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Client Response Templates

Ready-to-use wording for client communication. Copy, replace the {placeholders}, send.

Companion to: Support SLA

Rules before you send anything

Four rules that prevent most escalations

  1. Never promise a fix time before triage is complete. Promise an update time instead.
  2. Never speculate on the cause in the first message. "We are investigating" is complete and professional on its own.
  3. Always give the next update time — and meet it, even when the update is "no change yet".
  4. Never blame a vendor, a team member or the client. State facts about impact and next steps.

Why 'we are looking into it' is enough

A first reply exists to confirm a human has it and to set the next checkpoint. It does not need a cause, a plan or an estimate. Adding those before triage creates commitments that are later walked back, which damages trust far more than a short first reply.

Table of contents

1. Human acknowledgement (in window)

Sent by a named person, within the acknowledgement target for the severity. This is the standard first reply.

Subject: RE: [{TICKET-ID}] {Short issue description}

Hello {Client Name},

Thank you for reporting this. I am looking into the issue now.

I have logged this as {TICKET-ID} with a severity of {S1/S2/S3/S4}.

I will come back to you with an update by {time} {timezone}. If I find
anything sooner, I will let you know straight away.

If any additional users are affected in the meantime, please do let me
know as it will help us prioritise.

Regards,
{Your name}
BA Assist Support

Note

This is the message your manager asked for. It confirms receipt, names an owner, sets a severity and commits to an update time — without promising a fix or guessing at a cause.

2. Acknowledgement — raised outside the window

For an issue that arrived overnight or at the weekend. Acknowledge the delay plainly rather than ignoring it.

Subject: RE: [{TICKET-ID}] {Short issue description}

Hello {Client Name},

Thank you for your patience. Your request came in outside our support
hours and I am picking it up now as the window has opened.

I have logged this as {TICKET-ID} with a severity of {S1/S2/S3/S4} and I
am investigating.

I will update you by {time} {timezone}.

Regards,
{Your name}
BA Assist Support

3. Status update — investigating

Use when the update time arrives and there is no conclusion yet. Send it anyway.

Subject: RE: [{TICKET-ID}] Update

Hello {Client Name},

An update on {TICKET-ID}.

We are continuing to investigate. So far we have confirmed {what you have
ruled in or out}, and we are now examining {current line of enquiry}.

I do not have a root cause to share yet. My next update to you will be by
{time} {timezone}.

Regards,
{Your name}

4. Status update — cause identified

Subject: RE: [{TICKET-ID}] Update — cause identified

Hello {Client Name},

We have identified the cause of {TICKET-ID}.

What happened: {one or two plain sentences, no internal jargon}
Who is affected: {scope}
What we are doing: {action being taken}

We are now working on the fix. I will confirm once it has been applied and
verified, and I will update you by {time} {timezone} either way.

Regards,
{Your name}

Describe impact, not internals

Write "the process that generates meeting notes did not complete", not the name of the failing component. Internal detail invites questions you will spend the incident answering instead of fixing.

5. Workaround available

Offer a workaround as soon as one exists — do not wait for the full fix.

Subject: RE: [{TICKET-ID}] Workaround available

Hello {Client Name},

While we complete the permanent fix for {TICKET-ID}, there is a way to
proceed in the meantime:

{numbered steps}

This will allow {affected users} to continue working. We are still
working on the underlying fix and I will confirm when it is in place.

Next update by {time} {timezone}.

Regards,
{Your name}

6. Resolution and closure

Subject: RE: [{TICKET-ID}] Resolved

Hello {Client Name},

{TICKET-ID} is now resolved.

What was wrong: {plain summary}
What we did: {plain summary}
Verified: {how it was confirmed working}

Please confirm you are seeing the expected behaviour at your end. If
anything still looks incorrect, reply to this email and we will reopen
the ticket.

{Optional: To reduce the chance of this recurring, we have raised
{follow-up item} for a future release.}

Regards,
{Your name}

Always ask the client to confirm

Closing a ticket without client confirmation is how the same issue is reported again a week later as a complaint.

7. Third-party issue

For an issue caused by a service outside our control.

Subject: RE: [{TICKET-ID}] Update — external service issue

Hello {Client Name},

An update on {TICKET-ID}.

We have traced this to an issue with {service description, e.g. "the
third-party service that joins and records meetings"}, which sits outside
the BA Assist application.

We have raised this with the provider and are monitoring their status.
{If applicable: In the meantime, {workaround} will allow you to continue.}

Because resolution depends on the provider, we cannot commit to a fix
time. We will update you by {time} {timezone}, and immediately if the
status changes.

Regards,
{Your name}

Name the function, not the vendor

Say "the service that provides meeting transcription" rather than the product name. Naming vendors invites the client to contact them directly, which removes your visibility of the issue.

8. More information needed

Subject: RE: [{TICKET-ID}] Additional information needed

Hello {Client Name},

Thank you for reporting this. To investigate {TICKET-ID} I need a few
details:

1. The date and time the issue occurred, including your timezone
2. The meeting or project affected
3. The email address of the affected user
4. What you expected to see, and what appeared instead
5. A screenshot, if available

Once I have these I will begin investigating and update you within
{timeframe} of receiving them.

Regards,
{Your name}

Note

The SLA response clock pauses while awaiting client information. State that politely in the ticket record, not in the email.

9. Enhancement request

For a request that is a change, not a defect. Redirect without dismissing.

Subject: RE: [{TICKET-ID}] Feature request logged

Hello {Client Name},

Thank you for the suggestion. What you are describing is a change to how
BA Assist currently works rather than a fault, so I have logged it as a
product enhancement request rather than a support ticket.

I have passed it to the product backlog for prioritisation. {Name} will
be in touch regarding scheduling.

If there is an immediate business impact from the current behaviour,
please let me know and we will look at options.

Regards,
{Your name}

10. Not reproducible

Subject: RE: [{TICKET-ID}] Unable to reproduce

Hello {Client Name},

I have investigated {TICKET-ID} and I am not able to reproduce the
behaviour you described. I checked {what you checked} and everything is
currently operating normally.

It is possible this was a transient issue that has since cleared.

I will keep the ticket open until {date} in case it recurs. If it does,
please note the exact time and the user affected — that will let us
locate it precisely.

Regards,
{Your name}

Quick reference

Situation Template
You pick it up in hours 1
It arrived overnight or at the weekend 2
Update time reached, no answer yet 3
You know the cause 4
You have a temporary way round it 5
It is fixed 6
It is a vendor problem 7
You cannot start without more detail 8
It is a feature request 9
You cannot reproduce it 10