Purpose
Produce three send-ready reply drafts for a single support case — grounded strictly in the supplied case details and knowledge base — so agents can pick, lightly edit, and send in seconds instead of writing from scratch. Solves the handle-time and consistency problem without letting the AI invent policies, prices, or promises the knowledge base doesn't support.
When to Use
Invoke this skill when the user asks to:
- Draft a reply to a specific support ticket, chat, or email
- Get suggested responses for an agent to review before sending
- Turn case notes plus a KB article into a customer-ready message
- Handle an angry, confused, or frustrated customer with the right tone
- Speed up responses for a high-volume queue without losing accuracy
- Create canned-reply variations for a recurring issue type
Inputs Required
Before starting, collect:
- Customer message / case details: The customer's original text and any relevant case history
- Issue type: Billing, technical, account, shipping, refund, how-to, complaint, etc.
- Knowledge base content: The specific KB article(s), policy text, or facts the reply must be based on
- Customer sentiment: Calm / frustrated / angry / confused / urgent (if unclear, infer from the message)
- Resolution status: Resolved / needs escalation / awaiting info from customer / partial
- Brand voice: Formal / friendly / casual (default to friendly-professional if not provided)
- Channel: Email / chat / social — affects length and formatting
If sentiment or channel is missing, infer sentiment from the message text and default the channel to email.
Instructions
Step 1: Parse the Case and Detect the Core Ask
- Extract the customer's actual question or request — separate it from the emotional framing
- Identify the single most important thing the customer needs to hear (the resolution, the next step, or the explanation)
- Note any secondary questions buried in the message so no ask is dropped
- Flag the sentiment and match tone accordingly: an angry customer needs acknowledgment before information; a confused customer needs plain-language steps; a calm customer needs efficiency
Step 2: Ground Every Claim in the Knowledge Base
- Use only facts, policies, prices, timelines, and steps present in the supplied KB content
- Do not invent refund amounts, SLA windows, feature availability, or policy exceptions
- If the KB does not cover the customer's exact situation, say so inside the draft with a placeholder-free hand-off line (e.g., "Let me confirm the exact timeline with our billing team and follow up by end of day")
- Maintain a running list of any statement the agent must verify before sending — this becomes the Verify-Before-Sending flags
Step 3: Write Three Reply Variations
Produce three complete, send-ready drafts for the same case:
Version A — Concise (2–4 sentences) The fastest path to resolution. Acknowledge, answer, next step. Best for calm customers and high-volume queues.
Version B — Thorough (1–2 short paragraphs) Fuller explanation with the "why," step-by-step instructions where relevant, and a proactive tip that prevents a follow-up ticket. Best for technical or how-to issues.
Version C — Empathy-Forward (1–2 short paragraphs) Leads with genuine acknowledgment of the customer's frustration or inconvenience before resolving. Best for angry, disappointed, or escalated customers. Empathy must be specific to their situation — no hollow "we apologize for any inconvenience."
Each version must include:
- An appropriate greeting suited to the channel and voice
- The resolution or clear next step
- A natural closing with an open door for follow-up
Step 4: Apply Tone and Channel Formatting
- Chat: Shorter sentences, minimal formatting, conversational
- Email: Greeting + closing sign-off, light paragraph breaks, optional numbered steps
- Social: Brief, warm, public-safe (never expose account details); offer to move to DM
- Match the brand voice throughout — no jargon the customer wouldn't use, no corporate stiffness in a casual brand
Step 5: Add Send Metadata
Below the three drafts, provide:
- Recommended version: Which of A/B/C fits this case best, with one line of reasoning
- Verify before sending: Any facts, amounts, or promises the agent must confirm
- Escalation note: If the case needs escalation, name who/what team and why
Output Format
- Structure: Case summary line → three labeled reply drafts (A, B, C) → send metadata block
- Length: 350–600 words total across all three drafts and metadata
- Format: Labeled sections with the three replies as ready-to-copy blocks; metadata as a short bulleted block
- Sections: Core Ask (1 line) → Version A (Concise) → Version B (Thorough) → Version C (Empathy-Forward) → Send Metadata
- Tone: The replies match the requested brand voice; the surrounding guidance is direct and operational
Quality Checklist
Before delivering output, verify:
- [ ] All three versions are complete and send-ready — no placeholders, brackets, or "insert here" gaps
- [ ] Every factual claim traces to the supplied knowledge base — nothing invented
- [ ] The customer's every question is addressed, including secondary asks
- [ ] Version C's empathy is specific to this customer's situation, not a generic apology
- [ ] A recommended version is named with reasoning — the choice isn't left open
- [ ] Any unverifiable claims appear in the Verify-Before-Sending flags
Notes
- The empathy-forward version is the default recommendation for any case where inferred sentiment is angry or disappointed — leading with acknowledgment lowers escalation rates
- When the knowledge base is silent on the exact question, a confident hand-off line beats a guessed answer; guessed policies create refunds and chargebacks later
- For recurring issue types, save the strongest version as a canned reply and re-run this skill only when case details diverge from the template
How to use this skill
This file is a Claude Code skill in Anthropic's standard format — markdown with YAML frontmatter at the top.
Installing in Claude Code:
~/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md— auto-loads in every session anywhere on your machine (recommended for skills you'll use across multiple projects)<your-project>/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md— auto-loads only when working in that project (recommended for project-specific skills)
Restart Claude Code or open a new session to register.
Using in Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini, or other AI tools:
- Drag this file into a new chat, or copy and paste its contents
- Send your task or request as your next message — the AI will apply the skill where it fits
For Claude Code skill details: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills