Planning a road trip and writing a complaint letter may not sound related, but both are jobs where a little preparation prevents a great deal of frustration. AI can help you think through the details, spot gaps, and produce a useful first draft - but only if you give it enough information and remain the person checking the facts.

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

At 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, Linda Morales, 58, was sitting at her kitchen table with a map, a hotel confirmation, and three browser tabs open. She and her sister were planning to drive from Minneapolis to Santa Fe in five days, but Linda could not tell whether the proposed route was realistic. One website suggested driving eight hours a day. Another included a scenic detour through Colorado that added nearly four hours. Her sister wanted interesting towns and good local restaurants; Linda cared just as much about avoiding exhausting drives and arriving before dark. She did not need a travel agent. She needed someone - or something - to turn scattered preferences into a sensible plan. That is exactly where AI can help: not by making the reservations for you, but by organizing the decisions you have to make.

Here is the exact prompt to use:

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:

I am planning a five-day road trip from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, from October 18 through October 22, 2026.

Travelers: two adults, ages 58 and 61. We prefer a relaxed pace and do not want to drive more than 6.5 hours per day, excluding meal and sightseeing stops. We would like to arrive at our destination by 5:00 p.m. each day. We enjoy scenic landscapes, historic downtowns, independent restaurants, and interesting museums. We do not want strenuous hikes, nightlife, or crowded tourist attractions.

Please create two possible itineraries:

1. The most direct practical route. 2. A more scenic route that adds no more than two total hours of driving.

For each day, provide:

- Starting point and destination - Estimated driving time and approximate mileage - Two reasonable stops along the way - One lunch suggestion and one dinner suggestion - A brief description of why the overnight town is worth considering - Three questions I should verify before booking anything

Please identify any day that may be too ambitious. Use approximate language where conditions can vary, and clearly separate facts you know from suggestions or estimates. Do not invent hotel availability, restaurant opening hours, road closures, attraction schedules, or reservation prices. End with a short checklist of information I should verify using official transportation, attraction, hotel, and restaurant websites.

Why this prompt works: It gives AI the information that normally gets lost: dates, travelers, driving limits, arrival times, interests, and dislikes. It also asks for two versions rather than pretending there is one perfect route. Most importantly, it tells the system what *not* to invent. Asking for estimates, verification questions, and a final checking list turns the answer from a cheerful pile of suggestions into a planning document you can evaluate.

Use Case 2 of 2

Use Case 2: Writing a Complaint Letter That Actually Gets Results

At 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday, October 7, Robert Chen, 67, opened the fourth email from his internet provider telling him that his monthly bill had increased. The company had promised him a twelve-month promotional rate when he signed up in March. Since then, the bill had risen twice, and a customer-service representative had told him on the phone that “nothing could be done.” Robert had the original agreement, his bills, and the date and time of the phone call, but he was angry enough to write three pages accusing the company of cheating him. That letter might have made him feel better, but it was unlikely to help the person reviewing his account. A strong complaint is shorter and more useful: what happened, when it happened, what evidence exists, what remedy you want, and when you expect an answer.

Here is the exact prompt to use:

Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Claude:

Write a firm, professional complaint letter to my internet provider. Do not exaggerate, threaten, insult anyone, or make legal claims unless I have provided the exact source for them.

My information: - Name: Robert Chen - Address: 1847 Willow Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215 - Account number: 78439216 - Company: BuckeyeNet Communications - Relevant service: Home internet, 500 Mbps plan - Date I signed up: March 12, 2026 - Promotional price promised: $49.99 per month for 12 months, before taxes and government fees - Actual charges: $49.99 in March and April; $64.99 in May, June, and July; $74.99 in August and September - Date I first contacted customer service: September 28, 2026 - Customer-service representative: A representative named Dana - What I was told: The representative said the promotional rate had ended, but my original agreement states that it lasts for 12 months. - Documents available: Original service agreement, bills from March through September, and notes from the September 28 phone call - Desired resolution: Correct the billing to the promised promotional rate through March 2027 and refund or credit the overcharges from May through September 2026 - Response deadline: October 23, 2026

Write the letter in plain English and keep it under 400 words. Include a clear subject line, account number, a brief chronological explanation, the exact remedy I am requesting, a list of the documents I am enclosing as copies, and a polite statement that I will consider escalating the matter if I do not receive a response by the deadline. Do not say that I am enclosing original documents. After the letter, provide a five-item checklist of facts I should verify before sending it.

Why this prompt works: The prompt supplies dates, amounts, account information, the promised remedy, and the evidence available. Those specifics give the letter credibility and prevent AI from filling the gaps with dramatic language. It also sets useful boundaries: plain English, a word limit, no unsupported legal threats, copies rather than originals, and a response deadline. Consumer-protection guidance similarly emphasizes clarity, relevant documents, the remedy requested, a reasonable response date, and keeping a copy of the complaint.