Most reply templates on the internet were written for email. They open with "Dear valued customer", run to four paragraphs, and end with a signature block. On WhatsApp or Instagram, that reads like a letter from the tax office.

Chat needs something different: short messages, plain language, one idea per message, and a clear next step. The templates below are written that way. Copy them into your saved replies, change the bracketed parts, and — this matters — edit each one before sending so it sounds like a person wrote it for this customer.

01 · Before you copyThree rules for chat replies.

  1. Use their name and their words. If they said "my parcel", don't say "your shipment". Mirroring their language shows you actually read the message.
  2. Say what happens next, and when. "We'll look into it" is a non-answer. "I'll update you by 4 pm today" is a promise.
  3. Never send a template unchanged to an upset customer. People can smell copy-paste, and nothing escalates a complaint faster.

02 · When things go wrongComplaints and problems.

1 · First reply to a complaint
Hi [Name], I'm sorry — that's not the experience we want you to have. I'm looking into your order [#1234] right now and I'll come back to you within [30 minutes] with what we can do.

Apologise for the experience, not for something you haven't confirmed yet. Then commit to a time. Speed of the first reply matters more than its length.

2 · Asking for details
Thanks, [Name]. To sort this quickly, could you send me:
• a photo of the item
• your order number (it's in your confirmation message)
Once I have those, I'll arrange the next step straight away.
3 · A delayed order
Hi [Name], quick update on order [#1234]: it's delayed by about [two days] because [reason, in one plain sentence]. The new expected delivery is [date]. I'm sorry for the wait — I'll message you as soon as it's out for delivery.

Give the reason in one honest sentence. Customers handle delays far better than silence or vague "logistics issues".

4 · Something you got wrong
You're right, [Name] — we made a mistake with [what happened]. I've [what you've already done to fix it], and you'll [what they'll receive, by when]. Thanks for your patience while we put it right.

03 · MoneyRefunds and replacements.

5 · Refund approved
Good news, [Name] — your refund of [amount] for order [#1234] has been approved. It should reach your [card / UPI / bank account] within [X working days]. If it hasn't arrived by [date], just reply here and I'll chase it.
6 · Refund not possible — with an alternative
Thanks for explaining, [Name]. I can't offer a refund on this one because [specific reason from the policy]. What I can do is [replacement / exchange / store credit]. Would that work for you?

Never say no without offering something. And name the actual reason — "as per our policy" alone sounds like a wall.

04 · Keeping it movingHand-offs, hours and follow-ups.

7 · Handing over to a colleague
I'm bringing in [Name], who handles [returns / billing / bookings] and can sort this properly. They can see everything we've discussed, so there's no need to repeat anything.

The second sentence is the important one, and it's only true if your inbox actually passes the conversation history across. If it doesn't, fix that before you use this template.

8 · Out of hours
Thanks for your message, [Name]. Our team is back at [9 am tomorrow] and will reply then. If it's about [order status / store timings / bookings], I can help right now — just tell me what you need.

The second half only works if something can actually help out of hours. An AI agent answering from your knowledge base turns this from an away message into real help.

9 · Following up as promised
Hi [Name], as promised — [the update]. [The next step, if there is one]. Anything else I can help with?
10 · The customer has gone quiet
Hi [Name], just checking whether you still need help with [the issue]. If it's sorted, no need to reply — I'll close this for now, and you can message here any time.

On WhatsApp, timing matters here: you can only send a free-form message like this within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, you need an approved template — see our guide to WhatsApp template messages.

05 · Ending wellThank-yous and closing.

11 · Thank you after a purchase
Thank you for your order, [Name]! [Product] is confirmed and will reach you by [date]. Any questions about it, just reply here — this chat goes straight to our team.
12 · Closing the conversation
Glad that's sorted, [Name]. If you've got a moment, how did we do today? Reply with a number from 1 (poor) to 5 (great) — it genuinely helps us improve.

06 · The caveatsWhen not to use a template.

Templates are for speed on common situations. They're the wrong tool when:

  • The customer is very upset or the stakes are personal. Write from scratch.
  • The situation is unusual. Forcing an edge case into a template produces answers that are technically polite and practically useless.
  • You've already sent one. Two templated messages in a row feels like talking to a machine — even when it isn't.

The point of templates isn't to sound the same every time. It's to remove the typing so your team can spend its attention on the part that's different.

Going further
Save these as shared replies your whole team can insert with a / shortcut. For the most routine ones — order status, timings, delivery dates — let an AI agent answer directly from your systems, and keep the templates for the moments a person is typing.