Safe Handoff

Check refund requests against your policy and prepare a decision

Handoff 4 Acts irreversibly, or with money or people Reviewed 14 Oct 2026 Set-up: 20 minutes

Who it's for
Online shops and service businesses handling refund requests
Outcome
Each request checked against your policy with a recommended decision and a reply draft.
Why Handoff 4
Refunds move money and set precedents. The agent prepares; you decide and issue every refund.

Steps

  1. Give the agent your refund policy and the request details (order date, item, reason).
  2. Ask it to check each request against each policy rule and recommend approve, decline or ask for more information.
  3. Ask for a reply draft for each.
  4. Make the decision yourself, issue any refund in your payment system, then send the reply.

Copy-paste prompt

Works with any agent. Replace the [square brackets] with your details.

Here is my refund policy: [paste]. Here are refund requests: [order date, item, amount, customer's reason].

For each request: check it against each rule in my policy, recommend APPROVE, DECLINE or ASK FOR INFO with the rule that decides it, and draft a polite reply. Do not issue, promise or process any refund, and do not log in to any payment or shop system.

Notes for each agent

Only features we found in each provider's official documentation on 14 Oct 2026 are stated as product facts, with the source linked. Product features change; check before relying on them.

Claude Suggested

Ask Claude to save drafts, not send them. In Cowork's Manual mode it pauses for approval before using connector tools set to 'Needs approval'. Avoid 'Skip' mode for anything sent in your name.

From official docs Official source

ChatGPT Suggested

Before an app action such as sending an email, ChatGPT may show an approval card. Keep your email app on 'Always ask' or 'Allow read actions' so sending always needs your OK.

From official docs Official source

Gemini Suggested

Gemini can draft Gmail messages in chat (Google Workspace connected app required). The draft has a Send button, so read it first, or use 'Edit in Gmail' on the web to finish it in Gmail.

From official docs Official source

Microsoft Copilot Suggested

In Outlook, 'Draft with Copilot' writes a draft you edit and send yourself, and 'Coaching by Copilot' can suggest tone and clarity fixes.

From official docs Official source

Open agents & automations Suggested

In n8n, connect the send tool through a human review step: the workflow pauses and shows the exact message for Approve or Deny.

From official docs Official source

Common failure, and how to catch it

What goes wrong
It approves a request that falls outside your policy window because the customer sounds upset.
How to catch it
Ask for the policy rule behind each recommendation; check the order date yourself.

Time and cost

Time to set up
20 minutes
Cost
Works in a standard chat on most plans; no extra tools needed.

Sources

Reviewed 14 Oct 2026 against the sources above. This playbook has not been tested on every agent listed; it is written to be agent-agnostic.

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