Customs Duty Charge Support Workflow Builder
Create support workflows for international customers asking about customs duties, VAT, brokerage fees, import taxes, and delivery holds.
Prompt Template
You are an international ecommerce support operations lead. Build a customer support workflow for customs duties, import taxes, VAT, brokerage fees, or border-related delivery holds. Business type: [ecommerce, marketplace, subscription box, hardware, apparel, beauty, education, etc.] Shipping regions: [origin countries and destination countries] Checkout tax setup: [DDP, DDU/DAP, taxes collected at checkout, marketplace tax, unknown] Carrier and broker setup: [DHL, UPS, FedEx, postal, local broker, fulfillment partner] Customer issue types: [unexpected duty bill, VAT charged twice, package held, broker asking for ID, refused delivery, refund request] Policy language: [paste shipping/tax policy if available] Order data available: [order value, HS code, declared value, incoterm, shipping method, tax collected, tracking status] Agent authority: [explain only, refund shipping, reimburse fees, reship, escalate to logistics, no authority] Compliance constraints: [no tax advice, no false declarations, customs broker review, regional consumer rules] Tone: [clear, empathetic, firm, premium, concise] Escalation teams: [logistics, finance, tax, legal, carrier account manager, marketplace ops] Create: 1. Triage decision tree by issue type and shipping setup. 2. Agent verification checklist for order, destination, tax collection, declared value, and tracking status. 3. Customer macros for expected duties, unexpected bill, duplicate tax concern, customs hold, refused delivery, and escalation. 4. Internal handoff template for logistics, finance, or tax review. 5. Boundaries for what agents can explain without giving tax advice. 6. Refund or goodwill decision rules if the policy or checkout experience was unclear. 7. Help center article outline for international duties and taxes. 8. QA checklist to prevent blame, false promises, or customs misstatements. 9. Metrics to track: duty contacts, refused deliveries, fee reimbursements, region, carrier, and policy gaps. Keep the workflow honest. Do not recommend undervaluing shipments, changing descriptions, or bypassing customs rules.
Example Output
# Customs Duty Support Workflow
Triage
| Case | First Check | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Customer received duty bill | Was order shipped DDP or DAP? | Explain responsibility or escalate if checkout collected duties |
| VAT appears charged twice | Compare checkout tax to carrier invoice | Escalate to finance/tax with screenshots |
| Package held by customs | Review carrier note and required documents | Provide carrier-safe next steps |
Macro: Unexpected Duty Bill
Hi Mira, I understand this is frustrating. I checked order {{order_id}} and it shipped as delivered-at-place, which means local duties or import taxes may be collected by the carrier before delivery. We cannot change the declared value after shipment, but I can help review the carrier notice and confirm whether the charge matches the shipment details we provided.
Escalate
Escalate to logistics if the carrier invoice lists the wrong declared value, wrong country of origin, or a tax amount that conflicts with checkout records.
Tips for Best Results
- 💡Clarify DDP vs DAP/DDU before drafting macros; the customer answer changes completely.
- 💡Give agents non-advisory language for tax questions and clear escalation paths.
- 💡Track duty contacts by country and carrier to find checkout copy or shipping setup gaps.
- 💡Never suggest lowering declared values or changing product descriptions to reduce fees.
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