Replying to Customer Messages

Send email responses to customers directly from the SupportRetriever conversation interface.

Composing a Reply

Open a conversation from the sidebar
Scroll to the reply area at the bottom
Type your message in the text area
Click "Send" or press Ctrl/Cmd+Enter

Message Formatting

Markdown Support

Your replies support markdown formatting:

Bold text: **bold** → bold
Italic text: *italic* → italic
Code: `code` → code
Links: [text](url) → text
Line breaks: Single line breaks are converted to <br>

Example Formatted Reply

Hi John,

Thanks for reaching out! I can help you with that.

**Here's what you need to do:**
1. First, go to settings
2. Then click on "Account"
3. Finally, update your preferences

Let me know if you need any clarification!

Best regards,
Support Team

Sending Messages

Send Button

Click the "Send" button to send your message immediately.

Keyboard Shortcut

Press Ctrl+Enter (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Enter (Mac) to send quickly.

Tip: The keyboard shortcut saves time when replying to multiple messages.

Using Saved Replies

Insert pre-written reply templates:

Click the saved replies button (💬) in the reply area
Select a template from the dropdown
The template text is inserted into your message
Edit as needed before sending

You can also type shortcuts like /thanks to automatically insert saved replies.

Message Delivery

When you send a reply:

Message is sent via email to the customer
Email appears in the conversation thread
Customer receives it in their inbox
Conversation is updated with your reply

Email Format

Replies are sent as emails with:

To: Customer's email address
From: Your configured email display name
Subject: Re: [Original submission subject]
Body: Your formatted message

Permissions

Your ability to reply depends on permissions:

Admin - Can reply to all conversations
Reply Permission - Can reply to conversations you can view
View Only - Cannot send replies (read-only access)

If you don't have reply permission, you'll see a message indicating you need write access.

Best Practices

Quick Responses: Aim to reply within 2 hours during business hours
Clear Communication: Use formatting to make messages readable
Personal Touch: Address customers by name when possible
Complete Answers: Provide thorough responses to reduce back-and-forth
Professional Tone: Maintain a professional yet friendly tone