I have an issue tracking system, but sometimes users report bugs directly to me in an email. If I'm responding to a bug report in an email, what's a good etiquette to use? Do I thank them for reporting the bug? Do I apologize for it ? Is there a good template anywhere?
Responding to end users about bugs they found
communication;issue tracking;email;users
Thank them for bringing it up to your attention.Reply back with the defect number from the bug tracker.  Yes, that means you need to enter the bug yourself.Verify that you have all the details you need to recreate the bug.Bonus points if you can give them an estimate of its priority and when you might be able to fix it.  It's also fair to explain your prioritization process and state that you'll update the defect ticket after investigation and prioritization.Double bonus points for politely pointing out that there is a bug tracker that they could use in case they didn't want to wait on an email reply.