How to reply to an angry customer email

How to write the reply

1. 1.

   Wait ten minutes, then reply the same day

   Don't reply while you're annoyed too. But don't leave it overnight either: silence reads as not caring, and the second email is usually angrier than the first.

2. 2.

   Name the specific problem

   “I'm sorry your order arrived damaged for the second time” lands. “We're sorry for any inconvenience” doesn't, because it could be about anything.

3. 3.

   Own your part, once

   If it's your fault, say so plainly. One clear apology beats three soft ones. If it isn't your fault, you can still be sorry it happened without taking the blame.

4. 4.

   Keep the explanation short

   One line of reason is fine if it helps, like “the courier mislabelled the box”. A paragraph about your internal process is about you, not them.

5. 5.

   Say what you'll do and when

   The refund, the replacement, the call, with a date: “you'll see the refund by Friday”. This is the part they'll reread.

6. 6.

   Sign it as a person

   Your name, not “The Support Team”, and a direct way to reply. People calm down faster when they know someone specific is on it.

Common mistakes

• The copy-paste apology

  “We value your feedback” tells them nobody read their email. Use one detail from their message.

• Arguing the facts first

  Even if they've got something wrong, lead with what you'll do. Correct the record later, briefly and calmly.

• Promising what you can't keep

  “This will never happen again” is hard to stand behind. Say what you're changing instead.

• Matching their tone

  If they're rude, stay plain and polite. You don't have to be warm, you have to be clear.

• Burying the fix

  The resolution goes in the first or second paragraph, not after three paragraphs of sorry.

A template you can copy

Hi [name],

I'm sorry [the specific problem, in their words]. That's not what should have happened[, and it's on us].

[One line on what went wrong, only if it helps.]

Here's what I've done: [refund / replacement / fix]. You'll [see it / get it / hear from me] by [date].

[Optional: what you're changing so it doesn't happen again.]

If anything else is off, reply here and it comes straight to me.

[Your name]

Four to six sentences is usually enough. A long reply to an angry email tends to read as defensive.

A real before and after

From our test runs. If you draft replies with ChatGPT, the prompt matters as much as the email. Here's a five-word request, and the brief Polido turned it into: it asks for the customer's email and leaves placeholders for what only you know.

Questions

Should I apologise if it wasn't our fault?

You can be sorry it happened without saying it was your fault, like “I'm sorry this has been such a hassle”. What to avoid is apologising for something you didn't do and then having to walk it back.

How long should the reply be?

Short. Four to six sentences usually covers it: the problem, the apology, the fix and the date.

Should I offer a discount?

Only if it fits what went wrong. Fix the actual problem first. A discount offered instead of a fix can read as trying to make them go away.

What if the customer is abusive?

Stay polite, answer the actual problem, and say plainly which behaviour isn't OK. If it carries on, it's fine to say you'll only continue by email.

Can I use ChatGPT to write it?

Yes, as a first draft. Paste their email, say what you can offer, and ask for a short reply. Then add the specific detail and your name yourself. A reply that sounds like a template is often what made them angrier.