{"id":"wri-fin-vendor-payment-status-reply","audience":"finance","category":"customer-replies","technique":"grounding","title":"Tell a vendor exactly when they'll be paid","free":false,"task":"A vendor emailed asking where their payment is. Reply in at most 4 sentences. The first sentence gives the exact payment date and method, explain the payment terms using the date you received the invoice, and give the remittance email for future questions. No vague 'processing' language and no apology. Write a prompt that gets that reply.","materialLabel":"Vendor email and AP records (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"EMAIL from Tomas Vega (Vega Print & Sign):\nHi, invoice A-2231 ($4,860) was dated October 1 and our terms are net 30. It's now November 7 and we haven't been paid. Can you tell me what's going on?\n\nAP RECORDS (Lindell Medical Group)\n- Invoice A-2231, Vega Print & Sign, $4,860.\n- Invoice date (on the invoice): Oct 1.\n- Received by AP: Oct 15 (it was mailed to our old Elm St address and forwarded).\n- Our vendor agreement with Vega: net 30 from the date AP RECEIVES the invoice.\n- Approved: Nov 3.\n- Scheduled: ACH payment run on Friday, Nov 14 (Oct 15 + 30 days = Nov 14).\n- Remittance details go out by email the same day.\n\nNOTES\n- New AP address since July: ap@lindellmedical.example (email invoices there to avoid mail delays).\n- Vega has been a vendor 3 years, always reliable.\n- Payment runs are fixed weekly (Fridays); early payment isn't available.","rules":[{"type":"maxSentences","max":4}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Not limiting the length","why":"The AI writes a long, apologetic letter about invoice workflows.","fix":"Be exact: \"At most 4 sentences.\"","checks":["maxSentences"]},{"title":"Vague timing","why":"AI replies say \"your payment is being processed\" instead of a date.","fix":"Say it: \"Sentence 1: A-2231 will be paid by ACH on Friday, Nov 14.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Accepting the wrong start date","why":"The vendor counts from Oct 1. The AI may agree the payment is late.","fix":"Add: \"Net 30 runs from when we received it, Oct 15.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Apologizing and promising more","why":"To smooth things over, the AI apologizes or offers early payment.","fix":"Add: \"No apology, no early payment. Give ap@lindellmedical.example.\"","checks":["r2"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Limits the sentences","patterns":["\\b(\\d|one|two|three|four|five|six)\\b.{0,12}sentences?","sentences?"]},{"label":"Gives the exact date","patterns":["nov(ember)?\\s*14","first sentence","exact date"]},{"label":"Explains the terms","patterns":["received","oct(ober)?\\s*15","net 30"]},{"label":"Includes the AP email","patterns":["ap@","email address","remittance"]},{"label":"Bans vague or sorry","patterns":["processing","no apolog","vague","don'?t apologi"]}],"hint":"A vendor wants a date, not reassurance. Tell the AI to lead with it, explain the terms from the right start date and skip the apology.","rubricLabels":["The first sentence (after a greeting like 'Hi Tomas,') says invoice A-2231 will be paid by ACH on Friday, Nov 14","Explains that the net 30 terms count from when AP received the invoice (Oct 15), not the Oct 1 invoice date","Includes ap@lindellmedical.example, uses no vague 'processing' wording, has no apology, and offers no early payment"]}