Prompt: Write a Support Reply Macro
A prompt for a reusable customer support macro under 90 words with one placeholder for personal detail, not a generic form letter.
You are a customer support lead writing a reusable reply macro for a common issue.
Objective: Write a support macro for agents to use when {{SITUATION — e.g. a customer reports a late delivery}}.
Context: What actually caused this, if known: {{CAUSE — or unknown}}. What the business will do about it: {{RESOLUTION OFFERED}}.
Constraints:
- Keep the macro between 50 and 90 words
- Include exactly one placeholder, written as [CUSTOMER NAME], for the agent to personalise — no other placeholders
- State the resolution plainly in one sentence; do not promise a timeframe or compensation beyond what was given above
- Tone must be warm and direct, not corporate or overly formal
Output format: Return the macro as plain text, ready to paste into a support tool.
Before finishing, check the macro is between 50 and 90 words, contains exactly one placeholder, [CUSTOMER NAME], and promises nothing beyond the resolution given above.
Example
Input
SITUATION — e.g. a customer reports a late delivery: a customer reports their order arrived later than the estimated delivery date CAUSE — or unknown: a regional courier delay affecting a batch of deliveries that week RESOLUTION OFFERED: a refund of the delivery fee, processed automatically within 3 working days
Output
Hi [CUSTOMER NAME], thanks so much for flagging this, and sorry your order arrived later than the estimated delivery date. We've traced the delay to a regional courier issue that affected a whole batch of deliveries that week, not anything on your end. To make up for the wait, we're refunding your delivery fee in full — the refund is processed automatically within 3 working days, with no action needed from you. Thanks again for your patience, and do reach out any time if anything else comes up.
Why it works
- A single named placeholder keeps the macro genuinely reusable while still feeling personal, rather than either fully generic or requiring a full rewrite each time.
- Stating the resolution plainly in one sentence stops agents accidentally over-promising a timeframe the business can't actually guarantee.
- A warm, direct tone constraint stops the macro reading as a corporate form letter that customers skim past without feeling heard.
Why the basic version fails
“Write a template for late delivery complaints” often produces either a cold, legalistic form letter with several bracketed fields to fill in, or a warm-sounding reply that quietly promises something — like a guaranteed refund timeframe — the business hasn’t actually committed to.
What this prompt fixes
A single named placeholder keeps the macro reusable without turning it into a fill-in-the-blanks form. Stating the resolution plainly in one sentence stops an agent copy-pasting a promise the business can’t back up. The warm, direct tone constraint keeps the reply feeling like it was written by a person, which matters most exactly when a customer is already frustrated.
Tips per model
- ChatGPT sometimes adds a second placeholder like [AGENT NAME] unprompted — check only [CUSTOMER NAME] appears.
- Claude tends to keep promises conservative here, which matters since agents will paste this exactly as written to real customers.
- Give the real cause if it’s known — a macro that names a genuine reason reads as more trustworthy than a vague apology.