Customer support reply templates in your own voice
Your team answers the same 20 questions every day, each person in their own words, and some replies promise things your policy does not allow. This prompt has your agent study your past tickets and policies and write a set of reply templates for the most common situations, with fill-in fields and a version for upset customers.
The prompt
- Write customer support reply templates for [COMPANY NAME], which sells [WHAT YOU SELL]. Read our policies at [POLICY PAGES] and the attached [PAST TICKETS]. Find the 15 most common request types and write one template each, including: order delayed, wrong item, refund request, refund denied (polite), damaged item, password or login problem, bug report, feature request, cancellation, and an angry customer reply. Each template: subject line, reply under 120 words, fields like {first_name} and {order_number}, and an internal note on when to use it and when to escalate. Tone: [TONE]. Never promise anything not in our policy. Deliver a Word document and a CSV with columns name, subject, body, tags, ready to import into [HELP DESK TOOL].
What to change
- [COMPANY NAME]: e.g. "Pebble Audio".
- [WHAT YOU SELL]: e.g. "wireless earbuds online in the EU and UK".
- [POLICY PAGES]: Links to your shipping, returns and warranty pages, or attach them.
- [PAST TICKETS]: Attach an export of recent tickets or emails (CSV or PDF). Remove sensitive data if you prefer.
- [TONE]: e.g. "warm and direct, first names, no corporate phrases".
- [HELP DESK TOOL]: e.g. "Zendesk", "Gorgias", "Help Scout", "Freshdesk" or "Gmail templates".
Example result
- Template 1: Order delayed
- Subject: Your order {order_number} is on its way, a little late
- Hi {first_name},
- Thanks for your patience. Your order {order_number} left our warehouse on {ship_date}, and the carrier now expects to deliver it by {new_date}. You can follow it here: {tracking_link}.
- If it has not arrived by {new_date}, reply to this email and we will send a replacement right away.
- Best,
- {agent_name}
- When to use: carrier delay under 7 days. Escalate if over 7 days or the customer mentions a gift deadline.
- Template 2: Refund request outside 30 days (polite no)
- Subject: About your refund request
- Hi {first_name},
- I checked your order {order_number}. It was delivered on {delivery_date}, which is outside our 30-day return window, so I cannot offer a refund.
- Your earbuds do have a 1-year warranty. If something is not working, tell me what happens and I will get it fixed or replaced.
- Best,
- {agent_name}
- When to use: refund asked after 30 days with no fault. Escalate if the customer mentions a fault or legal rights.
- Template 3: Angry customer
- Subject: I am sorry, let us fix this
- Hi {first_name},
- You are right to be frustrated. {short_summary_of_problem} is not the experience we want for you.
- Here is what I have done: {action_taken}. You will hear from me by {time} with an update, even if the answer is "still working on it".
- {agent_name}
- When to use: any upset message. Acknowledge, act, give a time. Never argue about tone.
- Tips for the team
- • Personalize the first line every time
- • Fields in {braces} must be filled before sending
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and replace the brackets with your company, policies, tone and help desk.
- Paste it into todo.is and attach a ticket export so the templates match real requests.
- Get a Word document to review and a CSV to import as macros or saved replies.
- Ask for more templates or a translated set, e.g. "same 15 in German and French".
Tips for a better result
- Base templates on real tickets. Your agent can count which requests come up most and start there.
- Always leave space for a personal first line. Customers can tell when a reply is 100% canned.
- Add an escalation note to every template so new agents know when to stop and ask.
- Review templates whenever a policy changes; ask your agent to check them against the new policy page.
customer support reply templates: FAQ
- How do I write a good customer support reply? Use the customer's name, answer the question in the first two lines, say exactly what happens next and when, and keep it short.
- How many support templates does a small team need? Ten to twenty usually cover most tickets. Add more only when the same new question keeps coming up.
- How should I reply to an angry customer? Acknowledge the problem without excuses, say what you have done or will do, and give a clear time for the next update.
- Can my agent answer support emails for me? With Google connected it can read Gmail and save reply drafts using these templates. It only sends after you approve.
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