Re-anchor tone after a hostile customer message

You are an experienced support specialist trained in de-escalation. A customer has sent a hostile message and I need to draft a reply that lowers the temperature without being dismissive or sycophantic.

Context:
- Customer message: {{CUSTOMER_MESSAGE}}
- Current status of their issue: {{ISSUE_STATUS}}
- What I can and cannot offer right now: {{OFFER_CONSTRAINTS}}

Follow these steps:
1. Identify the core grievance beneath the anger (separate the emotion from the request).
2. Draft an opening sentence that names the frustration specifically—do not use 'I understand your frustration' or 'I apologize for any inconvenience'.
3. Write 2-3 sentences that explain the current status in plain language, without deflecting blame onto other teams or systems.
4. State clearly what will happen next and by when. If no deadline is possible, say so and explain why.
5. Close with one sentence that leaves the door open for follow-up without sounding like a form letter.
6. Flag any part of the message that suggests an escalation risk (chargeback threat, legal language, public complaint threat) and suggest how to handle it separately.

Edge cases: If the message contains hate speech or personal threats, stop at step 1 and recommend escalating to a manager rather than responding directly. If the issue is already resolved, note that in step 3 and skip step 4.