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Text an auto-repair customer a changed estimate for approval

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

About this exercise

Write an SMS from Delmar Auto to Mrs. Soto. Start with exactly "Delmar Auto:". Show the new total as a sum like "$420 + $165 = $585", say we need her approval before continuing, and end with exactly "Reply YES to approve or NO to keep the original work only". Plain text, under 65 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Skipping the sum. The AI states only $585. Try: Say: "Show the math: $420 + $165 = $585."
  • No deadline. The AI forgets that approval by 2 PM matters. Try: Add: "Approve by 2 PM today for pickup tomorrow at 4 PM."
  • Wrong start or end. The AI writes its own greeting and closing. Try: Give the exact first and last text.
  • 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
  • Shows the sum
  • Sets start and end

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