Decline a customer feature request without damaging the relationship
A reply that says no or not now to a feature request, offers alternatives, and keeps the customer feeling heard.
The prompt
A customer has asked for a feature we won't build (or not soon). Help me respond.
The request in their words: [PASTE]
Why they want it: [the underlying problem or goal, if known]
Product team's answer: [e.g. "not on the roadmap", "maybe next year", "conflicts with product direction"]
Workarounds or existing features that could help: [OPTIONS]
Account importance and mood: [CONTRACT VALUE, RENEWAL DATE, how much this matters to them]
What I'm allowed to share about the roadmap: [DETAILS or "nothing"]
Give me:
1. Two questions to confirm the underlying problem before I reply (if I haven't already).
2. A reply that: thanks them for the specific idea, is honest that it isn't planned, explains briefly why without blaming the product team, offers the best workaround with clear steps, and says how their feedback is logged and what would change the answer.
3. A shorter version for chat.
4. How to handle it if they say this is a dealbreaker for renewal.
5. A one-paragraph internal note for the product team: request, use case, account value, and how many similar requests I've seen.
Rules: never hint at a release date or commitment the product team hasn't made. No vague "it's on our radar" if it isn't.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Customer Support prompts
What to fill in
- PASTE
- the underlying problem or goal, if known
- OPTIONS
- CONTRACT VALUE, RENEWAL DATE, how much this matters to them
- DETAILS or "nothing"
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the RTF structure (Role, Task, Format). RTF tells the model who to be, what to do and what shape the answer should take. It is the quickest structure that still gives noticeably better results than a bare request.
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