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Customer Service
15 Sample Email Templates for Customer Service
August 30, 2021
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12:00 am
EST

Nikoletta Bika
Nikoletta Bika
Content Marketer & Writer
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Customer service agents respond to a wide range of queries – but
thankfully, most questions aren’t unheard of. Agents don’t need to
reinvent the wheel for every question about pricing, software set
up, troubleshooting, or any other common problem. Instead, they
can use customer service email templates to cut response times
and provide consistent service.

But, building a library of templates that is both effective and easily

modifiable takes time in itself. That’s why we wrote these
customer service email templates for you, based on 15 different
scenarios, so you can choose and tailor them as needed.

First, here’s some advice on how to write customer service emails

Every great act of customer service has a few key things in
common. Before responding to customers via any channel, make
sure you’ve:

Understood what they’re saying. Hold off on replying until you’ve

carefully read what the customer wrote. Do they have an issue or
a question? Are they frustrated or concerned? Be sure to
understand what they’re saying and where they’re coming from.
Sometimes this might mean reading between the lines and
intuiting problems not specifically documented.
Empathized with their situation. This can often be hard to do when
reading aggressive (or passive-aggressive) messages. But
offering excellent service means taking a step back and putting
yourself in your customer’s shoes. They may not always be right,
but this approach will help you address customers genuinely —
and they’ll remember that.
Gathered all the information you need. Mark Twain once famously
said, “'It isn’t what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's
what you know for sure that just isn’t so.” Make sure you fully
understand the situation before hitting “send.” For example, if a
customer is having a problem with a new feature, you haven’t
learned yet, consult a product expert on your team to get the
rundown.
If you can't understand or need more info, ask. You don't have to
always reply with an answer, you can also reply with a question. If
you don't fully understand what the customer is asking or if you
need their information to check the issue, tell them – it's better
than guessing and getting it wrong.
This advice will help you create effective responses. Some other
tips for customer service:
Address your customer by name
Look up the customer’s role in their company, if needed, to
respond with the right information
Be friendly, but measured
Include links and references (if appropriate)
Follow up on your initial response
If these seem like a lot, don’t worry – that’s what templates are
for. By customizing the ready-made text, you can both achieve a
personalized approach while reducing the burden of finding the
right words from scratch. Here are our customer service email
templates.

15 samples of customer service email templates

The customer service email templates below contain guidelines
on tone and structure appropriate for different scenarios. Any
words included in brackets are placeholder text you can replace
with what makes sense for your business (or remove altogether if
it doesn’t apply to you). Whenever you see these symbols { } it
means you should add a link over that text.

Also, we have included ideas for subject lines where appropriate.

Keep in mind that writing subject lines that’ll make people click is
a science that often requires some testing, but you can draw
ideas from our examples below.

Check out our list of 15 proven customer service email templates:

Responding to a frustrated customer who churned
Responding to a customer who churned on good terms
Responding to a frustrated customer who’s asking for a resolution
Responding to a customer complaint
Providing the answer to a customer issue or query
Following up with a customer email
Onboarding email to new customers
Informing a customer about a renewal opportunity
Informing a customer about their contract having expired
Checking in with a new customer
Thanking a customer for positive feedback
Asking for customer feedback on a purchase
Requesting a customer fill out a CSAT
Refusing a discount request
Exploring the possibility of content collaboration
Responding to a frustrated customer who churned (apology)
Mistakes happen, and sincerely apologizing to a customer after
an inconvenience is a great way to maintain a relationship while
acknowledging their frustration.

These emails should show empathy and understanding while

remaining respectful and honest.
Hi [Customer name],

Thanks for reaching out. Satisfying our customers is very

important to us and I’m sorry we couldn't meet your requirements.
I fully respect your decision and can only apologize for any
problems your business experienced.

[I’ve arranged for a refund and asked our account management

team to take care of any paperwork necessary.]

Should you change your mind, I’ll be here to help you any way I
can.

Take care,
[Your name]
Responding to a customer who churned on good terms
If you’re parting on good terms, don’t burn any bridges – after all,
customers may return down the line. Be friendly and take steps to
keep in touch.

Hi [Customer name],

On behalf of my team, we’re all sad to see you go. We’re pleased
to have collaborated with you all this time and hope our services
were useful.
I hope we’ll stay in touch and get to work together again in the
future. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback and suggestions
to help us improve, even from afar.

Best of luck!

[Your name]

Responding to a frustrated customer who’s asking for a resolution

These emails should reassure the customer and provide
adequate help. Focus on getting the issue resolved.

Hi [Customer name],

I’m sorry for the trouble you’ve been having with [this feature]. My
team and I are doing everything we can to resolve this as fast as
possible. [Include steps you are taking, if applicable.]
In order to support you through this, I need some information from
you. Could you tell me [important information]?

Meanwhile, here are some actions you can take that may resolve
the issue: [state actions like restart, resubmit, etc.]. If these don’t
work, I’ll get back to you [within one business day] with an
alternative solution.

[Your name]

Responding to a customer complaint

This is often difficult to respond to without getting defensive – but
you must resist! Be respectful and understanding and make sure
to follow through with the complaint.

Hi [Customer name],

I’m very sorry you had this experience. It’s always important for us
to [address a company value here, e.g. respond quickly to our
customers.] [Address the heart of the complaint, e.g. “Having
made you wait an hour on hold is unacceptable.”]
I’ve passed this on to my team – we’ll make sure we get better as
we grow and learn. [We appreciate your time, and we’ve applied a
$5 discount off your next purchase.] Thank you for your patience
and let me know if I can help in any way.

I apologize again for any inconvenience.

[Your name]

Providing the answer to a customer issue/query

The tone of this email should be positive – you’re able to provide
good news, after all. Make sure you clarify any details and ask the
customer if they need anything more.

Hi [Customer name],

Thanks for reaching out! I have an answer to your question about

[topic].

[Detail your answer, providing helpful insight into why an issue

happened or background on company info].
If you have any more questions or come across any other issue,
let me know, I’ll be happy to help.

Have a great day,

[Your name]

Following up with a customer email

It’s important to follow up whenever possible. You don’t need
more than a couple of lines to show customers that you care
about their experience with your product or service.

Hi [Customer name],

Hope you’re doing great. I wanted to check in with you regarding

the issue you had the other day. Was it resolved? Do you need
any additional help? I’d be happy to assist you in any case.
Have a great day,

[Your name]

Onboarding email to new customers

This email should be enthusiastic so as to set the tone for your
collaboration with the customer. You’ll also want to reassure the
customer that they’ve made the right choice and help them get up
to speed quickly.

Ensure the customer onboarding process is streamlined, simple,

and easy.

Here are some subject line ideas to draw from:

Example 1: Hi [Customer name]! Get started with [Your company]

Example 2: Welcome to [Your company/product/service],
[Customer name]! See your first steps

Hi [Customer name],

It’s great to have you here, thanks for choosing us! I’ll be your
guide during this onboarding period. As we learn more about one
another, my goal is to ensure you have a positive experience and
get the most out of our [product/service].

I’ve attached a [slide deck, PDF, brochure, chart] mapping out the
steps of your onboarding. As a first step, please {follow these
instructions} to customize your account. Also, here are some
resources you might find useful:

Product Webinar: We’re hosting a live webinar for our customers

on [Date]. Our agenda will include a quick overview of useful
features and a Q&A by our [VP of Customer Success]. Register
{here}!

Resources: Visit our {Blog and Help Center} for detailed

information, tutorials, and advice.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me or my colleagues if you have

any questions.
Cheers!

[Your name]

Informing a customer about a renewal opportunity

This email can be sent by an account manager or another
employee responsible for renewals. It serves as a reminder but
can also help the customer decide to renew if they’ve been on the
fence. If there’s any way to create a sense of urgency, go for it.

Here are some subject line ideas to draw from:

Example 1: [Customer name], want to keep using [Your service]?

Example 2: Your [contract/subscription] is expiring soon

Hi [Customer name],

We’d like to thank you for using our product for the past [year] and
hope we’ve made a difference for you. We’ve been excited to help
you hit your milestones in [boosting sales, creating greater
efficiencies] on your team.
Your contract is expiring in [two weeks] and I wanted to check in
with you about next steps. If you’re considering renewing or
upgrading your contract with us, I’d be happy to walk you through
the details. [If you renew before the end of this week, you can
benefit from our one-time discount for existing customers].

Depending on your current needs, we can also schedule a short

demo, so you can see the recent improvements we’ve made and
how they can be useful to you.

Feel free to schedule a call with me by clicking on {this link} or

replying to this email. Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Thanks,
[Your name]
Informing a customer about their contract having expired
This email should be mostly informative, but also make sure the
customer knows they can renew their contract.

The subject line could be similar to the renewal opportunity

template:

Example 1: [Customer name], want to renew [Your service]?

Example 2: Your [contract/subscription] has expired, here’s what

to do
Hi [Customer name],

Thank you for using our product for the past [year]. Your contract
expired on [Date] and you no longer have access to your account.

If you’d like to renew or upgrade your contract, please let me

know. We can complete the renewal process in [two business
days], restore your access and get you up and running again.
Feel free to book a call with me by clicking on {this link}.

Thanks,
[Your name]
Checking in with a new customer
This email could be part of your account management efforts.
Your goal will be to make sure the customer knows how to use
the product, is aware of any improvements or new features, and
feels that you’re there to answer any questions.
Here are some subject line ideas to draw from:

Example 1: [Customer name], how do you find [Your service] so

far?

Example 2: [Customer name], can we help you with anything?

Hi [Customer name],

Hope you’re well. I’m checking in to see if you have any questions
or need any help with our product. We’ve added quite a few
features lately and I know it might be difficult to keep track of all
our releases. I’d be happy to show you the ropes and address any
queries you may have.

As a reminder, here’s a {link} to our Knowledge Base where you

can find more information about our product and company at any
time.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Thanking a customer for positive feedback

If you have customers who go out of their way to tell you how
satisfied they are, you should take notice. Respond to their
positive feedback enthusiastically and encourage them to share
their review with the outside world. If it’s your company’s policy,
you can also give out a gift or discount.

Dear [Customer name],

Thank you so much for your feedback, you put a big smile on our
faces! Our team is hard at work trying to continuously improve our
[product/service] and it’s always rewarding to hear kind words.
We love that you love us :)

I don’t mean to impose on you, but if you have some time, could
you share your impressions on social media or write a review?
We have a presence on {link to review sites} and we’d really
appreciate it if you could support us there.

Thanks again
[Your name]
Asking for customer feedback on a purchase
This is common in both B2B and ecommerce, as you want to
make sure that your customer is satisfied with their purchase –
and the experience as a whole. Be friendly and give customers a
way to provide feedback.

Here are some subject line ideas to draw from:

Example 1: Regarding your recent [purchase/order]

Example 2: [Customer name], is your [purchase/order] to your

liking?
Hi [Customer name],

Thank you for your purchase with us. Your order should have
arrived by now and we hope everything went well. Feel free to
inform us about any delays or problems you might have faced –
we want to make sure you’ve had a good experience. [You can
reply to this email or contact support@yourcompany.com.]

We have one small favor to ask: could you fill out {this survey}
about your purchasing experience? Feedback makes us better
and we welcome any concerns or suggestions. If you’re happy
with our service, please tell us, too!

You can also share your opinion of us on {review site}.

Thanks for your time and have a great day,

[Your name]

Requesting a customer fill out a CSAT

This email is meant for return customers or customers who have
long-term contracts or subscriptions. Your customer success team
may have different ways of asking customers to fill out these
surveys – sending an email is a good option for mass emails or
for offering coupons or other gifts for every completed survey.
Here are some subject line ideas to draw from:

Example 1: [Customer name], do you have advice for us?

Example 2: A [5% discount] for your thoughts

Hi [Customer name],

Hope all is well! You’ve been using our [product/service] for the
past [four months] and I’d like to ask if you could provide some
feedback on your experience. Meeting our customers’ needs is a
priority for us and we always strive to get better at it.

That’s why we’d appreciate it if you could fill out this {survey}. We
realize this takes a little time, so we offer a [$10 Amazon
coupon/5% discount for the rest of the year/etc.] to all our
customers who complete it.

Let me know if you have any questions, I’d be happy to answer

them.

Thanks for your time,

[Your name]
Refusing a discount request

This is a tough one. When customers ask for discounts, they have
high hopes of getting them. Refusing may have an impact on
customer satisfaction, so you need to deliver the news with tact
and offer another option (approved by the appropriate person) if
you can.

Hi [Customer name],

I’m getting back to you regarding the discount you mentioned in

your last email. Unfortunately, we can’t give out a discount on
your current plan, as it’s already our best value package.

But, if you’d like to upgrade your plan to take advantage of more

features and licenses, we can give you a 15% discount until the
end of the year].

Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Let me know if there’s anything

else I can assist you with.

Thanks,
[Your name]

Exploring the possibility of content collaboration

Case studies, interviews with customers, joint webinars, or events
are good ways to strengthen relationships with existing customers
and attract new ones. The emails you’ll send may depend on your
level of familiarity with this person. Let’s assume for this template
that you’ve never spoken with this person before but you know
the topic that they’re experts in.

Here are some subject line ideas to draw from:

Example 1: Question about your insights on [subject matter]

Example 2: Would you be interested in a [joint webinar/content

collaboration]?

Hi [Customer name],

I’m [Your name] and I work as [Head of Content] in [your

company]. I learned [from the Account Manager/Customer
Success team/by studying your company story] that you have an
interesting insight on [topic]. I think this is a fascinating issue that
many people would enjoy reading about.
This gave me the idea of doing an [ebook] where we’ll talk about
[topic] and provide advice for other companies. Our team could do
the writing based on our research and your insights. This [ebook]
would be promoted across both our networks.

What do you think? We can have a call some time this week to
discuss and bounce ideas off each other.

Looking forward to collaborating with you.

Thanks,

[Your name]

We hope you find these 15 best customer service email templates

useful.