How to Write a Follow Up Email: Templates and Tips for Better Customer Service
Sending a follow-up email or text isn’t just about immediate responses or payments—it’s also about building lasting relationships with your customers.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to write a follow-up email for different scenarios, when to send it, and seven email templates you can copy and paste the next time you follow up on a quote, job, or invoice.
How to format your service follow-up email
Add the following elements to create the perfect follow-up email:
- Email subject line: Choose a subject line that makes the purpose of your email clear to the reader, such as “Thank You: Your lawn care service by Plum Landscaping is complete.”
- Greeting: Start with a polite and personalized greeting, like “Hi Jose.”
- Purpose of email: Clarify the specific reason for your follow-up email. For example, you might ask your customer if they have any questions about the quote, completed service, or invoice provided.
- Call to action (CTA): Tell the reader what you want them to do next, like leave a review, follow your business on social media, or pay an outstanding invoice.
- Sign off: End with a polite sign off, like “thank you” or “best regards.”
Here’s what a follow-up email after providing service looks like when you use automated follow-up emails in Jobber:
Pro Tip: If you’re following up on a previous email, like a sent quote or invoice, make sure to include a copy of the original message in your email follow up.
7 follow-up email templates for service providers
Use these email templates to follow up with your customers at every stage of the job and make your business look more professional.
1. Get approval for a quote
Sending a quote follow-up email can help you win more jobs and keep work moving forward. It also gives you the opportunity to answer any questions a potential client may have about the quote provided.
Try this email template to follow up on a quote:
Example of a quote follow up email
Subject line: Your [insert project type, e.g., landscaping, lawn care, etc.] project
Hi [customer name],
Thanks again for making time to join us for your [project type, e.g., landscaping, plumbing, HVAC, etc.] assessment.
Just wanted to follow up on the quote we sent you a few days ago.
As discussed [insert: “on the phone” or “on-site”], the [services or products you discussed] will be completed by our team of expert [industry] contractors.
We are very excited to start this project with you. If you have any further questions, feel free to call me directly at [phone number]. I’d be happy to help.
Cheers,[Name], [Title]
[Email] | [Phone number]
Pro Tip: Double check the contact information of the email recipient to make sure your follow up email is going to the right person.
2. Confirm service completion
Let your client know that you’ve finished the job and thank them for their business. This gives them the opportunity to voice any concerns they may have with the services you provided.
Use this template for your post-service follow up:
Example of an email to client after project completion
Subject line: Your [service name] from [Company Name] is complete
Hi [Client Name],
Our team has completed [work description]. If you have any questions about the work or our services, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.
Thank you for your business. We look forward to working with you again in the future!
Best,
[Name], [Title]
[Email] | [Phone number]
3. Ask for feedback
Sending a follow-up email for feedback is a chance to connect with your clients and ask for their honest opinions in a consistently professional way. You can even include a customer feedback survey, if you’d like.
Positive feedback shows you what you’re doing well, while negative feedback tells you how you can improve your service, solve a problem, and continue the relationship with the client.
To get useful feedback from a customer satisfaction email, ask for it in your follow-up email after providing service:
Example of a follow-up email for client feedback
Subject line: [Company Name] wants your feedback on your recent [service name]
Hi [Client Name],
Your service visit by [Company] is complete.
If you have any questions about the work or service that our team has provided you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We work really hard to provide the best experience for our customers and are always looking for ways to improve. If you have a second to answer our short survey below, we would appreciate your feedback.
Thank you,
[Name], [Title]
[Email] | [Phone number]
[Insert link to customer feedback form or survey]
Jobber lets you build surveys directly in your job follow-up emails to help you gather customer feedback.
When you get positive feedback from a client, don’t stop there. They may be willing to give you a testimonial or online review that will help send new clients your way, if you ask for it.
Pro Tip: Some business owners give their teams a bonus for every 10/10 review they get. This is an extra incentive for their employees to provide above-and-beyond service every time.
4. Upsell your services
When you’re sending a follow-up email, customer service should be your first priority. Still, it’s worth considering any opportunities to upsell your services after that initial appointment.
Can you turn a one-off cleaning appointment into a regular weekly cleaning? An appliance repair job into a maintenance contract? A spring cleanup into weekly lawn care visits?
When you’re sending an email to a client after project completion, include information about any service packages you offer—and maybe even a new customer discount as an incentive to work with you again.
Email example of a follow up after the service is complete (with incentive)
Subject line: [Service/package name] from [Company name] you may be interested in
Hi [Client Name],
Our team has completed [work description].
If you’re interested in making this a regular appointment, we’re currently offering a 20% discount for new customers when you sign up for one of our weekly or monthly packages.
To set up recurring service or to ask questions about any of our other services, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.
Thank you for your business. We look forward to working with you again in the future!
Best,
[Name], [Title]
[Email] | [Phone number]
5. Follow up on an overdue invoice
Following up on overdue invoices can help you speed up payment and improve your cash flow.Here’s an overdue payment email template you can use to follow up on unpaid invoices:
Invoice follow-up email template
Subject line: Past due payment reminder from [Business Name]
Hi [Client Name],
We’re following up on the overdue invoice [invoice #] for the amount [$0.00], which was due on [invoice due date]. We’ve attached a copy of the invoice for your reference.
To avoid any additional late payment fees please make a payment via [accepted payment methods].
If you have any questions about the invoice or how to arrange payment, you can contact us by:
Calling our office [phone number]
Emailing us at [email address]
Visiting our office at [office address]
Thanks,
[Business Name]
6. Encourage referrals and reviews
A referral from a happy client speaks volumes about your credibility, your professionalism, and the quality of your service. And once you’re running a customer referral program, a follow-up email after providing service is the right place to promote it.
Here’s how to follow-up and promote your customer referral program after the job is complete:
Example of a customer review email template
Subject line: Your [service name] is complete. Share your experience with [Company name]
Hi [Client Name],
Our team has completed [work description].
If you tell your friends and family about us, they’ll get [% or $ discount] off their first visit with us when they mention your name—and you’ll get the same discount off your next service!
Thank you for your business. We look forward to working with you again in the future!
Best,
[Name], [Title]
[Email] | [Phone]
7. Promote your social media
If you’re active on social media (which you should be!), follow-up emails to customers can point your clients toward your business’s Facebook, Instagram, or other platform pages.
These pages provide opportunities for your clients to get special deals, access exclusive promotions, and stay up to date with what you’re doing as a business.
And if a client likes or shares your posts, their friends and family will see them, too.
To promote your social media and other marketing platforms, try writing a customer service follow-up email like this:
Example of an email follow up after project completion (with social media)
Subject line: Your [service name] is finished. Connect with [Company Name] on [Facebook, Instagram, etc.]
Hi [Client Name],
Our team has completed [work description].
Thank you for your business. We look forward to working with you again in the future!
(Want DIY tips on how to maintain your home between services? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for seasonal tips and video tutorials posted every week.)
[Include links to your social profiles above]
Best,
[Name], [Title]
[Email] | [Phone]
How to send a follow up email automatically using software
Spend less time following up with customers—and more time focused on your work—by using software to automate your email follow-ups.
Here’s how you can use Jobber to follow up with your customers via text message or email:
Quote follow-ups
Jobber automatically sends a quote follow-up to customers you haven’t heard back from to keep work moving forward.
Here’s how it works:
- Turn on automatic quote follow-ups and edit when the reminder is sent out and at what time of day.
- Customize your quote follow-up message template.
- Choose to send quote reminders via email or text message.
Job follow-ups
Schedule a polite follow up email after the job is complete to gather customer feedback, ask for a review, or simply say thank you.
Here’s how it works:
- Turn on automatic job follow-ups to automatically request feedback after a job is completed.
- Edit your job follow-up email template.
- Choose whether or not to include the survey question as part of your follow up email.
Invoice follow-ups
To save you from chasing payments manually, Jobber automatically sends a customized email or text follow-up to clients, reminding them to pay their outstanding invoice.
Here’s how it works:
- Turn on automatic invoice follow-ups and choose when to send the reminder and at what time of day.
- Customize your invoice follow-up message template.
- Decide to send invoice reminders via email or text message.
When to send a follow up email
Here are the best times to send each type of follow up email:
- After a quote: Send your first quote follow up 2–3 days after a quote if you haven’t heard back from the potential customer yet.
- After a job: Send your post-job follow up 24–48 hours after the job is complete when the service is still fresh in your client’s mind.
- After an invoice: To avoid late payments, send your first invoice reminder 1–2 days before the invoice due date. If you still haven’t received payment, send a second follow-up at the one week, two week, and one month intervals.
READ MORE:When to send an invoice to customers
Best practices for sending follow up emails
Taking the time to write quality follow-up emails and sending them at the write times will help you maintain good relationships with your customers.
Use these best practices to send an effective follow up email:
- Be polite and professional: Don’t let the frustration of an unapproved quote or overdue payment show through your follow-up message. Keep your tone polite and professional, and thank your customer for their time and consideration.
- Provide a deadline: If you’re following up on a quote or invoice, provide an approval or payment deadline so your client knows when you’re expecting a response by.
- Space out your follow ups: Your clients might have busy life or work schedules that make it difficult to respond right away. Wait 3–5 business days after the initial email before sending a second follow-up message.
- Offer assistance: Let your client know you’re available to answer any questions on the quote, job, or invoice, or provide any additional information.
- Keep it short and to the point: Only write what’s necessary in your follow-up message so your client clearly understands what you’re asking them to do.
- Include the original message: If you’re following up on a quote or an unpaid invoice, include the email thread of your previous conversation, or attach a PDF file or link of it.
Originally published in July 2021. Last updated on November 21st, 2023.