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Nudge a customer about an overdue invoice without any threat

  • For Customer success managers
  • You practice Getting the tone right
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Intermediate

About this exercise

Write the email from Mei to Birgit. Subject line first (under 8 words), then "Hi Birgit,". State the invoice number, amount, due date and days overdue as plain facts, then make one ask: tell us if something is wrong with the invoice, or the date it was paid. Name Marc in billing as the person who can help. End with "Mei". Never mention suspension, late fees, collections or legal. Plain text, under 85 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Hinting at consequences. The AI mentions late fees or the 30-day notice to add weight. Try: Say: "Never mention suspension, late fees, collections or legal."
  • Skipping the facts. The AI writes "a payment seems outstanding". Try: Say: "State the invoice number, amount, due date and days overdue."
  • Several asks. The AI asks her to pay, call and confirm. Try: Say: "One ask: tell us if something is wrong, or the date it was paid."
  • Getting markdown back. AI adds bold and headings by default, which show up as stray symbols where this is pasted. Try: Say "plain text, no bold, no headings, no asterisks".
  • Trusting the AI to count words. The AI runs long and cannot count its own words. Try: Cap each part ("each line under 12 words") and add "under N words in total".
  • Leaving a requirement unstated. The AI follows its own defaults unless the prompt spells this out. Try: State it plainly in your prompt: the first line is a subject under 8 words, followed by 'Hi Birgit,', and the email ends with 'Mei'.

What a strong prompt includes

  • Greeting and sign-off
  • Lists the facts
  • Names the helper
  • Bans threats
  • Asks for plain text
  • Sets a word cap

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