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Reply to a lost-item inquiry without revealing what we found

  • For Small business owners
  • You practice Setting limits and rules
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

Reply to Wes. First line exactly "Hi Wes," and last line exactly "Pia, Front Desk". Ask him for one identifying detail only he would know, give the pickup hours and what to bring, and do not describe the item or say if it is the one he lost. Plain text, under 60 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Confirming the jacket. The AI says 'we found your jacket'. Try: Say: "Don't confirm or describe any item."
  • Asking for several details. The AI asks for a full description. Try: Say: "Ask for one identifying detail only."
  • Missing the pickup info. The AI forgets hours or photo ID. Try: Say: "Give the pickup hours and say to bring photo ID."
  • 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

  • Quotes the first and last lines
  • Asks for one detail
  • Rules out confirming
  • Asks for plain text
  • Sets a length limit

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