The employer wants to see if you understand how written language affects customer emotion when tone cues are absent, and whether you can adapt standard scripts to sound human.
Give three concrete examples of phrases to avoid, explain why each one fails in writing, then provide a specific alternative that shows ownership and a next step.
Start by naming the three phrases you would actually strike from your written vocabulary, and be honest about why they fail in a text-only channel. Say plainly that "I understand your frustration" reads as a scripted placeholder when a customer is already angry, because it acknowledges the emotion without addressing the problem, so replace it with a specific acknowledgment of what they told you, such as "I can see why that billing error would be upsetting, and I am sorry it happened." Avoid "Unfortunately, this is our policy" because it shifts blame to an impersonal rule and offers no path forward, so instead say "I do not have the ability to override this, but here is exactly what I can do next" and then give a concrete step. Also drop "For now, please wait" or "Kindly bear with us," which Filipino agents overuse and which sound vague and dismissive in English, and replace them with a time-bound action like "I am checking your account now and will update you within five minutes." The key is to show that every sentence you write either takes ownership, offers a next step, or gives a time frame, and never leaves the customer hanging on a generic platitude.
Filipino agents often overuse 'For now po, please wait na lang' or 'Kindly bear with us' which sounds vague and dismissive in English chat. Replace those with a specific action and time frame, like 'I am checking your account now and will update you within five minutes.'
Situation
In my previous role as a chat support agent for a subscription box company, I noticed that certain stock phrases triggered customers to escalate their complaints, so I built a personal list of replacements.
Task
I needed to stop using robotic language and replace it with phrases that sounded more human while still following the client's policy.
Action
I removed 'Please be advised' and replaced it with 'Just to confirm' because the former sounded like a legal notice. I stopped writing 'We apologize for any inconvenience' and instead named the actual problem, for example 'I am sorry your delivery took six days longer than promised.' I also stopped starting replies with 'As per our policy' and wrote 'Here is what I can do for you right now' before explaining the policy. I tested these replacements in my own tickets for two weeks and tracked customer replies.
Result
My average handle time dropped slightly and I received fewer follow-up chats asking to speak to a supervisor. One customer left a comment saying my reply did not feel copied and pasted.
Small word choices in chat can either signal that you are reading or that you are hiding behind policy.
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