{"id":"wri-fin-expense-rejection-reply","audience":"finance","category":"customer-replies","technique":"tone","title":"Explain a rejected expense and exactly how to fix it","free":false,"task":"An employee asked why her expense report was rejected. Reply in Slack under 70 words, plain text. The first sentence names the one line that was rejected and why, then give the exact fix and the resubmission deadline, and say the rest of the report is approved. No 'per policy' or 'unfortunately'. Write a prompt that gets that reply.","materialLabel":"Her message and the expense review (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"SLACK from Monique Carter (Field Sales):\nWhy did my October expense report get rejected?? I need that $612 back, it was all for the Chicago client trip.\n\nEXPENSE REVIEW (AP, report #EX-3391, total $612)\n- Hotel, 2 nights: $380. Approved.\n- Flight change fee: $75. Approved.\n- Client dinner, Oct 14: $157. Rejected: receipt shows the total only; policy needs the itemized receipt and the names of attendees for any meal over $75.\n- The rest of the report ($455) was approved and will be in the Nov 15 paycheck.\n- To fix: upload the itemized receipt (the restaurant can email it) and add attendee names in the \"Notes\" field, then click Resubmit on that line only.\n- Resubmission deadline for October expenses: Nov 20. After that it rolls to the next quarter's review.\n- Monique has had 2 other rejected meals this year for the same reason.","rules":[{"type":"maxWords","max":70},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 70 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part: \"3 sentences, each under 20 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Making it sound like the whole report failed","why":"The AI explains the rules before saying only one line was rejected.","fix":"Say it: \"Sentence 1: only the $157 Oct 14 dinner was rejected.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"No clear fix","why":"The AI says \"please follow the meal policy\" without the steps or deadline.","fix":"Add: \"Give the fix: itemized receipt, attendee names in Notes, resubmit by Nov 20.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Scolding tone","why":"AI cites \"per policy\", says 'unfortunately' and may bring up her past rejections.","fix":"Add: \"Say the other $455 is approved. No 'per policy' or 'unfortunately'.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Forgetting where it gets pasted","why":"AI adds bold and headings by default, which show up as ** and # clutter in Slack.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text, no bold, no headings.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]},{"label":"Names the rejected line","patterns":["\\$?157","dinner","first sentence"]},{"label":"Gives the fix","patterns":["itemized","attendee","resubmit"]},{"label":"Gives the deadline","patterns":["nov(ember)?\\s*20","deadline"]},{"label":"Keeps the tone helpful","patterns":["per policy","unfortunately","friendly","not (scold|preachy)"]}],"hint":"Rejections land better when they're narrow and fixable. Tell the AI which line, the exact fix, the deadline and what's already approved.","rubricLabels":["The first sentence (after a greeting) says only the $157 Oct 14 client dinner was rejected, because it needs the itemized receipt and attendee names","Gives the fix (upload the itemized receipt, add attendee names in the Notes field, resubmit that line) and the deadline of Nov 20","Says the other $455 was approved for the Nov 15 paycheck, never uses 'per policy' or 'unfortunately', and does not mention her earlier rejected meals"]}