Top 13 Customer Service Response Templates (General, B2B & B2C)
Jess served on the founding team of a successful B2B startup and has used a wide range of sales and marketing tools over the course of her 15-year career. She uses her industry knowledge to deliver the best answers to your questions about sales tools and sales management.
This article is part of a larger series on Customer Service.
Handling customer service complaints is a sensitive process—if it’s poorly managed, it can result in losing customers and poor reviews or ratings. Your customer service responses should be carefully crafted and organized into templates for every scenario. In this article, we cover best practices for customer service communication and provide free customer service response templates you can use for email and chat channels.
Download all of the templates in this article for your convenience and share them with your support team.
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
General Customer Service Response Templates
These customer service email templates are for common complaints, situations, and circumstances that warrant a well-designed and standardized response. They are applicable for both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) customers and can be tailored to all operational procedures and company policies.
1. Refund Request
This refund email template to customers is for when you are responding to a customer or client request for receiving their money back after a purchase—assuming it falls within your company’s refund or warranty policy. It’s often needed when someone is unhappy with the product or service or has found that it wasn’t a good fit for them.
Subject: [Customer Name’s] Refund Request for/to [Product/Company name]
Dear [customer name],
Thank you for contacting us regarding your refund request on [product/service name]. We take pride in ensuring our [products or services] always meet our customers’ needs.
We are happy to inform you that your refund request falls within our policy and will be in processing upon [# of days or after the customer completes a step such as shipping back the item].
You should expect to see [$] added to (your credit card or bank account) within [# days or # days after the product is shipped back]. In the meantime, feel free to reach out using the contact information below if you have any questions, concerns, or something else I can assist with.
[Rep name, job title]
[Phone number, email address]
[Company web address]
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
2. Product or Service Inquiry
Use this customer service email response when someone has pricing, payment options, or feature questions relating to one of your products or services. While it’s not a negative inquiry, it’s best to respond using the same best practices you would use for a complaint to make sure you fully address their needs and make them feel valued.
Subject: Response to [Product/service name] [Pricing, payment, or feature] Question
Dear [customer name],
Thank you for contacting us regarding your [pricing, payment, or feature] question for [product/service name]. We take pride in providing customers with the best answers to their questions.
Option 1: To answer your specific question, the [product/service name] costs [details on price amount and/or pricing method].
Option 2: To answer your specific question, the payment (plans or methods) we accept for [product/service name] include [list of payment plans or payment channels accepted].
Option 3: To answer your specific question, [product/service name] includes [features, product usability attributes, customer experience elements, etc.]. [Description of how those features can provide value or meet a specified need by the customer].
I hope that answers your questions! In the meantime, feel free to reach out using the contact information below if you have any other questions, concerns, or something else I can assist with.
[Rep name, job title]
[Phone number, email address]
[Company web address]
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
3. Billing Error
A billing error on your end could mean the customer was overcharged for something or they have been invoiced for more than they owe. Regardless, this situation is sensitive because your firm could be perceived as having malicious intent by trying to charge more than necessary, even if it was an honest processing mistake. The billing error response template requires an apology and a plan to make reparations and preserve the relationship.
Subject: Response to [Customer name] Billing Error
Dear [customer name],
Thank you for contacting us regarding the recent billing error. We sincerely apologize for the mistake and hope to remediate the issue as quickly as possible.
After a quick investigation, we found that [brief explanation on why the error took place].
To fix the problem, I have [brief explanation on how the issue was fixed], and you should see the [$] excess amount refunded in [# days] or an updated invoice posted on your account.
In addition to resolving the billing issue, we’d like to offer you [product trial, discount, points, etc.], redeemable through this link.
Feel free to reach out using the contact information below if you have any other questions, concerns, or something else I can assist with.
[Rep name, job title]
[Phone number, email address]
[Company web address]
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
4. Poor Online Review
Too many poor online reviews, commonly seen on Google and Facebook, can be detrimental to a business. Forty percent of customers say they will not work with a business with negative reviews, and only 13% will consider a business with an average of one or two stars.
Negative reviews by angry customers must be managed with a solid customer reply on the review page’s comment section, instead of an email, in hopes that they might give you another chance and take the negative review down.
Hello, [customer name]. I just read your review and am very sorry for your recent experience. My name is [rep name], [job title] at [company name], and I thank you for bringing this to my attention.
I’d love the opportunity to gather more insights to improve our [service or whatever the review complaint was about] and ensure this situation never happens to other customers. If you provide more details in this link or would like to contact me directly, we can discuss this further.
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
5. Positive Online Review
In contrast to addressing a poor review, it’s just as important to give credit for positive reviews to encourage more customers to continue posting them. Sixty-eight percent of customers will deal with a business exclusively because of positive reviews, so stay on the lookout for pleasant comments about your business and reply to them directly.
Hello, [customer name], and thank you so much for posting your kind review! We always strive to take positive feedback in hopes of replicating it for all our customers.
My name is [rep name], [job title] at [company name], and I’d love the opportunity to gather more insights into what made your experience wonderful so that we can give credit to our staff where credit is due. If you could provide more details on [something they said regarding their experience] in this link or would like to contact me directly, we can discuss this further.
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
6. Customer Issue Resolution
To gain closure on a case, customer complaint, or issue, communicate with a message that confirms it’s been resolved. You typically would use this sample customer support email or live chat message after closing cases, such as refunding a purchase, fixing a billing error, or sending a new or correct product to your customer.
Subject: [Customer Name’s] Issue Has Been Resolved
Dear [customer name],
Thank you for contacting us regarding your [issue type] and remaining patient during this process. We take pride in ensuring prompt customer service resolution for our customers.
We are happy to inform you that your [issue type] has been fully resolved, and we [explanation of what you did to resolve the issue].
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Feel free to reach out using the contact information below if you have any questions, concerns, or something else I can assist with.
[Rep name, job title]
[Phone number, email address]
[Company web address]
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
7. Website or App Down Complaint
This modern-day complaint is common for software as a service (SaaS) businesses or firms that rely on their websites for the customer experience, such as ecommerce or online financial services companies. Typically for this situation, you need to stall and keep your customers calm until the software development teams can find the root cause of the issue and get the online service back up and running.
Subject: [Customer Name’s] Online Service Down
Dear [customer name],
Thank you for bringing this problem to our attention. We have had a few others report similar issues and have our development team on the case.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and expect to have the [website, online service, or application] up and running within [time duration].
Feel free to reach out using the contact information below if you have any questions, concerns, or something else I can assist with.
[Rep name, job title]
[Phone number, email address]
[Company web address]
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
Pro tip: Excellent customer support requires availability on many channels to meet each person’s communication needs. Customer relationship management (CRM) products such as Zoho CRM are well-known for their omnichannel communication capabilities. Leads and customers can reach out to your teams through social media, email, telephone, and live chat. There are also self-service portal options, web conferencing, and the choice to receive inquiries through your web pages.
B2C Customer Service Response Templates
These are the best customer support response templates for responding to customer issues specific to B2C. Though they can be used in B2B sales, these circumstances are most common when dealing with individual consumers because they don’t have dedicated account managers (something common in B2B situations) to address questions and guide them through the buying process.
8. Customer Didn’t Receive Product
After the expected delivery date passes or the customer receives a notification that their package was delivered, they will likely be frustrated if nothing ends up arriving. No matter the cause and assuming the complaint is legitimate, quickly reassure them you found out the reason they didn’t receive anything. For instance, the package may have been sent to the wrong address or lost in transit, in which case you can then acknowledge you’re sending another one immediately.
Subject: [Customer Name’s] Product Replacement
Dear [customer name],
Thank you for bringing this problem to our attention. We are so sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
After researching the matter, we found the package didn’t arrive because [the reason the product wasn’t delivered]. To resolve the issue, we have shipped out a replacement of [product name] that we expect to arrive [estimated arrival date] and can be tracked using the tracking number link here.
In addition to resolving the billing issue, we’d like to offer you [product trial, discount, points, etc.] redeemable through this link. Feel free to reach out using the contact information below if you have any questions, concerns, or something else I can assist with.
[Rep name, job title]
[Phone number, email address]
[Company web address]
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
9. Wrong Product Received
The only thing that might be worse than not getting your product is receiving the wrong one. It’s essential in these scenarios to be specific as to what the customer needs to do to resolve the issue. For instance, you might need them to ship back the incorrect item, and in this case, you must provide details on how to do that. Alternatively, some companies allow the customer to keep the product free of charge to smooth out their relationship with them.
Subject: [Customer Name’s] Wrong Product Received
Dear [customer name],
Thank you for bringing this problem to our attention. We are so sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
After researching the matter, we found the package didn’t arrive because [the reason the wrong product was received].
Option 1: To resolve the issue, we ask that you ship back the incorrect item by following these instructions [describe how to send it back].
Once we receive the [incorrect product name], we will ship out the correct product, which you should receive within [time duration] days.
Option 2: Since the error was on our end, feel free to keep the [incorrect product name]. We’ve shipped out the correct [product name], which we expect to arrive [estimated arrival date] and can be tracked using the tracking number link here.
In addition to resolving this issue, we’d like to offer you [product trial, discount, points, etc.] redeemable through this link. Feel free to reach out using the contact information below if you have any questions, concerns, or something else I can assist with.
[Rep name, job title]
[Phone number, email address]
[Company web address]
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
10. Answers to FAQs
Once businesses become more established, they begin seeing a pattern of similar questions submitted by customers. This prompts them to add a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page on their websites and marketing materials to address those particular inquiries. One issue, however, is when customers aren’t aware a FAQs page exists. They might submit a specific FAQ—requiring you to give an answer while politely guiding them to resource pages for reference.
Subject: [Customer Name’s] Question on [what they asked about]
Dear [customer name],
Thank you for reaching out regarding [topic of questions].
We get this question quite often, and here’s our best answer:
[Answer question.]
For additional information and answers to common questions, I invite you to check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page using this link.
I hope this helped, and feel free to reach out using the contact information below if you have any questions, concerns, or something else I can assist with.
[Rep name, job title]
[Phone number, email address]
[Company web address]
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
B2B Customer Service Email Templates
In B2B sales, the customer experience looks much different because there are often dedicated account managers to assist. There are also typically more complex product or service delivery processes that could open up an organization to unique complaints that require technical or professional knowledge.
For instance, how a consulting or professional service was delivered, a software platform performed, or tangible deliverable like a piece of content was developed all create technically specific complaints. These demand more specialty skills from a B2B customer service rep compared to a B2C rep. These generic customer service response templates are designed for common scenarios in the B2B world.
11. Negative Experience With Account Manager
An account manager should be the go-to point of contact for a particular client. But sometimes, a customer may experience having an unresponsive account manager who can’t assist with their needs or is incompetent in their role. So, when they contact the customer service department complaining about their dedicated account rep, your service team must have a solid response lined up.
Subject: [Customer Name’s] Issues with Account Manager
Dear [customer name],
Thank you for reaching out regarding the [issue type] with your account manager.
We are very sorry for any inconvenience this person has caused you thus far. We’re ready to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. If you could provide more details in this link or would like to respond to this message directly, we can discuss this further and ensure this problem doesn’t become a recurring issue.
In the meantime, we are prepared to transfer your account responsibilities to [new account manager name], pending your approval. [Account manager name] has a proven record of [attributes or positive experience] in providing our clients with top-tier support.
I hope this helped, and feel free to reach out using the contact information below if you have any questions, concerns, or something else I can assist with.
[Rep name, job title]
[Phone number, email address]
[Company web address]
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
12. B2B Product or Service Process Error/Mistake
As mentioned previously, B2B products and services tend to be more complex in the production and delivery process compared to B2C. In B2C, for instance, it could be as simple as a person ordering clothes online and getting them delivered to their door. The amount of data, information by the client, and professional expertise required in B2B solutions open them up to unique risks they need to be prepared to respond to.
Subject: [Customer Name’s] Issues with [product or service name]
Dear [customer name],
Thank you for reaching out regarding the [issue type or problem] with [software, product, or service name].
We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused your business and are ready to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
After looking into it further, we discovered the [system error, processing error, service mistake, etc.] resulted from [what caused the issue]. This is a common occurrence in our industry and not one we take lightly.
Option 1: To fix the issue, we’ll need [something or a piece of information] from you. Please upload [information, data, documents, etc.] by [describe how they can send you the items needed].
Option 2: We are happy to say we have fixed the problem by [explanation on how it was fixed]. (You or We) should now be able to [explain what you or the customer can now do as a result of fixing the problem].
I hope this helped. Feel free to reach out using the contact information below if you have any questions, concerns, or something else I can assist with.
[Rep name, job title]
[Phone number, email address]
[Company web address]
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
13. Resources & Knowledge Base Questions
Similar to how B2C businesses use a FAQs page on their websites, firms that sell software or web applications tend to use a dedicated FAQs section within a knowledge base page. These resources generally include tutorials, videos, community forums, and sometimes a company-sponsored academy, all with information regarding how to use the specific software. This template is for when a user submits a question or complains about information found in the knowledge base.
Subject: [Customer Name’s] Knowledge Base Question
Dear [customer name],
Thank you for reaching out regarding [topic of questions].
We get this question quite often, and here’s our best answer:
[Answer question.]
For additional information on [application or online service name], I invite you to check out our knowledge base page using this link. There are detailed tutorials, a community forum, FAQs pages, videos, and product documentation that can help you navigate through all the features, integrations, and use cases.
I hope this helped. Feel free to reach out using the contact information below if you have any questions, concerns, or something else I can assist with.
[Rep name, job title]
[Phone number, email address]
[Company web address]
Thank you for downloading!
💡 Quick Tip:
Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive cases and complaints from customers, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress.
View performance metrics such as the percentage of cases resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution on the Salesforce Service dashboard.
Customer Service Response Best Practices
It doesn’t matter why someone is reaching out to your service team or the type of relationship (B2C or B2B) there is. You must ensure you’re controlling the situation while also giving respect to your customers. Here are some best practices to follow when using our customer service response templates and engaging with customers:
- Keep customers reassured with a plan of action: In your response, make sure you lay out what you’re doing and what the customer can do to solve the problem. Include time estimates, action steps, and contact information with whom they can communicate for questions or concerns.
- Maintain a “customer is always right” mentality: Despite your feelings toward the matter, it’s essential to remain sympathetic to the customer, specifically when responding to negative inquiries. Always apologize, take responsibility, and avoid any responses that make it seem as if the customer is to blame and frustrate them further.
- Directly reference the inquiry: Somewhere in the message or subject line, indicate exactly what the customer’s issue, complaint, or compliment was to confirm you’re responding to their specific need.
- Thank customers to control the conversation: Manage any potential narrative created from a poor customer experience by treating each inquiry as a chance to improve rather than take offense to the claim. Start each response by thanking the customer for bringing the issue to your attention, as it serves as a new insight to improving the solutions you provide.
As a top priority for evaluating an organization, 52% of customers seek out top-notch customer service to determine who they’ll do business with. Therefore, throughout customer service communications and support processes, it’s recommended that you track each inquiry and case management performance with a CRM system.
Pro tip: Products such as Salesforce offer centralized modules to receive customer cases and complaints, assign them to reps, and track their remediation progress. Additionally, customer service managers can view performance metrics, such as the percentage of issues resolved or escalated and the average time to resolution, on the Salesforce service dashboard.
Bottom Line
Diligent customer service management is critical to the success of a business in terms of new business sales and retained revenue. With these downloadable customer service response templates and best practices, you can ensure every situation has an effective, ready-to-go response plan to boost customer satisfaction. While most of the templates available are for generic use, the B2C and B2B ones are applicable to common scenarios specific to those respective industries.
