How you write to customers affects whether they come back.
RESPONSE TIME
Reply within one working day, even if only to say you have received the message and when you will answer properly. Silence is what customers complain about, more than the answer itself.
TONE
Warm and plain. Avoid corporate phrasing that says nothing: "we value your custom", "as per our records". Write as you would speak to someone standing in front of you.
DELIVERING BAD NEWS
Say it clearly in the first line, then explain, then say what you will do about it. Burying a refusal in paragraph four is worse than refusing plainly.
WHEN YOU ARE AT FAULT
Say so, say what you are doing, and do not over-apologise. One clear apology carries more weight than five.
PRACTICALITIES
Use the customer's name Quote the order or invoice number Do not forward internal discussion to a customer by accident: check the thread below before forwarding Reply from the address they wrote to, not a personal one
WHAT NOT TO DO
Argue by email. Phone instead.
