Handle an upset customer
A practical way to use AI for this job in a small business, with a prompt you can copy.
An angry customer email lands in your inbox at 9pm. Your heart rate goes up, you start typing a defensive reply, and you know it's going to make things worse.
The prompt
A customer is upset. Their message: [paste]. What actually happened: [facts]. What I can offer: [options]. Write a calm reply that acknowledges their frustration, explains briefly without excuses, and offers a clear fix.
Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details. Don't paste in anything you wouldn't want stored by the AI provider.
Steps
- Write down the facts before you reply.
- Run the prompt.
- Wait 10 minutes, then reread.
- Send or call them.
A worked example
A Brisbane furniture store gets an email from a customer whose couch arrived with a torn cushion, two weeks late. The owner pastes the email (name removed) into ChatGPT along with the facts: the delay was the supplier's fault, they can replace the cushion within a week, and they're happy to offer free delivery on the replacement.
The draft acknowledges the frustration, apologises for the damage and delay, explains the fix with a clear date, and gives a direct phone number. No excuses, no blame. The customer replies, 'Thanks, that's all I wanted to hear.'
Where it goes wrong
AI can over-apologise and accidentally admit fault for things that weren't your doing. It also sometimes promises refunds or compensation you haven't decided on. Check every promise before you send. And don't let AI argue about who's right; that's not what the reply is for.
Time saved
A tense complaint can take 20 to 30 minutes of drafting and re-drafting. With AI, about 10, and you're calmer when you send. These are my estimates for a typical small business, not measured results.
What it costs (AUD)
Free plans are fine.
The free plans of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini handle this fine. If you end up using AI every day, the paid plans are roughly: ChatGPT Plus approx. A$30 a month, Claude Pro approx. A$29 a month billed monthly (US$20, or about A$24 a month if you pay yearly), and Google AI Pro approx. A$33 a month through the App Store. Prices approx., October 2026. Some are billed in US dollars, so your bank may add a foreign transaction fee. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
Australian notes
Under Australian Consumer Law, customers have rights to a repair, replacement or refund when goods have a major failure or aren't as described. Don't let AI write 'no refunds' or anything that suggests customers have fewer rights than they do. If it's heading towards a formal dispute, keep records of every message.
Privacy: the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) cover most businesses turning over more than $3 million, plus some smaller ones such as health providers. Even if you're under the threshold, treat customer details with care: strip names, phone numbers and addresses before you paste anything into an AI tool.
My verdict
Takes the heat out. For serious issues, pick up the phone.
Common questions
Should I reply straight away?
Acknowledge quickly ('Thanks, I'm looking into this'), then reply properly once you have the facts.
Should I offer compensation?
Fix the problem first. Extra goodwill is your call, not something AI should decide.
What if the customer is abusive?
You don't have to tolerate abuse. Keep it short, professional and set a boundary.
Do this today
Next time a complaint arrives, paste it in with the facts and ask for a calm reply before you write anything yourself.
More customer service use cases
Next: Write onboarding emails for new customers · All customer service · Want a bot to do this automatically? See bot setup guides.