Customer service
Customer service phrases: 12 ready-made replies for the hard moments
Quick answer
Which phrases should you use in customer service?
The best customer service phrases say what will happen and when. Instead of "I'll check", write "I'll check the stock and reply in five minutes". Use the person's name, apologize plainly when the mistake is yours and never end with a no without offering another path.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent
Phrases for asking for a minute, saying no, apologizing and calming an upset customer on WhatsApp. Copy them and replace what is in brackets.
Create my agentNo lock-in contract and no setup fee. You connect the number you already use.
See the 30 automatic message templates for customers, grouped by moment.
Summary in 7 facts
- Phrases for asking for a minute, saying no, apologizing and calming an upset customer on WhatsApp.
- The best customer service phrases say what will happen and when.
- Instead of "I'll check", write "I'll check the stock and reply in five minutes".
- Six common phrases that irritate, and what to write instead.
- Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
- I'll check and get back to you When the answer depends on stock or on someone else.
- Product you don't have When the customer asks for something the store doesn't carry.
By the numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| 30 templates | See the 30 automatic message templates for customers, grouped by moment. |
| 10 minutes | I'll check this with [the stock or the department] and reply here within [10 minutes].now ✓✓ Copy When you don't know the answer Better to say you don't know than to guess. |
| 15 minutes | I'm finishing another conversation and I'll talk to you in about [15 minutes].now ✓✓ Copy |
| 3 payments | What I can do is [split it into 3 payments or remove the shipping fee]. |
| 30 days | The exchange window was [30 days] and ended on [date], so I can't exchange it. |
| 12 messages | This time I'll follow it through to the end and give you news [tomorrow, by 10 a.m.].now ✓✓ Copy 12 more apology messages: lateness, a mistake and a long wait → |
| 12 seconds | The CertuAI team measured the response time of its own AI in customer accounts: half of the replies went out within 12 seconds, and 9 in 10 within 21 seconds, across 38,908 replies, from Jul 30 to… |
| 67 businesses | CertuAI customer service data: 67 businesses of various kinds, 122,720 customer messages, from Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026, measured on Oct 9, 2026. |
Customer service phrases to swap in today
Six common phrases that irritate, and what to write instead.
| Common phrase | Why it irritates | Write it like this |
|---|---|---|
| "I will be looking into it" | Doesn't say when | "I'll check and reply in 10 minutes" |
| "Unfortunately it's not possible" | Closes the conversation | "I can't do that, but I can do [alternative]" |
| "Please wait" | It is an order, with no time frame | "Can you give me 5 minutes?" |
| "How can I help you?", after the customer has already explained | Makes them repeat everything | "Got it: you need [summary]. Right?" |
| "It's company policy" | Sounds like an excuse | The reason for the rule, in one line |
| "Calm down" | Makes the person angrier | "I understand, let's fix this now" |
Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
Quick message for customers: phrases for asking for a moment
I'll check and get back to you
When the answer depends on stock or on someone else.
Boa pergunta, [Nome]. Vou conferir isso com [o estoque ou o setor] e te respondo aqui em até [10 minutos].
now ✓✓When you don't know the answer
Better to say you don't know than to guess.
Essa eu não sei te responder de cabeça, [Nome], e não quero te passar informação errada. Vou perguntar para quem sabe e volto ainda hoje, até as [hora].
now ✓✓Full queue
When you are in the middle of another conversation.
Oi, [Nome]! Já vi a sua mensagem. Estou terminando outro atendimento e falo com você em uns [15 minutos].
now ✓✓
CertuAI demo with a fictional clinic, at 12:39 a.m.: the reply brings the information requested and the next step, with no "I'll check".
Phrases for saying no to the customer without closing the door
Product you don't have
When the customer asks for something the store doesn't carry.
Esse modelo a gente não tem, [Nome]. O mais parecido que tenho é o [produto], por [valor]. Quer que eu mande uma foto?
now ✓✓Discount you can't give
When the customer asks for a price that doesn't add up.
Esse desconto eu não consigo fazer, [Nome]. O que eu consigo é [parcelar em 3 vezes ou tirar o frete]. Ajuda?
now ✓✓Past the exchange window
When the request arrives after the agreed deadline.
Entendo, [Nome]. O prazo de troca era de [30 dias] e terminou em [data], por isso não consigo trocar. O que posso fazer é [alternativa].
now ✓✓
Phrases for an upset customer and for apologizing
The mistake was yours
When the business made the error and you already know.
Você tem razão, [Nome], o erro foi nosso: [o que aconteceu]. Já estou resolvendo e te mando a confirmação até as [hora].
now ✓✓Upset customer, cause still unknown
When the person arrives angry and you haven't yet understood why.
Entendo a sua chateação, [Nome], e quero resolver. Me conta o que aconteceu, do começo, que eu vejo agora o que dá para fazer.
now ✓✓Same complaint a second time
When the problem came back.
Oi, [Nome]. Vi que você já falou disso com a gente em [data] e o problema continua. Desta vez eu acompanho até o fim e te dou notícia [amanhã, até as 10h].
now ✓✓
12 more apology messages: lateness, a mistake and a long wait →
Phrases for asking for information, explaining and confirming the order
Ask for what is missing
When you need a piece of information to solve it.
Para eu te ajudar direito, [Nome], preciso de duas coisas: [o número do pedido] e [uma foto do produto]. Pode me mandar por aqui?
now ✓✓Explain in steps
When the answer is long.
Vou te explicar em três passos, [Nome]: primeiro [passo], depois [passo] e por último [passo]. Se travar em algum, me fala em qual.
now ✓✓Confirm before closing
Before recording an order, reservation or quote.
Só para eu não errar, [Nome]: você quer [resumo do pedido], para [data]. É isso mesmo?
now ✓✓
Three rules for a good customer service phrase
They work for any phrase, ready-made or written on the spot.
Give the deadline
"I'll look into it" leaves the customer staring at their phone. "I'll reply in 10 minutes" lets them do something else.
Every no comes with a yes
Say what you can't do and, in the same message, what you can.
One thing per message
Three questions together come back with a single answer. Ask, wait and continue.
See how it looks in your industry
Each industry gets different questions on WhatsApp. Pick yours to see how CertuAI's AI serves that kind of customer.
How to save the phrases as quick replies in WhatsApp Business
A quick reply is a saved text you call up by typing a slash. The app stores up to 50.
Open Quick replies
In WhatsApp Business, tap Tools and then Quick replies.
Paste the phrase and give it a shortcut
Use a short shortcut that is easy to remember, like /checking, /exchange or /sorry.
Call it up with the slash
In the conversation, type the slash and choose the phrase. Replace what is in brackets before sending.
Review once a month
Delete the ones nobody uses and rewrite the ones customers don't understand.
When the ready-made phrase gets in the way
A ready-made phrase is for what repeats: deadlines, exchanges, requests for information, confirmations. It gets in the way when it arrives in place of an answer. If the customer asked "do you deliver to my neighborhood?", the phrase "Hello, how can I help you?" shows that nobody read it.
Also don't use a ready-made phrase for bad news without adjusting it. A lost order, a wrong charge and a big delay call for the person's name, what happened to them and what you are going to do, written for that case.
The way to standardize without sounding like a robot is ready-made messages that don't sound like a robot. To close the conversation, see the customer service closing message, and to find out whether the customer liked it, the customer service review message. The texts that go out on their own are in automatic messages for customers. When phrases can no longer handle the volume, see automatic customer service on WhatsApp.
How fast the reply goes out: CertuAI's data
"I'll reply in 10 minutes" only counts if someone follows through. The CertuAI team measured the response time of its own AI in customer accounts: half of the replies went out within 12 seconds, and 9 in 10 within 21 seconds, across 38,908 replies, from Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026.
The number is for the AI, not for people: the time a human agent takes was not measured. The hour with the most customer messages was 11 a.m., the same one when the team is usually busiest.
| What was measured | Result |
|---|---|
| Time within which half of the AI's replies went out | 11.7 seconds |
| Time within which 9 in 10 of the AI's replies went out | 20.7 seconds |
| AI replies counted in the account | 38.908 |
| Hour of the day with the most customer messages | 11h |
| Customer messages that arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 32,5% |
Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
Source: CertuAI WhatsApp Customer Service Index, Q3 2026. CertuAI customer service data: 67 businesses of various kinds, 122,720 customer messages, from Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026, measured on Oct 9, 2026. Business hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., in each account's time zone. Test accounts, test contacts and imported history are left out. Redone every quarter.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best customer service phrases?
The ones that say what will happen and when: "I'll check and reply in 10 minutes", "the mistake was ours and I'm already fixing it", "I can't do that, but I can do something else".
What is a quick message for customers?
It is a text saved in WhatsApp Business, in Quick replies, that you call up by typing a slash and a shortcut. It is for what you repeat every day.
How do you reply to an upset customer on WhatsApp?
Acknowledge the frustration, ask them to tell you what happened and say what you will do and by when. Don't write "calm down" and don't start with the explanation.
How do you politely say no to a customer?
Say the no with the reason in one line and offer another path in the same message, like a similar product, another date or another way to pay.
How many ready-made replies does WhatsApp Business store?
The app stores up to 50 quick replies. They don't go out on their own: someone has to choose the phrase in each conversation.
Does a ready-made phrase make customer service feel like a robot?
Only when it arrives in place of an answer. With the customer's name and the details of their case, the ready-made phrase just saves typing.
Where to go next?
The AI replies right away, with your phrases
At CertuAI, the AI learns your business's way of talking in the Brain and answers each customer with the information they asked for, at any hour. When the customer is upset or asks for a person, it alerts you and leaves the conversation for someone on the team.
From US$ 75 per month.
Create my agentBoa pergunta, [Nome]. Vou conferir isso com [o estoque ou o setor] e te respondo aqui em até [10 minutos].now ✓✓
This is the first message on this page, sent by the AI in your tone, with nobody at the counter.
In short
Which phrases should you use in customer service? The best customer service phrases say what will happen and when. Instead of "I'll check", write "I'll check the stock and reply in five minutes". Use the person's name, apologize plainly when the mistake is yours and never end with a no without offering another path.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent