Ballet’s prebuilt L1 Support Triage & Draft Reply Playbook brings those steps into one workflow.
Use it to classify incoming tickets, investigate customer issues, document findings, and prepare responses using Zendesk, Intercom, or Freshdesk. For refund requests, the playbook can also evaluate Stripe transactions against your policies and carry out authorized actions.
With safe write-back and approval controls, the workflow can update live tickets while keeping exceptions and sensitive decisions subject to review.
No need to build the workflow from scratch. Open the playbook, connect your systems, and customize it for your support process.
What this playbook does
The playbook combines ticket investigation, response preparation, and authorized execution in one workflow.
- Ticket triage: Categorizes incoming requests and identifies the appropriate investigation path.
- Issue investigation: Gathers relevant information from connected systems and approved support resources.
- Investigation notes: Documents verified findings, missing information, and recommended next steps.
- Draft replies: Prepares customer-specific responses based on the investigation.
- Refund eligibility checks: Evaluates Stripe transactions against your organization’s refund policies.
- Safe write-back: Updates permitted ticket fields and executes eligible actions within configured approval rules.
For example, when a customer submits a billing question, the workflow can identify the request type, review the available transaction information, and prepare a response.
If the customer requests a refund, Ballet can check whether the transaction meets your policy and whether the requested action requires approval.
This helps move routine requests forward while giving your team control over cases that need additional judgment.
What you’ll need to get started
Before running the playbook, configure the systems and policies it should use.
| Requirement | What to configure |
|---|---|
| Support platform | Zendesk, Intercom, or Freshdesk |
| Investigation sources | Ticket history, customer information, and relevant support documentation |
| Ticket categories | Classification, priority, and escalation criteria |
| Response guidelines | Preferred tone, required information, and review rules |
| Stripe (optional) | Transaction access for refund-related requests |
| Refund policy | Eligibility criteria, verification requirements, and approval thresholds |
| Write-back permissions | Ticket updates and financial actions the workflow is authorized to perform |
You can begin with ticket triage and response drafting, then configure refund handling if it’s relevant to your team.
Customize the playbook with this prompt
Use the prompt below to tailor the prebuilt workflow to your support process.
Prompt: Configure L1 support triage, investigation, and safe write-back
Configure the existing L1 Support Triage & Draft Reply Playbook to process customer support requests using our policies and connected systems.
Support platform
Use [Zendesk / Intercom / Freshdesk] as our support platform.
Review incoming tickets, conversation history, and relevant customer information available through our approved connections.
Ticket triage
Classify requests using these categories: [insert categories].
Apply our priority criteria: [insert criteria].
Determine whether each request can be handled through L1 support or requires escalation.
Investigation
Gather relevant information from these approved sources: [insert sources].
Prepare internal investigation notes that include:
- Summary of the customer’s issue
- Relevant findings and supporting information
- Verified facts
- Missing details or unresolved questions
- Recommended next action
Clearly distinguish verified information from assumptions.
Customer response
Draft a response that addresses the customer’s specific request.
Follow our communication guidelines: [insert tone and response requirements].
Include appropriate troubleshooting steps, explanations, or follow-up questions.
Save responses as drafts unless sending is explicitly authorized.
Do not tell customers that an action has been completed unless its execution is confirmed.
Stripe refund eligibility
For refund requests, review the relevant Stripe transaction.
Apply our refund policy: [insert policy].
Verify:
- Customer and transaction details
- Payment status
- Requested refund amount
- Previous refunds and remaining refundable amount
- Required customer verification
- Applicable eligibility criteria
- Approval requirements
Use this approval threshold: [insert amount and conditions].
Execute a refund only when the transaction is verified, all policy requirements are satisfied, and the action is authorized.
Route requests requiring exceptions or additional approval for human review.
Check the existing transaction state before attempting execution to avoid duplicate refunds.
Safe write-back
Update the correct support ticket with authorized information, including:
- Ticket classification
- Investigation notes
- Permitted status or field changes
- Confirmed action outcomes
- Outstanding follow-up requirements
Keep internal notes separate from customer-facing communications.
Record an action as completed only after the connected system confirms success.
Escalation
Flag requests for review when:
- Required information is missing
- Customer or transaction details cannot be verified
- The issue cannot be resolved confidently
- A requested action falls outside policy
- Additional approval or judgment is required
Expected outputs
For each processed ticket, provide the classification, investigation findings, draft response, applicable refund assessment, and a clear record of completed actions or required follow-up.
How to use the playbook
01. Open the prebuilt playbook
Find L1 Support Triage & Draft Reply in Ballet and open it.
The playbook provides the starting workflow for ticket classification, investigation, response drafting, and authorized actions.
Review its steps before making changes so you can identify which settings need to match your support process.
02. Connect your support platform
Choose Zendesk, Intercom, or Freshdesk.
Configure access to the ticket information the workflow needs, including customer requests, conversation history, and relevant account details.
You can also identify approved support resources, such as help center articles or internal troubleshooting documentation, to provide additional context during investigations.
03. Set your ticket classification and response rules
Define the types of requests the workflow should handle.
For example, your categories might include billing questions, account access issues, product troubleshooting, and general support inquiries.
Specify how requests should be prioritized, what information is needed for each category, and when an issue should be escalated.
Then customize the response instructions to reflect your team’s communication style and review requirements.
04. Configure Stripe refund checks
If your team handles refund requests, connect Stripe and provide the applicable refund policy.
Define the eligibility requirements, transaction verification rules, and approval thresholds.
For example, a refund below your organization’s monetary limit may be eligible for automatic execution if the payment is verified and all policy conditions are satisfied.
Requests outside those conditions should be routed for review.
05. Review permissions and approval requirements
Determine which actions the workflow is allowed to perform.
These may include adding investigation notes, updating ticket classifications, changing ticket status, or processing an eligible refund.
For actions requiring human approval, configure the workflow to pause for review before proceeding.
This allows you to automate routine steps without granting unrestricted access to sensitive operations.
06. Test the workflow
Before activating it for live requests, test a few representative scenarios.
| Test scenario | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Common support question | Correct classification, relevant investigation, and accurate draft reply |
| Eligible refund request | Verified transaction, correct policy assessment, and authorized action |
| Request requiring escalation | Appropriate review path without unauthorized execution |
| Missing or conflicting information | Clear identification of uncertainty and required follow-up |
Review the results and adjust the configuration where necessary.
07. Activate the playbook
Once testing is complete, configure and enable the appropriate trigger for incoming support tickets.
Ballet can then process requests according to your workflow rules, prepare responses, and carry out permitted actions.
Tickets that require additional information, approval, or human judgment remain available for follow-up.
What your team gets
Each processed ticket can produce the information needed to understand the issue and determine what happens next.
| Output | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Ticket classification | Identifies the request type and appropriate support path |
| Investigation notes | Summarizes verified findings and outstanding questions |
| Draft reply | Provides a customer-specific response for review or authorized sending |
| Refund assessment | Documents eligibility and approval requirements when applicable |
| Action outcome | Records confirmed updates or transactions |
| Follow-up requirements | Identifies unresolved issues and cases requiring review |
For support agents, this means less time gathering information and drafting routine responses.
For Support Operations, it creates a more consistent process for ticket handling, documentation, and controlled execution.
Get more from the playbook
Once you’ve configured and tested the initial workflow, you can expand how your team uses it.
Add more support categories. Start with common L1 requests, then introduce additional categories as you define their investigation and resolution requirements.
Connect additional information sources. Give the workflow access to approved documentation or account information that helps it investigate customer issues.
Refine escalation rules. Use the cases requiring review to identify where additional verification, documentation, or approval criteria would improve the process.
Adjust refund policies and permissions. Update eligibility rules and approval thresholds as your organization’s requirements change.
Review workflow history. Examine completed runs and exceptions to identify opportunities to improve the configuration.
The playbook gives you a starting point for automating routine support work while keeping control over how requests are handled.
