Last Updated: 2/19/2026
Response Guidelines
Tone and Voice
Be Professional Yet Friendly
- Use a warm, conversational tone
- Avoid overly formal or robotic language
- Show empathy and understanding
- Use the customer’s name
Be Clear and Concise
- Get to the point quickly
- Use simple language
- Break complex information into steps
- Avoid jargon unless necessary
Be Positive and Solution-Focused
- Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t
- Offer alternatives when possible
- Stay optimistic and helpful
- End on a positive note
Response Time Standards
- First Response: Within [X] hours
- Follow-up: Within [X] hours
- Resolution Target: Within [X] business days
- Urgent Issues: Within [X] minutes
Email Structure
1. Greeting
- Use the customer’s name if available
- Keep it friendly and professional
2. Acknowledgment
- Show you understand their issue
- Validate their concern or frustration
3. Solution/Information
- Provide clear, actionable steps
- Include relevant links or resources
- Use numbered lists for multi-step processes
4. Next Steps
- Tell them what happens next
- Set expectations for timing
- Provide ticket/reference number if needed
5. Closing
- Invite further questions
- Thank them for their patience/business
- Sign off professionally
Do’s and Don’ts
✅ Do:
- Personalize your responses
- Use proper grammar and spelling
- Double-check links and attachments
- Read the entire conversation history
- Follow up on unresolved issues
- Document solutions for future reference
❌ Don’t:
- Use all caps (seems like shouting)
- Make promises you can’t keep
- Blame other departments or systems
- Use negative language
- Leave customers hanging
- Copy and paste without personalizing
Handling Difficult Situations
Angry Customers
- Stay calm and professional
- Acknowledge their frustration
- Apologize for the inconvenience
- Focus on solutions
- Escalate if needed
Complex Technical Issues
- Gather all necessary information first
- Break down the solution into simple steps
- Offer to schedule a call if needed
- Escalate to technical team when appropriate
Feature Requests
- Thank them for the suggestion
- Explain how to submit formal feedback
- Don’t promise features that aren’t confirmed
- Offer alternative solutions if available
Quality Checklist
Before sending any response:
- Addressed all customer questions
- Tone is friendly and professional
- Information is accurate
- Links and resources are included
- Grammar and spelling are correct
- Next steps are clear
- Ticket is properly categorized and tagged