Genspark Support Agent Training

Your complete reference for Genspark support — helping customers confidently and professionally.

Who this training is for

This guide is for new Genspark support agents. It covers everything you need to help customers confidently and professionally.

What a typical day looks like

You'll start your shift by checking your assigned views in Plain. Work through threads in priority order — read the customer card, check thread fields, look at prior threads from that customer, then respond. For billing issues, cross-reference with Stripe. Keep threads moving: respond, resolve, close. Leave clean internal notes whenever you hand something off.

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Tone Guide — How We Sound

We're warm, friendly, direct, and human. We don't sound like a policy document. We don't use corporate filler.

✅ Say this	❌ Not this
"Happy to help with that!"	"Thank you for contacting support."
"It looks like your subscription renewed on March 1."	"Per our records, the subscription renewal date was March 1st."
"I've gone ahead and processed that refund for you."	"Your refund request has been processed."
"Let me know if anything else comes up!"	"Please don't hesitate to contact us again."
"Heads up — this might take 5–10 business days to show up."	"Please be advised that processing times may vary."

1.1 Platform Overview

Plain is our support ticketing platform. It's where all customer conversations live — whether they come in via email, chat, or other channels.

Key concepts

• Thread — a single customer conversation. Every support interaction is a thread.
• Customer — the person reaching out. Each customer has a profile with their history.
• Workspace — your team's Plain environment. Everyone on the team works in the same workspace.
• Queue — the pool of threads waiting for attention.
• View — a filtered slice of the queue. You'll work primarily from views.
• Labels — tags applied to threads to categorize and route them.
• Thread Fields — structured data attached to a thread (plan type, user ID, etc.)
• Customer Card — a panel showing live info about the customer (billing, plan, history).
• Snippet — a pre-written reply template you can insert and personalise.

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1.2 Views

A view is your filtered window into the queue. Think of it as a smart inbox — it shows only the threads that match certain criteria (label, status, assignee, etc.).

Shared views vs. personal views

• Shared views are set up by the team and visible to everyone. These are the main queues you'll work from daily.
• Personal views are yours alone.

Your assigned views

Japan team views

Agents on the Japan team have two dedicated views to work from:

1. Japan tickets — All open threads from Japan-region customers. This is your primary queue. Work through these in priority order, oldest-first.
2. Japan escalations — Threads that have been escalated from the Japan queue and require additional attention or senior review. Always check this view before starting on Japan tickets.

How to navigate to a view

Views appear in the left sidebar of Plain. Click any view to open it. The number next to each view shows how many open threads are in it.

Working from a view

• Threads are listed with customer name, subject, last activity, and labels
• Click a thread to open it
• Use J / K to move up/down through threads without leaving the list
• Once you've handled a thread, it moves out of the view when its status changes

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1.3 Working a Thread

When you open a thread, here's what you'll see:

Anatomy of a thread

• Timeline (center) — the full conversation history: customer messages, replies, internal notes, and system events
• Customer panel (right side) — customer card, thread fields, recent threads from this customer
• Reply/Note composer (bottom) — where you type your response

Thread statuses

Status	What it means
Open	Needs attention, hasn't been responded to
In progress	Being actively worked on
Snoozed	Set aside temporarily (waiting for reply, follow-up later)
Done	Resolved and closed

How to claim a thread

If a thread isn't assigned to anyone, assign it to yourself before you start working it. This prevents two agents from responding at the same time.

Snoozing a thread

Use snooze when you're waiting on something — a reply from the customer, a response from another team, or a scheduled follow-up. Set a snooze time and Plain will resurface it automatically.

Moving a thread to Done

Once the issue is resolved and the customer has been helped, mark the thread as Done. Don't leave threads in "open" or "in progress" longer than necessary.

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1.4 Responding to Customers

Plain gives you three ways to add to a thread. Use the right one every time.

💬 Reply

Sends a message directly to the customer. This is what the customer sees. Use it for all customer-facing communication.

• Always read the full thread before replying — never ask a customer to repeat information they already gave
• Personalise every reply — use the customer's name, reference their specific situation
• Keep it warm, simple, and direct

🔒 Internal Note

Visible only to your team. The customer never sees it. Use it for:

• Context you want to leave for a colleague
• Notes before escalating
• Documenting a decision or exception you made
• Flagging something unusual about the thread

📝 Snippet

Plain's term for a reply template. Pre-written responses for common scenarios.

Most-used Snippets at Genspark

When you open the Snippets panel in Plain, you'll see a searchable list of pre-written replies organised by category. Here's an example of how snippets appear in the panel:

Searching for past threads

Before replying to a complex issue, search for similar past threads to see how the team has handled it. Use Cmd+K and search by keyword, customer name, or email.

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1.5 Labels

Labels are tags that categorize threads. They appear as colored chips on each thread in the view.

Why labels matter

• They help the team see at a glance what a thread is about
• They're used to route threads to the right people
• They feed into reporting — so leadership can see what issues are trending
• They can trigger automated workflows

How to apply a label

1. Open the thread
2. Look for the Labels field in the right-hand panel
3. Click to add a label — start typing to search
4. Multiple labels can be applied to one thread

Nested labels

In Plain, labels can be nested up to three levels deep. If you apply a child label, its parent labels are applied automatically. If you remove a parent label, its child labels are removed too.

Genspark label taxonomy

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1.6 Customer Card

The customer card is a panel on the right side of every thread that shows live information about the customer. Always check it before you start typing a reply.

Why it matters

It gives you instant context. You'll know their plan, when they last paid, and when their next billing date is — before you even read their message fully. This means you can give a better, faster, more accurate response.

Key fields to check

Field	What it tells you	When it's useful
Last payment	When they were last charged and for how much	Refund requests, billing disputes
Next billing date	When their next charge is due	Questions about upcoming charges
Credit balance	Genspark credits on their account	Usage and credit questions

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1.7 Thread Fields

Thread fields are structured data fields attached to every thread. They live in the right-hand panel and are pre-populated automatically.

What agents can edit

• Labels — apply or correct as needed (see Section 1.5)

What agents should read and use

Use these fields to inform your response. Don't make the customer repeat information that's already here.

Field	What it tells you	When to use it
User ID	The customer's unique ID in Genspark's system	Any escalation or engineering request
Plan type	What plan they're on (Free / Plus / Pro)	Before any billing or feature conversation
Billing email	The email used for payment	When searching for them in Stripe
Login method	How they sign in (Google, email/password, etc.)	Account access and login issues

Checking recent threads from the same customer

Before replying, scroll down in the right panel to see other recent threads from this customer. This tells you:

• If they've contacted us before about the same issue
• If there's context from a previous interaction that's relevant
• If someone else on the team is already handling something related

Never make a customer repeat themselves. If the answer is in a prior thread, use it.

Merging threads

If you see two open threads from the same customer about the same issue, merge them.

1. Open one of the threads
2. Press Cmd+K to open the command palette
3. Search for "Merge thread"
4. Select the thread you want to merge into
5. Confirm — the threads will be combined into one

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1.8 Search & Navigation

Global search — Cmd+K

Press Cmd+K from anywhere in Plain to open the command palette. From here you can:

• Search for a thread by keyword, customer name, or email
• Jump to a specific view
• Take actions on the current thread (assign, label, snooze, merge, copy ID)

Filtering threads in a view

Within any view, use the filter bar to narrow down by: status, label, assignee, date range.

Finding duplicate or related threads

When handling a thread, search the customer's email or name to check for related threads. If you find a duplicate, merge them (see Section 1.7).

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1.9 Escalation Workflow

When to escalate

• The issue is beyond your permissions or knowledge
• It requires engineering or product involvement
• A plan downgrade requires steps beyond standard tooling (see Section 2.6)
• You're unsure and need a second opinion

How to escalate in Plain

1. Add an internal note explaining the issue, what you've already checked, and what you need
2. Assign the thread to the relevant person
3. Apply the appropriate escalation label if one exists

Handoff etiquette

Leave a note the next person can act on without asking you. Include:

• What the customer's issue is (one sentence)
• What you've already checked or tried
• What you need from the next person
• Any urgency or deadline

2.1 Platform Overview

Stripe is the payment platform Genspark uses to handle all subscriptions and billing. As a support agent, you'll use it to look up billing info, check payment history, cancel subscriptions, and process refunds.

What you can do in Stripe

• View customer billing info and subscription status
• Check payment history
• Cancel subscriptions
• Process full or partial refunds

How to find a customer in Stripe

1. Go to the Stripe dashboard
2. Click Customers in the left nav
3. Use the search bar — search by billing email (from Plain thread fields)
4. Click the customer to open their record

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2.2 Checking Billing Status

When a customer contacts us about their account or plan, start by checking their billing status in Stripe.

What to look for

• Plan name — what they're subscribed to
• Billing cycle — monthly or annual
• Status — see table below
• Next payment date — when they'll be charged next
• Amount — what they'll be charged

Status	What it means
Active	Subscription is running normally
Past due	A payment failed and is being retried
Canceled	Subscription has been cancelled
Trialing	Customer is in a free trial
Paused	Subscription is temporarily paused

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2.3 Checking Payment History

1. Open the customer record in Stripe
2. Go to the Payments tab
3. Each payment shows: date, amount, card used, and status

Status	What it means
Succeeded	Payment was successful
Failed	Payment was declined or couldn't be processed
Refunded	Payment has been fully refunded
Partially refunded	A partial refund was issued

If a payment shows as failed

1. Note when it failed and how many times it's been retried
2. Check if there's a newer successful payment (Stripe sometimes auto-retries and succeeds)
3. Let the customer know: "It looks like your last payment didn't go through. You may want to check with your bank or try updating your payment method in your account settings."

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2.4 Subscription Cancellations

2.4.1 Customer Self-Service Cancellation (Preferred)

For most cancellation requests, direct the customer to cancel themselves. It's faster for them and keeps things clean on our end.

Share this step-by-step with the customer:

Here's how to cancel your subscription:

1. Log in to your Genspark account
2. Click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar
3. Select View Plan (or Edit Billing)
4. Click Cancel subscription
5. Follow the prompts to confirm

Once cancelled, you'll keep access until the end of your current billing period. After that, your account reverts to the free plan.

When to direct to self-serve: Customer is asking how to cancel, no refund is involved, standard cancellation.

2.4.2 Agent-Assisted Cancellation

Use this when the cancellation is paired with a refund, or the customer is unable to do it themselves.

Type	When to use
End of period	Default. Customer keeps access until billing cycle ends.
Immediate	Only when a refund is being processed at the same time, or customer explicitly requests it.

1. Open the customer record in Stripe
2. Go to the Subscriptions section
3. Click the active subscription
4. Click Cancel subscription
5. Choose: Cancel immediately or Cancel at end of period
6. Confirm

After cancelling, reply to the customer:

"I've gone ahead and cancelled your subscription. You'll keep access until [end date], and after that your account will switch to the free plan. Let me know if there's anything else I can help with!"

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2.5 Refund Policy & Process

2.5.1 Standard Refund Policy

Genspark's refund policy (sourced from the Help Center):

Subscription type	Refund window
Monthly	Within 24 hours of the charge
Annual	Within 72 hours of the charge
EU / UK / Turkey customers	Within 14 days of purchase (monthly and annual)

2.5.2 Exceptions — Unused Account Cases

An exception to the standard window may be made if both of the following are true:

1. The customer has not used the platform (no sessions, no activity)
2. The customer has not used any credits

These are judgment calls. Use the customer card and thread fields to check activity before deciding.

How to handle an exception

• Process the refund in Stripe (see 2.5.4)
• Add an internal note: "Approved outside standard window — customer has not logged in or used any credits."
• Reply warmly: "Even though this is a bit outside our usual refund window, I can see you haven't had a chance to use the account, so I'm happy to make an exception here."

When NOT to make an exception

• Customer has used the platform meaningfully (sessions, credits used)
• Customer has already received a refund before (no second refunds)
• The request feels like abuse (unusual pattern)

2.5.3 Refunds on Closed Subscriptions

When a customer contacts us after their subscription has already been cancelled:

• Apply the same standard policy as your baseline
• Be more lenient when the customer says the product did not meet their expectations
• Use judgment — if they're genuine and the timing is close, lean toward the customer
• Always document your reasoning in an internal note

2.5.4 How to Process a Refund in Stripe

1. Open the customer's record in Stripe
2. Go to Payments and find the charge
3. Click on the payment
4. Click Refund
5. Choose: Full refund or enter a specific amount for a partial refund
6. Add a reason (optional but good practice)
7. Click Refund

Confirm back to the customer:

"I've processed your refund of [amount]. It typically takes 5–10 business days to show up on your statement, depending on your bank. Let me know if you have any questions!"

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2.6 Customer Plan Downgrade (Stimulator + Stripe)

2.6.1 Overview

When a customer needs their subscription plan downgraded, use the Stimulator tool to execute the plan change, then complete the balance adjustment and refund steps in Stripe.

2.6.2 Step-by-Step Process

1. Access both tools. Open Stripe and the Stimulator tool for the customer whose plan needs to be downgraded.
2. Input Member ID in Stimulator. In the Stimulator tool, paste the customer's member ID to load their subscription details.
3. Verify subscription details in Stripe. Review the customer's current subscription to confirm the billing cycle (e.g. monthly) and the active plan.
4. Select the downgrade plan in Stimulator. Use the "New Price" dropdown to select the target downgrade plan (e.g. the plan priced at $24.99 to return to a previous rate).
5. Execute downgrade. Click "Downgrade & Bill Now".
   ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Make sure the checkbox for "Refund latest active payment to original payment method" is NOT selected. Do not refund at this step.
6. Refresh Stripe. Return to Stripe and refresh the customer's page to load the updated subscription and payment information.
7. Identify the customer invoice balance. Scroll down to the "Customer invoice balance" section and note the current balance (e.g. $31.16 USD).
8. Adjust customer balance to zero. Click "Adjust balance". In the "Credit balance adjustment" pop-up:
   • Set Adjustment type to Debit
   • Enter the exact Amount from the previous step (e.g. $31.16)
   • Confirm the New balance shows $0.00
   • Click "Apply to credit balance"
9. Refund the specific invoice. Scroll up to the "Invoices" section on the Stripe page. Identify the second most recent invoice that needs to be refunded (based on the specific scenario, e.g. the $54.99 payment). Click on it and initiate the refund.

2.6.3 Key Reminders

Step	Watch out for
Stimulator — selecting plan	Prices shown without tax. Stripe shows with tax.
Downgrade & Bill Now	Do NOT check "Refund latest active payment" — refund happens later in Stripe
Balance adjustment	Use Debit type to zero out the balance
Refund invoice	Target the second most recent invoice, not the most recent

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2.7 SOP: Handling Claims of Fraudulent Card Use (Refund Path)

2.7.1 Classify the Case

Treat it as "Suspected stolen card / true fraud" when ALL of the following are true:

• The person contacting us says they did not sign up for Genspark and did not authorize anyone to do so.
• They provide charge details (amount / date / last 4) that match our Stripe records.
• Their email and/or name do not clearly match the Genspark account owner.

If they do recognize the account or remember signing up, handle under normal refund/cancellation policies, not this fraud flow.

2.7.2 What to Collect

• Email they're writing from
• Last 4 digits of the card
• Dates and amounts of the Genspark charges they don't recognize

2.7.3 Internal Checks

Locate the customer in Stripe and/or Genspark using:

• Transaction ID / payment ID
• Email / last 4 digits / amount & date

Confirm the transactions match what they reported. Also take a quick look at:

• Signup date and country/IP (if easily visible)
• Whether there are multiple payments / subscriptions

If it fits "suspected stolen card / true fraud," proceed to the refund flow below.

2.7.4 Actions to Take

For all confirmed fraudulent-use cases, take the following steps in order:

1. Stop future charges. Cancel all active Genspark subscriptions in Stripe.
2. Suspend the user in Genspark. Disable access to the related account.
3. Refund eligible payments. Refund all Genspark charges within the policy window (e.g., last 90 days). Use Stripe to issue refunds; add an internal note: "Fraud – customer reported stolen card" and link the support ticket.
4. Document in the ticket. Record:
   • Stripe customer ID and payment IDs refunded
   • Which subscriptions were canceled
   • Short note: "Customer reports card stolen / did not authorize any Genspark use. Refunded and blocked per fraud SOP."
   • Add the internal tag: TRUE_FRAUD_REPORTED

2.7.5 Response Template to the Reporting Cardholder

Thanks for reaching out and I'm sorry to hear about the unauthorized charges.

We've found the Genspark charges on our side and confirmed they're linked to an account that shouldn't be using your card.

Here's what we've done:
• Canceled all subscriptions connected to these charges.
• Disabled access to the related Genspark account.
• Issued refunds for the following payments: [amount(s) and date(s)]. These will return to your card via your bank, usually within 5–10 business days depending on their processing time.

If you see any additional Genspark charges you don't recognize, please reply with the date and amount so we can review and refund those as well.

Your bank may also recommend additional steps such as issuing a new card number; they'll be able to advise you on that.

2.7.6 When to Escalate

Support should escalate to CX leadership / payments owner if:

• Total refunds for this cardholder exceed a defined threshold (e.g., >$500 total)
• There is a repeating pattern from the same IP / device / email cluster
• Law enforcement or a lawyer is mentioned

2.7.7 Quick Checklist

For every "stolen card / true fraud" ticket, support should be able to say "yes" to all of the following before closing:

✅ Check	Notes
Confirmed charges in Stripe match the user's report
All related Genspark subscriptions canceled
Access to the account disabled
Recent charges refunded per policy	e.g., last 90 days
Internal tag added	TRUE_FRAUD_REPORTED
Customer informed	Clear list of refunded payments + next steps

These scenarios combine Plain and Stripe. Use them as playbooks for the most common situations you'll face.

Refund Policy at a Glance

Exception criteria: Customer has not used the platform AND has not used any credits.

No second refunds after one has already been approved.

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Escalation Guide

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Plain Cheat Sheet

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Stripe + Stimulator Cheat Sheet

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Tone Guide

✅ Say this	❌ Not this
"Happy to help with that!"	"Thank you for contacting support."
"Let me take a look at that for you."	"Your inquiry is being reviewed."
"It looks like..."	"Per our records..."
"I've gone ahead and..."	"This has been processed."
"Let me know if anything comes up!"	"Please don't hesitate to contact us."

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SLA Targets