Canned responses are pre-made desk messages that your customer support team can use in different situations. The templates allow your support team to respond quickly and efficiently to different customer issues. This can save time, and increase your team efficiency.  

Below are some of the canned response templates that you can use for different purposes.

7 Best customer services response examples

1) We’re still working on your case.

Sometimes it takes longer than expected to solve any issue. When the time-lapse increases, your customers’ patience also decreases and they might start wondering if their issue will ever get resolved or not. At that time, your customer support team should make sure that they should proactively follow-up with your customers and tell them you’re still working hard on their issue and will let them know about any updates. This shows that you care about them. 

Response Template

Update on your issue

Hi [CUSTOMER NAME],

I wanted to update you before the weekend about the status of your issue.

We are still working on Your [ISSUE], it is still in progress and is being worked on by our product team. We’re prioritizing your request, and I will make sure this issue is resolved over the weekend. Thank you for your patience!

Take care, [YOUR NAME]

2) Were you happy with the resolution?

Oftentimes many issues take time to resolve. Like, your customer may have trouble using a feature of your product. You should follow up with them a week later to make sure they were able to use that feature. It should be you who should positively reach out to your customers, check-in with them to make sure they are satisfied with your services. 

Response Template

How’s it going?

Hi [CUSTOMER NAME],

A few weeks ago, you mentioned that you’d like to try out our new service. Our records show that you just had your new feature. How did it go?

Just wanted to make sure that you don’t have any issues with our service 🙂

Thank you, [YOUR NAME]

3) We need more information to complete your order.

In some cases, a customer places an order online, and automatically, your sales process might kick the order to the customer service team to confirm or update the order before processing it. When you reach out and need the customer to take an extra step, double-check that your email is clear, to the point, and easy to understand. 

Response Template

Confirming your order

Hi [CUSTOMER NAME],

Thank you for placing your order with us on [DATE]. We need to confirm your payment method for the order, as the card you had on file was declined.

You can give me a call at [XXX-XXX-XXXX] to update this information, or you can change your preferences in your account profile now. Then, we’ll be able to process and ship your order.

If you have any further questions or concerns, let us know! Thanks for your order from [COMPANY]

Take care, [YOUR NAME]

4) We acknowledge this mistake. 

Sometimes, mistakes happen no matter how good your customer service is. It happens to every company. Making mistakes is not a huge thing but not acknowledging them and rectifying them becomes a big thing. 

If the problem is small, then you should rectify the problem before reaching out to your customer. You should still let the customer know about the error and tell them the steps with your user base. As long as the problem is solved, your customers will appreciate your honesty and commitment. 

If the problem is a big one, you should reach out to your customers immediately. Apologize for any inconvenience that you have caused them and let them know that you are working on strengthening out the things and everything will be back to normal asap. 

Response Template

Update on your case

Hello [CUSTOMER NAME],

I wanted to reach out with an update on your issue regarding [ISSUE TOPIC]. We regretfully admit that there has been an oversight made on your case. During our troubleshooting, we [EXPLANATION].

We acknowledge and apologize for how our mistake has created an inconvenience for you. We know that your goal is to [CUSTOMER’S GOAL] and we want to assure you that we are doing everything within our power to resolve this situation. Here are the steps we are taking right now:

[TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS]

Again, we are incredibly sorry for the inconvenience this has caused and will update you as soon as we have a resolution. Please feel welcome to reach out to us with any questions you may have on this information as we would be more than happy to help.

Talk to you soon,

[YOUR NAME]

5) We can’t do that, but here’s another option.

Often, customers make requests that your team can’t do. People have specific needs and wants and it’s not possible to fulfill every one of them. When you’re unable to meet their demand you should have a backup resource where you can direct your customers. 

Here, comes the use of a community forum or knowledge base. You can direct your customers to these self-service resources where they can collaborate with other customers. This provides an alternative solution but also encourages customers to communicate with one and another. This increases customer loyalty and stimulates customer advocacy. 

Response Template

Product Request

Hi [CUSTOMER NAME],

Thank you for reaching out about [CUSTOMER’S REQUEST]. At this time, we don’t have the bandwidth to complete your request, but I wanted to reach out with some alternative resources to direct you to. I apologize that we can’t provide a direct solution, however, these options may be able to supply the solution you are looking for. 

To start, I would recommend taking a look at our community forum: [LINK TO FORUM]. There, you can find other users who may be experiencing a similar roadblock. 

If that resource doesn’t work, take a look at our knowledge base: [LINK TO KNOWLEDGE BASE]. We have some FAQ pages that may link to the answer you’re looking for.

Finally, if both those options fail, you can post your request on our ideas forum: [LINK TO FORUM]. This forum lets you pitch a product or service idea to our team. If our developers like it, they may consider it as a future product or feature. 

Please feel welcome to reach out to me with any questions you may have on these resources. I would be more than happy to help! 

Thank you,

[YOUR NAME]

6) I need access to this account!

The customers want access to their account but for some reason they are unable to pass the security measures. While writing your response be sure to state clearly what is required from the customers to give access. Try to position your team as a protector and back up your claims from published policies. 

Response Template

Regarding your access request

Hello [CUSTOMER NAME],

I understand you just want to get into your account and back to work, and I am here to help you. However, as I’m sure you can understand, we have to be careful to protect the details that you and all of our customers trust us to store. You can read up on our security policy and practices here: [URL]

Here’s what you can do to regain access to your account:

[REITERATE YOUR STEPS IN A BULLETED LIST]

If any of those steps are unclear, let me know, and I’m happy to explain further. I know it’s stressful, but for the protection of all of our customers (and to comply with information security laws), I’m unable to give you access otherwise.

Thank you for your understanding.

[YOUR NAME]

7) I need a discount!

This is the situation when a customer doesn’t want to pay the discounted price and wants some kind of discount to sign up for your services. In this case, you can showcase your value that your services offer that will help your customers get more for their money. Your answer should showcase the value of your product, and offer helpful options. 

Response Template

Hi [CUSTOMER NAME],

I hope you are having a good day! 

We appreciate your business with us! While we don’t offer discounts, I do want to make sure you’re getting the most you can for your money. You mentioned that XYZ product is cheaper, but there are a couple of key differences you might not know about.

[EXPLORE KEY POINTS] 

I’ve just had a look at your account, and one thing I noticed is that you’re not using [FEATURE] right now. A lot of our customers find that is a really useful tool for them to achieve [A COMMON GOAL].  That makes our product cost-effective for them. Check out this case study [URL AND COMPANY NAME]

Of course, I can understand that you may have an immediate need to reduce your ongoing costs. If that’s the case then I have a couple of options for you:

If you move to an annual plan, you’ll save 20% instantly, which works out to [$X] in your case. You can do that here: [URL]

You could move down to our basic plan, and save $Y, though you would lose access to [FEATURES] that I can see you’re frequently using.

If we can help you understand these options better, or if you’d like help getting more out of your account, hit reply and let us know! We’re here to help whenever you need it.

Thank you.

[YOUR NAME]

Tips to write canned customer service response.

There are three things that you should consider while writing canned responses for different situations:

1) Avoid bland jargon

The formal language which has no emotions doesn’t get taken up very well by the customers. You should write responses as you’re speaking with your acquaintance. 

2) Set expectations

Set the expectations before your customers. If there are any next steps, let them know before them. 

3) Don’t use a canned response when a personal response is needed

Periodically, there are times when canned responses don’t work. There are times when personalized responses are required rather than canned responses– especially when your product falls short.