{"id":"wri-cs-shipping-delay-reply","audience":"customer-support","category":"customer-replies","technique":"grounding","title":"Answer a 'where is my order' email with the real new date","free":false,"task":"A customer wants to know where her order is. Reply under 90 words. The first sentence gives the carrier's new delivery date. Offer the shipping refund your policy allows and say it's automatic, and don't promise anything faster than the carrier's date. Skip the stock lines 'We apologize for any inconvenience' and 'Rest assured'. Sign it 'Jess, Fernway Support'. Write a prompt that gets that reply.","materialLabel":"Customer email, order record and policy (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"EMAIL from Monica Shaw:\nMy order #48213 (the ceramic planter set) was supposed to be here Nov 4. It's Nov 8 and nothing. Where is it?? This was a gift and I'm annoyed.\n\nORDER RECORD #48213\nPlaced: Oct 28. Shipping: Standard ($8.95). Original estimate: Nov 4.\nCarrier tracking (updated Nov 7): \"Delayed at regional hub due to weather. New estimated delivery: Nov 14.\"\nEarlier tracking (Nov 5): \"Expected Nov 9.\" (outdated)\n\nFERNWAY SHIPPING POLICY (internal)\n- If an order arrives more than 7 days after the original estimate, refund the shipping fee. It's issued automatically to the original card within 3-5 business days after delivery. The customer doesn't need to do anything.\n- Don't offer expedited reshipping for weather delays; carriers can't move faster.\n- Don't offer discount codes for carrier delays (that's for warehouse errors only).\n\nNOTES\n- Nov 14 is 10 days after the Nov 4 estimate, so she qualifies.\n- She's ordered 6 times this year.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":90}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 90 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part: \"4 sentences, each under 16 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Opening with empathy filler","why":"The AI starts with \"I completely understand your frustration\" and the date shows up later.","fix":"Say it: \"First sentence: her order will arrive Nov 14.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Using an old tracking date","why":"The record has an outdated Nov 9 estimate that the AI may grab.","fix":"Add: \"Use the latest carrier date, Nov 14.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Promising what you can't","why":"To calm her down, the AI offers to reship faster or adds a discount code.","fix":"Add: \"Offer only the $8.95 shipping refund, automatic. No reshipping, no codes.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Stock support phrases","why":"AI support replies lean on \"We apologize for any inconvenience\" and \"Rest assured\".","fix":"Ban them: \"Don't say 'apologize for any inconvenience' or 'rest assured'. Sign it Jess, Fernway Support.\"","checks":["r2"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]},{"label":"Puts the date first","patterns":["first sentence","lead with","start with","nov(ember)?\\s*14"]},{"label":"Offers the right refund","patterns":["8\\.95","shipping (fee )?refund","automatic"]},{"label":"Bans stock phrases","patterns":["inconvenience","rest assured","stock","clich"]},{"label":"Says how to sign","patterns":["jess","sign"]}],"hint":"The customer asked one question. Tell the AI to answer it first, offer only what policy allows, and skip the phrases every support email uses.","rubricLabels":["The first sentence (after a greeting like 'Hi Monica,') gives the new delivery date of Nov 14 (not Nov 9)","Offers the $8.95 shipping refund, says it is automatic with nothing for her to do, and offers no faster shipping, reshipping or discount code","Contains neither 'We apologize for any inconvenience' nor 'Rest assured', and is signed 'Jess, Fernway Support'"]}