How to Write Follow-up Email after Providing Service [Follow-up Email Templates]

As businesses still rely on emails as a primary method of communication, learn how to write follow-up emails to offer exceptional customer care and support.

Jeel PatelJeel Patel
||17 min read
How to Write Follow-up Email after Providing Service [Follow-up Email Templates]

Key Takeaways

  • 01A follow-up email message must always include a CTA as it directs the client on what to do next
  • 02Always keep the content of your follow-up email short and crisp and write it in an understandable language
  • 03Follow up within 2-3 days after service completion for optimal engagement
  • 04Include a thank you note, feedback request, and opportunities for future business in your follow-up emails
  • 05Avoid common mistakes like using 'follow-up' in subject lines or forgetting to include a clear call-to-action

Customer service isn't limited to solving an issue. Many times, companies' customer service stops once the issue has been solved. You must also follow up to show your clients that you care. In this blog, learn how to write a follow-up email with ease using an email example of every case.

Customer service is a critical aspect of a successful and thriving business, regardless of its industry. However, providing outstanding customer service and support requires more than just addressing queries and moving on.

Whoever answers your phone or inbox should be able to understand the customer's issue and offer a workable solution. Consistent follow-ups are essential to ensuring the customer is satisfied and pleased with the resolution.

Therefore, if you want to be a successful business owner, you must expand your company, raise the standard of your services, and cultivate relationships with customers. And one of the simplest ways to stay in touch with your clients is to send them a follow-up email after the job is completed.

Important to Remember

There's no generic after-service follow-up email template that works for every business in every circumstance. Use the templates below as a starting point, then adapt the wording, timing, and offer to your trade and the specific job you just finished.

By sending a follow-up email after providing service, you can get in touch with your clients and even do more business with them in the future.

What to Include While Writing a Follow-up Email?

Here's a listicle of things you must include while writing a follow up email after providing service or doing business:

1. Thank you note for the business

how to follow up without being annoying

Once you are done providing the service, you must inform your clients. A follow-up email after providing a new or recurring service makes your business look more professional and customer-oriented.

Your polite follow-up email should also include a thank-you note expressing gratitude and appreciation for doing business with your company.

This puts your customer support team in great light for providing an excellent customer experience and opens the door for future communication (if and whenever needed). It also ensures that your clients remember you when they need a service you provide and schedules an appointment for a new business.

2. Request a feedback

Positive feedback from a client tells you that you are doing good and encourages you to be consistent and keep giving your best.

Negative feedback, on the other hand, can be tough to take, but it certainly tells you how you can improve your customer service. It also sheds light on how to fix the problem and maintain relationships with your existing and new customers.

Both types of feedback help your employees improve, and your business grow. However, most clients won't bother providing feedback or reviews and ratings unless you ask for it.

Sending a follow-up mail where you request feedback or your customer's honest reviews and ratings is a great option to connect with them in a professional manner and yet with a dash of personalization. For convenience, you can also include a client feedback survey if you want — or use a tool that collects customer reviews automatically after each job.

3. Market your service

When you're sending a follow-up email, customer service should be your first priority. Still, it's worth considering any opportunities to build repeat business after that initial appointment.

Turn One-Time Jobs into Recurring Revenue

If you work at it smartly, you can turn a one-time cleaning job into a weekly cleaning schedule, or an appliance repair visit into an annual service contract. You can certainly turn a spring cleanup into periodic lawn care maintenance visits with persistence and consistency.

When you're sending an email to a customer after finishing the job, don't forget to include details about any service packages you offer or a new discount as a special deal to hire your services again in the future. This kind of low-cost repeat marketing beats chasing cold leads — more on that in our guide to marketing strategies for contractors.

4. Encourage to refer you

how to write follow up email after no response

When you're trying to highlight a new service, the best way for it to get noticed or to start advertising it is by targeting your current customers. A referral from a satisfied customer says a great deal about your reliability, expertise, and service standards.

If you have a client referral program, the best place to advertise it is in a follow up email after providing service. After all, if a client is pleased with the job, they are more likely to recommend it to their friends and relatives.

5. Request to stay connected via social media

Social media is a great place for you to interact with your clients and grow your customer base.

If you have business pages on major social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, etc., your follow-up emails to customers can point your clients towards those pages and other business platform pages.

These pages offer your customers the chance to take advantage of exclusive promotions, receive special discounts, and remain informed about your company's activities.

If your current customer base engages with your posts by liking and sharing them, their relatives and friends will see them as well.

Therefore, always ask your customers to join you on social media to show their support and also receive incentives. This way, you can also secure prospective clients with their help.

Now that you know what to include in a follow-up mail, let's check out some follow-up email templates for common situations. Copy the one that fits, swap in your details, and send it from the same place you track your invoices so nothing slips through.

5 Follow-up Email Samples That Work

Example of a follow-up email for a happy customer

1. Example of a follow-up email for a happy customer

Hi [Client Name],

Thank you for your kind words about the [service] we completed at your property on [date] — feedback like yours is exactly why we do this work.

For that, we are sincerely grateful! Clients like you are the motivation that pushes us to do our jobs efficiently every day.

Please do not hesitate to contact us again if you have any other queries, concerns, or issues. We are only one email away and will be delighted to help you always.

Regards, [Your Name]

Example of a Follow-up email for a not-satisfied customer

2. Example of a Follow-up email for a not-satisfied customer

Hi [Client Name],

I'm sincerely sorry about the experience you had with the [service] we performed on [date] — it's not the standard we hold ourselves to.

I assure you that we are taking concrete steps, including additional training for our team, to ensure a situation like that won't happen again.

In the interim, if there's anything more we can do to make it right, please don't hesitate to let me know. We will address any queries, feedback, or problems you have.

Thanks, [Your Name]

Example of a Follow-up email for review and ratings

3. Example of a Follow-up email for review and ratings

Hello [Client Name],

We're writing to follow up on your recent [service request], which was addressed and resolved on [date].

We aim to deliver the best customer service for our clients and are constantly looking for ways to improve. We would sincerely appreciate your feedback if you could take a few moments to complete our short survey below.

Please tell us how easy or difficult it was to resolve your problem on a scale of 1–5.

1 = Very difficult 2 = Difficult 3 = Neither easy nor difficult 4 = Easy 5 = Very easy

In the future, kindly don't hesitate to get in touch with us once again if there's anything more we can do to aid you.

Thanks, [Your Name]

Example of a Follow-up email to upsell your services

4. Example of a Follow-up email to upsell your services

Hi [Client Name],

Our techs have successfully completed [service] at your property. If you would like to make this a routine service, we are currently offering a discount to customers who sign up for a recurring plan.

When you sign up for one of our monthly packages, you will be able to claim this discount.

Kindly don't hold back from getting in touch with us directly if you want to set up a recurring service or have any questions regarding any of our other offerings.

We truly appreciate that you chose us for our service and look forward to working with you again in the near future!

Regards, [Your Name]

Example of a Follow-up email for a survey invitation

5. Example of a Follow-up email for a survey invitation

Hi [Client Name],

You recently contacted us about [issue], which was addressed on [date].

We'd love to hear about your interactions with our team. Can you please spare a moment to complete this little survey? We promise it'll take you less than half a minute to answer!

Thank you so much; your honest feedback will help us work and assist you better in the future.

Click here: [survey link]

Thanks, [Your Name]

Automate Follow-up Process

A professional email reminder tool can help keep your projects on schedule and, therefore, should be part of a comprehensive follow-up strategy. You can choose to use software solutions to automate your email reminders if you want to create an appealing and robust follow-up email sequence. The same logic applies to money: automated payment reminders do the awkward part of collecting payment from customers for you.

Here are a few of our preferred software solutions to accomplish this:

Top Email Automation Tools
FollowUpThen - Remind yourself or someone else when they haven't responded in a certain time period
Content Snare - Use reminder schedules or create your own with automated project information
Built-in snooze feature in Gmail - Simply choose a date and time for emails to return

What Are the Steps to Consider for Writing a Follow-up Email?

Here are the essential steps to consider when drafting a follow-up email:

1

Specify the reason for sending the follow-up email

This is the first step that you must do before drafting your email. You must define why you are sending this follow-up mail in the first place.

2

Create a compelling email subject line

The first thing a prospective client sees in an email is its subject line, and if you are successful in attracting the prospect's attention, you will notice a high open rate. To create effective subject lines, you need to keep them short. If not, they won't completely appear on the screens of mobile devices. Therefore, use fewer words and keep it crisp and engaging to convey the message in such a way that the prospective client doesn't lose interest.

3

Offer value

Sending a follow-up email just for the sake of it would do no good to your sales numbers. You must strive to make the email worth reading and responding to. If possible, offer something in return that the prospect would find useful. It can be anything like free follow up templates, an e-book, or a free trial.

4

Keep your follow-up email's language simple

The message you want to deliver in the follow-up mail should be clear and to the point. It shouldn't take more effort on the part of the reader to comprehend it. With a good CTA, get to the point and inform the reader what you anticipate them to do. This will improve the chances of your follow up emails getting responses.

5

Conclude your email naturally

You must conclude your follow-up mail as naturally as possible while considering previous email interactions. There is no absolute rule for this; therefore, you are free to finish the email in any way you see fit while keeping the prospective client in mind.

6

Plan your next follow-up emails

When you have a plan, everything goes well. Based on your sales funnel, you must draft the initial and follow-up mails ahead of time. Be prepared to take action if the new clients do not respond to your follow up emails and make it as convenient as possible.

Which Mistakes Should You Steer Clear of When Writing a Follow-Up Email?

Sales reps make some typical email mistakes that appear to be minor but can have a significant impact on your sales figures. Let's have a look at what they are and how to prevent them:

Mistake-1. Including the phrase 'follow-up' in the email subject line

Some sales representatives use the phrase 'follow-up' in the subject line of their emails.

This is not the best strategy because it adds nothing to the value of the email. It rather increases the probability of the receiver completely ignoring your email.

So, consider drafting a subject line that appears to be relevant to your earlier email.

Mistake-2. Forgetting to include a CTA

Don't Leave Recipients Guessing

When you send an email to a potential client, including the follow up email, you must have a CTA or call-to-action. If you don't include a CTA in your email, the recipient will be left in the dark and won't know what to do next after reading it. The CTA might be anything from a client response to a call-back or a request to fill out a survey form. Just be sure to maintain the CTA's clarity.

Mistake-3. Failing to follow up on time

It is preferable not to delay sending your follow-up emails for too long. It would be best to keep the waiting period around three days rather than seven to ten days. Waiting too long could lead the clients to forget the CTA and what you expected them to do.

It doesn't matter what's your business or what industry you work in; the timing of your follow-up mail is very important. You will lose your prospects if you wait too long.

7 Follow-Up Emails Thumb Rules

When keeping up with clients after giving them a demo or providing a service, you must adhere to a few recommended follow-up emails thumb rules.

1

Wait before following up

It's not a good idea to contact them again for a follow-up shortly after speaking with them. Send a follow up email after two to three days (unless you require an immediate response). Additionally, never send it on the weekends or after business hours; send it during an appropriate time of the day.

2

Patience is the key

Even if you're under pressure to meet your goals, don't transfer that stress to the client. Be as patient as possible and avoid rushing into things. If you make it appear overly urgent, the prospect will become disinterested in your offers.

3

Prepare the team

When you decide to follow up with a client, ensure that your staff is prepared to handle challenges (if any) that might come during the process. If there is an issue in the approach after you contact a prospect, you risk losing them.

4

Remember the previous discussion

Review to see if you addressed all of the concerns in the email. The prospect should be aware of every aspect of your most recent interaction with them.

5

Make it personal

While looking for follow-up email templates such as the ones provided in this blog post is a good place to start, you should personalize your messages to build a stronger relationship.

6

Specify timings

If you require a response in a specific timeframe, be explicit about the days and times in your follow-up mails. Clearly state what and when you need it if you are asking your client for certain information. Don't forget to tell them what you intend to do with the information.

7

Be future-oriented

There's no need to ask for a reason for lack of response; instead, focus on the future relationship, which will help you retain clients. These follow-up email thumb rules will help you to craft your emails better. Therefore, make sure to follow them for better results.

Leverage the Power of InvoiceOwl to Scale Your Business

Now that you know how to compose follow-up emails to provide greater customer service and retain clients, you should also know that this isn't the only way to grow your business. You can leverage other digital tools to streamline your business processes with automation.

InvoiceOwl is estimate and invoice software for contractors that helps you create invoices, estimates, and purchase orders fast, with client management built in so every customer's job history and contact details are ready when it's time to follow up. It can help you:

  • Retain clients
  • Get paid faster
  • Win more jobs

Never Miss a Follow-Up Again

InvoiceOwl helps you automate follow-ups for your payments and service feedback requests. Save time and maintain professional relationships with every client.

Start Your FREE Trial

Frequently Asked Questions about Follow-up Emails

An email sent to a client after the initial email or when the client has reached a certain level in the buyer journey is referred to as a follow up email. To find out how they feel about the product or service, you may also send a follow-up email to someone who is currently through a trial period.

You can follow up on a client complaint by asking for constructive feedback on how the matter was handled successfully. You can also offer to attempt to resolve it if the matter isn't addressed yet.

A professional follow-up mail to the customers might serve as a gentle reminder, engaging you with potential and old clients. A follow-up email would not be required in an ideal situation. However, because employees are drowning in digital communications, millions of emails are overlooked daily. The trouble is that most of us do not have time to respond to so many emails we receive every day. To remedy the situation, you can send follow up emails to your clients. It's necessary to get things back in order and scale your business.

A follow-up email is sent to a customer you have provided a service with and asks if there's anything else you can do for them. In the follow-up mail, you must state its purpose crisply and directly. You must also include a strong CTA and mention the timing if you expect a reply in a certain period.

Two to three well-spaced follow-ups is a sensible limit for most service businesses: the first two to three days after the job, a second about a week later, and a final one after two or three weeks. Beyond that, the return drops sharply and you risk annoying a customer who simply wasn't interested. Unpaid invoices are the exception — keep following up on those until you're paid, on a regular schedule.

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Written by

Jeel Patel

Founder at InvoiceOwl

Jeel Patel is the founder of InvoiceOwl, a highly-rated estimating and invoicing software designed to streamline contractor businesses' invoicing and estimating workflows. He holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Toronto, where he developed strong analytical capabilities and business acumen.

More about Jeel

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