How Corporate Communications Disrespect and Frustrate Customers

This week, we tackle the often ignored issue of UX writing in corporate communications. We know that many organizations do not want to reveal sensitive account details via email. Security, data privacy, and legal compliance are valid concerns, but the solution should never be a corporate word salad.

If you have a bank account or use corporate software, you probably receive an email like this at least once a week.

I received this gem from my bank, a subsidiary of a large South African institution with ties to the UK.

Subject: Business Online: New message alert received.

You open it hoping for clarity and are greeted with this:

"Dear Business Online Client. You have a new Message Alert on your BOL Dashboard, please log in and view the message with the subject: Business Online Update (7th March 2026) For further information kindly access the Business Online application.

Please contact your client support centre should you have any additional queries."

This is what I call an 'Empty Envelope' or Zero Context Junk Mail. It demands your time and attention without giving you a single clue as to why you should care.

Let’s deconstruct why this type of communication is a masterclass in bad User Experience (UX) and how it actively trains customers to ignore it.

The Problem

1. The Empty Envelope (Zero Context)  The email tells you a message exists but gives zero context about what it is. Is it a security breach? A change in transfer fees? A marketing newsletter? By hiding the topic, you force the customer to experience anxiety or annoyance.

2. The Missing Bridge (No Link)  This is a massive failure in digital communication. The email tells the user to "log in and view the message" but provides no link to the dashboard. You are forcing the user to open a browser, search for the correct login page, navigate two-factor authentication, and dig through a portal. They have to do all this just to find out if the message is actually important.

3. The Robotic Tone  The email tries to be polite but ends up sounding like a 19th-century machine. Phrases like "Dear Business Online Client" are ridiculous when the bank clearly knows my name. Furthermore, using "kindly access the application" reads stiff and artificial. The irony is they use words like ‘kindly’ and 'please’ to sound human while sending the email from a cold "Noreply" address.

4. Redundancy and Fluff  Paragraph one says: "please log in and view the message." Paragraph two says: "For further information kindly access the Business Online application." This is the exact same instruction repeated using clunkier words. It wastes the reader's time.

The Comms Rules

When you send an unsolicited email that requires a customer to do work, you owe them clarity. I believe every notification email must include these essential elements:

• A Descriptive Subject Line:  Never use "Message Received." Tell customers exactly what is inside the envelope before they open it.

  
  

• The "Why" (Context):  Explain why you are emailing them and why it matters.

  
  

• The Bridge (Direct Link): 

  Provide a clear, hyperlinked Call to Action (CTA) that takes the user directly to the login page for that specific document.

  
  

• The Security Context: 

  If you cannot put the information in the email due to privacy, explicitly state that. Explain why the customer should take action.

  
  

• Mobile Scannability: 

  Most people read these emails on their phones. Keep paragraphs under three lines and pull critical information out of text blocks.
  

• Clear Urgency and Deadlines: 

  Does this need to be read today or is it a general update? If action is required, pull the exact deadline out of the paragraph so it cannot be missed.

The Solution

Polite writing is not about using words like polite or kindly. Polite writing respects the user's time and effort. Applying our checklist to this email, here is what it should look like:

The Fix:

Subject: Action Required: Upcoming changes to your international transfer fees

Hi John,

We have posted an important update regarding changes to your international transfer fees to your Business Online dashboard. Because this document contains sensitive account information, we cannot send it via email. Please log in to your dashboard to read the full brief. [Insert Direct Link]

Deadline: Please take action by March 15th, 2026.

Thank you.

Why Nobody Reads The Updates

Flipping from an "Empty Envelope" to a direct alert does not just help the user. It protects the company. Vague emails subtly train customers to ignore communications entirely. When every alert looks like a generic system update, customers will eventually stop logging in to check them. That means they will probably miss critical updates. Also, by removing ambiguity you cut down on unnecessary customer support calls from confused clients asking what your vague alert meant.

The Bottom Line

The inbox is a crowded place. Every day, customers are forced to filter through hundreds of messages. They are constantly dodging spam, navigating phishing scams, ignoring marketing emails, and trying to spot serious communications within the maze.

When organizations send vague Empty Envelopes, those messages blend right into the digital noise. They look suspicious and feel like spam. Companies that actually respect their customers do not send empty envelopes. When a bank has a communication to send, the message must be clear, explain why it matters, and state exactly what the customer needs to do.