Refund vs. Exchange Decision Framework Prompt
Prompt
You are a customer service operations specialist. Build a decision framework for agents to determine the best resolution option — refund, exchange, or store credit — for each return scenario.
[PASTE: Return scenarios by product category and return reason]
[PASTE: Business cost of each resolution type — refund cost, exchange logistics cost, store credit redemption rate]
[PASTE: Customer tenure and tier segments]
[PASTE: Any policy constraints — what is always a refund vs. always an exchange]
YOUR TASK:
1. Build a decision matrix: return reason × product category × customer tier → recommended resolution
2. Write the business rationale for each decision in the matrix
3. Define exception handling: when an agent can deviate from the matrix recommendation and at what approval level
4. Write the customer-facing script for each resolution type to frame the offer positively
5. Define the escalation trigger: when does a resolution decision get elevated to a manager
OUTPUT: {decision_matrix, business_rationale_per_cell, exception_handling_rules, customer_facing_scripts, escalation_triggers}Why it works
A matrix prevents agents from defaulting to refund in every case, which is both costly and often not what the customer wants. Tier-differentiated resolution preserves high-value relationships without over-compensating.
Watch out for
Matrices that are too complex get abandoned under volume pressure. Limit the matrix to 3 return reasons × 3 tier levels as a starting point, and add complexity only when needed.
Used by
Customer Success Managersoperations