25 Customer Service Email Templates [+Best Practices] (2024)

It’s almost impossible to write a personalized customer service email to everyone.

Especially if you need to write a few dozens of them, not to mention hundreds or thousands.

So, it’s no surprise businesses resort to automation.

The problem is nobody likes to receive automated, almost robotic-sounding emails.

But—

Do you always have to compromise quality for quantity or the other way round?

We believe that it’s possible to find a sweet spot.

And we will show you how!

In this article, you’ll see:

• Why writing excellent customer service emails matters
• How to write emails that will delight your customers
• 25 customer service email response templates
• Best tools for text enhancement and improving your writing

Here’s the full list of the customer service email templates we’ve covered. If you want to jump to the one you need now, just click on it. If you want to see writing tips first, scroll down.

• Responding to an angry customer
• Resolving a complaint
• Inquiry about a specific feature of your product/service
• Questions about pricing plans/product prices
• Welcome email to a new customer
• Free trial email
• Renewal reminder
• Working on the problem
• Providing an answer to a general inquiry
• Closing the ticket after resolving the problem
• Follow-up email
• Thank you email
• Customer satisfaction survey request
• Customer review request email
• Thanking a customer for a positive review
• Technical support request email response
• Refund request
• Refund notification
• Refund status
• Referral request email
• The churn of an unhappy customer
• Farewell email to a customer who churned, but is not angry
• Informing about an end of subscription/contract
• Giving a discount
• Refusing a discount

Not what you were looking for? Check out these articles instead:

• What Is the Best Time to Send Emails?
• How to Build an Email List From Scratch?

Why does writing timely and properly constructed customer service emails really matter?

Here’s the deal—

A McKinsey Study has proven that 70% of the customer’s journey is based on how the customer feels they are being treated. Do you think lifeless-sounding emails will improve your customers’ satisfaction?

Not really.

But this isn’t everything. As many as 71% of consumers believe that a quick response from your service team can drastically improve their customer experience, a 100Comm research found.

At a first glance, it really seems like you must choose between quality or quantity. After all, 70% of your customers will churn either because you send non-personalized emails or you don’t send them quickly enough.

But it’s not all that bad.

You can learn to craft a perfect message by using high-quality response samples, adjusting them to your needs, and sticking to the best practices.

It’s easier than you think. So let’s see how to do it!

How to write excellent customer service emails?

Even if you copy the best customer service email response samples, you still need to follow best practices and adjust the content. Treat this checklist as a guideline to personalize the templates and take your email writing to the next level.

1. Use your customers’ name

Dale Carnegie once famously said that “a person’s name is, to him or her, the sweetest and most important sound in any language”. This doesn’t apply to face-to-face interactions only—It’s exactly the same when it comes to digital correspondence.

Using a person’s name in an email means that you took your time to make a personal connection to them and makes you sound more genuine.

2. Get familiar with the customers’ history with your company

Isn’t it frustrating when you receive a customer support email showing that, seemingly, customer service reps want to help you, but they have no idea about your experience with their company?

Reading the history of a few last interactions with the customer will help you choose the right tone and use the right context. The customer will feel respected, and you will have the chance to build a stronger relationship.

3. Personalize your emails

Personalization matters! In fact, your online conversion rate can improve by even 8% when you include personalized customer experiences, Trustpilot reports. Best customer service emails will demonstrate that the rep knows why the customer chose their company and which features or products they use the most. You can do that by making use of their timezone info, reaching out at the right time, and suggesting solutions relevant exclusively to them.

4. Think long term

Great customer service is focused on building strong customer relationships. They cannot be formed if the rep is treating an email to a customer as a one-time inconvenience they need to solve. You will prove your company more trustworthy if you take a more holistic approach and treat each customer service email exchange as an opportunity to gain insightful feedback.

5. Be empathetic

A customer service skill set is quite vast, and being able to put yourself in your customers’ shoes is part of it. Empathy will help you really understand the customers’ inquiries before you come up with a relevant solution. A client who sees that you try to relate to them will most likely appreciate your efforts, and this can definitely add to increasing customer retention.

25 customer service email templates for the most common scenarios

Now that you know what to pay attention to when writing emails to your clients, you could surely write one from scratch.

But there are better options.

Just pick one (or more) of our customer service email samples below, and tailor them to your needs.

And if you have a default email app active on your browser, just click on “Use this template” to open the template in your email editor. Make a few tweaks and send it in a matter of seconds.

1. Responding to an angry customer template

Working with people is never devoid of emotions, and anger might be one of the most prevalent in the business world. Systems break, software products glitch, expectations are not always met.

And even though people can be unpleasant, the best advice is: never take the anger of the customer personally. If the customer is angry because it’s your company’s fault, acknowledge the customer, focus on the solution, and prepare an action plan.

Suggested read

• Read our article with tips on how to handle angry customers.

2. Resolving a complaint

It’s one thing to deal with an agitated client, but it’s another when they file an official complaint. However bad it may seem, this situation actually gives you a valuable (although not very pleasant) insight into the effectiveness of your processes.

Once you receive the complaint, check the email or chat history and see if the client had similar problems in the past. Were they solved? Or ignored? Or maybe it’s a miscommunication?

Now it’s time to take a more holistic approach to this exact client and personalize your communication with them to prevent further disappointments.

Did you know?

You can quickly check your entire chat history using the Tidio panel.

Suggested read

• Looking for more examples like this? Feel free to copy more customer complaints templates from our article!

3. Inquiry about a specific feature of your product/service

This is a pleasant customer service email to write—you have a new prospective customer asking about a specific feature or a product they love.

Even though it’s easy to get all sales-y, try not to sound too pompous. A descriptive answer and a concise message are key. Describe the features of a service and/or explain when the product in outage will be available again. Add a personalized touch, and you’re good to go.

4. Questions about pricing plans/product prices

Replying to an email about your pricing plans is yet another one of the “happy” customer service emails, but also in this case you should play it well.

A customer asking about your pricing will surely compare your product to your competitors. This is your time to shine—when replying, be honest about the best value for money option and focus on emphasizing the best features in each pricing plan. Do something that will differentiate you from the rest. They will remember it!

5. Welcome email to a new customer template

Congratulations! From all the “happy” emails to send, this is the best one. By sending welcome emails, you assure your newbie customer that they made the best decision when they chose you. Use this email to show them how to use your product in a way that will benefit them the most.

Suggested read

• Looking for more templates to welcome your new customers? Read our article about the best welcome messages and get inspired!

6. Free trial email template

Customers, who sign up for a free trial, sooner or later witness the moment of truth—they discover whether your product or service can solve their specific issue.

Once they signed up, send them an email that underlines your product’s stellar features.

To encourage them to fully explore your services, you can hint that you can prolong their free trial period once it ends.

7. Renewal reminder template

Another moment of truth happens when your customers’ subscription ends, and they have to decide whether your services are worth prolonging. If they haven’t done it yet, it’s because either they forgot, or they might have some doubts about it.

Structure your email in a way that underlines the benefits they are getting and offer them assistance, so they feel that you really care whether they are staying with you.

While tailoring email templates to your needs, pay attention to grammar and spelling so that you don’t ruin your reputation. Our study explains how the most common grammar mistakes influence your brand image.

8. Working on the problem email template

Perfection doesn’t exist, but you can be as close to it as one can get. Problems will always happen, but it’s your reaction that will prove whether your customers made the right decision to choose you over your competitors.

In your email, demonstrate a hands-on attitude by responding quickly. On top of that, describe step-by-step what actions you will take and don’t forget to include the timeline.

9. Providing an answer to a general inquiry

Just because it’s a general inquiry, don’t reply in a robotic manner. Provide an extensive answer, but offer further information and assistance if applicable. Proactive customer service is always a good thing.

10. Closing the ticket after resolving the problem template

Resolving the problem is great, but communicating it to the customer is even better.

Why?

You can turn a negative experience into a positive one. When you email a client to communicate that you close their case because it has finished successfully, be sure to underline the positive outcome. Don’t be afraid to assure the client that they can count on you when they need your assistance in the future.

11. Follow-up email template

When a customer doesn’t reply to your email, it may mean they changed their mind or weren’t satisfied with your message. It’s always good to follow up, but don’t do it after a day of silence. Wait for a few days before you reach out to them.

You can also offer your assistance regardless of whether a customer will buy from you or not. Thanks to this, they won’t feel that trying out your services obliges them to anything.

Suggested read

• Need more tips on this? Read about how to improve follow-up emails to your customers.

12. Thank you email template

Appreciation can make all the difference! Email your customers with a sincere “Thank you message” every six months or once a year, depending on the field you are in. Focus on underlining that you are always there to offer help if they need it.

13. Customer satisfaction survey request after an interaction

Customer satisfaction is not only about selling your customers a great product. It is about making them feel great using your product. It’s important to monitor your customers’ satisfaction level, and sending email surveys after an interaction is a great way to measure it.

Suggested read

• Check out another article with more survey templates you can use in your emails.

14. Customer review request email template

Your customers are the pillars of your reputation. Of course, you provide great services or products and your customers are delighted. But why not use their enthusiasm to attract more clients and make them ambassadors of your business?

Ask them to submit a review after a particularly positive experience they had with you. Just remember to provide all the info they need to fulfill your request:

• attach a link to the review site
• explain if they need to log in to add a review
• offer a discount in return if you can

15. Thanking a customer for a positive review

Once a customer left you a positive review, send them a “thank you” email. It shows your thoughtfulness, appreciation and helps you build a stronger relationship.

16. Technical support request email response template

Once a customer submits a technical support request, they expect an answer that will confirm their request will be fulfilled. Construct your email in a way that strongly suggests you are already working on it.

On top of that, clearly ask about which pieces of additional info you need. If this is your first time replying to this customer, you can greet them by introducing yourself.

17. Refund request response template: when a customer leaves you

When a customer decides to return your product and asks for a refund they are eligible for, there is nothing much you can do… except making a great last impression.

To do that, be as concise and informative as possible and mention that you are of service if they change their mind. Ending cooperation on good terms is always a classy move.

18. Refund notification template: when the refund is in progress

Being up-to-date when it comes to your finances is a must, being told you will receive some of your money back is usually a joy. When you already processed the refund (for whatever reason) send a customer a notification that the money is on the way.

19. Refund status template

One of the most frustrating things that can happen is the company-bank-customer triad of confusion when the money doesn’t arrive from point A (your company) to point B (your customers’ account). If the customer asks about the refund status, make sure you are thorough, informative, and concise.

20. Referral request email template

You can ask your customers to be your brand ambassadors by asking them for referrals. Send this type of email after a positive interaction and be sure to indicate the benefits of making the referral for you, if you offer any.

21. The churn of an unhappy customer

It’s difficult to always match your customers’ expectations with your product. If a client decides to leave, take this opportunity to gain feedback and analyze all the situations that made them unsatisfied with your services. Communicate that you take their feedback seriously and apologize if necessary.

22. Farewell email to a customer who churned, but is not angry

Sometimes, a customer leaves because their circ*mstances changed, not because they are unhappy with your service or product. In this situation, making a great last impression is crucial—make them remember your business as extremely professional and customer-centric. You may meet again in the future!

23. Informing about an end of subscription/contract email template

Sometimes the customer doesn’t prolong the subscription or contract and doesn’t answer your reminder emails. Whether they left you for a competitor or are currently on vacation, not bothering about emails, is not really clear.

But whatever the case is, inform them about the ending of their subscription, why it happened, and how to renew it if they need to do so. Hopefully, you will hear from them soon!

24. Giving a discount

You can delight your customers by giving them discounts for any occasion: staying with you for a specific period of time, saying “thank you” for a review, or a referral. This will make them feel taken care of and appreciated. Be sure to underline why you give them the discount and what it entails.

25. Refusing a discount

Sometimes it’s not possible to offer a discount a customer asks for. Make sure you explain why it’s not currently possible and what options will be available in the future.

Now that you know all the dos and don’ts when it comes to customer support email writing, and you have plenty of email templates to choose from, it’s time to get to work!

But what if you still feel that you need help when it comes to modifying the email templates?

Don’t worry!

Below, you will find a short list of great, free tools that will help you with your email content:

• InstaText: a handy text enhancer that helps you rewrite your content to make it more understandable and readable
• QuillBot: a brilliant text paraphraser that shortens or expands your text and paraphrases your content with the emphasis on fluency, creativity or formal tone
• Ludwig.Guru: grammar checking is a must, but what if you want to check if you used a phrase correctly? This tool shows whether your phrase is widely used and, if it is, in which contexts
• Hemingway App: an OG text editor that highlights all of your grammar mistakes and shows you which sentences are too hard to read
• Grammarly: Last, but not least, another OG app that reviews spelling, grammar, and punctuation and additionally, rates your content’s clarity, engagement, and delivery

Excellent customer support emails are not all about content, though. If you want to make yours more aesthetically pleasing, try out these tools:

• GIPHY Create: spice up your more informal emails with GIFs created from .JPG, .PNG, .MP4 or .MOV
• Canva: this versatile design tool helps you create beautiful newsletters, as well as email headers and signatures
• Tidio email marketing editor: create many email marketing campaigns by using templates and personalizing them to your liking

Key takeaway

By now, you should have an idea of how to write excellent customer service email responses.

Here’s a quick recap:

• Customers expect quick responses and a personalized approach when it comes to customer service
• Keeping a checklist of best practices when you write emails to customers will help you increase the quality
• It might seem difficult to answer many customers with customized messages, but if you start with sample customer service emails and personalize them, you’ll strike the right balance between quality and quantity
• Feel free to use text spinners, paraphrasing tools and grammar checking software to improve your email writing skills. Use graphic design tools to make your emails more beautiful.

What are your best practices when it comes to writing customer service emails? Do you need help with automation or installing tools that allow you to communicate with your customers faster?

If that’s the case, don’t hesitate to reach out—we will gladly help!