how to write customer service emails

HOW TO WRITE CUSTOMER

SERVICE EMAILS?

Rik BhattacharjeeMBA (Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management – International Business)

Presently placed at Tata Consultancy Services, Kolkata, India

Formerly working with GPW, Houston, USA and Concentrix IBM, Gurgaon, India

•Customer care involves putting systems in place to maximize your

customers' satisfaction with your business.

•It is the prime consideration for every business and profitability depends

on keeping the customers happy.

•Don't neglect the importance of customer care in other areas of your

business. For instance, your warehousing and shipping departments may

have minimal contact with your customers - but their performance when

fulfilling orders has a major impact on customers' satisfaction with your

business.

WHAT IS CUSTOMER CARE?

•how well your product or service matches customer needs

•the value for money

•efficiency and reliability in fulfilling orders

•the professionalism, friendliness and expertise of the employees

•how well you keep your customers informed

•the after-sales service you provide

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMERS

•Once you have identified your most valuable customers or best potential

customers, you can target your highest levels of customer care towards

them.

•Another approach, particularly in the consumer market, is the obligation

to treat all consumers to the highest standard.

Information about your customers and what they want is available

from many sources, including:

•order history of the customers

•records of their contacts with your business (calls, emails, letters etc)

•direct feedback (if you ask them, customers will usually tell you what

they want)

•deviation individual customers' order patterns

•feedback about your existing range

•feedback from your customers about things they buy from other

businesses

•changes in the goods and services your competitors are selling

When Customer Attacks

A Customer Asking for a Discount

Why this works: It’s empathetic (we know how they feel), personal (we

include information about them and their account) and still delivers value

(the consultation we’re offering increases the perceived value of

Groove).

A Feature Request You’re Not Going to Build

Why this works: It’s personal (we took the time to read the idea, and our

response makes that clear), it’s positive, and it still delivers value to the

customer.

An Angry CustomerCustomer service trainer Robert Bacal, in his Defusing Hostile Customers Workbook,

outlines a simple system called CARP for dealing with angry customers:

CARP stands for:

Control

Acknowledge

Refocus

Problem-Solve

The first step is to be in control of the situation. That means not letting your customer’s

anger influence your own behavior. That is, don’t get angry back.

The next step is to acknowledge your customer’s feelings. Be empathetic and make it

clear that you understand that they’re upset.

Third, refocus the conversation on what’s most important: the actual problem at hand.

And finally, problem-solve: work to find a resolution to the customer’s complaint.

Robert Bacal (twitter.com/rbacal) Author, Trainer, customer service, management, performance appraisal, leadership, difficult customers

The CARP System

Why this works: It follows the CARP system

of control, acknowledge, refocus and problem-solve, and helps the

customer feel better by knowing that their problem is being taken very

seriously.

Your Product Is Broken/Down

Why this works: It was informative (it included all of the details we knew

at that time, with no obfuscation), empathetic (we were clear that

we knew how terrible this was for our customers, apologetic and personal

(including Alex’s email address and the promise of a follow-up).

Note: just as important as saying the right thing in this situation is

making sure you keep updating your customers regularly until a

conclusion is reached. You hate being kept in the dark, and your

customers do, too.

Customer Service Email Examples for Replying

Angry Customers

Dear Esteemed Customer,

Thanks for your email to notify us of the difficulties you have been experiencing with

our mall recently.

We are very sorry for such destabilizing encounters you have been faced with. One of

our strengths is the way we respond to our customers promptly. Therefore, your recent

experience is unjustifiable.

I have discussed with our Sales Director at the Hill Stone Mall, and he has been

directed by me to make a complete refund and make a 10% discount on your

next purchase. I want to use this opportunity to tell you that I am sorry for the

difficulties you have encountered as a result of this problem. It is obvious from this

incidence that our assistant sales personnel require adequate training for effective

delivery.

Thank you for your understanding. For any other question or request for assistance,

you can call me directly on +2348157479837.

Best regards,

Ronald Johnson

Customer Service Manager

Dissatisfied Purchase Experience

Dear Mrs. Johnson,

I am very sorry about the difficulty you encountered recently before receiving your last

order from us. I understand that those products were required for urgent purposes.

Despite our effort to deliver your order on time using Skynet Express Delivery Service,

it’s quite unfortunate that we didn’t meet up with the time allotted for the delivery of

those products.

We are very sorry for truncating your plans for these products, and we will do our best

to ensure this never happens again. Already, we are discussing with other express

courier services to ensure our customers get their orders in time.

We promise to impress you when you make your next order. If you have any other

question or need further assistance from me, please feel free to call me directly on

+2348157479837.

Sincerely

Arnold Phillip

Delay of Customer Delivery

Dear Mr. George,

I agree with you that the latest Woculus Reader’s Journal which you ordered got to you

but has some missing pages. Despite this publication mishap, you read the journal and

kept it with you for at least two weeks.

I am sorry for this printing error on the copy of Woculus Readers’ Journal you

purchased. However, I can neither receive the return nor refund you as you demanded.

This is because of our company’s policy. We make refunds only for orders whose

complaints are received within two weeks of purchase.

We greatly esteem your relationship with our company and are very sorry for the

inconveniences you have suffered as a result of the printing errors in the Journals you

received from us. It is unfortunate that we cannot exchange the Journal at this time due

to our policies and the time it has spent with you.

We promise to offer you the best services possible always. Please accept our apologies

and feel free to call me anytime on +2348157479837.

Cordially

Tina Bash

Sales Director

Dissatisfied With Purchased Journal

Dear Ms. Edna,

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to write us and express your

grievances on how our products and services do not meet up with your expectations.

At Growers United, our greatest desire is to ensure our customers are satisfied at all

levels and find the most suitable way to fix their problems without delay.

We will call you in few days to inform you on the methods we have adopted in resolving

the issues you have encountered with our products and services recently. Furthermore,

we will assess your complaints to deduct measures we can adopt to prevent issues of

this nature in subsequent times.

Please accept our sincere apology for the difficulties we have caused you. Our

aspiration is to keep you as one of our most valued customers, and we hope to serve

you better in subsequent times.

Thank you for your patronage.

Sincerely

Barney Phillip

Sales Manager

Dissatisfied Purchased Experience

Dear Mr. Maxwell,

Thank you for your email.

First, I would like to apologize for the troubles and frustration that you experienced

lately. I want you to know that your complaint and feedback will give us the chance to

resolve any problem that may occur and assist us in making our services better.

We also observe some crucial information in your complaint concerning our products

and services as well as the degree of our services.

To help us transfer your complaint to the branch concerned, we would be grateful if you

could provide us with vital information by filling the form attached to this email.

Once again, we are sorry for the inconveniences we have caused you and we hope to

offer you better services in future.

For any questions or further assistance, feel free to call us on +2348157479837.

Best regards

Ann Richardson

Customer Service Director

Dissatisfied Customer Experience

Six Phrases That Work for Excellent Customer

Service

1) “I Don’t Know, but I’ll Find Out for You.”

In a 2011 customer service survey, American Express asked respondents which common

customer service phrases annoyed them most.

The winner?

Good customer service isn’t always about knowing the right answer. Often, it’s

about finding the right answer so that your customer doesn’t have to.


Service

2) “I’d Be Frustrated Too.”

That’s why it’s critical to not just have empathy, but to convey it to your customer.


Service

3) “I’d Be Happy to Help You With This.”

Simply by using positive words, you can make your customers (and yourself) feel more

positive.

In a world where 95% of customers have taken action (e.g. abandoned a business or

complained about it to others) because of a negative customer experience, a simple

tactic like adding more positive power words to your support interactions can make a

big difference.

So when a customer emails you about an issue that they’re having, instead of

responding with “I’ll look into this for you,” tell them that you’d be happy to help.


Service

4) “I’ll Send You an Update by [Day or Time].”

If a customer sends an email “checking in” on the status of their support request, we

consider that a failure on our part.

The two things that we do to avoid check-ins are:

•Make sure that we proactively keep the customer posted as often as possible (at least

once per day).

•Let the customer know exactly when they should expect to hear from us.

While you can’t always promise a solution by a given time, you can always promise an

update. Delivering on that promise doesn’t just keep the customer informed about the

status of their request, but it’s another opportunity to build trust.


Service

5) “I Really Appreciate You Letting Us Know.”

According to a survey by Lee Resources International, for every customer who

complains, there are 26 customers who don’t say anything.

Each customer complaint could mean that dozens of other customers are having the

same problem and not letting you know.

That means that resolving the problem for a single customer could make dozens of other

customers happier at the same time.

That’s a huge opportunity. And a huge gift from the customer who decided to email you

about it.


Service

6) “Is There Anything Else I Can Help You With?”

Despite our best efforts and intentions, we don’t always get it right.

In fact, one survey suggests that although 94% of online retailers provide email

customer service, 27% of email inquiries are answered incorrectly.

While I suspect that most of you reading this blog average much better than that, the

fact remains that there are times that our answers don’t end up being helpful. The

problem is that research shows us that most people won’t speak up about problems. So

if your reply isn’t helpful, some customers won’t proactively ask you to clarify or help

any further.

That’s what makes this one of the most helpful customer service phrases you can use. By

leaving the door open and inviting the customer to respond, you’ll give them a chance

to let you know if anything remains unresolved.

Tips for Better Customer Service Emails

Use Your Customer’s Name Use the ELI5 Technique

Introduce Yourself Link to Longer Instructions

Thank Them for Their Gift Casual vs. Formal Tone

Should You Deliver the Good or Bad News

First?

Replace Negative Words With Positive

Ones

Use Canned Replies Correctly Promise a Result

Empathy Statements and Phrases That Show

Customers You Care

Make the Customer Feel Valued

1. I see you’ve been with [Company Name] for X years. That’s a long

time!

2. I appreciate your patience.

3. Thank you for remaining so positive.

4. Your business means a lot to us.

5. I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.


Customers You Care

Put Yourself in Their Shoes

1. If I were in your position, I would feel the same way.

2. That would frustrate me, too.

3. I would be asking the same questions as you are.

4. You are totally right.

5. I would come to the same conclusion.


Customers You Care

Suggest and Offer

1. Personally, I would recommend you to…

2. Would you like to try our new X?

3. You can consider X.

4. You might find X helpful.

5. I think you’ll find it’s much easier if you do X.

Do say:

Hi, my name is X. May I ask your

name?

Great to meet you, Y. How can I

assist you today?

How can I help you?

What can I help you with today?

Don’t say:

What is wrong?

Are you unsatisfied?

Are you confused?

What’s your problem?

Establish a Good Rapport

For example, if a customer says something vague like: I want to receive my package.

Can you make it get here faster?

Try responding with:

I am sorry if you are having trouble with your package. Just to clarify, are you

experiencing a delay?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but are you saying that your package should have arrived by

now?

Do not respond with:

So what I’m hearing is that there is a

problem with the shipping.

Are you saying that we failed to deliver on

time?

I’m sorry, I don’t understand you.

No, I cannot make the package come

faster. That’s not my job.

Repeat after Them

Pepper with Positive Words

Use positive, affirmative words to

describe:

•Definitely

•Surely

•Absolutely

•Gladly

•Certainly

•Fantastic

•Great

•Good

•Will

•Assure

•Understand

I completely understand…

I do know where you are

coming from…

I assure you, we will…

I’m so glad to be of help…

Eliminate Negative Words

Consider how you would feel if

someone said the following to you:

That sucks so badly.

You don’t deserve that!

That is terrible!

We are sorry for giving you bad

service!

It must be awful to be you right

now.

Avoid intensely negative

words like:

Awful

Sucks

Terrible

Bad

No

Never

Dumb

Rude

Communicating Confidence

To assuage or calm a customer:

Rest assured that this will be…

I assure you…

I understand where you’re coming

from.

To prevent doubt when you don’t

know:

One moment please.

Let me find that out for you.

Let me forward you to our X

specialist.

To express professionalism:

Thank you for bringing that to our

consideration.

We’re very happy to…

On behalf of our company, I would

like to say thank you for your

patience.

You can’t honor the same request for all customers. If a customer asks

for a perk or discount that you can’t honor for other customers, then it’s

best to say no. You don’t want the news getting around that your

company practices aren’t fair.

The customer threatened your physical or emotional safety. While you

may be a pro at dealing with angry customers, it isn’t good to positively

respond to any sort of threat as it will reinforce this terrible behavior.

They ask for something that goes against company policy. Sometimes

customers want discounts or free products that you aren’t licensed to give

them. Don’t “break the rules just this once.”

When to tell a customer no?

Use the Power of a Positive No

Express your yes. There’s a reason you’re saying no, and that’s because

you’re saying yes to something else. Understand your company’s

mission statement and express to your customers your commitment to

core values. In order to keep our service focused on productivity, we do

not offer the SEO widget you requested.

Assert your no. Your no is what you simply can’t deliver or promise the

customer, no matter how much they want it. We will not be developing

any marketing features in the foreseeable future.

Propose a yes. You want to maintain your relationship with the

customer, and in order to do this it’s best to propose a positive

outcome. Are there any existing features you currently need help with? I

would be glad to show you how to optimize your service for increased

productivity.

Empathize with Your Customers

I can’t believe you would treat your customers this way! (Denial)

You are absolutely the worst company I have ever worked with. (Anger)

If I don’t get X, how can I face my boss tomorrow? (Anxiety)

You can give me what I want, or I’ll go to the competition. (Bargaining)

Look for Relationship-Building OpportunitiesSolicit feedback . This shows a customer that you still value what they

have to say, even if it might not be what you want to hear. Consider their

feedback seriously, and always thank them for their time.

Send thoughtful resources. You may feel that you’re too busy to remain

in contact with every customer you have ever denied a request to. But if

you organize email addresses based off of customers and their respective

industries, you can send out relevant articles and resources that you come

across.

Ask customers to contact you. It’s important that you let customers

know you’re a dedicated support specialist even if you said no to their

requests. If possible, you should be the one to continue to provide them

support in the future; this allows you to continue to build upon an

established relationship. Give customers your name and support email

address, and ask them to reach out should they ever need help for any

reason.

Good Service is Good Business: American Consumers Willing to

Spend More With Companies That Get Service Right, According

to American Express Survey

Service Can Make or Break Brands

•78% of consumers have bailed on a transaction or not made an intended

purchase because of a poor service experience.

•The promise of better customer service is a draw for shoppers: three in

five Americans (59%) would try a new brand or company for a better

service experience.

•Two in five (42%) said companies are helpful but don't do anything

extra to keep their business.

•One in five (22%) think companies take their business for granted.

•Four in five Americans (81%) agree that smaller companies place a

greater emphasis on customer service than large businesses.

The Multiplier Effect

•Americans say they tell an average of nine people about good

experiences, and nearly twice as many (16 people) about poor ones --

making every individual service interaction important for businesses.

•Customers who have a fantastic service experience say friendly

representatives (65%) who are ultimately able to solve their concerns

(66%) are most influential.

Poor Service Leaves Customers Seeing Red...

•More than half of respondents (56%) admit to having lost their temper

with a customer service professional.

•Consumers age 30-49 are the most frequently angered (61%).

•Young people are more patient, with more than half of those age 18-29

saying they've never lost their temper with a service professional (54%).

...And Once They're Angry, Watch Out!

•Americans who have lost their temper due to a poor service experience

will express their displeasure in a host of ways, including insisting on

speaking to a supervisor (74%) and hanging up the phone (44%).

•Perhaps most unsettling for businesses on the receiving end of customer

anger: two in five Americans have threatened to switch to a competitor

(39%).

•Not everyone keeps it clean when dealing with a frustrating service

situation either. Expletives have crossed the lips of 16% of respondents,

with men more likely to use "choice words" (20%) compared with

women (12%).

Common Phrases Are Cringe-worthy

Common Phrase

General Population

Most Annoyed By This

Phrase

Most Irritated Group

"We're unable to answer

your question. Please

call xxx-xxx-xxxx to

speak to a

representative from xxx

team."

27% People age 18-29: 32%

"We're sorry, but we're

experiencing unusually

heavy call volumes. You

can hold or try back at

another time."

27% People age 50+: 34%

"Your call is important

to us. Please continue to

hold."

26% People age 50+: 29%

22 13 12 12 11 10 9 9 8 70

5

10

15

20

25

Average Percentage More That Consumers

Are Willing to Spend With Companies

86 75 73 68 61 61 57 56 51 370

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Consumers Who Have Lost Their Temper With

Customer Service Professional

I appreciate your effort and the time you have taken to go through the

slides. I request you to share your feedback with me at

[email protected].