The customer has explicitly asked for a human, and the agent has learned the return can be resolved immediately. The right move combines empathy, transparency, and customer control: acknowledge the frustration, share the new information that the return is within policy and can be completed right now, and let the customer choose between instant resolution and escalation. Processing the refund unilaterally takes a consequential action without the customer's consent and disregards their stated request, while escalating immediately withholds the fact that the fastest resolution is available and adds another handoff — the very delay driving the frustration. Asking the customer to recount what failed in earlier attempts adds friction without changing what the agent should do. Offering the choice honors the escalation request while giving the customer the quickest path to what they actually want.
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