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Compare point-of-sale quotes on first-year cost

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

About this exercise

You're choosing a point-of-sale system for your gift shop and have 3 quotes. You want exactly 3 numbered lines, one per vendor, each showing the math to a first-year cost (monthly fee x 12 plus hardware, like "$60 x 12 + $500 = $1,220"), then a final line "Lowest:". Use each vendor's latest written quote and only those numbers, plain text, nothing else.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Comparing monthly fees only. The AI ranks by the monthly price and ignores one-time hardware costs. Try: Say: "First-year cost: monthly x 12 plus hardware, show the math."
  • Using the old or verbal price. The first Counterline price and ShopNest's phone promise are both in your notes. Try: Add: "Use the latest written quote only."
  • Getting a feature review. The AI compares features and support, which you didn't ask about. 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 text to your business partner. Try: Ask for "plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Defines the cost
  • Asks to show the math
  • Uses written quotes
  • Says exactly how many
  • Asks for plain text

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