| name | research-and-answer-a-customer-question |
| description | Research a customer question across approved product documentation, help content, account history, prior cases, team discussions, and current external sources; reconcile contradictions and prepare a source-grounded response. Use when Support or Success needs a reliable answer rather than a quick unverified draft. |
Research and Answer a Customer Question
Find the most reliable answer available and turn it into a response that fits the customer and
channel. Do not invent product behavior, policy, commitments, or account-specific treatment to fill
a documentation gap.
1. Clarify the question
Identify the precise question, customer or account, audience, channel, deadline, and decision the
answer needs to support. Read the current thread so the response addresses what the customer
actually asked and does not repeat questions they have already answered.
Flag questions involving roadmap, pricing, contracts, security, privacy, compliance, billing,
refunds, or a custom configuration. These may need a named reviewer even when research produces a
likely answer.
2. Search the best sources
Start with current approved product documentation, policies, help-center content, and known-issue
records. Then use relevant support history, CRM or account notes, prior communications, meetings,
team discussions, project records, and official external documentation.
Prefer authoritative and current evidence. Preserve links, dates, product versions, account scope,
and what each source establishes. A prior answer may reveal relationship context without becoming
current policy.
3. Resolve conflicts and gaps
Compare the sources instead of stopping at the first plausible result. When they disagree, explain
which is more authoritative or recent and what still needs confirmation. Keep verified facts,
account-specific history, inference, and unknowns distinct.
If no reliable source answers the question, say so and identify the smallest useful verification:
an owner, document, product check, or specialist review. Do not turn an internal roadmap note or
informal chat message into a customer commitment.
4. Prepare the response
Lead with the direct answer when the evidence supports one. Match the language and level of detail
to the customer and channel, use their terminology, and include only the context they need. Link the
relevant customer-facing source or explain the next step and timing when the answer is not yet final.
Deliver:
- the answer and confidence-driving evidence;
- source links and important dates or versions;
- contradictions, caveats, and remaining questions;
- a customer-ready draft; and
- internal review or follow-through notes that should not be sent.
Use strawberry/customer-support-success/create-or-update-a-help-center-article when a verified
answer should become reusable customer documentation.
5. Keep sending and learning separate
Drafting, sending, updating a ticket, changing account settings, offering a refund, and making a
product or commercial commitment are different actions. Follow the active scoped permission for
the exact customer, channel, account, and action, and verify any completed change.
After the team confirms the answer, preserve useful source preferences, tone, terminology, and
review rules. Keep customer-specific private context out of the reusable method.
