Plain-Language Return-Reason FAQ Prompt

Start here

Paste your return reasons into an ordinary AI chat that accepts text (for example a standard ChatGPT conversation). No terminal, account setup or integration is needed.

What to paste

• The raw return-reason list, one reason per line.
• The product or product category.
• The shop's existing return/refund policy text, if any.
• Who will read the FAQ: customers or frontline staff.

How to paste it

1. Copy the full prompt from the original prompt block appended below.
2. Paste it first as your message, or paste it as the first line and add your inputs after it.
3. Send one message. If any input is missing, the prompt tells the tool to label the gap rather than invent details.

How to check the output

• The draft should start with a two-sentence intro saying it is based only on your reasons.
• Every FAQ theme should trace back to at least one reason you listed. Read the list again and cross-check.
• No percentages, frequencies or trends should appear.
• Each FAQ should have a "What we need from you" line and a "Not covered here" line.
• The "Questions we cannot yet answer" list should be non-empty when your policy or timing details were missing.
• The draft should end with the staff routing note.

Introduction

This is TokRepo's original reusable prompt, not a third-party README or an announcement. It is written for general readers in the writing category: small shops and office staff who want an honest, plain-language FAQ about why customers return a product. The prompt only groups the reasons you supply. It never estimates frequency, percentages or trends, and it never invents a cause, policy, remedy or timeline that is not in your input.

What it does

The prompt reads every supplied reason literally, groups only where the wording clearly supports it, and writes each FAQ in a four-part shape: question, short answer, what we need from you, and not covered here. It then adds a "Questions we cannot yet answer" list and a one-line note for staff on how to handle a return that fits no listed theme: acknowledge it, log it, and route it to the owner rather than guessing.

Input permissions and limitations

• Permissions: none. You paste text and read the result; nothing is edited, sent, posted or scheduled. This produces a draft document only.
• Privacy: only paste return reasons and policy text you are allowed to share with the AI tool you use. Redact customer names, order numbers or any personal data before pasting if your policy requires it.
• Limitations: the prompt does not give legal, tax or consumer-rights advice; it flags that area as needing the owner or a qualified adviser. If the input is empty or has no usable reasons, it returns only a request for the raw list plus two open questions.
• Verification note: source reviewed; runtime not tested.

Worked example (fictional, for shape only)

These reasons and outputs are fictional and are shown only to illustrate the shape. They are not real data and no results were tested.

Manual alternative (no AI feature)

Copy the reason list into a spreadsheet, one reason per row. Give each row a short plain-language label. Sort rows so identical labels sit together. Write one question per label group in the four-part shape above. List every blank you cannot fill from the policy text, then finish with the staff routing note. Apply the same checks line by line.

FAQ

What if I only have a few reasons or no policy text? The prompt proceeds with what you have and labels the gaps instead of inventing details. With no policy text, the "What we need from you" line reads "Not specified in the supplied policy."

Can it tell me why returns happen or how often? No. It only restates and groups the reasons you paste, and it must not estimate frequency, percentages or trends.

Complete reusable prompt

You are helping a small business write a plain-language FAQ about why customers return a product. Your input is a supplied list of raw return reasons. Use only what is in that list; never estimate frequency, percentages or trends, and never invent a cause, policy, remedy or timeline that is not present in the input.

INPUT TO REQUEST

• The raw return-reason list, pasted one reason per line or as short notes.
• The product or product category it applies to.
• The actual return or refund policy text the shop already uses, if any.
• Who will read the FAQ: customers, or frontline staff answering customers. If any of these is missing, proceed with what you have and label the gaps instead of inventing details.

YOUR TASK

1. Read every supplied reason literally. Do not merge reasons that differ, and do not add a reason you did not receive.
2. Group the reasons into broad plain-language themes only where the supplied wording clearly supports the grouping. If a reason is ambiguous, keep it ungrouped and say so.
3. For each theme, write one FAQ in this shape:
   • Question: the plain question a customer or staff member would actually ask.
   • Short answer: what the shop can say, drawn only from the supplied reasons and the supplied policy.
   • What we need from you: the specific detail the customer must provide (for example order number, photo, description), only if the policy input supports it. Otherwise write 'Not specified in the supplied policy.'
   • Not covered here: any question the reader will likely ask that the input cannot answer.
4. Add a short 'Questions we cannot yet answer' list naming every gap the input leaves open.
5. Add a one-line note for staff on how to handle a return that fits no listed theme: acknowledge it, log it, and route it to the owner rather than guessing.

OUTPUT FORMAT Return Markdown with: a two-sentence intro stating the FAQ is based only on the reasons provided; then a numbered FAQ list using the four-part shape above; then 'Questions we cannot yet answer'; then the staff note. Do not add a summary, marketing tone, reassurance or urgency language.

WORKED EXAMPLE (fictional, for shape only — do not treat as real data) Fictional input reasons: item arrived cracked; box was crushed; customer ordered wrong size; customer changed mind. Illustrative output shape:

1. Question: What if my item arrives damaged? Short answer: Returns are accepted when a supplied reason is that the item arrived cracked or the box was crushed. What we need from you: Not specified in the supplied policy (no policy text was provided). Not covered here: who pays return shipping on damaged items. Questions we cannot yet answer: cost of return shipping; time limit for reporting damage; whether replacement is offered instead of refund.

CHECKS BEFORE YOU RETURN THE DRAFT (state pass or fail for each, tied to the input)

• Every FAQ theme can be traced to at least one listed reason. Pass or fail.
• No frequency, percentage or trend wording appears anywhere. Pass or fail.
• No policy, remedy, fee or deadline appears that was not supplied. Pass or fail.
• Each FAQ has a 'What we need from you' line, and it either cites supplied policy or says not specified. Pass or fail.
• The 'Questions we cannot yet answer' list is non-empty when the input lacks policy or timing details. Pass or fail. If any check fails, revise before returning and say what you changed.

BOUNDARIES

• This produces a draft document only. You are not editing any account, website, help centre or live chat, and nothing is sent, posted or scheduled.
• Do not state or imply that return rates, customer satisfaction or complaint volumes are known from the input.
• Do not give legal, tax or consumer-rights advice; flag any question in that area as needing the owner or a qualified adviser.
• If the input is empty or contains no usable reasons, return only a request for the raw list plus the two open questions.

MANUAL ALTERNATIVE WITHOUT AN AI FEATURE If you have no AI tool available, do this by hand: copy the reason list into a spreadsheet, one reason per row; give each row a short plain-language label; sort rows so identical labels sit together; write one question per label group in the four-part shape above; list every blank you cannot fill from the policy text; finish with the staff routing note. The same checks apply line by line.

References and reuse

• ChatGPT release notes

Original TokRepo prompt · CC BY 4.0. Reference documents retain their own rights.