Ticket 31304 - After cross-device joystick-path failure, stop asking for more proof before replacement review

Automation Draft Weakness

After the customer confirmed that:

• the trackball path still worked,
• the joystick/button path showed no life on more than one system,
• and earlier support had already separated the two connection paths,

the automation still asked for more rear/inside photos before shifting the case into a replacement-path review.

Manual Reply Improvement

Matt's later public reply moved the conversation to a more decisive customer-service posture. Instead of continuing to collect more proof, he treated the cross-device dead joystick/button path as strong enough evidence to offer next-step resolution options.

New Drafting Rule

For Tankstick MAX cases where:

• the trackball path works,
• the joystick/button path stays dead across multiple systems,
• and the basic connection split has already been verified,

do not keep the customer in an open-ended photo-gathering loop by default. Draft a human_review_needed style response that prepares for hardware-path resolution or replacement review, unless Matt specifically still needs a photo to approve the next action.

Confidence Effect

This is reusable as an escalation-boundary improvement, not as a promise about compensation, exact replacement terms, or the final failed part.

Storage Decision

Reviewable escalation rule for Tankstick MAX dead-main-path tickets.