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Compare employee assistance program quotes on annual cost

Practice: Catching mistakes and made-up facts. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

You're comparing 3 employee assistance program (EAP) quotes for 230 employees. You want exactly 3 numbered lines, one per vendor, each showing the math to an annual cost (like "$36 x 230 = $8,280"), then a final line "Lowest:". Use each vendor's latest written quote, include setup fees, use only the quoted numbers, plain text, nothing else.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Leaving out setup fees. The AI compares per-employee rates and skips one-time fees. Try: Say: "Include setup fees in the first-year total."
  • Using the old or verbal price. Harbor's first quote and MindBridge's promised discount are both in your notes. Try: Add: "Use the latest written quote only."
  • Getting a recommendation. The AI factors in your broker's opinion instead of just the numbers. Try: Say: "Output only the 3 lines and Lowest."
  • Not saying how many. The AI decides the length itself and usually returns more lines, one per vendor than you can use. Try: Be exact: "exactly 3 numbered lines, one per vendor."
  • Getting markdown back. AI defaults to bold labels and headings, which show up as stray symbols in a note to your CFO. Try: Ask for "plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Asks for annual cost
  • Includes setup fees
  • Uses written quotes
  • Says exactly how many
  • Asks for plain text

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