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Handle a customer who emails again and again

A customer who writes five times in an hour is rarely being difficult for fun. They are usually worried, unheard or stuck, and the pattern tells you which.

Last reviewed

Merge the threads first

Combine the messages into one ticket so every agent sees the whole story and nobody answers the same message twice.

Find out why they keep writing

Read the messages for the cause: no reply yet, an unclear answer, a deadline or a problem that is still happening.

Reply once, clearly

Send one answer that covers every point they raised, with what you will do and when they will hear from you.

Set expectations kindly

Say how long a fix takes and that you will write first when there is news, so they do not need to chase you.

Use the auto-reply carefully

If each email triggers an acknowledgement, the customer may feel processed by a machine. Turn it off for open tickets.

Escalate when it turns into abuse

Repeated contact is not abuse. Threats or insults are, and they follow your abuse process.

Questions

Should we ask them to stop writing?

No. Fix the cause. Tell them when they will hear from you and they will usually stop chasing.

Why do customers repeat messages?

Most often because they got no reply, an unclear one, or the problem is still happening.

When is repeated contact a problem?

When it includes threats or abuse. Otherwise treat it as a sign of an unresolved issue.

Written by Flatdesk, a help desk for small support teams at one flat price per agent. Try it free for 14 days, no card.