The Truth About Custom Client Responses
Forget what you’ve heard: Here’s how to streamline without losing the personal touch
I used to think automation would make me sound like a robot.
Would clients feel ignored? Would they think I didn’t care?
I wanted things to run smoothly, but I also wanted clients to feel taken care of.
For a long time, I did everything manually, answering emails, sending contracts, remind clients about deadlines.
That wasn’t sustainable.
I couldn’t personally walk every client through the process forever.
So, I built a system. One that feels personal but runs on autopilot.
Here’s how I did it.
1. Automate the First Touchpoint (But Make It Feel Human)
My company automates all the first replies.
There’s no shame in that, and it’s better than sitting a human down to do that.
Let me tell you why.
Sometimes, I’d get busy and forget to reply for hours, or even a day.
By then, the client had either lost interest or started doubting whether I was the right person for the job.
That’s when I realized: speed matters.
Clients don’t want to wait.
Plus, money loves speed.
So, I set up canned responses for every situation:
Welcome email once client signs up via our online form
Email receipt acknowledgement
After business hours
Holiday closure
I made it sound like me. Friendly, warm, and engaging.
But I also leave a line that says “This is an automated email”, it’s transparent and clear.
Now, every client gets an instant reply that feels personal, they are updated immediately, but doesn’t take up my time.
If you wish to take it a step further, add a short welcome video. It does the work of introducing yourself, setting expectations, and building trust — all before you even step in.
2. Pre-Onboard Them Before You Even Speak
Back when I did everything manually, onboarding was a mess.
Clients would:
Ask the same questions
Delay sending files
Forget key details
Even I forgot what I’ve missed out and had to go back scrambling for past emails.
Now, the autoresponder does it for me.
After the first email, clients get a:
Welcome guide with expectations, timeline, and FAQs
Client intake form to collect all the details upfront
File upload link to avoid “Where should I send this?” emails
This saves hours for both me and them.
A huge factor that helped me break out of my $5000 month in the early days.
I’ve put together what I’ve done in this online course to productize your service.
3. Set Up a Helpdesk
Before automation, my inbox was complete chaos.
Clients would email me. My team would reply. Someone else would follow up. And suddenly, we’d have five separate email threads about the same project.
And my team members couldn’t tell who had which email and when was the last time something was completed or not.
Clients would send:
“Can you resend the files?”
“Have you revised it yet?”
“What’s next?”
Now, my team uses one common email, with all their personal email addresses tagged to that company email.
This is all doable using a helpdesk.
I use Freshdesk, you can try HelpScout, Zendesk, etc.
All clients will send and receive emails via only that email address, so there’s no need to email Mary, Jane or Bob.
Now, every message is tracked, assigned, and stored neatly. No more:
“Did you see that email from [Client Name]?”
“Who’s handling this request?”
“Where’s the attachment they sent last week?”
Everything stays organized, searchable, and streamlined.
Clients get faster responses. My team stays in sync. And my inbox? Finally under control.
Never have to hop from member to member to dig up old emails again.
4. Automate Delivery (Without Feeling Like a Machine)
Clients want updates. They want to know their project is moving forward.
I used to manually send check-ins. Now, automated progress updates do the work.
For example:
Day 1: “Hey [Name], your project is now in progress.”
Day 3: “Quick update today, everything is on track.”
Day 5: “Just putting the finishing touches on. Get excited.”
I set these up in advance, but clients feel like I’m personally keeping them in the loop.
Simple, effective, and keeps them from wondering what’s going on.
5. Make Offboarding Feel Like a VIP Experience
Most service providers ghost clients after delivery.
Big mistake.
I automated a final email sequence that:
Delivers the final files with clear instructions
Includes a short thank-you message
Asks for a testimonial in a non-pushy way
Offers an upsell or retainer option
Clients leave feeling taken care of, not abandoned.
And I don’t have to remember to send these emails.
Final Thoughts
Clients would rather be informed, updated on time than to be given a late response that left them hanging high and dry.
You want to make them feel valued and supported, that’s all there is to giving a personal touch.
If you’re still manually onboarding, following up, and sending files, it’s time to fix that.