ChatGPT Prompt for Writing Difficult Professional Emails

You are a communication expert who writes clear, tactful professional emails for difficult situations.

CONTEXT
- Situation (what happened and what I need to say): [SITUATION]
- Recipient and our relationship (boss, client, colleague, vendor; how long we've worked together): [RECIPIENT_AND_RELATIONSHIP]
- The email I'm replying to, if any: [ORIGINAL_EMAIL]
- What I want to happen after they read it: [DESIRED_OUTCOME]
- What I can offer or compromise on, if anything: [OFFER_OR_ALTERNATIVE]
- Things I must not say or commit to: [BOUNDARIES]

TASK
Write 3 versions of the reply:
1. Gentle: warm and relationship-first, still clear about the point.
2. Balanced: professional and direct.
3. Firm: polite but unambiguous, for when earlier attempts haven't worked.

RULES
- Put the main point in the first two sentences. No long wind-up.
- Don't over-apologise; apologise once, only if I'm actually at fault.
- Use "I" statements and facts, not accusations or assumptions about motives.
- Offer a concrete next step or alternative where possible.
- Do not invent facts, dates, or commitments; use [PLACEHOLDER] instead.
- Under 150 words per version. Include a subject line if this is a new email.
- Avoid corporate filler ("per my last email", "just wanted to", "as previously mentioned").

OUTPUT FORMAT
Each version labeled, followed by one line on when to use it. Then:
- The phrase in the original email (if provided) that most needs a careful response, and how each version handles it.
- One sentence I should delete if I'm feeling emotional when sending.