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"Prior to the appointment, we’ll automatically remind your customer of the date and time of their appointment." "we"? Aren't you alone in this venture?... Or i

"Prior to the appointment, we’ll automatically remind your customer of the date and time of their appointment." "we"? Aren't you alone in this venture?... Or it's just a "professionalness" thing? I'm kind of torn between "I" and "we" for projects completely made by just one guy...

mmelin 16y ago
Saying "I'll remind your customer" sounds like it's one guy in a basement calling out manually. Whenever you're talking about an automatic service I think it's fine to say "we", because if you think about the system as a person you're always at least two people :-)
patio11 16y ago
I've always done business communications in the plural, because it sounds better to my ear and I think three seconds worrying about this issue is two seconds too many. (It was a frequent, frequent bone of contention on the Business of Software forums a few years ago.) Note that I already had three freelancers working on this, so it is literally accurate, if you're feeling dissatisfied by that explanation.
- bvi 16y ago
  Where did you get those freelancers from, if you care to divulge?
  - patio11 16y ago
    Pre-existing relationships plus http://www.fiverr.com http://www.fiverr.com . I think almost everybody could get an idea for something business-related they could do with $5 on that site. Sure, why not have your own rap jingle.
michaelfairley 16y ago
Do you really expect businesses to buy software from "just one guy"? I's would make it feel a little too personal in my opinion. And to some extent, there is more than just Patrick involved in this: Twilio makes the calls, not Patrick. Patrick, ever A/B tested the I/we thing?
- Hexstream 16y ago
  Well, if you are indeed 100% alone in providing a service, I feel it's a bit of a misrepresentation to say "we" just because you want businesses as customers. But that's just a feeling.
  - detst 16y ago
    He responded to you to explain this. He certainly isn't alone and even if he were, there's nothing wrong with this. People expect "we" from businesses. This is a business.

mmelin 16y ago

Saying "I'll remind your customer" sounds like it's one guy in a basement calling out manually. Whenever you're talking about an automatic service I think it's fine to say "we", because if you think about the system as a person you're always at least two people :-)

patio11 16y ago

I've always done business communications in the plural, because it sounds better to my ear and I think three seconds worrying about this issue is two seconds too many. (It was a frequent, frequent bone of contention on the Business of Software forums a few years ago.) Note that I already had three freelancers working on this, so it is literally accurate, if you're feeling dissatisfied by that explanation.

bvi 16y ago
Where did you get those freelancers from, if you care to divulge?
- patio11 16y ago
  Pre-existing relationships plus http://www.fiverr.com http://www.fiverr.com . I think almost everybody could get an idea for something business-related they could do with $5 on that site. Sure, why not have your own rap jingle.

michaelfairley 16y ago

Do you really expect businesses to buy software from "just one guy"? I's would make it feel a little too personal in my opinion. And to some extent, there is more than just Patrick involved in this: Twilio makes the calls, not Patrick. Patrick, ever A/B tested the I/we thing?

Hexstream 16y ago
Well, if you are indeed 100% alone in providing a service, I feel it's a bit of a misrepresentation to say "we" just because you want businesses as customers. But that's just a feeling.
- detst 16y ago
  He responded to you to explain this. He certainly isn't alone and even if he were, there's nothing wrong with this. People expect "we" from businesses. This is a business.