Know the products, handle the hard customer, ask for what you need
- Retail
- 10 minutes
- 3 steps
- Free
Retail runs on talking: answering questions, calming a bad return, asking a manager for something. AI helps you prepare the words. It does not know your store's products, prices or policies, so those come from you.
You leave with
A product cheat sheet built from real labels, practice with a difficult customer, and a clear message to your manager.
Before you start: never put these into an AI tool
- Customer names, card details or order numbers.
- Passwords, account numbers, or anything that unlocks something.
- Anything your employer says stays inside the company.
How to use the prompts
- Fill in the blanks under a prompt, then tap Copy prompt.
- Open Claude (opens in a new tab), or the AI tool your employer approves, and paste it into the message box.
- Send it, read the answer, and check it before you use it. Then come back here for the next step.
Step 1 of 3Quick win
Build a product cheat sheet from real facts
Copy the facts from labels, tags or your store's training first. Then let AI organize them.
Prompt to copy
I work in [department]. Below are facts from product labels and my store's training. Using only these facts, explain the differences between [products] the way a customer would want to hear them. Short and plain. If a customer might ask something these facts do not answer, list it as unknown. [the facts]
Fill in the blanks above, or replace each [bracket] yourself after pasting.
Worked example: spot the problem
Everything here is made up, for practice.
Their facts
Coffee maker A: 12 cups, 2-year warranty. Coffee maker B: 14 cups, programmable timer, 1-year warranty.
What the AI wrote
B is bigger, has a timer, and is our best seller. A has a longer warranty and uses less power.
What did the AI add? Show the answerHide the answer
The problem: "Best seller" and "uses less power" are not in the facts. Saying them to a customer would be making things up.
Fixed, using only the notes
B makes 14 cups and has a programmable timer. A makes 12 cups and has a longer warranty: 2 years instead of 1.
Step 2 of 3
Practice the difficult return
Rehearse the customer who is angry and partly right, so the real one goes better. Give it your store's real policy.
Prompt to copy
Act as a frustrated customer returning [item] without a receipt. Our policy is: [your store's real policy]. Push back like a real person. After a few exchanges, tell me what I did well and what made it worse.
Fill in the blanks above, or replace each [bracket] yourself after pasting.
Step 3 of 3
Ask your manager clearly
Shift swaps, time off, more hours, a talk about moving up. You do not owe a favor in return for a normal request. For a swap, say who agreed to cover.
Prompt to copy
Help me write a short message to my manager. What I am asking for: [shift swap / time off / more hours / a talk about moving up]. Dates or details: [details]. Reason, if I want to share it: [reason]. Respectful, under 80 words. Do not add promises or offers I did not make.
Fill in the blanks above, or replace each [bracket] yourself after pasting.
Check before you use it
- Every product claim comes from a label, tag or your store's training.
- Prices and policies match your store's.
- Your message says what you want, plainly, and promises nothing extra.
On your resume, only if you actually did this at work
Built a product guide for [department] that [result you saw, for example new hires used it in training].
Practice runs are preparation, not experience.
Record what you did, freeSource of You is not affiliated with Anthropic. Claude is a trademark of Anthropic. Print this page for a one-sheet version.