How to use canned answers in customer service responses

EQ Admin

EQ Forum Admin
Staff member
Hello,

Fast e-mail responses from a customer service team can be a great way to help create and retain happy clients, but the answers also need to be correct and clearly answer the original question. A method commonly used to create fast e-mail replies is the use of canned answers in response to frequently asked questions.

A good time for a canned answer response is when a client reports the problem "I can not send e-mail to Bob using your servers!". There is not enough information in the trouble report to fix or make an educated guess at a possible solution to the problem. Some of the standard questions that you will want to ask the client include "Can you forward the exact error message that you received?" and "Can you forward us the full e-mail headers from the bounce message?"

The following are things to do when using canned answers:

  • Take a few moments to personalize the response
  • Double check that the response matches the original question
  • Use correct grammar and punctuation in the response
  • Pick up the phone and call the client if an e-mail response is not appropriate
  • Link directly to helpful solutions on the web and and not the main address of your company web site
  • Occasionally review all canned answers being used for accuracy
  • If you use an auto responder include information on frequently asked questions and answers in the initial automated response and include a reminder that they will receive a personal response shortly
The following are things to avoid when using canned answers:

  • Only answering one question when multiple questions were asked
  • Creating responses that sound like a robot created them
  • Creating responses that are incomplete answers
  • Not showing a personal interest in solving the clients problem
  • Using canned answers for infrequently asked questions
Canned answers should be sent quickly, be accurate, and include a personal touch.

Get started now by using the canned answer examples created by E-Mail Questions!

Please view our Email Resources section to find additional articles, tutorials, and product reviews from the experts at EmailQuestions.com.
 
Top