{"id":"acct-balance-confirmation-reply-email","audience":"accounting","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"tone","level":"intermediate","title":"Reply to a customer's balance confirmation and explain the gap","free":false,"task":"A customer says they owe less than your records show. Write a prompt for a plain-text email under 100 words that starts with \"Hi Jordan,\" and ends with the line \"Accounts Receivable\". It has three lines starting \"Our records:\", \"Your records:\" and \"Difference:\" with the math, says you are sending a copy of the missing invoice today, and asks Jordan to confirm the balance by Nov 20. Don't mention the customer's slow payment history or any internal notes. No bullets or numbering.","materialLabel":"Customer's confirmation request and our account notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"BALANCE CONFIRMATION - Pinewood Dental (contact: Jordan Lee, practice manager)\n\nJordan's email (Nov 4): 'Our records show we owe you $11,900.00. Your statement says $12,400.00. Can you confirm?'\n\nOur records (AR ledger, Nov 6): total open balance $12,400.00, made up of:\n  INV-3290  $6,200.00  Sep 14\n  INV-3301  $500.00    Sep 29\n  INV-3310  $5,700.00  Oct 12\n\nNote from AR: INV-3301 for $500.00 was mailed Sep 29. Jordan's records show $11,900.00, which equals our balance without INV-3301, so the invoice may not have reached them. We have not heard otherwise.\n\nInternal comments (not for the customer): 'Pinewood is always slow to pay' and 'Jordan is picky about statements'.","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":100},{"type":"maxBullets","max":0}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the reader","patterns":["jordan"]},{"label":"Asks for the three lines","patterns":["our records","your records","difference"]},{"label":"Asks for confirmation","patterns":["nov 20","confirm"]},{"label":"Bans internal talk","patterns":["(do not|don'?t).*(payment history|internal)"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","plain"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Mentioning slow payment","why":"The AI hints that Pinewood is late on invoices.","fix":"Add: \"Do not mention payment history or internal comments.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Stating the invoice wasn't received","why":"The AI says the customer never got INV-3301.","fix":"Add: \"Do not say the invoice was not received; say we are sending a copy.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"No difference math","why":"The AI says 'a small difference'.","fix":"Add: \"Show $12,400.00 - $11,900.00 = $500.00 and tie it to INV-3301.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Wrong greeting or sign-off","why":"The AI signs with a personal name.","fix":"Add: 'Start with \"Hi Jordan,\" end with the line: Accounts Receivable.'","checks":["r1","maxBullets","plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits.","fix":"Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each line short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"A balance confirmation reply shows both balances, ties the gap to one invoice and stays neutral. Give the lines and the bans.","rubricLabels":["Starts with \"Hi Jordan,\" and ends with the line \"Accounts Receivable\", with lines starting \"Our records:\" ($12,400.00), \"Your records:\" ($11,900.00) and \"Difference:\" ($12,400.00 - $11,900.00 = $500.00, invoice INV-3301)","Says a copy of INV-3301 is being sent today and asks Jordan to confirm the balance by Nov 20","Doesn't mention slow payment history, the internal comments or that the invoice 'was not received' as fact"]}