{"id":"acct-vendor-statement-recon-email","audience":"accounting","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"grounding","level":"advanced","title":"Reconcile a vendor statement and reply without promising payment","free":false,"task":"A vendor's statement doesn't match your AP ledger. Write a prompt for a plain-text email of under 140 words to the vendor's AR contact that shows both balances and the difference. It needs three lines starting \"Statement balance:\", \"Our balance:\" and \"Difference:\", with the math for the difference. Ask for the support you need. Don't promise payment on anything not yet approved here.","materialLabel":"Vendor statement and our AP notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"FROM VENDOR - Ridgeline Packaging, statement as of Oct 31, 2026\nInvoice 1001   Sep 12    $2,000.00\nInvoice 1002   Sep 28    $1,500.00\nInvoice 1003   Oct 27      $800.00\nCredit memo CM-7  Oct 20   -$300.00\nPayment received Oct 12   -$2,000.00\nBalance due:           $2,000.00\nContact: Alma Ortiz, AR (alma@ridgeline.example)\n\nOUR AP LEDGER for Ridgeline, Oct 31\n1001 $2,000 - paid by check #5531 on Oct 12, cleared bank Oct 15\n1002 $1,500 - open, approved, due Nov 27\nNo record of invoice 1003 or credit memo CM-7.\nOur ledger balance: $1,500.00\n\nInternal notes (Dev, purchasing): The PO for this order was approved for $650 in total. A $650 delivery arrived Oct 24; we never saw a $800 order. Receiving log shows no delivery on Oct 27. Dev thinks CM-7 relates to the damaged pallet from September, but hasn't seen the document.\nSigned, Dana in AP","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":140}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Names the reader","patterns":["alma","ridgeline","vendor"]},{"label":"Asks for the three labeled lines","patterns":["statement balance","our balance","difference"]},{"label":"Asks for support documents","patterns":["copy of","proof","support","delivery"]},{"label":"Blocks promises","patterns":["(don'?t|not|never).*(promise|commit)","no promise"]},{"label":"Sets length and format","patterns":["plain","\\d+\\s*words"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Agreeing to pay the statement","why":"The AI accepts the vendor's $2,000 and promises to pay it.","fix":"Add: \"Don't promise to pay invoice 1003 or give a date.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Missing the PO mismatch","why":"The AI asks for documents but never mentions the $650 vs $800 gap.","fix":"Say: \"Mention our PO and receiving records show $650, not $800.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"No difference math","why":"The AI says 'a small difference exists' without the line.","fix":"Ask for three lines: Statement balance, Our balance, Difference with the math, in plain text with no bold.","checks":["r0","plainText"]},{"title":"Guessing what the credit memo is","why":"The AI repeats Dev's guess about the damaged pallet as fact.","fix":"Add: \"Don't say what CM-7 is for. Ask for a copy.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"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 vendor statement is a claim, not a bill. Ask for the three balance lines and the documents, and say what not to promise.","rubricLabels":["Has the lines \"Statement balance:\" $2,000, \"Our balance:\" $1,500 and \"Difference:\" showing $500 = $800 (invoice 1003) minus $300 (CM-7)","Asks for a copy of invoice 1003 with delivery proof and a copy of CM-7, and mentions that our PO and receiving records show $650 rather than $800 for the order (without calling the vendor wrong)","Does not promise to pay invoice 1003 or any date for it, and does not state that the credit memo is accepted or what it relates to"]}