support-response-templates

name	support-response-templates
description	Writes customer support response templates for common scenarios with tone guidelines, personalization cues, and escalation triggers.
allowed-tools	Read Write Glob
metadata	{"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"}

Support Response Templates

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Create templated responses for common customer support scenarios
• Standardize tone and quality across support interactions
• Build an escalation framework with clear trigger criteria
• Save time on repetitive support replies without sounding robotic

DO NOT use this skill for help center articles (use help-center-article), chatbot scripts, or complaint resolution frameworks. This is for human-sent support message templates.

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Core Principle

SUPPORT TEMPLATES SAVE TIME ON THE STRUCTURE SO YOU CAN SPEND TIME ON THE PERSONALIZATION — A GOOD TEMPLATE IS 70% REUSABLE AND 30% CUSTOMIZED TO THE SPECIFIC CUSTOMER.

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Phase 1: Scenario Audit

Identify the most common support scenarios.

Required Inputs

Input	What to Ask	Default
Business type	"What product or service do you support?"	No default
Support channels	"Where do customers contact you? (email, chat, social, phone)"	Email
Top 10 questions	"What are the 10 most common support requests you receive?"	No default
Current templates	"Do you have any existing templates or canned responses?"	None
Tone	"How should support replies feel? (formal, friendly, casual)"	Friendly and professional
Response time goal	"What is your target response time?"	Under 4 hours

Scenario Categorization

## Support Scenario Map

| Category | Scenario | Frequency | Complexity | Template Priority |
|----------|----------|-----------|-----------|------------------|
| Pre-sale | Pricing question | High | Low | HIGH |
| Onboarding | Setup help | High | Medium | HIGH |
| Technical | Feature not working | Medium | High | HIGH |
| Billing | Refund request | Medium | Medium | HIGH |
| General | Status check | High | Low | MEDIUM |

GATE: Confirm scenario list before writing templates.

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Phase 2: Write Templates

Create response templates for each priority scenario.

Template Format

Every template follows this structure:

## Template: [Scenario Name]

**Use when:** [Specific trigger for using this template]
**Tone:** [Empathetic / Informative / Celebratory / Apologetic]
**Personalize:** [What to customize before sending — marked with [brackets]]

---

Subject: [Subject line]

Hi [Name],

[Body — with [personalization markers] for customization]

[Closing + next step]

[Signature]

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**Escalation trigger:** [When NOT to use this template and escalate instead]

Common Template Library

Acknowledgment / We Are On It:

Subject: Got your message — here is what happens next

Hi [Name],

Thanks for reaching out. I have received your [question/request about specific topic] and I am looking into it now.

You can expect a full response within [timeframe].

If anything changes or you have additional details to add, just reply to this email.

[Name]

How-To / Instructional:

Subject: Here is how to [action]

Hi [Name],

Great question! Here is how to [action]:

1. [Step 1]
2. [Step 2]
3. [Step 3]

[Screenshot or link if applicable]

If you run into any issues with these steps, let me know and I will walk you through it.

[Name]

Refund/Billing Issue:

Subject: Your refund has been processed

Hi [Name],

I have processed your refund of $[amount]. You should see it in your account within [3-5 business days].

[If applicable: Here is what happened and what we have done to prevent it.]

I am sorry for the inconvenience. If there is anything else I can help with, I am here.

[Name]

Apology / Something Went Wrong:

Subject: We dropped the ball — here is how we are fixing it

Hi [Name],

You are right — [acknowledge the specific issue]. That is not the experience you should have, and I am sorry.

Here is what I have done:
- [Action 1 — immediate fix]
- [Action 2 — prevention measure]

[Compensation if applicable: As a gesture, I have [credit/discount/extension].]

If there is anything else I can do, please let me know directly.

[Name]

Positive Outcome / Celebration:

Subject: Great news about your [request/issue]

Hi [Name],

Good news — [positive outcome].

[Details of what was done]

Is there anything else you need? Happy to help.

[Name]

GATE: Present template library for review and customization.

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Phase 3: Tone Guide

Define the voice and guardrails for all support communication.

Tone Guidelines

## Support Tone Guide

**Always:**
- Use the customer's name
- Acknowledge their issue before solving it
- Be specific about timelines ("within 24 hours" not "soon")
- End with a clear next step or offer of further help

**Never:**
- Use passive voice for responsibility ("mistakes were made")
- Blame the customer ("you should have...")
- Use jargon the customer may not understand
- Send a template without personalizing the [bracketed] fields

**Escalation language:**
- "I am bringing in [Name/Role] who specializes in this" (not "I cannot help you")
- "Let me make sure the right person handles this for you" (not "That is not my department")

Escalation Matrix

| Trigger | Escalate To | Timeframe |
|---------|------------|-----------|
| Customer mentions legal action | [Owner/Legal] | Immediately |
| Issue unresolved after 2 responses | [Senior support] | Same day |
| Refund over $[amount] | [Owner/Finance] | Same day |
| Customer threatening public review | [Owner] | Within 1 hour |
| Technical issue beyond support scope | [Technical lead] | Within 4 hours |

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Phase 4: Maintain

Keep templates current and effective.

Template Review Schedule

• Monthly: Review templates for any that need updating (product changes, policy changes)
• Quarterly: Analyze which templates are used most and refine them
• After any product change: Update affected templates immediately

Performance Tracking

| Metric | Target | Current |
|--------|--------|---------|
| Average response time | Under [X] hours | — |
| First-contact resolution rate | 70%+ | — |
| Customer satisfaction after support | 4.5+/5 | — |
| Template usage rate | 60%+ of responses | — |

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Anti-Patterns

• Sending templates without personalization — a clearly canned response feels worse than a slow personal one. Always customize.
• Template for every edge case — write templates for the top 80% of scenarios. Handle edge cases personally.
• No empathy before solution — jumping to the fix without acknowledging the frustration feels dismissive.
• Vague timelines — "We will get back to you soon" creates anxiety. "Within 24 hours" creates trust.
• Same template for different severity levels — a billing error and a data breach require very different tones.

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Recovery

• Customer responds angrily to a template: Apologize, acknowledge it felt impersonal, and respond with a fully custom message.
• Templates are not being used: They may be too hard to find or too rigid. Organize by scenario and encourage customization.
• Response times are still slow despite templates: The bottleneck may be decision-making, not writing. Pre-approve responses for common scenarios.
• User handles all support alone: Prioritize the 5 most common scenarios. Even 5 good templates save significant time.
• Customer's issue does not fit any template: Write a custom response. Log the scenario — if it happens 3+ times, create a new template.