Support Macro Skill
Macros make support fast — but bad ones make it feel like a wall of copy-paste, which customers hate. A good macro is a scaffold: empathetic opener, the actual answer in clear steps, obvious personalisation slots, and a human close — fast for the agent, warm for the customer. This skill writes that, with the variants a single situation usually needs.
Required Inputs
Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:
- The scenario — the common ticket this macro answers (password reset, refund request, bug report, how-to).
- The resolution — the actual answer or steps.
- Brand voice — formal, friendly, playful (defaults to warm-professional).
- Constraints — anything that must be said (policy, legal, security) or links to include.
Output Format
Macro: [scenario]
Primary macro:
Opener — acknowledge the person + their issue specifically ("Sorry the export failed — let's get that sorted."). Not "Dear valued customer." Answer — the resolution in clear, numbered steps where it's a process. One idea per line. Personalisation slots — clearly marked
[first name],[order #],[specific detail]the agent fills. Close — a warm, human sign-off + an open door ("If that doesn't do it, just reply here and I'll dig in.").
Variants (same scenario, different outcomes):
- Resolved — the answer above, confident it's fixed.
- Need more info — what you need from them and why, framed helpfully (not interrogation).
- Escalating / known issue — honest acknowledgement, what happens next, and a realistic timeframe.
Notes: keep placeholders obvious so agents always personalise; flag the one line that must stay (policy/legal); keep it scannable on mobile.
Quality Checks
- Opens by acknowledging the person and their specific issue
- The answer is clear and step-by-step where it's a process
- Personalisation slots are clearly marked so agents fill them every time
- Includes the variants the scenario needs (resolved / more-info / escalating)
- Sounds like a person — contractions, warmth — not a corporate template
Anti-Patterns
- Do not write "Dear valued customer" / robotic openers — acknowledge the actual person and problem
- Do not make it un-personalisable — a macro with no slots gets sent cold and feels like spam
- Do not bury the answer in apology — empathise briefly, then solve
- Do not over-promise on escalations — give an honest, realistic timeframe
- Do not write one macro for a scenario with multiple outcomes — give the resolved/more-info/escalating variants
Based On
Support-experience practice — empathetic, scannable, personalised canned responses (Zendesk/Intercom macro conventions).