How to Write an Email to a Customer That Gets Results + Examples
What you'll learn
What you'll need
Did you know that 65% of people will stop purchasing a brand because of a poor customer experience? This can have serious consequences for your revenue and reputation — maintaining exemplary customer service is vital for any business, and good communication is critical at every marketing funnel stage.
With 99% of consumers checking their email daily and 58% doing so first thing in the morning, email remains one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal. 87% of B2B marketers prefer this channel over any other form of customer communication.
A well-crafted email message can be the difference between turning a customer into a loyal brand advocate and losing their business entirely. Why should you be concerned about this?
An impressive 83% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family, and word of mouth is pivotal for between 20-50% of purchasing decisions. Determining the dramatic impact of poorly written emails on your business should be easy.
In this article, you’ll learn how to write an email that will make your recipient’s day and eventually convert them into loyal customers.
But first, what makes investing time and effort in crafting your emails imperative?
Why does writing professional customer emails matter?
To grow your business, keeping up with the competition is crucial to providing excellent customer service and great products. Here are some reasons you should incorporate email marketing, or sending emails to your existing and potential customers, as part of your content marketing strategy.
Email marketing increases sales
Writing professional emails to prospective customers can increase sales by building trust and credibility between you and your audience. Ninety-two percent of customers agreed that positive customer service increases the chance that they’ll make another purchase.
This trust will make your customers come back again and again because they know that you will treat them well and help them solve their problems.
Strong communication creates loyalty
Good customer communication helps build loyalty among consumers, which translates into establishing an impeccable brand image. 57% of consumers believe that good customer service is essential to feel loyal to a brand, and reliable and timely communication is critical for offering outstanding support.
If you provide excellent service, customers will recommend your brand, and more people will want to buy from you in the future. This leads to repeat sales for your business and long-term customer relationships.
Email is the perfect addition to your omnichannel marketing strategy
The constantly evolving landscape of modern technology allows companies to engage their prospects and customers on any number of channels and platforms. Email offers a cost-effective and reliable way of reaching your audience unobtrusively and directly. It’s simple, universal, and works even for less tech-savvy customers who might not be on social media.
Email is ubiquitous and relevant
This is the medium you can use to welcome new customers, promote products and services, announce upcoming events and review past ones, set up marketing campaigns, provide customer support, share company and product updates, and much more.
Want more details? Take a quick look at our articles devoted to creating emails to promote sales and discounts, events, building a sales funnel sequence, and newsletters. You can also check out our guides on writing product launch and flash sale emails.
Professional emails are central to your hybrid customer support approach
Implementing hybrid customer support is a great way to equip your clients with the means to try and solve their pain points autonomously while contacting your support team for guidelines and assistance. Email lets you include self-help materials and links tailored explicitly to the problem your recipient is struggling with.
Great customer communication and service are essential to the success of any business in today's highly competitive marketplace — after all, consumers have plenty of choices and ever-increasing expectations. A professionally crafted email can go a long way in helping you be there for your customers and set yourself apart.
Now that you know why it’s vital to master email writing, let’s move on to the following fundamental question:
How can you write a professional email to a customer?
- Acknowledge the customer’s struggle
The first step in writing a customer email that feels personal is to acknowledge the person’s struggle. Step into your client’s shoes and think about how frustrating it must be to have their issue go unresolved. Make it clear that you understand your customer’s concerns by acknowledging them in your email. This shows empathy and will make your customer feel heard and appreciated.
Make them feel as if they're having a conversation with someone who cares about them, not just a faceless customer service representative trying to get rid of them as quickly as possible. Instead of saying something like this:
- "I know what it's like when…"
Try taking this acknowledgment a step further by considering the context of the situation. Recognize how hard customers work on their websites, businesses, and lives.
- "You’ve put so much work into creating this site!"
- "You probably feel frustrated because…"
- "It makes sense that you'd be angry/upset/confused about…"
- “We understand that this is a stressful time of year for a lot of people, so rest assured we’re working on making this experience as painless as possible for you.”
- Write like you speak
As a business owner or professional, you want the tone of your email to be warm without coming off as overly personal or colloquial. The most important part of the email is your opening line. This should be a quick, friendly greeting that shows you appreciate the time and effort your customer took in contacting you.
It may sound simple, but it’s not always as easy as it sounds. Here are some tips for writing emails to get customers in your corner.
Avoid generic phrases
Phrases like “We appreciate your business” or “Thank you for your inquiry” don’t give your reader any indication of how much you value their business or their inquiries. Instead, opt for more personality statements and show your customer that you appreciate them as an individual. For example, “We’re delighted that our products can save you time and effort in your everyday life.”
Use casual language
This is an excellent way to make your emails sound less formal and reserved.
Use short sentences and simple words. Avoid jargon or industry-specific terms unless your customer is familiar with them. Don’t use overly formal words or phrases like "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam." Instead, go for something more casual like “Hello” or “Hi,” and be sure to add your recipient’s first name.
Avoid clichés
Avoid clichéd or overused statements like “Don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of any assistance to you with this matter or any other problems or questions that might arise.”
Remember, you want this correspondence to feel as personalized and compassionate as possible. If a customer emails you to complain about an issue with their account or order, don't just reply with "We'll look into this right away." That's a stock phrase that won’t give them confidence that an actual person received their message on the other side of the computer. Instead, try something like "It’ll be my pleasure to assist in resolving this matter as soon as possible."
Express your gratitude
Your customers matter to you, so don’t be afraid to let them know! This will keep them engaged with your brand and confident in your customer service capabilities. Expressing gratitude can be as simple as saying, “Hey Steve, I just wanted to thank you for being our loyal customer! We know how hard it can be to find time to cook healthy meals every day. We're so glad we can help make it easier for you :)”
Customers have countless options to choose from for every product or service, so give them a reason to keep coming back to you.
- Refer to your recipient by name
Using each customer’s name in an email personalizes your message and makes it friendlier. Moreover, including the customer's first name in your subject line can break the ice and increase open rates by up to 50%. So, where else in the email should you apply this?
Generally speaking, it’s best to use your customer’s name in the greeting and closing. Everyone likes to feel special, so if you can use their name in an email, do it! It'll make them feel more at ease and more likely to respond positively.
If you’re writing to one person, including the customer's first name within the body of your email. If you're sending it to more than one person, include both names. This is a great way to build trust between you and your customer, increase engagement, and make them feel more connected to you.
- Be friendly and inviting
When writing emails to customers, it's important to strike the right tone. You want to be approachable and helpful without being formal or stuffy.
Here are some tips on how to write an email that will make your customers feel good about doing business with you:
Use "you" instead of "I"
Use "you" throughout the entire email so it sounds like there is one person on the other end of the conversation who is speaking directly to them. When writing an email to a customer, it's best to get to the point, using first-person pronouns only when necessary. Using "I" can make your email sound self-centered and egocentric. It may give the impression that you’re only interested in protecting and promoting your business, not optimizing the customer’s experience.
Keep it positive
Generally speaking, people respond better to positive messages than negative ones. In the body of your email, be sure to include positive words like “great,” “fantastic,” “wonderful,” “happy,” “excited,” and “pleased” that describes the customer’s experience with your company, product, or service. This will help create a positive association with your brand or product in their mind.
This also means avoiding negative words like “not,” “don't,” and “won't.” For example, instead of saying "Don't forget to include all necessary information,” try a more positive spin like “Here's everything we need from you!”
It’s also best to avoid using scolding phrases like “Please don't do that again.” If something went wrong with a past order, talk about how you can fix it for them. If something didn't go as planned during their last visit, discuss ways you can make sure it doesn't happen again next time.
- Be patient and helpful
If the customer asks a question, answer it as well as you can and then offer additional information if they need more help. If they're complaining, acknowledge their complaint and try to resolve it as quickly as possible. Remember that you're probably not going to be able to fix their problem in a single email — patience and persistence are key.
If your customer is angry or frustrated, be calm and understanding, even if they're wrong. Remember that they may be upset because they care about the issue you're discussing, so showing them that you also care can help defuse the situation. If there was a problem with their order or service, tell them exactly what went wrong.
However, don't make excuses or blame other people and companies for what happened — after all, it’s better to focus on solutions.
- Keep your email short and sweet
People won't read long emails, so don't waste time trying to explain everything in detail — just give them the information they need and save the rest for another day. The ideal length of an email is about 20 lines or 200 words. That's because most people will read only the first paragraph or two before deciding whether they want to keep reading.
If the email has to be long, try breaking it down into chunks so the customer only has to read one section at a time. This will also help them digest the information better.
When possible, use bullet points instead of complete sentences. This makes it easier for readers to scan your message without reading through every word in your email. You can also use bold text to emphasize important points, but do not overdo it.
- Sign off with a signature
Include a signature in the final section of your message. This is especially important for business emails because it lets customers know who they are dealing with, even if they don't see your name elsewhere in the message.
End your email with a signature that includes your name. This makes it feel personal and thoughtful even if they don't read it. Also, include your name or initials on your email address line or company logo so that your customers see it every time they check an email from you or your company — this is just another way to be memorable and build credibility.
Signing off with a signature in your email is one of the most important parts of your message. It's your last chance to make an impression on the customer and leave them with a positive feeling about your company.
- Pro tip: Use Copy.ai’s email subject lines generator
If you’ve ever used the Copy.ai email subject line generator, you know it can be a game-changer for your email marketing campaigns — customer service emails included. Take a look at the following demonstration to get an idea of how this feature works:
Copy.ai analyzes your content and generates an average of 10 possible headlines that best relate to your message. The tool is simple and easy to use — you must type a few words and select your desired tone. Start by inserting the name of your product or brand.
Inserting your product or brand name is technically optional, but your results will be relevant with more information you input. Describe your product and click the Create Copy button, and Copy.ai will generate a list of suggestions. You can then use these headlines to inspire your subject lines or paste them directly into your email.
Customer service email examples
Writing an email can be difficult, especially when you have plenty to say and want to ensure you get your point across. We’ll help you get started! Look at the examples below — you can copy, modify, and paste the text for your business purposes.
Customer complaint email response
This email not only indicates your empathy and understanding but also demonstrates your desire to actively help your customer. Listing the specific measures and steps you’ve already taken and plan to take builds credibility and trust.
Dear {Name},
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I am sorry that you have had such a negative experience with our service. While we try to accommodate all of our customers, I must admit that it is not always possible to meet everyone’s needs on our first try.
We’re committed to making this right — I have passed your complaint along to the appropriate department, and I hope they will be able to resolve your issue as quickly as possible. We are also considering additional training for our staff who deal with these situations to avoid them in the future.
Thank you again for bringing this matter to my attention, and please be assured that we will do everything in our power to ensure this does not happen again.
Sincerely,
{Your name}
This is an effective way to communicate that you’re actively engaged with your customer’s issue and have concrete plans for how to resolve it.
Customer refund request response email
Returned items and refunds can cause inconveniences for you and your customer. It’s essential to show understanding and offer your assistance in solving the problem.
Re: Refund request
Dear {Name},
Thank you for contacting us.
We are sorry that you are dissatisfied with your order, and we completely understand your concerns. We will do whatever is necessary to ensure you are happy with your purchase.
We will issue a full refund if you want to return the item.
Please ship the item to us within 14 days of receiving this email (include your invoice number in the return package). Once received, we will process your refund within 30 days.
Best,
{Your name}
Clear, specific instructions on the item return and refund procedure are very important for making sure your customer will have a hassle-free experience and you’ll leave a positive impression. This will prevent your brand from losing clients due to an inefficient refund process.
Informing a customer about raising prices
Customers will never be thrilled to hear about a price increase, so it’s important to communicate this news with tact and compassion. Explain the justification behind the increase as clearly as possible, and express your intentions to make the transition as smooth as possible for your customer.
Re: Increasing prices on all products by X%
Dear {Name},
I hope this email finds you well. As our customer, I want to ensure you know of a recent change that may affect you.
As of {date}, our company will be raising prices on all our products to improve our service and deliver the best possible experience for our customers. While this is a change we want to make, we understand that it will require an adjustment for some customers. That's why we're giving one month's notice so you can decide how best to proceed with your business needs.
We value your business and look forward to working with you in the future. Please let us know if there’s anything else we can do to improve your experience!
Best Regards,
{Your name}
Make sure to highlight your appreciation for the partnership and your wish to preserve it irrespective of the price changes that have become necessary.
Customer inquiry response email
Every customer inquiry presents an opportunity to engage with your audience and establish credibility. The author's example below starts by expressing their understanding and concern about the customer issue. What follows immediately in the second paragraph is an account of the measures they have already taken to address the issue — it’s essential to let your customer know that their concern is being taken seriously.
Dear {Name},
Thank you for your inquiry to the [insert company name] website. We are sorry you're having difficulties with our website.
I have checked our server logs and found no issues with the website during your visit. However, we would like to assist you further in this matter to provide you with the best possible service.
Could you please take a screenshot of the error page and send it to us? We would also appreciate if you could provide us with more details on what exactly was wrong with the page so we can further investigate and resolve this issue.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Best Regards,
{Your name}
This inquiry response identifies the steps that the client needs to take to have their issues solved. Even better, it shows goodwill and empathy to let the customer know their concern is valid and being looked into proactively.
Conclusion
Remember that customers are your most important asset — it’s essential to treat them as such in every interaction.
Customer experience is the key to the success of businesses of any size and industry. Provide exemplary customer service that makes people feel heard and respected. This effective communication can become another reason people keep returning to your brand, stay engaged, and become advocates for your company.
By following the tips above, you’ll be able to create professional emails that provide value and drive engagement.
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