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Email template to follow up when a business stops replying

You emailed a business about something specific, a quote, a repair, a refund, a booking, and the conversation simply stopped. Maybe they replied once and then went quiet, or maybe your message got no answer at all. Silence usually means your email is buried, not that they are ignoring you on purpose. A good follow-up is short, restates exactly what you asked and when, and gives them an easy way to answer in one line. Sending it as a reply on the same email thread, so your original message sits right underneath, works far better than starting a fresh one, because the reader does not have to search for the context.

Before you send

  • The date of your last message and what exactly you asked for, in one sentence. If you can, reply on the original thread rather than writing a new email.
  • The name of the person who replied last, if anyone did. Address them directly; a named person is more likely to answer than a shared inbox.
  • Anything they were waiting on from you. If you owe them a photo, a form, or a decision, send it with the follow-up, or the silence is partly yours.
  • A date by which you need an answer, and what you will do if you do not hear back, such as booking with someone else. State it as a fact, not a threat.
  • A second contact route, such as a different email address on their website or a phone number, in case this one is dead.
Subject Re: [original subject line] - following up 
Hi [name or "there"],

I'm following up on my email from [date of last message] about [what you asked for, in a few words, such as "a quote for replacing the water heater at 12 Elm Street"]. I haven't heard back, and I want to make sure it didn't get lost.

To recap, I asked whether [restate the one question, such as "you could do the job the week of the 15th, and what it would cost"]. [If they were waiting on you: "You'd asked for photos, which I've attached here."]

I'm hoping to have this sorted by [date], so if you can send me [the thing you need: the quote, the tracking number, the refund confirmation] by [date, a few days out], that would be great. If you're not able to take this on, a quick note saying so would help too, so I can make other arrangements.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Your phone number]

Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. Keep the rest as it is or change the tone to match how you write.

After you send

  • Most follow-ups get an apology and an answer within a day or two. If the answer is "we're working on it," ask for a specific date rather than accepting an open-ended promise.
  • No reply after a second message means the email address is unattended or the business is not interested. Try the other contact route once, with the same short recap.
  • A bad answer is a reply that addresses something other than what you asked. Restate the one question in a single line and nothing else; long emails invite partial answers.
  • Two follow-ups, spaced about a week apart, is a fair effort. After that, walk away for quotes and bookings. For refunds and unfinished work, move to a complaint or escalation instead of a third follow-up.

Or don't send it yourself

Forward the job to myagent@standinfor.me and let StandIn run the whole thread.

StandIn is an email assistant that handles conversations with businesses for you. You write it one email saying what you need. It writes to the business, waits for the answer, follows up when they go quiet, pushes back on the number when it should, and brings the results back to your inbox for you to decide. You don't need to install an app or sign up. The first email you send is already the start of the task.

Hand this to StandIn opens an email to myagent@standinfor.me with the job already written out

To myagent@standinfor.me Subject Chase a business that stopped replying to me 
Hi StandIn,

Please follow up with a business that has gone quiet on me and get me a clear answer.

The business: [name, email address, and any person I was dealing with].
What I asked for: [the quote, refund, repair or booking, in one sentence].
When I last wrote and what they last said: [date, and their last reply if any].
Anything they're waiting on from me: [documents, photos, a decision, or "nothing"].
When I need an answer: [date].

If they don't reply within a few days, try their other contact addresses, and if it's a quote or booking, start asking comparable businesses so I have an alternative ready.

Thanks,
[Your name]

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