10 Top Examples of Customer Service Emails & Tips to Write Them

Are your customer service emails doing more harm than good?

Emails leave a lot of room for interpretation. This is why good email communication is now a sought-after customer service skill.

Email is one of the top communication channels for discussing product pricing, reporting issues, and getting product help.

It stands to reason that to grow customer loyalty, you need to make your emails crisp, personable, and genuinely helpful. And in 2024, customer retention is critical.

This guide packages actionable advice, strategies, and email templates to elevate your customer experience.

What Are Customer Service Emails?

Customer service emails are email responses from your company that address customer questions, complaints, or feedback.

While primarily managed by customer support teams, these email messages can be handled by other teams, such as marketing, sales, or even product and engineering, based on the information or solution requested.

Types of customer service emails

• Inbound emails: Customers may email a role inbox, such as support@, help@, or contact@, for assistance. These touch points lack the business context associated with their request, and often, a lot of spam comes through these support inboxes.
• Outbound emails: Your customer support team may want to send a follow-up after a phone call, helpdesk ticket, or forwarded internal request. These are typically associated with a customer and sent through a CRM or support platform.
• Transactional emails: A company’s marketing team may send customers a newsletter or special offer. Customers who need immediate help reply to those emails seeking personalized assistance, not realizing the email was sent by “no reply.”

Customers can get in touch with your company in many ways. These include contact forms, phone numbers, chatbots, the help desk, and email addresses mentioned on the company website or social media messages.

We’ve rounded up 10 customer service email templates so you don’t have to write each message cold. These will enable you to assist more customers at scale.

10 Customer Service Email Examples

Now that we’ve seen what goes into making a good customer support email, let’s dive into a few customer service email templates.

1. Welcome and onboarding
2. Follow-ups
3. Order confirmations and updates
4. Complaint resolutions
5. Troubleshooting and technical support
6. Feedback and surveys
7. Negative feedback responses
8. Cancellation acknowledgments
9. Educational outreach
10. Special occasions

1) Welcome and onboarding

The first official communication between you and your new customers often comes in the form of a welcome email. These emails are important to ensure the customer is onboarded correctly.

These introductory emails are typically automated, but that doesn’t mean they need to sound like they came from a robot. The more personal, the better. One way to personalize a welcome email is to send it from a specific person, such as the CEO.

Here’s a sample email template:

Template

2) Follow-ups

Remarkable customer service isn’t just about that first email. Proactively following up is perhaps more important. Unless the customer has explicitly stated that you should never contact them again, follow up until the issue is resolved.

Follow-up emails can be key to customer satisfaction. They let customers know you haven’t put their problems on the back burner but are actively working on a solution.

Here’s a good example:

Template

3) Order confirmations and updates

Most customers appreciate regular updates about the progress of their orders, from the point of purchase to delivery.

However, striking the right balance is crucial — too many emails can be annoying. Based on the nature of your company, identify key milestones in the process that warrant an email update. Remember to keep the tone of the email upbeat and the contents concise.

Check out this template for reference:

Template

4) Complaint resolutions

Addressing customer complaints through email requires finesse, empathy, and creativity. Customer service agents must be able to think on their feet to offer compensation and incentives to pacify unhappy customers.

The aim is to transform dissatisfaction into opportunity and show the customer that you care. Gestures of goodwill are a great way to ensure customers leave the conversation happy and satisfied.

This template can help:

Template

5) Troubleshooting and technical support

It’s not uncommon for support reps to need more information to troubleshoot technical issues. However, it’s important to request that information in a way that the customer understands. Your email shouldn’t appear to blame the customer for not providing the necessary information in the first place.

When a customer asks you a question, they’re already unsure about your product or service. Don’t confuse them further. Give clear answers without industry jargon unless they’ve already used it themselves.

Use this template to craft a quick and effective email:

Template

6) Feedback and surveys

From time to time, you may have to ask your customers for help. Prime examples of this are when you’re looking for customer feedback or seeking information to help you serve them better.

Customer insights can be critical to your company’s future. So, it makes sense to do your best to get those insights. A well-written email can help.

Of course, not everyone will take the time to fill out a survey or provide feedback. You’ll be more successful if you can remind your customers of the value they’ve experienced and show them why it’s in their best interest to respond to you. Learn how to create a Scalable Customer Feedback Loop.

Here’s how to write the email:

Template

7) Negative feedback responses

Emotions can escalate rapidly when a customer is unhappy. However, this situation presents an opportunity to showcase the exceptional quality of your customer service.

Negative feedback, though challenging, is good for your company. It serves as a catalyst for improvement, helping your business to evolve and outshine the competition.

Here’s a template you can tweak:

Template

8) Cancellation acknowledgments

When a customer decides to leave due to negative experiences, use customer service emails to dig deeper. Prove to the customer that your company doesn’t want to lose the customer’s business and is eager to correct whatever went wrong.

If that doesn’t work and the customer insists on leaving, ask them for feedback and use it to improve the product or service. You may be able to win them back in the future.

Here’s how to write this email:

Template

9) Educational outreach

As your company and product continue to evolve, keeping your customers informed about new services, features, and enhancements becomes important.

You can use customer service emails to inform them of new developments while also triggering conversations and opportunities for cross-selling and up-selling.

If a certain feature or enhancement was something the customer previously asked for, make sure to reference this in the email.

Template

10) Special occasions

The best way to make your customers truly feel valued is to remember the details. You can automate customer service emails to hit their inboxes on birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions.

These thoughtful gestures crank up the support experience, making your customer service extra memorable. It can work wonders for customer retention, word-of-mouth promotions, and referrals.

Here’s one to share on your customer’s birthday.

Template

Best Practices for Effective Customer Service Emails

Customer service conversations are often difficult when you’re dealing with customer complaints. Yet, it’s surprisingly easy to write friendly, nuanced, and effective customer service emails if you keep a few key things in mind.

Show empathy

Facing issues when using a product or service is frustrating for customers. When you acknowledge this, it will be easy to write the perfect response to soothe unhappy customers.

Put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Understand the problem and how it impacts them. This helps to validate their feelings of dissatisfaction or anger, establish an emotional connection, and build trust. They’re more likely to trust that you are indeed trying everything in your power to resolve their issues and help them out.

Empathizing with frustrated customers showcases good customer service, putting the customers at ease.

Personalize your emails

The last thing an angry customer needs is a generic email that reads like no one took the time to address their issue. It makes customers feel unimportant and unvalued — exactly the opposite of what customer service emails should do!

So, steer clear of generic greetings such as “Dear Customer.” If, for any reason, you don’t have access to the customer’s name, go for a friendly greeting such as “Hey there,” “Good day,” or “Hello from [your company’s name].”

Add a personal touch by using their name and reiterating their issue to show you know and understand their problem. Personalized emails resonate with customers and make them feel important and valued, assuring them that your company cares about their problems.

Use a conversational tone

It’s easy to misinterpret the tone of emails. What seems professional and helpful to you may come across as curt to the customer. Moreover, technical language, big words, or complicated sentences may confuse and anger the customer more.

When crafting customer service emails, keep your language simple and concise. Share complex information in easy-to-understand steps. Avoid using jargon and niche technical terms unless you’re absolutely sure that the customer knows what you are talking about.

Always remember this: If a sentence doesn’t sound natural when you read it out loud, avoid using it in the email.

Use clear subject lines

Given the sheer volume of emails sent every single day, those with unrelated or misleading subject lines can easily get missed in inboxes.

To ensure your customers never lose track of your customer service emails, write clear, informative subject lines. Ensure that the subject line accurately reflects the email’s contents.

Keep it short and use keywords to help customers find the email at a glance.

Pro Tip: Military personnel use keywords such as Action, Info, Decision, Request, etc., to indicate the purpose of the email. You can create your own framework and use similar keywords to characterize the nature of the email, making communication straightforward and saving customers’ time.

Get to the point quickly

Once the customer has opened your email, they expect to find the solution right at the top.

As tempting as it is to provide a thorough background or context and then present the resolution, cut to the chase. Don’t bury the lead. You may briefly state the purpose of the email in the first paragraph, but don’t overdo it.

In most cases, the trailing paragraphs have more than enough context regarding your conversation, and the customer can refer to those if necessary.

Pro Tip: Use the Bottom Line Up Front method. Provide the most important information first so you can get straight to the point and not waste the customer’s time.

Apologize when necessary

Nothing soothes an irate customer like a genuine, heartfelt apology.

If there’s an error, acknowledge it, and offer a sincere apology. Not only does it show humility, but it also reassures customers that you value their experience and are committed to making things right.

Make sure that you apologize for what happened, not for the customer’s response to it. Think about the difference between “I’m sorry that happened” and “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Show them this is more than just a routine business transaction.

The apology will prime the customer to accept the next steps or solution more positively.

Offer solutions

There’s no substitute for fully solving a customer’s issue to their satisfaction. Without an actionable solution, your apology counts for little.

Be proactive in your email. Show the customer that you have identified their problem and have a solution. Ensure that the solution is presented in a step-by-step, easy-to-understand manner that leaves no room for confusion.

If a solution isn’t handy in a timely fashion, suggest alternative options, resources, or anything else that can help resolve the customer’s issue. If you need more time, communicate this to the customer and keep your word.

Use automation

To get through more customer service requests via email, you can automate the process. However, your automated emails must sound human and be as personalized as possible.

You can save significant time and repetitive effort using canned replies for common issues. To prevent delays or oversights for time-sensitive alerts, try setting up email auto-responders.

You can also categorize emails for priority-based responses and use templates and shortcuts to streamline your email composition process.

These automated tools can help you save time, reduce response time, ensure consistency in communication, and drive up efficiency when handling customer service requests.

Call to action

A clear, concise call to action (CTA) is the hallmark of an excellent customer service email. It tells the customer exactly what to do next.

Craft your CTA to fit the situation. For instance, you can ask the customer if they have any further questions or if they’d like to continue the conversation.

If troubleshooting the issue is possible, the CTA can direct the customer to click on a link to your company’s knowledge base or get them to jump on a call with your customer service team.

A good CTA will nudge the customer to take the next step with as little friction as possible, enhancing the overall customer experience.

Proofread and edit

Typos and errors massively undermine the credibility of your customer service solutions. They make you and the company you represent appear unprofessional.

Before you hit send on your customer service email, make sure everything is on point — spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.

Your message should be accurate and clear, properly formatted, and easy to read. To cut down on chunky text, use bullet points.

Triple-check everything because there’s no room for error when you want to turn a customer’s negative experience into a positive one.

End with gratitude

The adage “Customer is King” survives for a reason. The least customers expect in return is heartfelt gratitude for their business with your company.

Close your customer service emails on a courteous note; express gratitude for their patience and understanding. This is an excellent customer service psychology tip!

Thanking the customer is a minimum requirement. But you can also create a personal connection, offer assistance, and even provide a few key resources to help the customer succeed.

Ending with gratitude shows appreciation for the customer’s time, ensuring a positive customer service experience. It’s also a good opportunity to strengthen customer relationships.

Takeaways for Better Email Communication in Customer Service

When writing customer service emails, always remember to:

• Avoid common pitfalls: Be mindful of spam triggers, unprofessional language, and missed opportunities.
• Leverage data-driven insights: Measure metrics, such as open rates, click rates, etc., to ensure your emails resonate with your audience.
• A/B test and experiment: Test different subject lines and email body copy to continuously improve engagement and brand connection.
• Automate repetitive tasks: Boost efficiency while allowing your team to focus on personalized, meaningful interactions.
• Integrate CRM and email platform: Enhance customer management by providing your team with a consolidated view and streamlined communication across channels.
• Use an omnichannel approach: Create a holistic customer experience strategy that ensures consistency and continuity across various platforms.
• Offer live chat and social media support: Ensure additional avenues for communication by offering customers diverse and convenient options to connect with your company.

Consider a Unified Customer Communication Platform

It’s one thing to have customer service email templates, and it’s another thing to use them effectively. One of the best ways to support your customer service representatives is to equip them with the right tools.

To avoid missteps, try centralizing your business communications with Nextiva’s highly customizable, all-in-one customer help desk. It has everything your team needs to provide amazing customer service across channels.

Regardless of the CX tools and tactics in your arsenal, the best customer service emails are timely and human — the ones that make your customers feel heard, appreciated, and truly understood.

Customer Service Emails FAQs