The Auto Response Emails

December 27, 2006Behind the Scenes, Customer Service Experience, Etiquette, Exercises/Resources, Little Things, Big Differences 2 Comments

With most companies, when you send them an email, you get an automatic response confirming that they received your email and what not. The text that they include in these emails varies a lot and it’s interesting to see what they say.

First of all, you need to understand what you are auto responding to. Sometimes it is for a new ticket (sales, technical support, etc.), sometimes it is an order confirmation, sometimes it is a confirmation of an account change, etc. The text for each of these should similar, yet different.

Here are some examples using my favorite company in the world, Company XYZ. Three simple emails. I think they cover the basics – if you have anything to add, feel free to post a comment.

By the way, when telling customers you have sent the auto confirm email, don’t say “You should receive this email within 30 minutes.” I would say people almost always receive it almost instantly. Alterative wording would be: “We’ve sent a confirmation email your way. It should be in your inbox in a few minutes.”

Ticket Confirmation (Technical Support):

Hi,

Thank you for contacting Company XYZ.

This email is to let you know that we have received your email to our technical support department. Here is some information about your email:

Subject: Help me!
Tracking Number: 123456
Department: Technical Support

Please note your tracking number. You should receive a response from a human at Company XYZ within about 24 hours. In the mean time, here are some sites to check out that may be helpful:

support.companyxyz.com
Our online support center contains video tutorials, FAQs, an extensive knowledge base, and more.

forums.companyxyz.com
Talk with other clients of Company XYZ and get answers to your questions there.

blog.companyxyz.com
All of the latest happenings at Company XYZ from new product announcements, maintenance notices, and more.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact us. As always, we are available via email (support@companyxyz.com) and over the telephone (800-BUY-STUFF).

Again, thank you for contacting Company XYZ. We look forward to serving you soon.

Best regards,

Technical Support
Company XYZ
www.companyxyz.com

Ticket Confirmation (Sales):

Hi,

Thank you for your interest in Company XYZ.

This email is to let you know that we have received your email to our sales department. Here is some information about your email:

Subject: Product inquiry
Tracking Number: 123456
Department: Sales

Please note your tracking number. You should receive a response from a human at Company XYZ within about 24 hours.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact us. As always, we are available via email (support@companyxyz.com) and over the telephone (800-BUY-STUFF).

Again, thank you for your interest in Company XYZ. We look forward to serving you soon.

Best regards,

Company XYZ
www.companyxyz.com

Order Confirmation:

Hi Bob,

Thank you for your order with Company XYZ!

This email is to let you know that we have received and are currently processing your order. Here is some information about your recent order with us:

Products ordered:

  • Widget 1 – $5.00
  • Widget 2 – $10.00

Subtotal: $15.00
Tax: $0.00
Shipping: $2.50

Order Grand Total: $17.50

Ship to: Bob Bobsen, 123 Main Street, Anytown, USA 12345
Bill to: Bob Bobsen, 123 Main Street, Anytown, USA 12345
Payment Method: AMEX credit card ending in 1234

Shipping Method: FedEx Overnight Shipping
Estimated delivery date: Friday, December 29, 2006
Tracking #: 123456789

Any action required on your part to complete this order? No

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact us. As always, we are available via email (support@companyxyz.com) and over the telephone (800-BUY-STUFF).

Again, thank you for your order with Company XYZ.

Best regards,

Company XYZ
www.companyxyz.com

No related posts to display.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Responses to “The Auto Response Emails”

  1. Glenn Ross said:

    Dec 28, 06 at 3:39 pm

    Hi Service Untitled:

    This comment is to let you know we have read your post and think it’s a good one. We particularly like the fact that your samples sound “human” (e.g. “informal). E-mails written this way do not inhibit the relationship with the customer as do those that are more impersonal.

    They also acknowledge the customer’s communication and give a timespan for when the customer can expect a reply from a human. That’s important because one of the most important building blocks to legendary customer service is to let the customer know he or she has been heard.

    Please feel free to reply to this comment if it makes you feel better, but we’ll be on the road for the next few days and won’t be checking back until next week.

    🙂

    Happy New Year!

    Regards,

    Glenn

  2. Jill said:

    Mar 15, 12 at 6:24 am

    Thank you, I used the technical support one – I eneded up changing most of the wording to suit us, but in any case it was brilliant to have such a thorough template.