Troubleshooting steps email templates

Most "it's broken" tickets are fixed by the same handful of steps, but a wall of instructions gets skimmed. This template orders the steps from quickest to slowest, numbers them, and asks the customer to stop as soon as one works. If none do, it asks for the one detail you'll need next, so the second reply can go straight to a real fix.

Template;cs-try-steps

Hi Customer name, Sorry about the trouble with Problem. These steps fix it in most cases. Try them in order and stop when it works: 1. Refresh the page, or quit and reopen the app. 2. Sign out and back in. 3. Check you're on the latest version (Latest version). 4. Try a different browser or a private window, to rule out extensions. If none of those help, reply with a screenshot of what you see after step 4 and I'll dig in from there. Your name

Then type ;cs-try-steps in any app.

Variations

The same message for a different channel or tone. Copy the one that fits.

For issues in an iPhone or Android app.

Mobile app

Hi Customer name, Try these in order and stop when it's fixed: 1. Close the app fully (swipe it away) and reopen it. 2. Check the App Store or Play Store for an update. 3. Restart your phone. 4. Delete and reinstall the app. Your data is saved to your account, so nothing is lost. Still not working? Reply with your phone model and I'll take a closer look. Your name

For walking through steps one at a time in chat.

Chat

Let's try the quickest fix first: could you quit and reopen the app, then tell me if Problem still happens?

When to use it

A customer reports a general problem with no obvious cause.
You suspect caching, an old version or a browser extension.
You want to rule out the common causes before escalating.

What to avoid

Don't send it when the problem is clearly on your side, such as an outage. Use the outage update instead.
Don't send it to a technical customer who says they've already tried the basics.
Don't add steps that risk data loss without warning.

The fields in this template

Retext fills these in when the snippet expands. In plain text they become [brackets] to replace by hand.

Customer name{fill:Customer name}: Their first name.
Problem{fill:Problem}: The issue in a few words, e.g. "the dashboard not loading".
Latest version{fill:Latest version}: Your current version number, e.g. "2.8.1".
Your name{fill:Your name}: Your first name.

More about dynamic fields

Tips

•Tailor the four steps to your product once, then they're right in every reply.
•Ordering steps by effort means most customers only do one or two.
•If you answer in a help desk and in Slack, per-app snippets can keep the full steps in one and the chat variant in the other, under the same trigger.

Works in Zendesk, Intercom, Help Scout and every other app

Retext types the snippet wherever your cursor is. To use a different version in one app, give it the same trigger and limit it to that app with per-app snippets. They go by app, not website, so every tab in your browser counts as one app.

Use it with your team

Keep the version number fill-in, or have an admin update it in the shared snippet after each release so nobody quotes an old version.

See Retext for Teams

Questions

What are the basic troubleshooting steps for software?

Refresh or restart the app, sign out and in, update to the latest version, and try another browser or device. Those four solve a large share of everyday issues.

How do you write troubleshooting instructions customers follow?

Number them, put the quickest first, ask the customer to stop when it works, and tell them what to send if nothing helps.

Related templates

Request more information

;cs-need-info

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;cs-pw-reset

Customer support

Hi [Customer name], Sorry you're locked out. Here's the quickest way back in: 1. Go to [Reset link] 2. Enter the email a…

Thanks for the bug report

;cs-bug-thanks

Customer support

Hi [Customer name], Thanks for such a clear report. [What they did well] I've reproduced it on our side and logged it wi…

All customer support templates Browse every snippet pack

Type ;cs-try-steps, get the whole reply

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