Is replying to support emails instantly actually hurting your product?

I used to think answering support tickets within minutes was the secret to keeping users happy. But after being forced to step away for a few days, I realized fast replies were actually backfiring.

Because I was answering right away, users stopped checking our basic help guides and just emailed us for every minor thing. Giving them a bit of breathing room actually encouraged them to figure things out on their own.

Does anyone else feel like instant customer support creates bad habits instead of better retention?