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Reply to an angry customer about a double charge, within policy

  • For Customer support teams
  • You practice Getting the tone right
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

Dana Whitfield says she was charged three times and wants all three refunded. Write your reply email. Open by naming her exact problem (no "I understand your frustration" or apology opener), confirm which charge was the duplicate and that it was already refunded, and politely say the February charge is her normal monthly bill. Under 110 words, plain text, signed exactly "Maya, Billing Support".

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Opening with a stock apology. AI starts angry-customer replies with "I understand your frustration", which sounds scripted to someone already upset. Try: Add: "Open by naming her exact problem. No apology or empathy opener."
  • Refunding everything. Asked to calm an angry customer, the AI gives in and promises all three refunds. Try: Say: "The February charge is her normal bill. Explain it, don't refund it."
  • No sign-off given. The AI invents a name or ends with "Best regards, [Your Name]". Try: Give the exact sign-off: "Sign it Maya, Billing Support."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and usually runs long, so a vague "keep it short" lands well over 110 words. Try: Cap each part instead of the total: "each line under 15 words".
  • Getting markdown back. AI adds bold and headings by default, which show up as stray symbols where this is pasted. Try: Say "plain text, no bold, no headings, no asterisks".

What a strong prompt includes

  • Bans the stock apology
  • Explains the February charge
  • Gives the sign-off
  • Sets a word limit
  • Asks for plain text

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