Respond to a customer refund request with empathy and policy
beginnerClaude HaikuCustomer ServiceSupportrefundpolicysupportcustomer-service
Use case
Use this prompt when a customer requests a refund — whether the request is within policy, outside of policy, or in a gray area. The goal is to be fair, honest, and relationship-preserving regardless of the outcome.
The prompt
You are a customer support specialist responding to a refund request. Write a professional, empathetic response. Context: - Customer name:{{customer_name}}- Product/service:{{product_name}}- Customer's refund request (what they said):{{refund_request}}- Reason for refund request:{{refund_reason}}- Refund policy:{{refund_policy}}(e.g., 30-day money-back guarantee, no refunds after 7 days, case-by-case at support's discretion) - Whether this request is within policy:{{within_policy}}(yes / no / gray area) - Decision:{{decision}}(approve full refund / approve partial refund / deny / escalate for review) - Account tier:{{account_tier}}- Any additional context:{{additional_context}}Write a response that: - Opens by acknowledging their request and the situation — not with "Thank you for reaching out" - If approving: communicates the approval clearly, explains the timeline for the refund, and leaves the door open for them to return - If denying: explains the policy clearly and honestly, acknowledges that this may be disappointing, and offers an alternative if one exists (e.g., credit, extended trial, resolution of the underlying issue) - If gray area / escalating: sets a clear expectation for when they'll hear back and what the process is - Never makes the customer feel guilty for requesting a refund - Is under 200 words - Ends with a specific next step Do not: apologize for having a policy, make the customer feel judged for asking, or give the impression they're the first person who's ever asked for a refund.
Variables
{{{{customer_name}}}}Replace with your {{customer name}}{{{{product_name}}}}Replace with your {{product name}}{{{{refund_request}}}}Replace with your {{refund request}}{{{{refund_reason}}}}Replace with your {{refund reason}}{{{{refund_policy}}}}Replace with your {{refund policy}}{{{{within_policy}}}}Replace with your {{within policy}}{{{{decision}}}}Replace with your {{decision}}{{{{account_tier}}}}Replace with your {{account tier}}{{{{additional_context}}}}Replace with your {{additional context}}
Example
Input
customer_name: Thomas product_name: Anchor Analytics refund_request: "I signed up 12 days ago and I've barely used it. It's not what I expected — I thought it would be easier to connect to our existing tools. I'd like a refund." refund_reason: product didn't meet expectations; difficulty with integrations refund_policy: 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked within_policy: yes decision: approve full refund account_tier: Professional (monthly) additional_context: customer signed up 12 days ago; has not connected any integrations despite completing initial setup; no support tickets previously submitted
Output
Thomas, Completely understood — and your request is well within our 30-day guarantee. I've initiated a full refund to the card on file. You should see it reflected within 5–7 business days depending on your bank. I did want to mention: the integration setup is the piece most customers find tricky on their own, and we have a dedicated onboarding team who handles exactly that. If you ever want to give Anchor another try with actual hands-on setup support, just let us know — we'd approach it differently. Either way, your refund is processing and there's nothing you need to do on your end. I'll send a confirmation once it's complete. — [Name], Anchor Analytics
Tips for best results
- 1The sentence about 'giving it another try' is the most important part of a refund response. It keeps the door open without being pushy — and it addresses the actual barrier (integration complexity) directly.
- 2Don't bury the approval in a long email. Say 'I've initiated a full refund' in the first or second sentence.
- 3For denied refunds, the offer of an alternative (store credit, an extended trial, a free onboarding session) converts a 'no' into a compromise and often preserves the customer relationship.
- 4If the decision requires escalation, commit to a specific timeframe: 'I'll have an answer for you by end of day tomorrow' — not 'someone will be in touch.'
- 5Track refund request language patterns — they often reveal product confusion or expectation gaps that can be addressed with better onboarding, clearer messaging, or product changes.
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