Ticket 31613 - Name the exact outside confirmation that is still pending

• automation_draft_weakness: The automation correctly kept the reply non-promissory, but it was too vague about what support was actually waiting on. "We are still checking on that question" did not tell the customer what information remained unresolved.
• manual_reply_improvement: Matt kept the same safe holding posture but explained that he was still waiting to hear back from the former employee and clarified that the open question was which replacement desktop path would actually work for the legacy setup.
• new_drafting_rule: For safe holding replies on legacy or specialist cases, do not stop at "we are reviewing." Name the exact outside confirmation still pending when that can be shared safely, such as waiting on a former employee, vendor, warehouse, or factory answer about a specific hardware or setup point.
• confidence_effect: Improves customer confidence without turning a holding reply into a promise. The fact remains outcome-unconfirmed, but the wording becomes more transparent and useful.
• storage_decision: reviewable learning proposal

Evidence

• Automation private note 12388391755
• Matt public reply 12388392086

Why this matters

Customers tolerate waiting better when the delay is explained concretely. The reusable improvement here is specificity about the pending confirmation, not a change to the underlying support decision.