Mailchimp Email Marketing

I recently took over as my religious organization’s newsletter editor where we frequently use MailChimp to contact members of our congregation. Since I’m still in my mid-20s, I figured that downloading this app would work better for adding things quickly at events, while I’m out and about, or need to check something during my break at my day job. While this app is great for checking to see what articles or other information we still need to add while I’m away from my computer, it’s not the best for writing or formatting the newsletter. Longer articles (or anything more than two or three paragraphs, to be honest) that I’m working on are often obscured by the keyboard while I’m trying to add something to them, which is unfortunate. I’ve also almost ended up sending mailings early due to the position of the ‘confirm and send’ button while trying to edit one of the newsletters. Most of the time I end up having to do most of the major changes on my computer because of how this app ends up working. I won’t be deleting this app (as it is still helpful for at-a-glance updates), but it definitely could use some improvements.

More than a year ago, they required me to reconfirm all of my ten years of contacts who volunteered to be on my list. Mailchimp said they decided to do this one day due to the unethical GDPR rules in Europe that don't apply to the US (all of my contacts are US-based and my contacts gathering from in-person events did satisfy GDPR rules...if I were under their jurisdiction). Many contacts were marked unsubscribed without the contacts' agreement to be removed. Trying to resubscribe them through email is obviously very difficult with automatic spam folder routing and users' habits. It has been one big mess for a while. Now, my list was always under the subscription level for professional paid level account. One day, it requires me to give a payment to reactivate my account even though the list is under the subscription Max level for the associated payment (especially due to the loss of subscribers from their previously mentioned practice). The account has always been registered under a distribution account email in my exchange server...business people understand this and that it is not setup for sending. Despite being able to prove my identity in different ways as an option, I cannot receive support to fix the problem with their account system. I have now signed up with constant contact to move the business forward ... No thanks to mailchimp.

I really preferred the simplicity of MailChimp Snap which also allowed you to modify pictures within the app. The new system, which functions more like the desktop one with templates you can modify is hard to maneuver on the phone. The app does not modify pictures to fit which is a triple annoyance as you have to go find another app that does and save the picture elsewhere and then go back to the app. Plus if it pops up a window, it won’t let you move around to press whatever button it wants so then you are stuck anyway because it won’t do anything. At this point I am almost driven back to the desktop version (which I’m not really excited about the changes there but at least it is easier to navigate). Adding names has also gotten more cumbersome with more steps to get to add. And the constant popup about whether someone gave permission to be added is seriously irritating. I run a very small business with a signup book which is clearly labeled that if you leave an email you will receive emails. I get that there are unscrupulous companies that add people who haven’t but it seems like it should also be smart enough to notice who is adding a few at a time or bulk adds.

I really, really want to like MailChimp. Really. The app is awesome and the forever free option is great for when you are just starting to build your business. But the biggest problem is that MailChimp as a company has TERRIBLE customer service. They absolutely refuse to speak with you one-on-one. They offer no contact number, and when you do manage to track one down (thanks to the BBB) they answer with a voicemail who tells you to just email them instead. When you do use their contact form, they take DAYS to get back to you and even more to resolve any issues. So, dear MailChimp/Rocket Science Group, I’m BEGGING you to hire more and better customer service team members and to PLEASE set up a live support line. Leaving a small business hanging for days on end with their account suspended and unable to email their customers is terrible for everyone involved, and if this happens again I will be taking by business elsewhere.

I’ve been attempting to use MailChimp on my iPad. I say attempting, because I’m rarely able to actually use it. Typing in the text box pulls up the keyboard and covers the text box. Often times I’m presented with a screen holding only my content text with no buttons or functions available on the screen to exit, undo, proceed, save, or otherwise navigate the user interface in any way whatsoever. Then there is the majority of the time when pressing the save button actually just makes my screen blink, but doesn’t save or exit or do anything else that would actually help me to send a newsletter. Of all of the apps I’ve ever used in my life, this has been undoubtedly the most incredibly frustrating one yet. If not for the necessity of sending standardized newsletters to my clients, this app would never be on a device I owned. I’m beyond frustrated, I’m pulling hair and throwing things. In today’s world, I could probably sue MailChimp for the amount of damage caused to my office during this rage quit moment that I was forced to after hours of dealing with MailChimp and their inferior product. Okay. A little dramatic. But the frustration is real.