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Turn printer troubleshooting notes into a four-line if-then card

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

About this exercise

Write a prompt for a desk card with exactly four lines, each in the form "If [symptom], then [action]." Cover blank labels, ribbon out, labels skipping, and the solid red light. Use only fixes in the notes and leave out anything about Wi-Fi or cleaning. Plain text, under 80 words.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Adding outside advice. The AI includes Wi-Fi tips or compressed air. Try: Say: "Use only the fixes in the notes; leave out Wi-Fi and cleaning."
  • Dropping details. The AI says 'use the right ribbon' without the blue core. Try: Say: "Include the ribbon color and cabinet, and the 2-second hold."
  • Not if-then lines. The AI writes bullets or a table. Try: Say: "Exactly four lines, each 'If ..., then ...'".
  • Getting markdown back. AI adds bold, headings and bullets 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 over the limit. Try: Cap each part instead of the total, for example "each line under 15 words".

What a strong prompt includes

  • Shows the if-then format
  • Names the four problems
  • Keeps the details
  • Says what to leave out
  • Asks for plain text

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