Meaningful Support Emails

13.10.2017 |

Episode #5 of the course How to win business with memorable customer service by Dream Support

 

Hi everyone! Today, we’ll look at customer support emails, their structure, and examples.

 

Where to Start

All emails share similar structure, so customer-friendly templates are the foundation of your email support. Here are a few tips that can help you craft such templates:

1. Greet your customer. First, you greet them by name. If you don’t know their name, “Hi there!” is appropriate in most cases.

2. Build emotional connection. If the customer is upset—or worse, angry—you should soften them before moving forward. A couple of comforting words, your compassion, and intention to help are your best helpers.

3. Provide answer/solution. If you cannot help right away and need more time to settle the matter, say that the problem is addressed and you will keep them updated.

4. Close your message appropriately. Closing your answer to the customer is an anchor that plants a simple idea in their mind. If they encounter some problem, have any feedback, or just wish to share simple thanks, they are always welcome. Wishing the customer a beautiful day can set his mood onto a positive course and grant you another success story.

Below is an example of an email written according to the above rules.

Dear Robert,

Thank you much for your email.

I’m very sorry about the troubles and frustration you’ve encountered lately. I understand perfectly that this is not the best experience with our company. I’ll do my best to help.

The reason your credit card was charged is that the monthly subscription starts automatically once the trial period ends. I’ll pass your words regarding the way it is set up at the moment to the product managers. We will consider adding a prior email notification or find another workaround to avoid such situations in the future. I’ve also just contacted our billing department and asked if we can extend the trial period for you or provide you a discount, so you can fully test the system out before you decide.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.

Have a good one,

Veronica

 

Most Popular No-Go

While talking to your customers, there are a few things you should avoid:

1. Complicated instructions: Some problems can require a specific array of steps. Your task is to describe that array as clear as possible, adding demonstrative pictures or videos if necessary.

2. Formal vibe: For most businesses, light tone is appropriate. Being respectful yet informal helps you break the ice and create a friendly atmosphere.

3. Businesslike attitude: We all want to look highly professional in the eyes of our customers. But the core of support lies in empathy, so close the distance between you and the problem.

 

How to Improve

To improve your email support, you may streamline it by creating your own saved replies. Today’s support management platforms offer such automation. There are numerous examples of saved replies that you can find online and adapt to your needs. What’s even nicer: With time, you can build up a substantial base of replies that will cover about 90% of all customer emails.

This rounds up today’s lesson. I hope the templates above give you a taste of support emails. Tomorrow, we’ll focus on social media support tips and examples.

See you later!

Valentina

 

Recommended book

The Customer Experience Revolution: How Companies Like Apple, Amazon, and Starbucks Have Changed Business Forever by Jeofrey Bean and Sean Van Tyne

 

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