{"id":"cx-chatbot-guardrails-returns","audience":"customer-support","category":"support-work","technique":"constraints","track":"support","level":"intermediate","title":"Write guardrail rules for a returns chatbot","free":false,"task":"You're writing the rule list for your store's returns chatbot. Every line must start with \"Always\" or \"Never\", at most 8 bullets, plain text. The return window changed to 30 days on Oct 1 even though the policy doc still says 60. The bot must hand off to a human when a customer mentions a chargeback, a lawyer or an injury, and must never promise a refund over $50 itself.","materialLabel":"Your material (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"RETURNS POLICY (help center doc, last edited March)\n\n- Items can be returned within 60 days of delivery for a full refund to the original payment method.\n- Items must be unused and in original packaging. Opened bedding and mattresses cannot be returned.\n- Customers start a return from Orders > Start return. We email a prepaid label within 1 business day.\n- Refunds are issued within 5 business days after the warehouse receives the item.\n- Damaged on arrival: customer sends a photo within 7 days; we ship a replacement, no return needed.\n- Gift returns get store credit, not a refund.\n\nCHAT LOG SAMPLES (from last week)\nCustomer: \"my kid cut his hand on the broken frame, what are you going to do about it\"\nBot: \"So sorry! Here's a 20% coupon for your next order.\"\nCustomer: \"I already filed a chargeback with my bank, just refund me\"\nBot: \"I've processed a refund of $189.\"\nCustomer: \"can I return a mattress I opened?\"\nBot: \"Yes, within 60 days!\" ","rules":[{"type":"maxBullets","max":8},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Writing a long system prompt","why":"The AI writes paragraphs of persona and tone advice instead of rules a bot can follow.","fix":"Say: \"Every line starts with Always or Never.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Copying the old window","why":"The doc still says 60 days, and the AI has no way to know it changed.","fix":"Tell it: \"The return window is now 30 days, not 60.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"No escalation rule","why":"The AI doesn't know which topics are too risky for a bot.","fix":"Add: \"Hand off to a human for chargebacks, lawyers or injuries. Never promise a refund over $50.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Letting the list sprawl","why":"AI pads lists with extra bullets to look thorough.","fix":"Say \"at most 8 bullets\".","checks":["maxBullets"]},{"title":"Getting markdown back","why":"AI adds bold and headings by default, which show up as stray symbols where this is pasted.","fix":"Say \"plain text, no bold, no headings, no asterisks\".","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Sets the line format","patterns":["always.{0,10}never","start with (always|never)"]},{"label":"Gives the new window","patterns":["30 days"]},{"label":"Names the handoff triggers","patterns":["chargeback","injur","lawyer","hand ?off","human"]},{"label":"Caps refunds","patterns":["\\$50"]},{"label":"Limits the bullets","patterns":["\\d+\\s*bullets","(at most|max|no more than).{0,10}bullet"]}],"hint":"A chatbot only follows rules that are short and sharp. Give the AI the line format, what changed since the doc was written, and when the bot must hand off.","rubricLabels":["Every bullet starts with the word \"Always\" or \"Never\"","States the return window as 30 days and does not say 60 days","Includes handing off to a human when a customer mentions a chargeback, lawyer or injury, and a rule that the bot never promises or issues a refund over $50"]}