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Summarize returns by reason in a sorted table

  • For Operations and supply chain
  • You practice Asking for a format you can use
  • Time about 5 minutes
  • Level Beginner

About this exercise

Your ops lead wants the returns reasons summarized. Make one markdown table with columns Reason, Count and % of total, sorted from the most to the least common, with a Total row at the end. Merge reasons that mean the same thing, round percents to one decimal, plain text apart from the table, under 80 words, and put nothing before or after the table.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Leaving reasons split. The AI lists Damaged and Damaged in transit separately. Try: Add: "Merge them into Damaged (14 + 4 = 18)."
  • No sort order. The AI keeps the log order. Try: Add: "Sort from highest to lowest count."
  • Missing the Total row or extra text. The AI adds insights and skips the total. Try: Add: "Last row: Total | 115 | 100.0%. Output only the table."
  • Leaving the format to chance. The AI picks its own length and layout unless told the exact shape. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold or headings."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each part instead, for example "each line under 15 words."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the columns
  • Says to merge
  • Asks for a sort
  • Gives the percent rule
  • Asks for a total row

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