Refund Request Response Prompt

What it does

Writes the response to a customer refund request — approving it, denying it, or offering an alternative. The output is calibrated for the specific situation: the reason for the refund request, your refund policy, and the customer's history. Every response is empathetic without being obsequious, clear about the outcome, and focused on preserving the customer relationship even when the answer is no.

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How to use it

The most important input is your decision — be clear with yourself before writing the email. A response that hedges between approving and denying reads as confusion and prompts follow-up. Make the call, then write around it.

For denials, the "why" must be clear and specific. Citing policy language verbatim reads as impersonal. Paraphrase the policy in plain language and explain the reasoning briefly.

Example output

Approved refund: "Hi [Name], thanks for reaching out. I've processed your refund in full — you should see it back in your account within 3–5 business days depending on your bank.

I'm sorry the [product] didn't work out the way you hoped. If there's anything I can do differently next time, or if you'd like to try [alternative], I'm happy to help with that too.

[Your name]"

Declined — outside policy window: "Hi [Name], I appreciate you reaching out. I looked into your account and your purchase was on [date] — just past our 30-day refund window, which is why I'm not able to process a refund at this point.

What I can do: offer you a credit of $[X] toward your next purchase, or if the issue is something we can fix, I'd like to try.

What would be most helpful?"

Variations

Angry customer: Add "The customer is upset and their message was aggressive. Acknowledge the frustration without matching the tone, and focus the response on resolution."

Subscription cancellation + refund: Add "The customer is cancelling and requesting a refund for this month's charge. I want to address both the cancellation and the refund in one response."

Policy exception (approving despite policy): Add "I'm making a one-time exception to policy. Write the response in a way that acknowledges this is an exception without setting the expectation that it always applies."

Common pitfalls

Quoting policy in the opening sentence. "Per our refund policy..." is the worst way to start. Lead with empathy and the decision, then explain the reasoning.

No clear outcome. A response that says "we'll look into this" without stating a decision creates anxiety and more follow-up emails. State the outcome clearly.

Over-apologizing for a legitimate denial. Three paragraphs of apology for enforcing a clear, fair policy reads as unconvinced. Be warm but firm.

Who uses this prompt

Small business owners handling customer service personally. Customer success teams managing subscription billing issues. E-commerce support staff handling return and refund requests. Anyone who needs to say no to a customer and wants to do it well.