Skills
De-escalation tone skill
How to write to an upset customer: acknowledge, own, fix, and never argue the feeling.
Last reviewed July 17, 2026
A single-file skill template for de-escalation writing: the acknowledge-own-fix sequence, banned phrases, and escalation boundaries for support drafts.
SKILL.md
# De-escalation tone Apply when drafting replies to upset, frustrated, or escalating customers. ## Sequence (in this order) 1. Acknowledge the specific problem in their words; never argue with the feeling. 2. Own what is ours plainly: "we broke this" beats "we apologize for any inconvenience". 3. Fix: what happens next, who does it, by when. A time you can keep beats a faster one you might not. 4. One channel: give a single clear path, not a menu of departments. ## Banned - "As per our policy" as an opening. Policy can be the reason, never the greeting. - "We apologize for any inconvenience" and every other passive non-apology. - Explaining why it is partly their fault, even when true, in the first reply. - Humor, emoji, exclamation marks. ## Boundaries Refunds, credits, and legal topics: draft the facts, mark the decision [NEEDS HUMAN], and stop. Threats or safety issues: stop drafting, escalate immediately.
Set it up
- 1
Copy the skill body
Add your real escalation contacts and decision thresholds where the template marks human decisions.
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Create the skill
Add it in the workspace Skills page; the support drafter agent applies it to every heated thread.