Saved reply examples for customer support

Opening and setting expectations

The first reply decides the tone. Acknowledge, say what happens next, and keep it short.

• First reply, question received

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  Hi {{first name}}, thanks for getting in touch. I've got your message and I'm looking into it now. I'll reply by {{time or day}}. If it's urgent, tell me what's blocked and I'll start there.

  Use a real time you can meet. If you can't promise one, say "I'll reply as soon as I can today".

• We need more information

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  Thanks, {{first name}}. To look into this I need a bit more detail:
  
  - What you were trying to do
  - What you expected to happen
  - What happened instead, including any error message
  
  A screenshot helps if you can attach one.

  Ask for at most three things. More than that gets no reply.

• Answer is in the help center

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  Hi {{first name}}, this is covered here: {{article link}}. It walks through {{what the article covers}}. If it doesn't solve it, reply and I'll take it from here.

  Every time you send this, check the article still reads well. Fix it if the customer was still confused.

• Out of office or after hours

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  Thanks for writing. Support replies are sent {{your hours}}, and your message is in the queue. If it's about {{urgent topic}}, mention that and I'll prioritise it when I'm back.

  State hours only if you keep them.

Billing and plans

• Charged twice or wrong amount

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  I'm sorry about that, {{first name}}. I can see {{what you see}}. I'm checking with {{payment provider or finance}} and I'll update you by {{time}}. You don't need to do anything yet.

  Do not promise a refund before you've checked the charge. Handoff words like "charged twice" should reach a person.

• Refund request: following the policy

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  Thanks for letting me know. Our refund policy is {{policy summary or link}}. Based on that, {{outcome and what happens next}}. If anything about your situation isn't covered, tell me and I'll take a look.

  Write the policy summary yourself and keep it consistent with your terms.

• Cancel my subscription

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  I can help with that. You can cancel any time from {{where in the product or portal}}. Your access continues until {{the end of the paid period, if that's your rule}}. If something wasn't working for you, I'd like to hear it. Even a line helps.

  Make cancelling easy. A hard cancel produces refunds and bad reviews.

• Plan or pricing question

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  Good question. The plans are {{summary}}, and the full comparison is here: {{pricing link}}. For what you've described, {{plan}} would cover it because {{reason}}.

  Keep prices out of saved text if you change them often; link the pricing page instead.

Bugs and problems

• Bug acknowledged

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  Thanks for reporting this, {{first name}}. I've reproduced it and logged it for {{team or me}}. I can't promise a date, but I'll write back when it's fixed. In the meantime, {{workaround or "there's no workaround I know of"}}.

  Only say you reproduced it if you did.

• Can't reproduce yet

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  Thanks, {{first name}}. I haven't been able to reproduce this yet. Could you tell me which browser and device you're using, and the steps you took just before it happened? A screen recording or screenshot would help a lot.

• Fixed

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  Good news, {{first name}}: the issue you reported is fixed. {{one line on what changed}}. If you still see it, reply with what you see and I'll look again. Thanks for flagging it.

• Known outage

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  We're aware of an issue affecting {{what}} and we're working on it. Updates will be posted at {{status page or channel}}. I'll reply to this conversation when it's resolved.

  Link a real status source. If you have none, say how you will update people.

Account and login

• Can't log in

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  Sorry you're locked out, {{first name}}. Try {{reset or sign-in link}} first. If the email doesn't arrive in a few minutes, check spam, then reply and I'll check the account for {{email}}.

• Change email or move the account

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  I can do that. To confirm it's you, please reply from the email on the account and tell me {{the new email or detail}}. Once confirmed I'll make the change and tell you here.

  Always confirm identity before changing account details.

Feature requests and closing

• Feature request: logged

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  Thanks, {{first name}}. That's a useful suggestion. I've added it to {{feedback board link or list}} so we can see how many people want it. I can't promise it will be built, but the more votes it gets, the more weight it carries.

  Pointing to a public board counts requests once. See the feedback board.

• Feature request: we won't build it

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  Thanks for the idea, {{first name}}. We're not planning to build that, because {{short honest reason}}. In the meantime, {{alternative or workaround}}. I appreciate you telling us what you need.

  A kind, honest no is better than a vague maybe.

• Closing the conversation

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  Glad that sorted it, {{first name}}. I'll mark this as resolved. If anything else comes up, just reply and it reopens. Thanks for your patience.

• Nudge when the customer went quiet

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  Hi {{first name}}, I wanted to check in on this. If it's sorted, no need to reply. If not, tell me where it stands and I'll pick it up. I'll close this in a few days if I don't hear back.

How to use saved replies without sounding like a robot

• Write the first line fresh each time. Use the template for the stable part, not the greeting.
• Replace every placeholder before sending. Search for {{ in the composer.
• Keep each reply under four sentences plus a link. Long replies are skimmed.
• Put the answer or next step first, then the courtesy.
• Link a help article for detail, so the reply stays short and the article does the explaining.
• Review your top five replies each month. If one is sent daily, it should be an article (see how to reduce support tickets).

Keep reading

• Support email templates
• Help center article template
• How to answer support emails faster without sounding rushed
• How to reduce support tickets: a four-week method, not a list of tips
• How to run customer support as a solo founder without it eating your week

Sources