{"id":"ind-sup-warranty-denial-email","audience":"customer-support","category":"customer-replies","technique":"tone","title":"Turn down a warranty claim without blaming the customer","free":false,"task":"A customer's earbuds claim was denied because the repair tech found liquid damage, which the warranty doesn't cover. Write the email in under 90 words, plain text: the decision in the first sentence, no blame (describe what the tech found, never what the customer did), then the paid repair offer with its exact discount and link. Don't open with \"Unfortunately\" and don't apologize more than once. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"The claim file (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"WARRANTY CLAIM #WC-90317 - Tonefield Audio (fictional)\nCustomer: Bianca Moreau\nProduct: Tonefield Air 2 earbuds, bought Feb 12 (1-year warranty)\nCustomer's note: \"Left earbud stopped charging after a week of normal use. I never got them wet. This is a defect.\"\n\nRepair tech report (Nov 2):\n- Left bud: liquid indicator inside is red (triggered). Corrosion on the charging contacts.\n- Right bud: fine.\n- Case: fine.\n- Tech note: can't tell how the liquid got in. Sweat during workouts can do it too.\n\nPolicy:\n- Warranty covers manufacturing defects. It does not cover liquid damage, drops or lost parts.\n- For denied claims, we offer an out-of-warranty repair at 40% off (single bud replacement is normally $49, so $29.40).\n- Customer can start the repair at tonefield.example/repair using the claim number.\n- We ship the left bud back for free if they decline.\n\nNotes from Carmen (team lead): Bianca has called twice. She was polite but upset. Last month an agent wrote \"you must have gotten them wet\" and the customer posted it online.\nOffice closes early Friday.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":90},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 90 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part instead: \"5 sentences, each under 16 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Burying the decision","why":"The AI opens with thanks and an apology, so the answer lands in paragraph two.","fix":"Add: \"First sentence: the claim isn't covered. Don't start with 'Unfortunately'.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Sounding like an accusation","why":"The AI writes \"water damage from exposure to liquid\" in a way that reads as \"you got them wet.\"","fix":"Add: \"Say what the tech found, never what she did.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Dropping the offer details","why":"Squeezed for space, the AI says \"we can offer a discounted repair\" with no price or link.","fix":"Add: \"Give the 40% off price ($29.40), the link and the claim number.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Ignoring where it will be pasted","why":"AI loves bold and headings, which show up as stray ** and # symbols in the email client.","fix":"Name the place and the format: \"For the email client. Plain text, no bold or headings.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Puts the decision first","patterns":["first sentence","open with","start with","lead with","decision"]},{"label":"Avoids blame","patterns":["blame","what (the tech|they) found","never (say|imply)","accus"]},{"label":"Includes the offer details","patterns":["40%","\\$29","link","repair"]},{"label":"Bans 'Unfortunately'","patterns":["unfortunately","apolog"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"Bad news lands better when it's clear, early and blame-free. Tell the AI where the decision goes, how to describe the finding, and exactly what to offer.","rubricLabels":["The first sentence states the claim decision (not covered under warranty), with no 'Unfortunately' at the start and at most one apology in the whole email","Describes what the tech found (liquid indicator triggered, corrosion on the contacts) without saying or implying Bianca got them wet or misused them","Offers the out-of-warranty repair at 40% off ($29.40) with the link tonefield.example/repair and claim number WC-90317"]}