AI Customer Support Macros + Triage for Shopify (Human-in-the-Loop)

Why this matters

Support is where Shopify stores leak margin and trust. The fastest way to improve CS isn’t a “chatbot”—it’s a macro system with triage rules, policy-grounded answers, and human approval when risk is high.

• Primary goal: reduce time-to-first-response while keeping refunds/chargebacks from rising.
• What “good” looks like: 60–80% of tickets resolved via macros + assisted drafting, with clear escalation paths for edge cases.

Framework / workflow

This workflow turns AI into a drafting layer (not a decision-maker). It is designed for Shopify merchants using standard policy pages (shipping, returns, warranty) plus order data.

Step 0 — Define ticket intents + risk levels

Create 12–20 intents that cover most volume (shipping status, address change, return request, cancel order, damaged item, wrong size, discount question, subscription, etc.). Assign a risk level:

• Green (auto-draft ok): informational + policy citation, no account changes.
• Yellow (human approve): refund eligibility, partial credits, exceptions, pricing disputes.
• Red (specialist): chargebacks, fraud suspicion, legal/privacy, threats, medical claims.

Step 1 — Build a policy-grounded “Support Source of Truth”

• Shipping policy (carriers, processing time, cutoffs, international duty notes)
• Returns policy (window, condition, fees, final-sale rules)
• Warranty policy (what’s covered, proof required, timelines)
• Store facts (contact hours, regions served, SKU constraints)

Rule: macros must quote or reference your policy language. If policy is missing, fix policy first—don’t let AI invent it.

Step 2 — Macro library (intent → answer blocks)

For each intent, write 3 parts:

1. Short answer (1–2 sentences)
2. Policy grounding (link + exact eligibility rules)
3. Next action (what you need from customer, or what you will do next)

Step 3 — Triage router (inputs → routing)

Route tickets using: intent, order age, fulfillment status, shipping carrier scan status, customer tier (optional), and policy eligibility.

Step 4 — Human-in-the-loop QA

• Facts: order status, SKU, shipment timeline, customer identity
• Policy: eligibility + exceptions
• Tone: calm, specific, no blame, no over-promising
• Escalation: when uncertain, ask for one missing datum or escalate

Step 5 — Measure → refine

Every 2 weeks: review top 5 intents, reopen reasons, refund drivers. Update macros and triage thresholds; remove macros that cause escalations or refunds.

Templates / prompts

Use AI to draft replies, but bind it to order facts + policy text. Below are merchant-ready templates you can paste into your AI tool of choice.

Role: You are a Shopify support lead writing macro replies.
Goal: Create a macro for the intent: {INTENT}
Inputs:
- Store policy excerpt (shipping/returns/warranty): {POLICY_TEXT}
- Brand voice examples (2-3): {VOICE_EXAMPLES}
Constraints:
- Use only provided facts + policy text. If missing, ask for what’s missing.
- No invented guarantees, timelines, or compensation.
- Output must include: Short answer (2 sentences), Steps, What we need from customer, Link draft.
Output format:
[MACRO_NAME]
Short answer:
Steps:
What we need:
Policy grounding:
Escalation trigger:

Role: You classify Shopify support tickets for routing.
Inputs:
- Ticket text: {TICKET_TEXT}
- Order facts: {ORDER_STATUS, FULFILLMENT_STATUS, DAYS_SINCE_ORDER, TRACKING_STATUS}
- Policy eligibility rules: {ELIGIBILITY_RULES}
Output:
1) Intent (choose from list): {INTENT_LIST}
2) Risk level: Green / Yellow / Red
3) Recommended macro: {MACRO_NAME}
4) Missing info to request (if any)
5) Escalation reason (if Yellow/Red)
Constraints:
- Never assume eligibility. If uncertain, return Yellow + ask for missing info.

Role: You draft a customer reply using an approved macro library.
Inputs:
- Selected macro: {MACRO_TEXT}
- Order facts: {FACTS}
- Customer tone: neutral / upset / confused
Constraints:
- Keep to 120-180 words.
- Include 1 clear next step and 1 confirmation question if needed.
- Do not promise refunds/replacements unless policy eligibility is explicitly met in FACTS.
Output: final email reply.

Execution layer: macro governance

Checklist

Use this as a “release gate” before you scale AI-assisted support across your inbox.

• Intent coverage: top 12 intents have macros (and at least 2 variants each: normal vs upset tone).
• Policy grounding: every macro maps to one policy page; no “new policy” invented in replies.
• Triage rules: address change, cancel, refund, damaged/wrong item have Yellow/Red guardrails.
• Stop-loss: if reopen rate or refunds spike after rollout, revert to “draft only” mode and audit macros.
• Internal links: keep the ecosystem connected: Shopify AI, Getting Started, Tools, Use Cases.

FAQ