A well-built first message saves ten minutes of conversation. I include three things and nothing else: my registration email, what happened with its date and a screenshot of the error. And if money is involved, I attach the bank receipt before they ask for it.
I learned this by losing entire afternoons. I used to write «I have a problem» and wait for the agent to guess.
«The agent does not read your account until they know which one it is. Every minute they spend finding out is a minute you lose.» Néstor Fabián
How I build the first message
Two sentences are enough. The first identifies the account, the second describes what happened:
- the email I opened the account with, written in full;
- what happened, with the approximate date and time;
- the amount and payment method, if the matter is about money;
- a screenshot of the error message, when there is one.
With that, the agent opens the case on the first turn. Without the email, the conversation starts with three routine questions.
What not to include
No adjectives and no long story. The agent does not set the rules and does not change them because you insist.
Writing to several channels at once does not help either. Two cases open on the same matter and both move more slowly.
The ticket number
I ask for it before closing the window, every time. It is the only way to pick the case up later.
Without that number the request starts from zero the next day. With it, the formal email continues where the chat left off.