Customer Service Success

You will regularly communicate with customers via email and chat.  Building rapport can be extra tricky here because customers can not see your smile, view your body language, or hear your voice.  The following techniques will help you write more positive response emails and chats.

1. Use a personalized greeting to give your message a friendlier tone — Hello John or Dear Beth.  Customers appreciate being called by their first name.
2. Get straight to the point in the first paragraph.  Customers often read emails very quickly and appreciate a friendly but direct response.
   1. If you are using a template or quick text to speed things up (which we encourage), make sure it is applicable and edited if dates, products, names, etc. need to be added.
3. Include screenshots or attachments when appropriate.  Visual aids can assist in understanding, especially when providing instructions on how to accomplish a task.
4. Use correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling.  Avoid writing emails as though you were sending a text message. A professionally written email will create a more positive message to your customer. 
5. Be Helpful.  Try to anticipate any questions the customer may ask when they read your reply and include the answers to those questions.  Helpful emails are not only more pleasing but they cut down on the back and forth to resolve a problem.