11 Customer Support Response Templates That Will Improve Your Email Management

Did you know that 49% of American customers switched companies last year due to poor customer service?

Needless to say, customers have become demanding. And why shouldn't they? Technology is empowering businesses to provide customers with a delightful experience and meet their needs faster than ever before.

One simple way they are supporting customers in their journey is through canned responses. They are one of the important features of email management software that allow companies to respond quickly and effortlessly to multiple customer issues. 

If you are a support agent or a help desk manager who wishes to pace up your support process, we are sharing canned responses to use as your support ticket response template for customer service emails.

Canned responses are the predetermined replies to common questions mainly used to save time and cater to more customer queries in a given time. They are basically saved email templates created in response to frequently asked questions and queries over email.

Canned response examples are often confused with auto-responses, which are simple messages generated by a software program for incoming messages, or emails to comfort and reassure customers that their query has been received and acknowledged. 

Customers are mostly repulsive towards automated emails. They find them impersonal and robotic and hard to interpret for their true meaning. 

But, canned responses are far better than automated responses. They are personalized messages where the support agent uses his/her wit, intelligence, and creativity to share a quality draft that facilitates better communication. 

Now you might wonder that canned responses for customer service can never replicate a human interaction. But these messages have elements that allow the customer support staff to convey to the customer quickly that they are heard and will get a satisfactory solution.

Saves Time: Canned responses offer the customer service agents the fastest and the most effortless way to respond to customer queries. At the most basic level, these responses help save their time, where the support agent does not have to write the same answer, over and over again, that too from scratch. 

Personalization: The best thing about using canned responses is that the templates are well-planned and look professional. It gives the support agent enough room to create a balance in personalizing the content and removing the aspects that can make the response look robotic. 

Quick Formatting:  A well-crafted canned response leaves enough scope to plug in basic details like the company’s name, prospect’s name, and other personalized and relevant information. It reduces the chances of errors and boosts productivity.

Now you know the importance of canned responses, here are the best canned response examples you can start using today.

When a customer makes a query, it is a sign that they still trust your brand and believe that you’ll solve the problem they are facing at the moment. The issue can be related to your product, website, specific functionality. It may happen that they might be requesting new features or changes in the process. 

Always have a respectful attitude towards their needs. Acknowledge their issue and let them know that it is being looked at and you will fix it. Also, give them an estimated problem-resolution time.

Here’s how a customer service response template looks like:

Your issue is under consideration

When the issue is fixed, you have to inform the customer, just as you promised. You can do it on chat as well, but it is best to share this news as a follow-up email.

The Issue is Fixed

The company has resolved the issue as promised. But the task doesn’t end there. You have to know if the customer is satisfied with how you approached the problem or the time it took you to resolve the issue.

If the issue was with a product feature, following-up after 7 to 10 days becomes necessary to know if the feature is working perfectly. Take a look:

How’s it going with the dishwasher?

The customer has raised an issue, and you have created a ticket. However, sometimes, the problem is not entirely clear, or some details are missing. To process their request, you need to get more details from them. Here is a support ticket response template that you can take inspiration from:

Please update the required information.

Many times, it happens that a customer wants you to open a ticket but doesn’t follow-up. Or, they just ignore it. Whatever the case, the ticket needs to be closed with a status update. The help desk sends an email alert to the customer, letting them know that you are closing the ticket while asking any questions they may have for the team. In case they have, make sure they get the required assistance, 

Here’s how a follow-up email can look like:

Haven’t heard from you

After every interaction, getting feedback from the customer is vital for business growth, especially after an issue has been marked as closed. Send a follow-up email with a customer satisfaction(CSAT) survey or Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey, and ask them how much are they satisfied with the company’s customer service. The mail has to be simple and to the point, encouraging the customer to give instant feedback.

Here’s how it goes:

What do you think of our customer service?

Often, when a customer reports an issue, there isn’t actually a problem. They might be unaware of how to use a feature or an application properly. You have to understand that only you know your product best, not the customer. 

In such cases, share a link to a help-article that offers step-by-step instructions with clear instructions, screenshots, and other relevant information. This will educate the customer about how they can make small changes themselves, without any external help.

Here's an example of the support ticket response template: 

Website color update guide

Your customer service can go above and beyond to resolve any customer issues. However, one thing is inevitable- mistakes made consciously or unconsciously. No matter how hard you try, they can be hard to avoid. 

The best approach in such situations is acknowledging the mistakes, accepting your fault, and reaching out to the customer without wasting a moment.  It will only calm an angry customer. They will admire your efforts to take ownership. 

We apologize for the inconvenience caused to you

Page not responding, or 404 errors are some of the worst-case scenarios that can happen with a company’s website or SaaS products. Customers will likely start reaching out to you in distress in no time. A canned response like this one can act as a savior and help you prevent negative consequences. 

We are experiencing technical issues at the moment

The help desk software allows you to track all customer interactions in one place. However, if you don’t have the best software, there are chances that one or two chats might go unnoticed. 

This can prove to be detrimental to your company’s image and you need to acknowledge the mistake as soon as it comes to your notice.

Sorry! We missed your message

One of the key elements of the best canned response is that you end your message on a positive note for the customers motivating them to come back to you. You can also use this canned message as a standalone email. This will also help you find out if the issue has been resolved satisfactorily for the customer, and you can close the ticket.

Do you have any other questions?

Canned responses can be extremely helpful to assist and reach out to more customers. Here are a few best practices that enhance the effectiveness of your canned messages.

Canned messages are prewritten to be shared with different customers having similar issues. Make sure the response doesn’t look robotic.  Tailor it according to the individual customer query to make it meaningful and satisfactory. 

 Overdoing canned responses can backfire. They are not meant for every aspect of a conversation. Be present in the situation and give a personal answer when required, especially when the customer is seriously upset with the product or service. 

In the customer service canned response, it can be tempting to use technical jargon to strengthen the response and prove your point.  However, this will only confuse an already frustrated customer. At best, write as if you are having a conversation in person and use a language they can relate to.

Canned responses do not have to be short all the time. Based on the situation’s complexity, you can enhance the word count, as long as it helps you explain things well. 

Canned responses when used right can not only save everyone’s valuable time but also help you enhance your team’s productivity. 

Once you have created the canned responses, consider half the battle won. However, don’t just save the responses and forget about them. Keep revisiting them and make changes to improve them, depending on the new situations and customers’ reactions.