# Support Response Templates > Writes customer support response templates for common scenarios with tone guidelines, personalization cues, and escalation triggers. - Skill: `reaperinvest/support-response-templates` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/support-response-templates` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/support-response-templates/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/support-response-templates --- # 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. --- ## 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. --- ## 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.** --- ## 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] --- **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.** --- ## 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 | ``` --- ## 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 | — | ``` --- ## 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. --- ## 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.