customer-reply

Imported from okou-ai/vm0-skills (customer-reply/SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add okou-ai/vm0-skills --skill customer-reply. Copyright stays with the author.

Foundational Communication Principles

1. Acknowledge before solving. Validate what the customer is experiencing before presenting answers or next steps.
2. Front-load the key point. Busy people skim -- put the most important information in the opening lines.
3. Tell the truth. Never promise what you cannot deliver, obscure problems behind jargon, or bury bad news.
4. Be concrete. Replace vague language with specific names, dates, and measurable commitments.
5. Accept responsibility. Use first-person ownership ("we caused" / "I will") rather than passive deflection ("an error occurred").
6. End with clarity. Every message must leave the customer knowing exactly what happens next.
7. Mirror their emotional register. Meet frustration with empathy; match enthusiasm with energy.

Message Architecture

Most customer-facing replies follow four building blocks:

1. Recognition (1-2 sentences)
   Show you understand their situation or question.

2. Substance (1-3 short paragraphs)
   Deliver the answer, update, or resolution.
   Be precise and include supporting details.

3. Action Items (1-3 bullets)
   - Steps YOU are taking and by when
   - Steps THEY may need to take
   - When they will next hear from you

4. Sign-off (1 sentence)
   Warm, professional close with an open door.

Channel-Appropriate Sizing

• Live chat / instant message: 1-4 sentences. Immediate, conversational, no filler.
• Ticket reply: 1-3 compact paragraphs. Easy to scan with clear structure.
• Email: Up to 5 paragraphs. Respect their inbox -- omit anything non-essential.
• Escalation correspondence: Thorough as needed, but organized under headings for navigation.
• Executive-level communication: Concise above all else. 2-3 paragraphs, data-forward.

Tone Calibration

Adjusting for Relationship Maturity

Early-stage customer (first 90 days):

• Lean toward formality and thoroughness
• Provide extra context rather than assuming familiarity
• Proactively surface helpful resources
• Prioritize responsiveness to build confidence

Long-standing customer:

• Warmer, more conversational register
• Reference shared context and past interactions
• Communicate more directly and efficiently
• Demonstrate awareness of their business objectives

Upset or escalated customer:

• Lead with genuine empathy and validation
• Respond with urgency in both speed and substance
• Provide specific, time-bound action plans
• Shorten the feedback loop between updates

Language Standards

Prefer:

• Active voice: "We are investigating" rather than "This is being investigated"
• Personal pronouns: "I" for individual commitments, "we" for team actions
• Named individuals: "Jordan on our infrastructure team will..." builds trust
• Customer vocabulary: adopt their terminology instead of internal labels
• Absolute dates: "by Wednesday March 18" instead of "in a few days"
• Visual structure: headers and bullet points in longer messages

Avoid:

• Corporate filler: "synergy," "leverage," "circle back," "paradigm"
• Blame redirection: never point fingers at other departments, vendors, or "the system"
• Ownership-dodging passive voice: "mistakes were made" hides accountability
• Excessive hedging: too many qualifiers erode confidence
• Unnecessary recipients: only loop in people who need to participate
• Overuse of exclamation marks: one per message at most

Situational Message Frameworks

Acknowledging a Defect Report

Hi [Name],

Thanks for flagging this -- I understand that [concrete impact] is
disrupting your work.

I have confirmed the problem and raised it with our engineering team
at [severity]. Here is what we know at this point:
- [Current understanding of the behavior]
- [Root cause, if identified]
- [Workaround, if one exists]

I will follow up by [date/time] with a timeline for the fix.
[Workaround details if applicable.]

Please reach out if you notice any additional effects.

Best,
[Name]

Addressing a Billing or Account Problem

Hi [Name],

Thanks for getting in touch -- I understand that billing concerns
deserve fast answers.

After reviewing your account, here is what I found:
- [Factual summary of what occurred]
- [How it affected charges, access, or service]

To correct this, I am taking these steps:
- [Remediation action with expected timeline]
- [Additional action if needed]

[If already resolved: "The adjustment is complete and should appear
within [window]."]
[If still in progress: "I have escalated this to our billing team
and will update you by [date]."]

Sorry for the hassle. Let me know if anything else on your account
looks off.

Best,
[Name]

Declining a Feature Request

Hi [Name],

Thanks for this suggestion -- I see why [capability] would be
useful for [their scenario].

After discussing with our product team, this is not on our near-term
roadmap. The main reason is [straightforward, respectful rationale].

That said, here are some paths that might get you close to your goal:
- [Alternative 1]
- [Alternative 2]
- [API/integration option if relevant]

Your request is captured in our feedback pipeline, and I will let you
know if our plans shift.

Would any of these alternatives work for your team? Happy to explore
them further.

Best,
[Name]

Communicating During an Incident

Hi [Name],

I am reaching out because an issue with [affected service/feature]
is impacting functionality your team depends on.

**What is happening:** [Plain-language explanation]
**Effect on your usage:** [Their specific impact]
**Current status:** [Investigating / Cause identified / Fix deploying / Resolved]
**Expected resolution:** [Time estimate or update cadence]

[If applicable: "As a temporary measure, you can [workaround]."]

I am monitoring this directly and will update you when we have
progress. Live status is also available at [status page URL].

I apologize for the disruption. [Mention prevention steps if known.]

[Name]

Re-engaging After No Response

Hi [Name],

Just circling back -- I sent [description] on [date] and want to
make sure it reached you.

[One-sentence recap of what is pending or offered.]

If the timing is not right, no problem at all -- let me know a
better window and I will reconnect then.

Best,
[Name]

Contextual Personalization

Newer Customers

• Supply additional background and explanation
• Point to onboarding resources and getting-started material
• Introduce self-service options proactively

Experienced Customers

• Skip foundational explanations they already possess
• Acknowledge their depth of product knowledge
• Get to the point quickly and efficiently

Customers Under Stress

• Prioritize empathy and acknowledgment above all
• Center the reply around resolving their specific problem
• Offer tangible action plans with committed deadlines
• Provide a direct path to further escalation if needed

Follow-up Timing Reference

When to Involve Others

Bring in your manager when:

• A customer signals potential cancellation or significant downgrade
• A policy exception is needed beyond your authority
• Resolution has exceeded SLA boundaries
• The customer asks for leadership contact
• Your own error requires senior-level remediation

Bring in product or engineering when:

• A defect is blocking the customer's core operations
• A capability gap is causing competitive loss
• Technical requirements exceed standard support scope
• Integration-level investigation is necessary

Working Principles

1. Determine the scenario type first, then select the matching tone and framework.
2. Factor in relationship maturity and the stakeholder's seniority.
3. For problems, empathy precedes solutions; for wins, energy matches theirs.
4. Anchor every commitment to a specific date or measurable outcome.
5. Guarantee a visible next step in every message.
6. Re-read the draft as the customer would before sending.
7. Secure internal alignment before making commitments on sensitive or cross-team topics.
8. Ruthlessly trim -- every sentence must justify its presence.