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Think email customer service has gone out of fashion? Think again! Email has remained one of the most trustworthy communication channels for over 30 years. Even with the uprising of instant messaging tools, usually powered by AI, speed is not always the MVP of customer experience.
Forrester's 2024 research found that companies investing in robust email support systems see a 20% higher ROI compared to those focusing solely on other channels. In other words, efficient email support leads to faster resolutions and higher customer retention rates for businesses who know how to maneuver it correctly.
Zendesk's Customer Experience Trends Report 2024 also shows that email customer service has an 85% issue resolution rate, which is higher than social media (70%) and live chat (79%). This is a clear indicator that email is overly preferred in resolving complex customer issues.
In Helpware, we are strong believers that email customer service is a crucial part of a well-rounded, result-driven CX strategy. The following guide will walk you through the current state of email customer support, and provide you with practical examples of how you can master this ever-reliable channel.
What Is Email Customer Service?
Email customer service is not a new concept for CX professionals. In simple terms, it means following up on all your customer's questions, feedback, or complaints via email. This has allowed companies to resolve issues in a practical, easily traceable matter while offering effective support through multiple, organized touchpoints.
Sure, other messaging tools like WhatsApp or social media DMs have proven their effectiveness in providing effective real-time solutions, but when it comes to not urgent conversations, email remains one of the most professional and well-structured communication channels out there.
How to Write Captivating Customer Service Emails?
Like many other aspects of customer service, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to writing resourceful customer service emails. That said, there are several aspects that can be integrated into your crafting (besides inspiration and a good cup of coffee) that will make your messages stand out from the inbox.
By incorporating the following characteristics into your emails, you'll not only be addressing the customer's needs, but also making them feel heard, understood, and valued:
Professionalism: A polite and respectful tone always helps to reflect your company's voice and values positively, even when addressing complaints. Affirmative language is a powerful tool that helps to create an open atmosphere for discussion
Empathy: Customer emails should be able to demonstrate a genuine interest in understanding the customer's situation and concerns.
Clarity: Solutions must be provided in a straightforward, easy-to-understand manner. This also means sharing links, guides, and other documents that aim to solve your client's needs in the most efficient way possible.
Personalization: Addressing the customer by name is a must. Plus, whenever your support representatives also introduce themselves with their names and roles, they are paving the road to cultivate close relationships.
Timeliness: Prompt responses are a green flag when it comes to demonstrating the effectiveness of your customer support team. You can always include a footer that indicates your team's answering hours, or outsource a round-the-clock team of CX agents to answer your client's call at any moment.
Problem-solving: Practical, actionable solutions all day, every day. Of course, there will be many cases in which the problem can't be solved immediately. In such scenarios, your support teams should be able to explain the necessary steps that need to be taken to resolve the issue.
Why Email Remains King of Support
Customer service emails are vital for maintaining a healthy relationship with your most important clients. They don't only offer a cost-effective support channel but are also valuable assets that help you enhance your brand reputation and boost your customer retention metrics.
It wouldn't be fair to put email against other marvelous customer service options such as voice (phone) assistance, live chat support, or advanced chatbot support integrations, as each of them holds its own set of pros and cons.
Businesses should be able to recognize and integrate the customer support alternatives that would benefit their clients the most. However, the following list of email support characteristics provides a solid explanation of why it remains one of the most resourceful communication channels even after all these years:
It's Your VIP Pass to Customer Connection
Email support is like the Swiss Army knife of customer experience. Companies can very easily pin clients with engaging information on how they can solve their problems more efficiently. That smooth back-and-forth messaging is a great way to create an intimate bond with your clients without forcing them to be glued to their phones.
Email supports data privacy
Nowadays, there are a few things more important for clients than making sure companies respect their valuable data. The email inbox tray is like a safe, and users hold the combination. They are in control of how, when, and to whom they forward their responses.
It takes customer experience to the next level
Personalized email support means so much more than using someone's first name in the opening line. Processing the data out of every query solved, not only through email but through every single chat response, helps you get the complete picture of your client's relationship with your company. This information enables your staff to continue weaving a bonding history with real people.
Email leaves a digital footprint
Most email providers deploy very efficient filing and searching integrations on their dashboards. This helps both clients and CX providers to dive into the message chain to quickly locate any meaningful piece of information that could automatically clarify any foggy situation.
Email support enables detailed documentation
Email customer service offers a safe option to add as much evidence as the clients need to illustrate their issues. Screenshots, images, videos, audio, you name it. Moreover, your customers can access their own copy of the conversation as well. It's like having a customer service receipt in your pocket at all times.
It supports communication on any level
Do you need to share your support process with your other team members? Done! There's nothing more simple than forwarding an entire chain of back-and-forth messages to all the contacts you need. While it may sound a little too obvious, this single feature can become a huge asset when it comes to creating briefings, guidelines, and other meaningful resources for your team.
Customer service email is tech-friendly
We are living in a state of hyperconnectivity. For that reason, companies need to work with all the digital tools that would benefit their decision-making processes. When it comes to email support, it is one of the most standard integration options for all major customer relationship management (CRM) platforms out there. This makes email a rich ingredient that could match the flavor of every customer support omnichannel strategy.
Email is an inexhaustible source of data
Data has become the fuel that skyrockets businesses. When you mix your email support service with data-processing tools, it is possible to recognize patterns that would remain invisible without such applications. Through data-powered email customer support, your CX team will be able to provide the perfect solution at all times, thanks to the integration of your customer's history with your brand into their decision-making.
Best Practices for Writing Customer Service Emails
As mentioned before, customer service email examples go wide and far. Instead of adapting an out-of-the-blue email customer support strategy, companies should focus on learning to identify what their customers want through their responses and interactions.
Helpware has earned its place as a leader in the international business process outsourcing industry. With more than 8 years of CX mastery and serving over 300 partners from all backgrounds and industries, we are the first ones to recognize the positive impact of customer service emails. Therefore, we want to suggest you integrate the following tips into your email support strategy:
Don’t make your customers wait
Email is not as slow as some people think. Customers can take their time in replying, but companies must be ever-ready to fire useful answers. Jeff Toister, the customer service guru, says you've got under an hour to hit that reply button.
Provide prompt solutions
The objective of customer service is to solve problems completely and quickly. Companies should always strive to deliver email customer service that makes customers feel appreciated, no matter how complex their issues may be.
Keep email support simple
Instead of prolonging any interactions under the disguise of customer delight, providing straight answers to questions is the core of this CX channel. Customer service teams should mainly focus on handling the users 'needs in the most practical way.
Infuse that human touch we all deserve
In some cases, acknowledging the problem with honest care is more important than the solution itself. Showing empathy to customers not only demonstrates that you are taking their problems seriously, but that the company is also actively invested in solving them. Customer service teams should realize that the customer’s relationship with the company may already be at risk when reaching out. Any further inaction or lack of empathy can damage it.
Create customer service response templates
It is likely that your CX team will face very similar situations time after time. For that reason, it becomes quite useful to craft email responses that take care of the most common issues related to your product or service. This way, it is possible to trigger immediate responses that, if written correctly, will have enough room to add that personal touch to match each situation.
10 Best Customer Service Email Examples
While each email enables a unique opportunity to connect with your customers, email support professionals know well how to blend automatized templates with specialized, human-touched interactions. Having explored the key elements of an effective customer support email, let's take a closer look at some practical templates that can elevate your customer service communications.
1) Onboarding emails
First impressions count! Every time to get the chance to welcome a new customer, a warm greeting can make all the difference. Such email templates should only require a few edits to become 100% personalized. A "Dear customer, we're happy to have you on board" message is like a virtual handshake that will make your customers feel appreciated from the very start.
2) Update emails
Order confirmations are important. Pick the best moments to notify your clients about major purchase highlights. Keep a concise tone through every pin, and provide explicit information on how much time you will need to deliver the purchased product to their doorstep.
3) Follow-up emails
No stone should be left unturned, and no email should be left without a proper answer. Rely on your data processing tools to pinpoint the 5 – 10 most common conflicts your clients may face in the short, medium, and long terms. This wisdom helps you to write complete email resolution step-by-step instructions you can submit immediately once a user hits you with that unique request chat.
4) Troubleshooting emails
Keep your technical support emails as simple as possible. This service email template is correlated to the follow-up strategy: By highlighting the most common processes your customers have to go through, you can create troubleshooting guides, videos, audio, and whatever resources your clients may need to solve their problems as quickly as possible.
5) Resolution emails
Compassion is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. You can get creative with fast, accurate solutions, and turn this unpleasant moment into an opportunity. You can even create email templates that hold discount codes or other compensation options to calm the waters.
6) Negative feedback
Customer service reps must remain fresh despite the circumstances. Customer complaints will come eventually, and the best way to navigate through them is to have various professional “we are so sorry” templates that match the most urgent situations. Personalization is absolutely mandatory to transform a negative experience into a positive one.
7) Customer feedback emails
What is not quantified cannot be improved. Survey or feedback emails are essential for any business that aims to keep on improving its products and services. The thing is… your clients will probably have their hands full. For that reason, we recommend you explain why their feedback is so meaningful for your business.
8) Educational emails
As your product keeps on evolving, loyal customers should be informed about all important rebooting processes. These touchpoints are a meaningful opportunity to show your appreciation for their trust and feedback, while also explaining how their experience with your product will continue to be enhanced in the immediate future.
9) Special occasion emails
Want to make your customers feel even more appreciated? Remember the little things. Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries – you have infinite options! These little automated gestures are like sprinkling magic customer-retention dust, making your customer experience extra memorable.
10) Cancellation emails
When a customer's headed for the exit, don't just wave goodbye. Rapport leaders should be sharp enough to dig deeper into their reasons for walking out. Of course, these situations are not comfortable for anyone, but if your former clients have made up their minds already, requesting their final comments is a healthy practice to bring some proper closure to everyone involved in the project.
Excellent Email Customer Support with Helpware
Email continues to be a cornerstone of customer service. However, clients have become so used to sending and receiving messages that is not always easy to provide premium support through this channel. This is the reason why outsourcing CS experts who weave successful interactions with customers is so important for business success.
Want to learn more about how Helpware can help you generate real connections with your clients? Contact us today and discover how we can get most out of email customer support channel. Make sure your clients receive the attention they deserve.
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