The oxio emails.

The oxio emails.

Picture of article author David Purkis
David Purkis
Brand & Content Lead

“Hello. I certainly hope Danilo's manager doesn't take to flogging or water torture for not adding another subscriber, lol. Danilo has certainly offered this future client the best of the best.”

Dear readers, it’s normal that you’re confused. We were too when we got Dave’s email. But, this hopefully future oxio customer, Dave (yes that’s his real name) had a lot more to say.

“I actually wasn't looking to switch companies when I came across oxio on the web. I went price shopping for a friend looking to subscribe to his first internet service. [...] I then happened across oxio's website. To say that I was intrigued from the get-go really does not do my first impression justice. I truly appreciated seeing the word "transparency" followed by ACTUAL VERIFIABLE TRANSPARENCY front and centre.

Upon reading up on what your company has to offer, I certainly wanted to know if my expectations could be met. In short; would my money translate into a subscription that would equal the high level of service I currently enjoy with Teksavvy? More importantly; could it possibly exceed them?”

Dave, a fellow writer and, if all goes well, future client, found his way to our website, looked around a bit, found what he was looking for and left by quickly moving his cursor up to the address bar. This movement, seemingly so normal, triggered a popup that asked him for his email. He decided to share it with us.

Maybe this popup has appeared on oxio.ca for you? All you have to do is spend more than 5 seconds on our homepage and then make the move to leave. If you don’t have any ad blockers running on your browser, the popup will, you guessed it, pop up. Mysterious and weirdly smooth, the popup lets you know that oxio is searching for people to share the internet with. All you have to do is take the plunge, share your email, and we’ll send you an email. That’s exactly what Dave did–and he didn’t regret it:

“Danilo's emails, in all honesty, were the tipping point. Again, let me reiterate; I'm well aware these emails are (at least in part) form letters or written with a specific set of guidelines (can you guess what I once did for a living? LOLOLOL). However; they never, not for a second, read like a form letter.

That is telling.”

Like a few thousand other people, Dave subscribed to our email marketing list. Once subscribed, our email sequence is set in motion—sending each new subscriber a total of five emails over a two-week period.

We thought we’d write this article because a) Dave inspired us with his flattery and b) email marketing is pretty ubiquitous and not well understood. So, we thought we’d walk you through our process. We’ll give you some insights into how we think and work and–who knows–maybe you’ll even want to subscribe to read them for yourself.

But, just before we get into it, Dave mentioned a few other pretty important things in his email:

“It speaks volumes about a company that not only understands a customer; it also conveys the message that a customer will be treated with the highest regard. Posting your mission statement, pricing and policies in such a stark yet clear manner really puts a potential client at ease. Your website truly is a breath of fresh air. So are your customer service attendants.”

Dave also said this:

“I happily read them all. I very rarely see myself enjoying a sales pitch so much that I gave myself permission to shinny down the proverbial rabbit hole. That speaks volumes to a cynic such as myself.”

Okay, okay... That’s less important and more just really, really nice. But hey, a little flattery never hurt anyone.

So where were we? Right, the first email we’ll send you if you sign up for them…

The first email.

Dave mentioned in his email that we’re up-front about our beliefs, and we clearly state our values right from the start. And that’s true.

We wrote our first email to make sure that everyone knows exactly who we are and what we’re all about right away. We’re not always 100% grammatically correct (rules are made to be broken, right?) We live for interesting ideas. We’re radically transparent. And we’re looking for people who are looking for a long term relationship. And no, we don’t think that’s too much to ask.

Excerpt from our 1h email.

So, with an ever so subtle wink at those unavoidable dating apps, we introduce ourselves. If you swipe right, it’s a match! We were clearly made to be together and nothing will ever force us apart.

We send this introduction one hour(ish) after you subscribe to our mailing list. What’s the rush you ask? Well, Simon, our Marketing Analyst says:

“For low-value everyday consumer products, conversion usually happens within an hour of exposure. For us, since we know that our potential customers will compare our services with our competitors, our approach is designed to reaffirm our values and act as a reminder of our brand.”

After 24 hours: the second email.

We send our second email 24 hours after you sign up for our mailing list. This one is a lovely reminder about our budding potential relationship. You know, in case it slipped your mind… Or our first email somehow ended up in the trash.

The content of this one is based on the fact that oxio is a real company. This might sound strange, but some people have questioned whether we’re really real. We know, it’s hard to believe.

Excerpt from our 24h email.

We’re all for questioning things. Especially when it comes to internet service providers (ISP). Starting a new ISP in Canada is pretty difficult for all sorts of reasons. And, even if a new ISP does get up and running, they can disappear pretty quickly. No one wants to find themselves without internet because their ISP suddenly ghosted them123.

So, this email lets the world know that we’ve been around for a while now and we’re not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. How, you ask? Well, we mention that the majority of our customers are pretty happy with their oxio internet. So happy that 99.9% of them decide to stick around instead of getting their money back after their 60-day trial period is up. Not too shabby.

The third email.

Our third email should arrive in your inbox 72 hours after you signed up for our mailing list. Our third email is destined for those who really like to think things through. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Like my mom always says: “If you see something you want, take a walk around the block. If you still want it after that, get it.” And, because you haven’t unsubscribed yet, we can probably assume that you’re at least a little interested in what we have to offer.

…or you’ve just been tossing them into the trash or they just went directly into the spam folder. It’s hard to say.

Excerpt from our 72h email.

We keep this email high level. We don’t talk about our fair and sustainable prices. Or about our 4.5 star rating on Google. We talk about our transparency. This might come across as unusual—there really aren’t any other transparent ISPs out there—but these days a company’s values play an increasingly important role in our decision-making process4.

When we really break it down, our third email is just another reminder that we’re still here.

The fourth email.

So, we mentioned at the start of this blog post that we send five emails. But we really only send four promotional emails. The fifth is a little… different. You’ll see.

But before we get to the fifth email, let's talk about the fourth. We send the fourth email 120 hours (better known as around five days) after you sign up. For this email, we try and lure you with free internet. Well, kind of. We’re not big into random promotions, but we are fans of helping out our fellow oxios.

“Get your hands on a referral code and you and the referee will both get a free month of oxio internet.” That’s pretty much the gist of the fourth email. We want to connect people by encouraging them to share what they love. Or at least like.

Excerpt from our 120h email.

We also use this email to officially introduce our blog! Which you most likely know about already since, you know, you’re currently reading it. But just in case you’re unaware, we have a blog! And we use it to educate people on us, the internet in Canada, and our belief that everyone should have equal access to the opportunities the internet provides—by, as an example, talking about our salaries.

The wait is over: our fifth email is here.

We had a lot of fun writing this email and Danilo has a lot of fun answering everyone who replies to it.

The reality is, compared to let’s say a water bottle or some new underwear, you don’t normally impulse buy a new internet service provider. It’s a subscription. And we’re not talking about a Netflix subscription, where you can subscribe and unsubscribe in a few clicks. Switching internet providers (even if we’re doing our best to make it as frictionless as possible) is a bit more involved. In other words, subscribing to oxio isn’t exactly like Caro’s pretty legit cat hoodie purchase.

Caro's cat looking absolutely dapper.

This last email isn’t signed by “Everyone at oxio.” Danilo signs it himself. He even leaves his very own work email if you, like Dave, want to send any feedback or just say hi.

By the time you get this email, it will technically have been 14 days since you signed up for our emails. We use the classic tools of humour and sarcasm to ask you for your feedback. And we hope you send some. Because we actually want it. And Danilo will answer you. We promise.

What should we be doing differently? What don’t you like about us? What do you love about us? We’re looking for honest feedback. And that’s what we’ve been getting.

Every email we get teaches us something new about our hopefully future customers. Some of you want faster technician visits, others really want to be able to call us on the phone. A few just want to let us know that they loved the emails. (Thanks for you support y’all!) A few who think we work Danilo too hard and even one or two who think we’re trying to emotionally blackmail them.

We were, and are, pleasantly surprised by the number of people that take the time to reply. To give you a better idea of how thankful we are, this fifth email has a response rate above 30% (and knowing that the industry average is 10%5), we really couldn’t be happier.

That’s it.

Hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scene excursion, and that you now absolutely want to subscribe to our mailing list (and write to Danilo on day 14). Don’t worry, I didn’t spoil the entire emails in this article, so there’s still some fun surprises and (arguably) good wordplay to be discovered. Also, we have a newsletter that talks about our blog articles and what oxio’s doing. No panic, here’s the subscription form.

We’re here to share the internet.

We heart the internet. A lot. And our newsletter proves it. Sign up to catch up on everything internet (including us).

What better way to end this article than to share with you Dave’s final words. It’s very flattering, and I think Danilo deserves some praise from time to time (he’s doing okay).

"So, please do expect a completed switch request shortly from yours truly. As well, please be sure to treat Danilo to a cup of Joe (or tea) to sip upon between working on those wonderful emails. Danilo certainly has earned it, in my humble opinion.

Here is to what I hope will be a long and happy subscriber/provider relationship.

Dave Merrick

A soon to be new oxio client."

This article was inspired by Dave’s email to us. It’s very well written and we really want to thank him for taking the time to write and send it. Other than that, Danilo Tubic wrote the original article in French, and David Purkis adapted it into English.

For those who want to read the entirety of Dave’s email, it’s right here.

Hello.

I certainly hope Danilo's manager doesn't take to flogging or water torture for not adding another subscriber, lol. Danilo has certainly offered this future client the best of the best.

Please do note that I fully intend to switch from Teksavvy to Oxio within the next few days. The only reason for the delay; I paid my Teksavvy account for the month, and wanted to avoid any proration issues with either company.

I do have one concern, though. Timing.

You see; I want to ensure I have the most seamless transition possible as one of us here works from home. She cannot be without her internet for any length of time.

My decision to switch has less to do with price, and more to do with value. Yes, Oxio is offering me a couple of dollars savings for a plan comparable to my unlimited Teksavvy 150 service. It's the speed being doubled for that slightly cheaper plan that caught my attention.

Teksavvy has been wonderful with always treating me with great respect as a customer. That meant more to me than I can adequately put into words.

As a former Rogers customer, the way I was treated by comparison was literally night and day. Over the years, I have taken comfort in knowing Teksavvy would always treat me with the greatest respect when it came to transparency, as well as with any billing or technical inquiries.

Not once has Teksavvy ever dropped the ball with regard to these three points. Their customer commitment has ensured my continued commitment in exchange.

While I have been occasionally tempted by other third party ISP offerings here and there; none have ever swayed my loyalty from Teksavvy. Teksavvy's commitment to customer satisfaction guaranteed that.

Then I met Oxio.

To whoever reads this long-winded love letter with regard to Teksavvy, here is where you get your pay-off.

I actually wasn't looking to switch companies when I came across Oxio on the web. I went price shopping for a friend looking to subscribe to his first internet service.

When I saw Teksavvy's current offerings, I must admit I was disappointed in what I was seeing. Not all plans met up with what my friend would need with regard to pricing and service.

Here is what my findings that day set off in my feverish little brain.

The fact that my plan and it's pricing are grandfathered is a good thing. The fact, however, that my plan now clearly denies me the ability to experience any other plan without sacrificing my existing plan (with no way to ever recover that speed and price point) does not sit too well with me.

I then happened across Oxio's website. To say that I was intrigued from the get-go really does not do my first impression justice. I truly appreciated seeing the word "transparency" followed by ACTUAL VERIFIABLE TRANSPARENCY front and centre.

I LOVE Oxio's total commitment to transparency is clearly posted in the simplest terms. I am overjoyed that I wasn't forced to mine for it through endless site queries. It's right there. Only Stevie Wonder could have missed it!

Upon reading up on what your company has to offer, I certainly wanted to know if my expectations could be met. In short; would my money translate into a subscription that would equal the high level of service I currently enjoy with Teksavvy? More importantly; could it possibly exceed them?

My inquiries were always met with professionalism, respect, and honesty. Three beautiful words applied liberally to actual, easily verifiable facts!

I also really, REALLY enjoyed Danilo's emails. While I am aware that these emails could be templates agents use to maintain good metric averages; not one of them ever had me thinking "form letter".

Each read like a light-hearted note from a friendly human being. It was refreshing to read a sales pitch which promised to be different in the best possible way.

I happily read them all. I very rarely see myself enjoying a sales pitch so much that I gave myself permission to shinny down the proverbial rabbit hole. That speaks volumes to a cynic such as myself.

These same emails also prompted me to re-evaluate a company I've always maintained a sterling relationship with.

That was no easy feat. Trust me on that point.

Danilo's emails, in all honesty, were the tipping point. Again, let me reiterate; I'm well aware these emails are (at least in part) form letters or written with a specific set of guidelines (can you guess what I once did for a living? LOLOLOL). However; they never, not for a second, read like a form letter.

That is telling.

It speaks volumes about a company that not only understands a customer; it also conveys the message that a customer will be treated with the highest regard.

Posting your mission statement, pricing and policies in such a stark yet clear manner really puts a potential client at ease. Your website truly is a breath of fresh air. So are your customer service attendants.

In comparison to a business model such as Rogers; Oxio certainly understands the art of communicating with Canadians. Unlike Rogers, Oxio clearly wants to keep things simple and direct. It's a perfect method of creating and maintaining brand loyalty.

Rogers in contrast will bury a client in confusingly worded legalese they call their service agreements.

This is how they justify their less than stellar policies. Add to this the fact that Rogers WILL attempt to flood a customer with sales communications via email and post, while refusing to communicate their annual (and sometimes bi-annual) price increases, is appalling.

Mate these policies with Rogers’ utter refusal to grandfather in any of a customer's original price points. These are but a few reasons why people like myself have sought out third party companies like Oxio or Teksavvy

Oxio clearly knows how important relatability is when it comes to securing a sale.

By allowing Danilo to use (possibly written personally) tongue in cheek humour, and including a full name to boot, the message conveyed assures Dave, your intended client (me, myself, and I) that he will be given the best possible service in exchange for his hard-earned dollars

That is all any self-respecting Canuck could ever ask for.

Here is my list of what Danilo has offered up in exchange for said hard-earned dollars:

Warmth...check

Personality...check

Transparency...check

Humour...check

Assurance...check

Clarity...check

Welcoming...double check.

Danilo absolutely convinced me to give Oxio a try. I wrote that "epic" leading into this bit of praise deliberately. My doing so is an attempt to explain the only reason I decided to leave Teksavvy; customer service.

While Teksavvy has always delivered where it counts, not once have they ever attempted to win me over with a brilliantly orchestrated "soft sell". In fact; when I originally chose Teksavvy, they offered (and continue to do so) a high level of customer service. Everything Oxio stands for, Teksavvy stands for.

Teksavvy, however, has changed its pricing structure. Despite my being guaranteed this rate with this plan, it is becoming clear they are shifting focus more towards profit. That definitely gave me pause.

This has me thinking about how long it will be before things stop feeling as "Canadian" with regard to service and the "guaranteed" pricing promises I've come to expect.

This is very much the type of service erosion I'm experiencing from my mobile provider, Koodo. While I am grandfathered into a specific plan, all of the current offers listed demand I change out my plan to their less attractive (read: more expensive with less available services) plans if I choose to replace my current phone.

The moment El Tabador was removed as their mascot; all I've seen are the whittling down of their offerings while adding price and mobile bandwidth to match Rogers and Bell's lower tier offerings; Fido and Virgin.

They are also currently trying to "convince" their customer base to move up to their parent company's offerings at more than double the price. This is clearly orchestrated to "urge" single line customers to opt in on these perks if they're looking to maintain the services they once enjoyed as a Koodo client.

I fear Teksavvy is not far behind this business model, and wonder how long the high level of customer service will remain a part of their mission statement in practice.

Don't get me wrong, I have always been loyal to a fault with regards to Teksavvy. I am also quick to recommended them when appropriate. Yet, Danilo's efforts played a large part in convincing me to reconsider that position.

And while Teksavvy has never breached my trust; Danilo lead to my decision to part ways with them. Teksavvy's lackluster offerings to new customers definitely played a part in my decision.

Like Koodo once was to customers like myself, Teksavvy represented the little guy prepared to fight for their very Canadian customers’ right to great internet at an even better price. Clearly, after comparing their new pricing structure against the competition; that mission statement is in danger of becoming a memory.

Staying with either Koodo or Teksavvy is the financial equivalent of re-arranging deck chairs on a sinking ship.

For that, Teksavvy and Koodo only have themselves to blame for any potential exodus to brands that happily offer customers the service and pricing they once did.

The writing on the wall. Oxio clearly demonstrates this to people like myself. You do so with great clarity, I might add.

So, please do expect a completed switch request shortly from yours truly. As well, please be sure to treat Danilo to a cup of Joe (or tea) to sip upon between working on those wonderful emails. Danilo certainly has earned it, in my humble opinion.

Here is to what I hope will be a long and happy subscriber/provider relationship.

Dave Merrick

A soon to be new oxio client.

Picture of article author David Purkis
David Purkis
Brand & Content Lead

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