5 AI Prompts That Write Better Customer Emails Than You Do

We’ve all been there. A customer sends a complaint, and you spend 20 minutes crafting the perfect response—professional but warm, apologetic but not groveling, solution-focused but not dismissive.

Here’s the thing: AI is genuinely better at this than most of us. Not because it’s smarter, but because it doesn’t get defensive, doesn’t take things personally, and has processed millions of examples of professional communication.

These five prompts handle the emails that eat up your time. Copy them, paste them, fill in the brackets.

1. The Complaint Response

The hardest email to write when you’re running on coffee and frustration.

A customer named [NAME] is upset about [ISSUE].

Write a response that:
- Acknowledges their frustration without being defensive
- Takes responsibility where appropriate
- Offers a specific solution: [YOUR PROPOSED FIX]
- Keeps a warm, professional tone

Keep it under 150 words. No corporate jargon.

2. The Follow-Up That Doesn’t Feel Salesy

You need to check in, but you don’t want to sound desperate.

I need to follow up with a potential customer who [CONTEXT - e.g., "requested a quote last week" or "said they'd think about it"].

Write a brief follow-up email that:
- References our previous conversation naturally
- Provides one piece of additional value (a tip, resource, or insight)
- Makes it easy for them to respond
- Doesn't pressure them

Tone: helpful, not pushy. Under 100 words.

3. The “We Messed Up” Email

Own it fast, fix it faster.

We made a mistake: [DESCRIBE ERROR].
The customer is [NAME] and this affects them by [IMPACT].
We're fixing it by [YOUR SOLUTION].

Write an apology email that:
- Admits the error clearly (no weasel words)
- Explains what happened briefly
- States exactly how we're fixing it
- Offers [COMPENSATION if applicable]

Be sincere, not dramatic. Under 120 words.

4. The Price Increase Announcement

Nobody likes writing these. Nobody likes receiving them either—so clarity matters.

I need to announce a price increase to customers.

Details:
- Old price: [X]
- New price: [Y]
- Effective date: [DATE]
- Reason (honest): [REASON]
- Any grandfather clause: [YES/NO + DETAILS]

Write an email that:
- Leads with value we've added, not the price change
- States the change clearly
- Gives adequate notice
- Acknowledges this isn't welcome news
- Thanks them for their business

Professional but human. Under 200 words.

5. The Re-Engagement Email

For customers who’ve gone quiet.

A customer ([NAME/BUSINESS TYPE]) hasn't purchased or engaged in [TIMEFRAME].

Their last interaction was [CONTEXT].

Write a check-in email that:
- Feels personal, not automated
- Doesn't guilt them for being away
- Offers something useful (not a discount—a tip or resource)
- Makes reconnecting feel easy

Warm and brief. Under 80 words.

The Pattern Here

Notice what these prompts have in common:

1. Specific context — The more detail you give, the better the output
2. Clear constraints — Word limits force concise, punchy writing
3. Tone guidance — “Professional but human” beats “formal”
4. Structure hints — Telling it what to include (and what order) shapes the response

Save these somewhere. The 20 minutes you spend crafting the perfect email? Now it’s 2 minutes of light editing.

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Want 365 prompts like these, organized by business function? Check out 365 Days of Doing Business with AI—one practical tip per day, each with ready-to-use prompts.