When a customer asks for an update, reply with what you know, what you're doing now and when they'll hear from you next. Use their own words for the impact. Leave out internal names and guesses about the cause, and don't promise a fix, a date or a credit unless the people doing the work have committed to it. Keep it under 150 words.
"Any update?" usually means "is anyone working on this?". The templates below answer that question first. Swap the [brackets] for your details. All names are made up.
What should a ticket update email include?
What we know. Facts only, in plain words.
What we're doing now. Actions, not effort. "Engineering is testing a fix" beats "the team is working hard".
When they'll hear next. A day and time, not "soon".
The impact, in their words, if they've told you. It shows you read their email.
1. Still investigating
Hi Dana,
Thanks for checking in on the export timeouts. We can reproduce the
problem on reports longer than a month, and our engineers are looking
at why those time out.
Shorter date ranges still work, so splitting the report by week will
get you the numbers for Friday's close.
I'll update you by [day, time] either way.
Sam
2. Waiting on engineering
Hi Raj,
A quick update on [ticket number]. Our engineering team has the details
and is working on it. I don't have a fix date to give you yet, and I'd
rather not guess.
I'll check in with them [day] and write to you by [day, time].
Sam
3. Workaround in place
Hi Priya,
While we work on the root problem, there's a workaround: [steps]. It
should let your team [what it unblocks]. If it doesn't work for you,
reply here and I'll look at it straight away.
Next update by [day, time].
Sam
4. Waiting on the customer
Hi Tom,
To keep this moving, I need three things from you:
1. [the exact item, like the error message or a screenshot]
2. [when it happened, with the time zone]
3. [who is affected]
As soon as I have them I'll pick it back up, and I'll update you
within [time] of your reply.
Sam
Ask for everything once, as a list. Three emails over three days feel like being passed around.
5. You missed the update you promised
Hi Dana,
I said I'd update you yesterday and didn't. I'm sorry. Here's where
things stand: [one or two lines].
Next update by [day, time], and I'll keep to it.
Sam
What should you never put in an update?
A fix date nobody has committed to.
A credit or refund you haven't been cleared to offer.
Internal names, ticket chatter or blame.
A cause someone suspects but hasn't confirmed. Wait until it's confirmed.
"Fixed" before the customer can see it working.
If the problem hits many customers at once, use incident communication templates instead. If it needs leadership, write an escalation brief.
How do you draft ticket updates with AI?
Using only the facts in the ticket notes below, draft a short update
email from me to [customer contact].
Include: what we know, what we're doing now, and when they'll hear
from us next ([next update time]).
Acknowledge the impact in their words if the thread has them.
Don't share internal names, theories about the cause, or anything
marked Hypothesis or [CONFIRM].
Never promise a fix, a date or a credit.
Under 150 words. This is a draft for me to edit and send.
Ticket notes: [paste them]
This is the customer update follow-up from the Escalation Brief play, the free play from The CS Agent Playbook. More reply prompts are in ChatGPT prompts for customer service.
Get one complete AI play free. The Escalation Brief from The CS Agent Playbook: the prompt, guardrails and a sample result, sent to your inbox.
Send me the free play
Questions
How often should I update a customer on an open ticket?
Whenever you said you would. End every update with the time of the next one, and keep it even when there's no news. Your own support policy may set a minimum.
What if there's no news?
Send the update anyway. Say what you checked, that you don't have an answer yet, and when they'll hear from you next. Silence reads as nobody working on it.
Should I give the customer an ETA for the fix?
Only if the people doing the fix have committed to one. Otherwise give the time of your next update instead of a fix date.
Can AI write ticket updates?
It can draft them from the ticket notes. Tell it to use only those facts, to leave out internal names and theories, and never to promise a fix, a date or a credit. Read it before you send.
Want to try a full routine first? The Escalation Brief play from The CS Agent Playbook is free: https://draftfirstcs.com/free
Originally published at draftfirstcs.com.
Top comments (1)
The "when they will hear next" rule is the one that stops the second "any update?" email. The catch is that it creates a promise someone has to keep. If the next-update time is not written on the ticket itself, the person who made the promise goes off shift and nobody knows it exists. Putting the date in a visible field is what makes the template honest.