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Canned Responses

Overview

Canned Responses are pre-written message templates that agents can quickly insert into conversations. They save time, ensure consistency, and help agents respond faster to common questions.

To access Canned Responses:

  1. Go to Settings from the sidebar
  2. Click Chat Assets → Canned Responses

Creating Canned Responses

To create a new canned response:

  1. Go to Settings → Chat Assets → Canned Responses
  2. Click "+ Create Canned Response" or "+ New Response"
  3. Enter a short code (e.g., greeting, hours, refund)
  4. Enter the message content
  5. Click Save

Examples:

  • greeting → "Hi! How can I help you today?"
  • hours → "Our support hours are Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 6 PM EST."
  • refund → "I'd be happy to help with your refund. Can you provide your order number?"

Message Content Tips

Use Placeholders (if supported)

Some systems support variables that auto-populate:

  • recipient.firstName → Customer's name
  • {agent.firstName} → Agent's name

Example with placeholders:

Hi {recipient.firstName}! My name is {agent.firstName}, and I'm here to help you today.

Check your OCC version to see which placeholders are supported.

Keep It Personal

Even with templates, maintain a friendly, human tone:

✅ Good:

Thanks for reaching out! I understand you're having trouble with your account. 
I'd be happy to help resolve this. Can you describe what's happening?

❌ Too Robotic:

Your request has been received. Please provide additional details for processing.

Structure for Readability

Use formatting for longer responses:

Thanks for contacting us about your order!

Here's how to track your shipment:
1. Visit our tracking page
2. Enter your order number
3. Click "Track"

Need more help? Just let me know!

Using Canned Responses

In a Conversation

To insert a canned response:

  1. Open a conversation in the Inbox
  2. In the message box, type / (forward slash)
  3. A dropdown menu appears with available canned responses
  4. Type to search (e.g., type "greet" to find /greeting)
  5. Select the response with arrow keys or mouse
  6. Press Enter or click to insert

After insertion:

  • The message appears in your message box
  • Edit if needed to personalize
  • Press Enter or Send to send the message
💡

Pro Tip: Type / and start typing the short code to quickly filter responses.

Editing Canned Responses

To edit an existing canned response:

  1. Go to Settings → Chat Assets → Canned Responses
  2. Click on the canned response you want to edit
  3. Update:
    • Short code
    • Message content
  4. Click Save

What happens:

  • Changes take effect immediately
  • Agents will use the updated version going forward
  • Previous messages sent with the old version are not changed

Deleting Canned Responses

To delete a canned response:

  1. Go to Settings → Chat Assets → Canned Responses
  2. Select the canned response
  3. Click "Delete" or the trash icon
  4. Confirm deletion

What happens:

  • The short code is removed
  • Agents can no longer use it
  • Previously sent messages remain unchanged

Common Canned Response Templates

Greetings

/greeting

Hi! Thanks for reaching out. How can I help you today?

/greeting-name (with placeholder)

Hi {customer_name}! I'm {agent_name}, and I'm here to help. What can I assist you with?

Operating Hours

/hours

Our support team is available Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 6 PM EST. We'll respond as soon as we're back online!

/after-hours

Thanks for contacting us! We're currently offline but will respond within 24 hours during business hours (Mon-Fri, 9 AM - 6 PM EST).

Asking for Information

/order-number

To help you faster, could you provide your order number? You can find it in your confirmation email.

/more-info

I'd love to help! Could you provide a bit more detail about the issue you're experiencing?

/screenshot

A screenshot would really help me understand the issue better. Can you share one?

Resolutions

/resolved

Great! I'm glad we could resolve this for you. Is there anything else I can help with today?

/follow-up

I've made a note of this and will follow up with you within 24 hours. Thanks for your patience!

Apologies

/sorry-wait

I apologize for the wait! Let me look into this for you right away.

/sorry-issue

I'm sorry you're experiencing this issue. Let's get it sorted out together.

Escalations

/escalate

I'm escalating this to our specialist team. They'll reach out to you within 4 hours. Thanks for your patience!

/tech-team

This requires our technical team's expertise. I've created a ticket, and they'll follow up within 24 hours.

Closings

/closing

Thanks for chatting with us! Feel free to reach out anytime if you need further assistance.

/closing-feedback

Thanks for your time! We'd love your feedback on this conversation. You'll receive a short survey via email.

Best Practices

Content Quality:

  • ✅ Write in your brand's voice and tone
  • ✅ Keep responses concise (2-4 sentences for most)
  • ✅ Use friendly, empathetic language
  • ✅ Avoid jargon or overly technical terms
  • ✅ Always leave room for personalization

Organization:

  • ✅ Use clear, memorable short codes
  • ✅ Group related responses with prefixes (e.g., /greet-, /close-, /error-)
  • ✅ Add descriptions so agents know when to use each one
  • ✅ Limit to 15-25 most-used responses (avoid overwhelming agents)

Maintenance:

  • ✅ Review responses quarterly
  • ✅ Update based on new policies or products
  • ✅ Remove outdated or unused responses
  • ✅ Get feedback from agents on what's missing

Training:

  • ✅ Create a canned response guide for new agents
  • ✅ Train agents to personalize responses before sending
  • ✅ Share examples of good vs. robotic usage
  • ✅ Monitor usage to identify missing templates

Troubleshooting

Can't find canned response when typing /

Check:

  • ✅ Short code starts with /
  • ✅ You're typing the exact short code (case-sensitive)
  • ✅ Canned response exists and isn't deleted
  • ✅ You have permission to use canned responses

Dropdown doesn't appear when typing /

Try:

  • Refresh the page
  • Clear browser cache
  • Check if feature is enabled in your OCC instance
  • Try typing a known short code exactly

Updated 21 days ago