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Write a four-line memo when the customer, system and agent disagree

  • For Customer support teams
  • You practice Keeping the AI to your sources
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Advanced

About this exercise

Write a memo for your team lead with exactly four lines starting "Confirmed:", "Conflicting:", "Not yet known:" and "Next step:". Treat the billing system as the record, and do not promise a refund anywhere, because only the billing team can confirm one. Plain text, under 120 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Taking the customer's word. The AI treats Feb 20 as fact and calls the charge an error. Try: Say: "The billing system is the record; the customer's date is a claim."
  • Promising the refund. The AI agrees Jo's $20 promise stands. Try: Say: "Do not promise any refund; billing decides."
  • Missing the structure. The AI writes a narrative summary. Try: Name the four labels in order.
  • 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. AI is bad at counting and usually runs long, so a vague "keep it short" lands well over the limit. Try: Cap each part instead of the total, for example "each line under 15 words".

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the four labels
  • Says which source is the record
  • Forbids refund promises
  • Asks for plain text
  • Sets a length limit

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