{"id":"res-sb-pos-first-year-cost","audience":"small-business","category":"research","technique":"verification","title":"Compare point-of-sale quotes on first-year cost","free":false,"task":"You're choosing a point-of-sale system for your gift shop and have 3 quotes. You want exactly 3 numbered lines, one per vendor, each showing the math to a first-year cost (monthly fee x 12 plus hardware, like \"$60 x 12 + $500 = $1,220\"), then a final line \"Lowest:\". Use each vendor's latest written quote and only those numbers, plain text, nothing else.","materialLabel":"Three point-of-sale quotes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"POS QUOTES - Wren & Willow Gifts (1 register, 1 card reader)\n\nTillPoint\nSoftware: $69/month. Hardware bundle (register tablet + card reader): $599 one time.\n\nCounterline\nSoftware: $49/month. Hardware: $899 one time.\nRevised quote (Oct 28, email from rep): \"Good news, hardware is now $749 for you.\"\n\nShopNest\nSoftware: $89/month. Hardware: free with a 12-month plan.\nRep said on the phone they \"might waive the first month\" but didn't put it in writing.\n\nCard processing fees are about the same for all three (2.6% + 10 cents), so ignore them.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":3},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Comparing monthly fees only","why":"The AI ranks by the monthly price and ignores one-time hardware costs.","fix":"Say: \"First-year cost: monthly x 12 plus hardware, show the math.\"","checks":["r0","r1"]},{"title":"Using the old or verbal price","why":"The first Counterline price and ShopNest's phone promise are both in your notes.","fix":"Add: \"Use the latest written quote only.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Getting a feature review","why":"The AI compares features and support, which you didn't ask about.","fix":"Say: \"Output only the 3 lines and Lowest.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Not saying how many","why":"The AI decides the length itself and usually returns more lines, one per vendor than you can use.","fix":"Be exact: \"exactly 3 numbered lines, one per vendor.\"","checks":["numberedItems"]},{"title":"Getting markdown back","why":"AI defaults to bold labels and headings, which show up as stray symbols in a text to your business partner.","fix":"Ask for \"plain text, no bold, no headings.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Defines the cost","patterns":["first.year","x\\s*12","12 months","annual"]},{"label":"Asks to show the math","patterns":["show (the |your )?math","calculat","\\+"]},{"label":"Uses written quotes","patterns":["written","latest","revised","in writing"]},{"label":"Says exactly how many","patterns":["\\b(3|three)\\b.{0,25}(line|vendor)","exactly \\d+"]},{"label":"Asks for plain text","patterns":["plain","no bold","no markdown","no formatting","no headings"]}],"hint":"Monthly fees hide one-time costs, and quotes get revised. Tell the AI exactly how to total the first year, which quote counts, and to show the math.","rubricLabels":["First-year costs are correct: TillPoint $69 x 12 + $599 = $1,427; Counterline $49 x 12 + $749 = $1,337 (the revised hardware price, not $899); ShopNest $89 x 12 + $0 = $1,068 (no waived month)","Each line shows its math, and the Lowest line names ShopNest","Outputs only the 3 numbered lines and the Lowest line: no intro, no feature comparison, no processing-fee discussion"]}