Gemini sparkle

Prompting guide 101

A quick-start handbook for effective prompts

Customer service

As a customer service professional, you strive to deliver service that's effortlessly efficient, consistently delightful and powered by a proactive, helpful team. 

This section provides you with simple ways to integrate prompts in your daily tasks.

Getting started

First, review the general prompt-writing tips in the How to write effective prompts section.

Each prompt below is presented with an accompanying scenario to serve as inspiration for how you can collaborate with Gemini for Google Workspace. The prompt iteration example shows how you could write follow-up prompts to build on the initial generated response.

Prompt iteration example
Use case:
Draft customer communications

You're a customer service representative, and you're responsible for responding directly to customer enquiries and concerns. You've just received an email from a customer who received damaged goods. You open a new Google Doc and click on Help me write to prompt Gemini in Docs. Type the following:

  • Legend
  • Persona
  • Task
  • Context
  • Format
Help me craft an empathetic email response.
I am a customer service representative,
and I need to create a response to a customer complaint.
The customer ordered a pair of headphones that arrived damaged. They’ve already contacted us via email and provided pictures of the damage. I’ve offered a replacement, but they’re requesting an expedited shipping option that isn’t typically included with their order.
Include a paragraph that acknowledges their frustration and three bullet points with potential resolutions.
Help me craft an empathetic email response.
I am a customer service representative,
and I need to create a response to a customer complaint.
The customer ordered a pair of headphones that arrived damaged. They’ve already contacted us via email and provided pictures of the damage. I’ve offered a replacement, but they’re requesting an expedited shipping option that isn’t typically included with their order.
Include a paragraph that acknowledges their frustration and three bullet points with potential resolutions.
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Gemini in Docs
Gemini in Docs drafts email copy for the customer service representative.

You like the email that Gemini in Docs created so you select Insert. But you want to brainstorm ways to resolve the issue without offering expedited delivery. You prompt by selecting Help me write. You type:

  • Legend
  • Task
  • Context
Suggest 10 alternative options
in place of expedited shipping to resolve the customer’s frustration about receiving the damaged package.
Suggest 10 alternative options
in place of expedited shipping to resolve the customer’s frustration about receiving the damaged package.
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Gemini in Docs
Gemini in Docs drafts email copy for the customer service representative.

These 10 suggestions are helpful. You click Insert to add the text into your draft.

Example use cases

Customer Service Manager or representative
Use case:
Respond to complex customer issues using FAQ documents

A customer has got in touch with a multi-part, complex question. You need to find and use information that is spread across multiple documents in order to respond accurately. You prompt Gemini in the Drive side panel. You type:

Summarize information about [product name] including the product’s specific [return policy], [ingredients], and [certifications].
Summarize information about [product name] including the product’s specific [return policy], [ingredients], and [certifications].
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Gemini in Drive

Gemini returns a summary and links to relevant files, which you can click into directly from the side panel. You read the information before returning to your email to generate a response to the customer. You open the message and prompt Gemini in the Gmail side panel and tag relevant files by typing @file name. You type:

Generate a response to the customer question about our [return policy] and [product certifications] based on @[Customer FAQ Document]. Use a helpful and professional tone.
Generate a response to the customer question about our [return policy] and [product certifications] based on @[Customer FAQ Document]. Use a helpful and professional tone.
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Gemini in Gmail
Use case:
Standardise communication frameworks

You're a customer service team manager. You need to create scalable resources to standardise your team's communications. You open a new Google Doc. You brainstorm by prompting Gemini in the Docs side panel. You type:

Draft templates for three different types of customer communication. Create templates for apology emails, order confirmation messages, and thank you notes for loyal customers. Keep each template to one paragraph and use a friendly tone.
Draft templates for three different types of customer communication. Create templates for apology emails, order confirmation messages, and thank you notes for loyal customers. Keep each template to one paragraph and use a friendly tone.
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Gemini in Docs

The suggested templates offer a starting point for you to begin editing and personalising with elements consistent with your company's brand and policies. Now you want to outline your team's communication best practices for onboarding. You open a new Doc and prompt Gemini in Docs. You type:

Craft a list of customer communication best practices that can be used to train new team members. Outline three sections, including how to handle happy customer inquiries, neutral customer inquiries, and dissatisfied customer inquiries.
Craft a list of customer communication best practices that can be used to train new team members. Outline three sections, including how to handle happy customer inquiries, neutral customer inquiries, and dissatisfied customer inquiries.
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Gemini in Docs

You also want to support the team with standardised language that they can use when interacting with customers on phone calls. You prompt the Gemini app:

I am a [customer service manager]. I am trying to create standardized language that the team can use when interacting with customers on phone calls. Generate templates for common call openings, greetings, and closures for a customer service representative at a retail store. These templates should allow for personalization with customer details. The goal is to ensure consistency and professionalism while allowing for differentiation with specific customer information.
I am a [customer service manager]. I am trying to create standardized language that the team can use when interacting with customers on phone calls. Generate templates for common call openings, greetings, and closures for a customer service representative at a retail store. These templates should allow for personalization with customer details. The goal is to ensure consistency and professionalism while allowing for differentiation with specific customer information.
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Gemini app
Use case:
Improve customer service

You've noticed an uptick in customer complaints. You need to collaborate across departments to address recurring issues. You prompt Gemini in Gmail. You type:

Draft an email to my colleagues proposing a meeting to discuss customer experience improvement initiatives. Request that marketing, sales, and product stakeholders meet in the next week to get a clear sense of roles and responsibilities.
Draft an email to my colleagues proposing a meeting to discuss customer experience improvement initiatives. Request that marketing, sales, and product stakeholders meet in the next week to get a clear sense of roles and responsibilities.
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Gemini in Gmail

You edit the email and send it to your colleagues. Now you want to create a spreadsheet that you can use to track progress on this cross-departmental initiative. You open a Google Sheet and prompt Gemini in the Sheets side panel**.** You type: 

Create a table to track the progress and impact of different customer experience improvement tactics using relevant metrics, including support ticket volume and priority level (high, medium, low).
Create a table to track the progress and impact of different customer experience improvement tactics using relevant metrics, including support ticket volume and priority level (high, medium, low).
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Gemini in Sheets
Customer Support Specialist
Use case:
Analyse customer feedback

You have a spreadsheet that tracks customer feedback. You want to analyse it and brainstorm potential reasons for the trends. You chat with the Gemini app. You upload the file and type:

I am a customer support specialist. Using the attached spreadsheet, identify trends and patterns in our [customer feedback] by [category] over [time period]. Identify areas where [customer outreach] has increased significantly and investigate potential reasons.
I am a customer support specialist. Using the attached spreadsheet, identify trends and patterns in our [customer feedback] by [category] over [time period]. Identify areas where [customer outreach] has increased significantly and investigate potential reasons.
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Gemini app
Use case:
Enable customer self-service

Customer feedback has consistently said that your return policy guidelines are unclear. You open a Doc that states the return, refund and shop credit policies. You prompt Gemini in Docs by selecting Help me write. You type:

Summarize this content to write a clear and concise product return policy and outline 5 steps for customers to take in sequential order.
Summarize this content to write a clear and concise product return policy and outline 5 steps for customers to take in sequential order.
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Gemini in Docs

You like how simple the steps are. You repeat the process for your refund policy and shop credit policy. Now, you want to use the newly simplified content to create a blog post for customers. Using your Google Doc with the newly written guidance, you prompt Gemini in Google Docs. You type:

Take this content and turn it into a short blog with the title “Resolve Common Issues Without Agent Assistance.” Have separate sections for our return policy, our refund policy, and our store credit policy.
Take this content and turn it into a short blog with the title “Resolve Common Issues Without Agent Assistance.” Have separate sections for our return policy, our refund policy, and our store credit policy.
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Gemini in Docs

Now you want to create an email template that the team can use when they receive customer questions around these three areas. You open a new Google Doc and prompt Gemini in Docs using Help me write. You type: 

Draft an email template to a customer that highlights self-service resources referencing [blog link] for [support issues]. Thank the customer for their business and assure them of our commitment to meeting their needs.
Draft an email template to a customer that highlights self-service resources referencing [blog link] for [support issues]. Thank the customer for their business and assure them of our commitment to meeting their needs.
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Gemini in Docs
Use case:
Conduct voice of the customer research

You want to email a dissatisfied customer to attempt to make things right. You open an email that includes a customer complaint. You prompt Gemini in Gmail by selecting Help me write. You type:

Request a follow-up conversation on [date] at [time] with this customer who provided negative feedback to understand their concern and offer resolutions. Include example solutions.
Request a follow-up conversation on [date] at [time] with this customer who provided negative feedback to understand their concern and offer resolutions. Include example solutions.
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Gemini in Gmail

The drafted response is a nice start, but you want to refine the language. You iterate by prompting Gemini in Gmail using Refine and Elaborate. Next, you want to create a short survey that you can send after each follow-up customer call. You open a new Google Doc and prompt Gemini in Docs. You type:

Create five different questions to customers who have just spoken to an agent on the phone. Questions should gauge how effective the call was, if the customer’s concern was addressed, and if they would recommend our business to others.
Create five different questions to customers who have just spoken to an agent on the phone. Questions should gauge how effective the call was, if the customer’s concern was addressed, and if they would recommend our business to others.
Copied to clipboard.
Gemini in Docs

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