6DuckLearn Skills

resolution alternatives brainstorm

Brainstorm 10 alternative resolutions to a customer complaint when the requested fix (e.g. expedited shipping) is not available. Trigger when you need creative options beyond your standard policy to de-escalate a frustrated customer.

general Tags: curated, google-workspace, customer-service, templates, support

Attribution: Prepared by 6DuckLearn. Inspired by Google Workspace with Gemini Prompting Guide 101 (2025).

When to use this

You're a customer service rep or manager who has already acknowledged a customer's complaint but the resolution they want isn't something you can provide. You need a list of creative alternatives to offer — alternatives that feel like genuine gestures of goodwill rather than a flat "no."

What you'll get

A list of 10 distinct alternative resolution options — ranging from practical (store credit, product replacement) to goodwill gestures (discount on next order, priority status, handwritten apology) — tailored to the nature of the complaint.

Prompt template

Use this in Gemini in Docs:

Suggest 10 alternative options in place of [requested resolution] to resolve the customer's frustration about [complaint description].

Fill in the variables:

  • [requested resolution] — what the customer asked for that you can't provide (e.g. "expedited shipping", "full refund", "immediate replacement", "on-site repair")
  • [complaint description] — a brief description of what happened (e.g. "receiving a damaged package", "a delayed order", "a product that didn't match the description")

Customisation tips

  • Add your policy constraints to filter unrealistic options: "We cannot offer cash refunds — exclude that from suggestions"
  • Specify your tier: "This is a first-time customer" vs "This is a VIP loyalty member" — Gemini will calibrate generosity accordingly
  • Ask for a ranked list: "Rank these from lowest cost to highest cost for us to deliver"
  • Request rationale: "For each option, add one sentence explaining why it might satisfy this customer"

Iteration suggestions

After Gemini responds:

  1. Use the best option in your reply → go back to damaged-goods-empathetic-response and add the chosen alternatives into the bullet points
  2. Standardise the best options → use customer-communication-templates to turn the top 3 into reusable response templates
  3. Train your team → use customer-service-training-guide to include these options in your new hire training material

Related skills in this workflow

Step Skill What it does
1 damaged-goods-empathetic-response Empathetic reply to damaged product complaint
2 → You are here resolution-alternatives-brainstorm Brainstorm alternative resolution options
3 faq-grounded-reply Generate reply grounded in FAQ document
4 customer-communication-templates Build apology, confirmation, and thank-you templates
5 phone-call-scripts Standardised call opening and closure scripts
6 customer-service-training-guide Communication best practices for new hires

Related skills

  • customer communication templates — Build three reusable customer communication templates — apology email, order confirmation, and loyalty thank-you note — in a single Gemini prompt. Trigger when standardising your team's written customer communications.
  • customer service training guide — Generate a customer communication best practices guide for new hire training — with separate sections for happy, neutral, and dissatisfied customer interactions. Trigger when onboarding new support agents or refreshing team standards.
  • damaged goods empathetic response — Draft an empathetic email response to a customer whose product arrived damaged — including acknowledgement of frustration and three resolution bullet points. Trigger when handling damaged goods complaints in Docs or Gmail.
  • faq grounded reply — Generate a customer reply in Gmail grounded in your @FAQ document, covering return policy and product certifications questions. Trigger when you need a fast, policy-accurate response to a specific customer query.
  • phone call scripts — Create standardised phone call scripts for customer service teams — covering call openings, greetings, and closures — with placeholders for personalisation. Trigger when setting up or refreshing your team's call language.
  • gemini customer service templates — Handle customer complaints empathetically, build FAQ-grounded replies, create standardized service templates, and design phone scripts