Words for Customer Service

Customer service writing should be warm, clear, and accountable. The biggest mistakes are corporate hedging (“we apologize for any inconvenience”), passive voice that hides responsibility, and templated language that signals you didn't read the message.

Acknowledging the issue

Warm acknowledgement

thanks for letting us knowI see what happenedI understand how frustratingI'd want this fixed too

Apologizing well

I'm sorry — this shouldn't have happenedyou're right that we missedwe got this wrongthe issue is on our side

Resolving

Action verbs

I've refundedI've creditedI've sentI've escalatedI'll follow up byI'll personally check

Next steps

here's what I've donehere's what to expectby tomorrow at noonyou'll get a confirmationlet me know if anything's still off

Before & after

Before

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

After

I'm sorry — this shouldn't have happened. I've refunded the charge and emailed a receipt.

Before

Your issue has been received and will be addressed in due course.

After

Thanks for the note. I'm looking into this now — back to you by 4 p.m. today.

Tips

  • Be specific about what you'll do and when.
  • Avoid passive voice. “Your issue is being reviewed” → “I'm reviewing this now.”
  • Sign with your name. Templates damage trust.

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