about who did or didn’t do what, double emails to customers (try and look professional after that happens!) and things get dropped.

A ‘done’ folder is a half way solution really (unless my tired brain isn’t getting the full potential of it). It’s still possible to be working on the same email at the same time as the other person, although it does eliminate someone working on the same email AFTER the other person.

The other alternative is a folder solution, but you still have one person (probably you Allison) to ‘lead’ the inbox. You are the one who goes in, assigns emails into “Allison Action” and “Client Action” folders. That way the client only ever goes to ‘Client Action’ and actions only what is in there (discipline required for her not to go into the inbox).

Hope that helps! :slight_smile:

Ed

#5

Thanks Ed, that’s helpful to know. I guess even with the best of intentions and high organisation it can get confusing.

My client does have a lot of folders, so I do have a bit of a niggle that it might all get confusing in practice.

I’ve just got a quote back from the website/email hosting company to say they’ll charge £9 (monthly and ex VAT) for a second email address… Eh?

Here was me thinking she could quite simply add a second email to her domain for free. puts haggling face on.

Have a good weekend, and thanks for the help, really appreciate it.
Allison