Customer service macros in your brand's tone
Answering "where is my order?" for the fortieth time a week burns hours. Give your agent your policies and a few past emails, and it writes a set of customer service macros for your most common questions, with placeholders for names and order numbers, ready to paste into your help desk.
The prompt
- Write customer service macros for my store [STORE NAME]. Read our policies at [POLICY PAGE LINKS] and these example customer emails: [PAST EMAILS]. Write 20 macros covering the most common cases: order status, delayed shipping, wrong or damaged item, return request, refund issued, exchange, cancellation, discount code not working, out of stock, address change, wholesale inquiry, and angry customer. Use a [TONE] tone, keep each under 120 words, and use fields like {first_name}, {order_number} and {tracking_link}. Give each macro a name, the situation it's for, and internal notes on what to check first. Deliver a CSV with columns name, subject, body, tags that I can import into [HELP DESK TOOL], plus a Word doc for my team.
What to change
- [STORE NAME]: Your store or brand name, e.g. "Northwind Socks".
- [POLICY PAGE LINKS]: Links to your shipping, return and refund pages, or attach them as a PDF.
- [PAST EMAILS]: Paste 5-10 real customer emails (remove personal details), or attach an export.
- [TONE]: How you sound, e.g. "warm and casual" or "polite and short".
- [HELP DESK TOOL]: Where you reply, e.g. "Gorgias", "Zendesk", "Gmail templates" or "Shopify Inbox".
Example result
- Macro: Where is my order (in transit)
- Subject: Your order {order_number} is on its way
- Hi {first_name},
- Thanks for checking in. Your order left our warehouse on {ship_date} and is moving through the carrier's network. You can follow it here: {tracking_link}
- Most orders arrive within 3-5 business days. If nothing has moved in 3 days, just reply and we'll chase the carrier for you.
- Talk soon,
- {agent_name}
- Internal notes: check the tracking first. If no scan for 5+ days, open a carrier claim and use the "Lost in transit" macro.
- Macro: Damaged item
- Subject: Sorry about your {product_name}
- Hi {first_name},
- I'm sorry it arrived damaged. Could you reply with a photo of the item and the box? As soon as we see it, we'll send a replacement or a full refund, whichever you prefer. No need to send it back.
- Internal notes: keep the photos for the carrier claim. Replace first if in stock.
- Macro: Return request (inside 30 days)
- Subject: Your return for order {order_number}
- Hi {first_name},
- No problem. Here's your return label: {return_label_link}. Pack the item unused in its original packaging and drop it at any post office. We'll refund you within 5 business days of receiving it.
- Macro: Angry customer, first reply
- Subject: I'm on it
- Hi {first_name},
- You're right to be frustrated, and I'm sorry we let you down. I've looked into order {order_number} and here's what I'm doing now: {action}. I'll update you by {time}.
- Other macros in the file
- • Delayed shipping, address change, cancellation, exchange, refund issued
- • Discount code not working, out of stock with restock date, wholesale inquiry
- • Lost in transit, wrong item sent, order not yet shipped
- Tips for your team
- • Always personalize the first line before sending
- • Never promise a delivery date the carrier hasn't shown
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your store name, policy links, sample emails, tone and help desk.
- Send it to your agent in todo.is, by email or on Slack, with any policy PDFs attached.
- Your agent writes 20 macros and sends a CSV to import plus a Word doc for your team.
- Ask for more macros or a version in Spanish or French when you need it.
Tips for a better result
- Write macros around your real policy numbers (days, fees, refund times). Vague replies cause follow-up emails.
- Keep a personal first line in every macro. Customers notice when a reply is pure copy-paste.
- Add internal notes to each macro so new team members know what to check before sending.
- Every quarter, send your agent the latest tickets and ask which new macros you need.
customer service macros: FAQ
- What is a customer service macro? A macro is a saved reply, often with fields like the customer's name or order number, that you can insert with one click in a help desk. Some tools also let macros add tags or change ticket status.
- How many macros does an online store need? Most small stores cover 80% of tickets with 15-25 macros. Start with order status, returns, refunds and damaged items.
- Will the CSV import into my help desk? Your agent formats the CSV with common columns, but each tool has its own import format. Tell it your tool and it will match the columns, or you can paste macros in by hand.
- Can my agent answer customers for me? Your agent drafts replies and can save them as Gmail drafts if Google is connected. It asks for your OK before sending any email.
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