Customer emails eat a surprising amount of a small business owner’s week. Replying to a question, chasing an unpaid invoice, apologising for a delay: each one takes 10 to 20 minutes when you are trying to get the tone right. ChatGPT can cut that to about two minutes, as long as you ask it the right way.
This guide gives you a simple prompt structure and five templates you can copy today. If you are new to prompting, read our 7 ChatGPT prompt formulas first, then come back here.
The 4-part prompt for any customer email
Vague prompts give vague emails. Give ChatGPT these four things every time:
- Who you are: your business and what you sell.
- Who it is for: the customer and what they asked or did.
- What you want: the goal of the email (apologise, get paid, book a call).
- Tone and length: friendly, professional, under 120 words.
Template 1: Reply to a customer question
I run a small online store that sells handmade candles. A customer asked: “[paste their question]”. Write a friendly, helpful reply in under 120 words. Answer the question clearly and end with an offer to help further.
Template 2: Follow up after no reply
I sent a quote to a potential client 5 days ago for [service] and they have not replied. Write a polite follow-up email under 80 words. Do not sound pushy. Make it easy for them to say yes or no.
Template 3: Polite payment reminder
Write a professional but warm reminder email to a client whose invoice of [amount] is [number] days overdue. Mention the invoice number [number], include the payment link placeholder, and keep it under 100 words.
Template 4: Handle a complaint or refund
A customer is unhappy because [problem]. We are offering [refund / replacement / discount]. Write an apology email that takes responsibility, explains the fix in simple steps, and keeps a calm, respectful tone. Under 150 words.
Template 5: Ask for a review
Write a short, friendly email asking a happy customer who bought [product] last week to leave a review. Say thank you first, explain that reviews help a small business, and add a placeholder for the review link. Under 90 words.
Edit before you hit send
AI writes a good first draft, not a final one. Before sending, check these things:
- Names, amounts, dates and links are correct. ChatGPT may leave placeholders or guess.
- The promises match what you can actually deliver (refund policy, delivery times).
- It sounds like you. Add one personal line, such as the customer’s name or a detail from their order.
- Never paste private data like card numbers or passwords into any AI tool.
Save your best prompts
Keep your favourite versions in a notes app or document so you can reuse them. Once a template works well, only the details in brackets change, and a reply that used to take 15 minutes takes two.
Want more tools to save time? Browse our free online tools and our guides to AI tools for small business.