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Post a status-page update during a payments outage

  • For Customer support teams
  • You practice Setting limits and rules
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

Card payments are failing for some customers, and you post the public status-page update. Start with the word "Identified:", say exactly who is affected and what still works, give no time estimate for the fix, and promise the next update by 14:30 UTC. Leave out internal names and technical causes. Under 60 words, plain text.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Using a default status label. The AI opens with its own heading, like "Investigating" or a bold title. Try: Give the first word: "Start with Identified:"
  • Vague scope. The AI says "some customers may have issues", so everyone thinks they're affected. Try: Say: "Name who is affected and what still works."
  • Repeating the engineer's guess. The AI passes on the "20 minutes" estimate, which becomes a public promise. Try: Add: "No fix estimate. Next update by 14:30 UTC. No internal names or causes."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting and usually runs long, so a vague "keep it short" lands well over 60 words. Try: Cap each part instead of the total: "each line under 15 words".
  • 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".

What a strong prompt includes

  • Gives the opening label
  • Names the scope
  • Bans a fix estimate
  • Sets a word limit
  • Asks for plain text

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