We discovered a problem with the Name Format options that led to some embarrassing mass emails. There is a set of merge fields named FIRST NAME, MIDDLE NAME, LAST NAME. One of our staff chose FIRST NAME for a mass email merge field. The trouble is that the ONLY ACCOUNTS that have FIRST NAME available are the individual accounts. Accounts set up with the Family or Business Name Format do not have that field. I'm not sure WHY etapestry thought it would be useful to have a merge field like that that would be BLANK for accounts with other Name Formats, but it is not. If you use that with accounts that are set up with the Name Format Family or Business you send out emails that look like this, "Dear ,".

My suggestion is to get rid of the Name Format option all together, but if not, than put some type of warning on the merge fields that are not available in all accounts. Thank you!