Complaint handler: answer an angry customer email calmly, the same day

An angry customer email sits in the inbox because answering it while you’re annoyed feels risky. The complaint handler skill turns the complaint into a one-page brief, with what happened, what the customer wants and your options with their cost, then drafts a calm reply for the option you choose.

What it does

• Sums up the complaint in two to four neutral sentences and leaves out the insults.
• Splits the facts into three lists: agreed facts, the customer’s claims, and what still needs checking (delivery notes, photos, dates).
• Quotes what the customer wants. If they don’t say, it writes “not stated” and labels its own suggestion as a guess.
• Lists two to four options, such as repair, replacement, credit or refund, each with its cost in CHF and its risk. Any option over your limit is marked “above your limit”.
• Drafts a calm reply for the option you pick. If you haven’t decided yet, it drafts a holding reply that says what you are checking and when the customer will hear back.
• Stops before drafting when the email mentions a lawyer, a court, an injury, a safety problem or the press. You still get the summary, with the advice that a person should handle it.
• Writes the reply in the customer’s language (German, French, Italian or English), with “Sie”, “vous” or “Lei”, Swiss spelling and amounts like CHF 1’250.00.

It never offers a refund, discount or compensation you haven’t chosen. It never admits fault unless you confirm it was your mistake, and it never quotes laws or warranty periods you didn’t give it. It drafts only and sends nothing.

When to use it

• A complaint (Reklamation, Beschwerde) arrives and you want to answer the same day without saying something you’ll regret.
• A customer demands a refund or a replacement, and you want the options and their cost side by side before you decide.
• A negative review reaches you by email and you need a calm first reply.
• You and a colleague disagree on what to offer, and you want the facts on one page.

For routine emails such as order status or an appointment change, use the customer reply drafter.