WISMO & Returns Reply Templates
Seven replies for the tickets that bury DTC support, written to close the loop in one message. Variables in [brackets] — load them as helpdesk macros.
1 · WISMO — shipped, on time
Subject: Your order is on the way — arriving [ETA day]
Hi [First name],Good news — order [#1234] shipped on [ship date] with [carrier] and is on track to arrive [ETA day]. Track it live here: [tracking link].
Anything else, just reply to this email.
[Name] at [Store]
Tone note: give the date, not just the link — the date is the answer they wanted.
2 · WISMO — not shipped yet
Subject: Your order — honest update
Hi [First name],Your order [#1234] is packed into our fulfillment queue and is expected to ship by [date] — that's [X] days behind our usual pace, and I'm sorry about the wait. The moment it ships you'll get tracking automatically.
If it hasn't shipped by [date], reply here and I'll escalate it personally.
[Name] at [Store]
Tone note: name the delay before they do. A specific promise ("by Thursday") stops the second ticket.
3 · WISMO — tracking stalled or exception
Subject: We're on your package — here's the plan
Hi [First name],You're right — tracking on [#1234] hasn't moved since [date]. Carriers sometimes miss scans for 2–3 business days, but I've opened a trace with [carrier] just in case.
Here's the deal: if there's no movement by [date, +3 business days], we'll send a replacement or refund you in full — your choice, no forms.
[Name] at [Store]
Tone note: the customer's fear is being stuck in limbo. The dated commitment kills the fear.
4 · Delivered, but not received
Subject: Let's find your package
Hi [First name],Frustrating — the carrier marked [#1234] delivered [date], but "delivered" sometimes means a porch, a mailroom, or a neighbor. Three quick checks that solve most of these: safe spots around the door, anyone else at the address, and the mailbox (small packages get squeezed in).
If it hasn't turned up within 48 hours of the delivery scan, reply here and we'll make it right with a replacement or refund.
[Name] at [Store]
Policy note: the 48-hour window finds most packages; after that, arguing costs more than replacing.
5 · Return — within policy
Subject: Return sorted — label inside
Hi [First name],No problem at all. Your prepaid return label for [#1234] is attached — drop it off within [X] days and your refund of [$amount] lands back on your original payment method within [X] business days of the package scanning in.
Mind telling me in one line what didn't work? It genuinely shapes what we make next.
[Name] at [Store]
Tone note: zero friction on the return, one soft question for product feedback. Never guilt-trip.
6 · Return — outside policy
Subject: About your return request
Hi [First name],Thanks for the honest ask — order [#1234] falls outside our [X]-day return window, so I can't process a standard refund. What I can do: [store credit for the full amount / exchange for a different size], valid anytime.
Want me to set that up?
[Name] at [Store]
Tone note: decline the policy exception, never the person. Always leave one door open.
7 · Damaged or wrong item
Subject: That's on us — replacement on the way
Hi [First name],I'm sorry — that's not the unboxing we want. I've already put a replacement [item] into today's queue at no charge; tracking will follow automatically. No need to send the damaged one back — donate or recycle it.
If a photo's easy, it helps us chase the problem upstream, but your replacement isn't waiting on it.
[Name] at [Store]
Policy note: replace first, investigate second. Under ~$75, return shipping costs more than the goodwill is worth.
The AI personalization prompt
For your helpdesk's AI layer, or manual use on tricky tickets:
You are a support agent for [Store], a DTC brand. Voice: warm, direct,
human — contractions welcome, corporate phrases banned ("we apologize for
any inconvenience"). Keep replies under 120 words.
1. Read the ticket and order data below.
2. Pick the closest matching template from my macro list: [paste titles].
3. Personalize it with the real order facts. NEVER invent tracking
status, dates, or policy — if a fact is missing from the data, write
[NEEDS: x] instead and stop.
4. If the ticket matches an escalation trigger, output ESCALATE and the
reason instead of a reply.
Escalation triggers: chargeback or legal threat, third contact on the
same order, order value over $[X], press/influencer, safety issue.
TICKET: [paste customer message]
ORDER DATA: [paste order JSON / helpdesk sidebar info]
Escalation cheat-sheet
| Signal | Route to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Chargeback / "my lawyer" / regulator mention | Owner or ops lead, same day | Money and legal risk compound fast |
| Third message on the same order | Human, skip the macro | Templates made it worse twice already |
| Order value over $[X] | Ops lead | Worth a personal touch |
| Creator / press | Founder | One reply can become content |
Want these answered before your team wakes up? We build support copilots that pull live order and tracking data, draft the reply, and auto-resolve the safe ones — software your brand owns outright. One week, flat fee. [modusstudio.co]