DorrisA good customer reply is two or three warm sentences that say what you checked and what happens next, without promising a date you don't control. Below are three templates, and the rules behind them. Fill the [blanks] with your own policy. These are examples, not legal advice.
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The rules
- Check the order first. Never guess an order number, a tracking number or a date.
- Never argue or blame the carrier. If you got it wrong, say so plainly and say what you'll do.
- Offer a refund, discount or credit only if your written policy already promises it. Otherwise say a person will follow up within [one business day], and stop.
Recipe 1: "Where is my order?"
Check: order date, whether it has shipped, last tracking scan.
Hi [first name], thanks for waiting. I looked up order [number]: it shipped on [date] and the last scan was [scan]. Tracking sometimes sits still for up to [48 hours] after a label is made, and that's normal. It usually arrives in [3-5 business days] after shipping. If it hasn't moved by [date], write back and I'll sort it out.
Never say: "It will arrive on [exact date]."
Order not shipped yet, or marked delivered but missing? There's a template for each case.
Recipe 2: Tracking hasn't moved
Check: days since the last scan against your "treat as lost" rule.
Hi [first name], I'm sorry. Tracking for order [number] hasn't moved since [date], which is longer than it should. [If your policy says so: I'm sending a replacement now at no cost and opening the carrier claim myself, so there's nothing for you to chase.] [Otherwise: a person will follow up within one business day.]
Never say: "That's the carrier's problem."
Recipe 3: Return outside the window
Check: delivery date against your return window; whether the item is faulty.
Hi [first name], thanks for writing. Your order was delivered on [date], which is past our [30]-day return window, and I'm sorry we can't make an exception on a return. If the item has a fault, such as [seams, zips], it may be covered by our warranty: send photos and your order number and we'll reply within [2 business days].
Never say: offer store credit, a code or a partial refund unless your policy already does.
The other nine recipes, a fill-in policy template and rules for an AI that drafts your replies are in Reply recipes, $29. The most common email has its own page, where is my order, and the rules behind a reply are in a return policy template. Arrived damaged or wrong? There are templates for that, for a cancellation request, a discount request and a return after the window closed. Faulty item? See how to handle warranty claims. For what to build so replies like these come with the order already looked up, see the support inbox the kit gives you.
Tim Haines