A few readers have told me the same two things in different words: they want help planning a road trip without drowning in tabs, and they want to write a complaint letter that gets treated like more than background noise. Both jobs sound simple until you are the one doing them on a Tuesday night, tired, annoyed, and not sure whether AI will be useful or just vaguely cheerful. The trick is not “using AI.” The trick is giving it a job it can actually do well: structure, options, wording, and pressure-testing your thinking.

Try at least one before Sunday. That is the whole assignment.

Use Case 1 of 2

Use Case 1: planning a road trip using AI

Martha and Ron in Des Moines have been talking for six months about driving through the Midwest in late June. On Friday at 4:30 p.m., after a long week, Martha finally opens a travel app and gets overwhelmed by the same problem every trip creates: too many places, too many opinions, and no clear way to tell what is worth the detour. They do not want a “best road trip ever” list written for strangers. They want a trip that fits their actual lives: one spouse hates driving more than three hours at a stretch, the other wants decent small-town diners, and both want to avoid the usual overhyped stops that show up in every search result. This is exactly where AI can help, because good travel planning is less about inspiration and more about constraints, tradeoffs, and sequencing.

Here is the exact prompt to use:

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:

I want you to help me plan a road trip like a practical travel planner, not a tourist brochure writer. First, ask me 10 specific questions that would change the route, stops, timing, or overnight stays in a meaningful way. Do not ask generic questions like “What do you like?” Ask about driving tolerance, budget, hotel style, food preferences, how much backtracking is acceptable, whether I care more about scenery or towns, and any places I am tired of hearing about. After I answer, build me a road trip plan that includes: a realistic route, overnight stops, suggested drive times, 2 to 4 worthwhile stops per day, and one backup option for bad weather or fatigue. If you think a popular stop is a bad fit, say so plainly and explain why. If any advice depends on season, road conditions, reservations, park rules, or local changes, flag it clearly. Also tell me what parts of the plan are the most fragile and what I should verify before booking.

Why this prompt works: It forces the AI to interview you before it improvises, which usually leads to better trip plans than asking for a finished itinerary right away. It also makes the model work with constraints instead of just dumping attractions on you, and that matters because road trips fail when the drive day, the hotel choice, and the sightseeing all fight each other. Asking for backup options and fragile points is especially useful because travel advice can go stale fast.

Use Case 2 of 2

Use Case 2: writing a complaint letter that actually gets results

Dennis, 68, spent part of his Tuesday morning on hold with a cable company after being overbilled for equipment he returned three weeks earlier. He is not trying to win a poetry contest. He wants the charge removed, the account corrected, and a written reply he can keep if the problem escalates. This is where AI can be genuinely useful, because most people struggle with complaint letters in one of two ways: they sound too angry and lose credibility, or they sound too soft and nothing happens. A good complaint letter is calm, specific, brief, and hard to ignore.

Here is the exact prompt to use:

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:

I need help writing a complaint letter that is firm, clear, and likely to get a result. First, ask me for the facts you need: what happened, when it happened, who I spoke with, what I paid, what went wrong, what outcome I want, and whether I have receipts, photos, emails, or account numbers. Then draft a complaint letter in plain English that does four things: states the problem clearly, explains the impact on me, names the exact fix I want, and sets a reasonable deadline for response. Keep the tone professional, not emotional, and do not add threats unless I ask. After the first draft, give me a second version that is shorter and more forceful. Also tell me which details matter most if I want this letter to be taken seriously, and which details I should leave out because they weaken the message.

Why this prompt works: It tells the AI the outcome you want, not just the topic, which is the difference between a vague complaint and a useful one. It also pushes the model to gather evidence first, then write, which is how strong complaints are usually built in real life: facts, timeline, requested remedy, and a deadline. Asking for a shorter version is smart because many effective complaints are not long; they are tight enough that the reader cannot miss the point.

Know someone who spends too long on things AI could do in two minutes? Forward this to three people who subscribe and I will send you my free AI Prompt Starter Pack: 20 ready-to-use prompts for everyday life.

By Dr. Rowan Hayes