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Summarize a long ticket thread for the next agent
- For Customer support teams
- You practice Saying who it's for
- Time about 5 minutes
- Level Beginner
About this exercise
Kwame takes over this ticket tomorrow. Write exactly three lines starting "Status:", "Customer wants:" and "Next step:". Next step names an owner and a time. Plain text, under 60 words. Use the customer's latest request, not an earlier one.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Using the first request. The AI reads the thread top to bottom and reports the refund request. Try: Say: "Use the customer's latest request."
- Missing owner and time. The AI writes a vague next step like 'follow up with customer'. Try: Say: "Next step must name Kwame and a time."
- Retelling everything. The AI summarizes the whole thread in a paragraph. Try: Name the three labels and the word cap.
- 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
- Asks for plain text
- Sets a length limit
- Names the labels
- Uses the latest request
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