{"id":"free-overdue-invoice","audience":"freelancers","category":"writing-emails","technique":"tone","title":"Chase a late payment politely but firmly","free":true,"task":"Your client Greg is 3 weeks late on part of an invoice. Write a friendly but firm reminder email of at most 4 sentences, plain text. Open with the exact amount still owed, counting every payment in your notes, and the invoice number (no \"hope you're well\" first). Ask him to confirm a payment date by Friday, don't apologize, and don't mention the late fee, since you're waiving it this time. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"Your invoice record and notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"INVOICE #1042 - Greg Watts, Watts Landscaping\nWork: logo + brand guide package\nInvoiced: Oct 1. Due: Oct 15.\nTotal: $1,800\n\nPAYMENTS RECEIVED:\n- $600 on Oct 20 (Zelle)\n\nCONTRACT, SECTION 6:\n\"Invoices unpaid 15 days after the due date incur a 1.5% monthly late fee.\"\n\nMY NOTES:\n- Greg's been a good client. He sent me 2 referrals this year and I want to keep him.\n- He Zelled another $300 on Nov 3. I haven't added it to the payments list above yet.\n- He mentioned his busy season ended last month, so he should have cash now.\n- Last time I chased a client it took two weeks to hear back.\n- My rent is due soon.\n- Zelle and bank details are already on the invoice.\n- Sign off as Priya.","rules":[{"type":"maxSentences","max":4},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Missing a payment","why":"The AI trusts the payments list or the $1,800 total and misses the newer $300 in your notes, which annoys a client who already paid.","fix":"Add: \"He paid $600 and then $300, so ask for the $900 balance.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Warming up before the point","why":"AI opens every email with \"I hope this email finds you well,\" which softens the one thing Greg needs to see.","fix":"Add: \"First sentence after 'Hi Greg,' states the balance and invoice number.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Sounding sorry or threatening","why":"The AI either apologizes for asking or quotes the late fee from the contract. You want neither.","fix":"Add: \"Friendly but firm. No apology. Don't mention the late fee.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"No length limit","why":"AI writes reminder emails with a warm-up paragraph, a recap of the work and a long sign-off.","fix":"Add: \"At most 4 sentences.\"","checks":["maxSentences"]},{"title":"Forgetting it's an email","why":"AI may add a bold subject line or bullet points that look like a form letter.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text, short paragraphs, no bold.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Uses the right amount","patterns":["900","balance","remaining","already paid","\\$?300"]},{"label":"Puts the amount first","patterns":["first sentence","open with","start with","lead with","no (pleasantr|small talk|hope)"]},{"label":"Sets the tone","patterns":["firm","no apolog","don't apologi","not sorry","friendly"]},{"label":"Leaves out the late fee","patterns":["late fee"]},{"label":"Sets a length limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*sentences?","(one|two|three|four) sentences?","short"]}],"hint":"The AI will be either too sorry or too stern unless you say which. Tell it the real amount after every payment, what goes first, what to leave out, and the date you need.","rubricLabels":["States the remaining balance as $900 on invoice #1042 ($1,800 minus the $600 and $300 he already paid), not $1,200 or $1,800","The first sentence after the greeting states the amount owed and the invoice number, with no pleasantry like 'I hope you're well' before it","Asks Greg to confirm a payment date by Friday, does not apologize or say sorry, and does not mention the late fee"]}