Support Macro Templates: Six Common Tickets Written Out

Give each macro the same skeleton, so agents can edit it fast and customers get consistent answers:

1. A first line that shows you read the message, using the customer's own words for the issue.
2. The answer or the next step, in plain language, in the first few sentences.
3. What you need from the customer, if anything, as a short numbered list.
4. What happens next and when they'll hear from you.
5. A sign-off from a named person.

Keep macros under about 120 words. If a reply needs more, link to a help article and summarize the steps in the reply itself. Name macros by situation, such as "Billing: duplicate charge", so agents can find them by searching for the problem.

Password reset help: "Hi [name], thanks for reaching out. I can help you get back in. Please use the reset link on the sign-in page and enter the email you signed up with. The link expires after a short time, so use it soon after it arrives. If no email shows up in a few minutes, check spam, and reply here with the email address on the account and I'll look into it. [Agent name]"

Duplicate charge: "Hi [name], I'm sorry about the extra charge, and I understand why it worried you. I'm checking the account now. Could you confirm the last four digits of the card and the date you saw the two charges? Once I have that, I'll confirm whether it's a duplicate and, if it is, start the refund. I'll update you by [day]. [Agent name]"

Refund request: "Hi [name], thanks for letting us know. I've reviewed your order and [it qualifies / it falls outside our policy because...]. [If approved:] I've started the refund to the original payment method, and it can take a few business days to appear, depending on your bank. [If declined:] Here's what I can offer instead: [option]. [Agent name]"

Fill in the refund details with your actual policy, and don't promise timing your bank or processor controls.

Bug report acknowledgment: "Hi [name], thank you for the detail, it helps. I can see what you're describing with [feature]. I've passed it to our engineering team with your steps and screenshots. I can't promise a fix date yet, but I'll write to you when I have an update, or by [day] at the latest. In the meantime, here's a workaround: [workaround]. [Agent name]"

Feature request: "Hi [name], thanks for the suggestion. Being able to [what they asked for] would help with [their stated goal], and I've logged it with your use case. I can't say whether or when we'll build it, but requests like yours are how the team decides what to work on. If you're open to it, could you tell me how you handle this today? [Agent name]"

Upset customer: "Hi [name], I'm sorry this has been frustrating, especially after [specific thing that went wrong]. That's not the experience we want you to have. Here's what I'm doing right now: [action]. I'll write again by [time] with an update, and you can reach me directly at this address. [Agent name]"

Notice that none of these promise a result the agent doesn't control. They promise an action and a time.

The macros above work because they're specific and modest. Before publishing any, check them against these points:

• Does the first line show that a person read the message?
• Is there a single, clear next step for the customer?
• Are all promises ones the team can keep, including timing?
• Does it avoid stock phrases such as "per our policy" and "as previously stated"?
• Is there a place for the agent to add one sentence of their own?

Require agents to edit at least the opening line of every macro. That one edit prevents most of the robotic feel. For tone, read customers' own messages: a short, casual message gets a short, warm answer, and a formal complaint gets a careful, complete one.

Assign an owner and review monthly. Look at usage counts: retire macros nobody uses, and split any macro used for too many different situations. Look at reply outcomes too. If customers often reply with a follow-up question after a macro, the macro is missing something. Check that policies quoted in macros still match your current terms, especially refunds, billing and security statements.

Keep the library small, since fifty well-kept macros beat three hundred stale ones. Tag each with the ticket category so you can see which questions drive volume, then ask whether the product or help center could remove the question entirely. Track speed with the guidance in first response and resolution time, and set expectations customers can rely on with a support SLA policy. For shared customer channels, see B2B support in shared chat channels, and to choose a platform that supports macros and automation, see this help desk comparison.