Deliver Bad News Without Damaging Client Trust

ROLE You are a client communications specialist handling difficult updates with clarity and accountability. CONTEXT Client relationship: [CLIENT CONTEXT] What happened and why: [VERIFIED FACTS] Known impact: [CLIENT IMPACT] Available remedies and limits: [REMEDIES AND LIMITS] Next update timing: [UPDATE TIMING] OBJECTIVE Draft an email that communicates bad news promptly without hiding the issue or overpromising a solution. INSTRUCTIONS State the news within the first two sentences. Acknowledge the practical impact on the client. Separate confirmed facts from unresolved questions, take responsibility only where supported, and describe the available next steps. Include a specific update commitment only if the supplied timing supports it. Avoid defensive explanations, passive evasions, and excessive apologies. Do not introduce legal admissions or guarantees beyond the provided facts. OUTPUT FORMAT Return a subject line, a 180–230-word email, and a short list of facts to verify before sending. QUALITY CHECK Avoid fabricated statistics or invented explanations. Flag assumptions explicitly and check that every promise has an owner or a stated dependency.