Proof · written examples

Three jobs, two ways.

A bad review, a quote from a photo, and a job listing. Each one answered by a lazy prompt and by a Second Draft prompt. The difference is not the model. It is what the prompt asks for, what it refuses to invent, and what it tells you to check before anything leaves your hands.

Written examples, not customer results First prompt free in full Two prompts summarised

The generic columns are the shape a vague prompt usually produces: an apology or a price with no facts behind it, a promise nobody approved, and no next step. The Second Draft columns use the real prompts from the library. The first is one of the free prompts, so it is shown in full. The plumbing and salon prompts are part of the paid library, so they are summarised here; their outputs and checks are still written out.

The bad review · The quote · The job listing

Restaurants · The bad review

A cold burger, a rolled eye, and a public reply.

One review, one set of known facts, two prompts. The generic output is written to show the usual flat shape, not copied from a model. The Second Draft output is written to show the checks, not a customer result.

The input
2 stars: “The burger arrived cold. When we asked for a new one, the server rolled her eyes. We won't be back.” — Google, Friday.

Facts I actually have: the burger went back and was remade. No refund was approved. We now check plates at the pass before they leave the kitchen. The manager has spoken to the team about how a request is handled.
Generic AI

The prompt

Write a reply to this review:

“The burger arrived cold. When we asked for a new one, the server rolled her eyes. We won't be back.”

What usually comes back

We're so sorry to hear this! We strive for five-star service and clearly missed the mark. Please accept our sincere apologies. We'd love to make it right — please contact us and we'll offer you a free meal on your next visit. We hope to see you again soon!

Why it fails: it never mentions the cold burger, promises a free meal nobody approved, gives no real action, and has no route to the owner. It is an apology-shaped paragraph, not a reply.

Second Draft

The prompt (free, in full)

Write a public reply to this review: "[REVIEW]". Acknowledge the specific experience, apologise once for it, say what you've changed or will look at ([REAL ACTION]), and invite them to email [CONTACT]. Under 90 words. Don't dispute their account, don't blame a staff member, don't mention staffing levels, and don't offer a free meal unless I confirm. If the review describes something that could be a safety or hygiene issue, flag it to me first instead of replying. Ask me for the action.
Finish by naming what you assumed, so I can correct anything wrong.

What comes back

Thank you for telling us. I am sorry the burger reached you cold and that asking for a new one felt like a problem. We now check plates at the pass before they leave the kitchen, and the manager has spoken to the team about how a request is handled. If you would like to talk it through, email hello@seconddraft.dev and ask for the owner. — The owner

What to check before posting

  • The cold burger and the eye-roll are in the review. The remake, the pass check and the manager conversation are in the facts.
  • No server is named or blamed. “The team” is not a person.
  • No free meal, refund or discount is promised.
  • No admission of liability and no claim about food safety. If the review had mentioned illness, the prompt would stop and ask the owner first.
  • The action is real and supplied. The contact route and the owner sign-off are explicit.
  • It is under 90 words and apologises once, as the prompt asks.

Plumbers · The quote

A photo, a phone call, and a price the customer wants today.

The customer has sent one photo and wants a fixed number. The generic prompt produces one. The Second Draft prompt refuses to, and says what it needs instead.

The input
Text: “My kitchen tap is dripping. Can you give me a price?”

Photo: a corroded valve under the sink, 1/2-inch pipe, tight access, no water damage visible.

Facts I actually have: a fixed price needs a visit. The service call is $95 and is credited against the repair. Parts are usually $40–$70. I can offer Thursday morning or Friday afternoon. I cannot see the pipe behind the valve from the photo.
Generic AI

The prompt

Write a quote for a leaking kitchen tap. The customer wants a price today.

What usually comes back

Leaking kitchen tap repair: $150–$250. We can do it tomorrow. Call now to book.

Why it fails: it invents a price and availability from one photo, leaves out the visit, the parts range and the exclusions, and gives the customer a number the owner has not agreed to. The first person who reads it will hold the business to it.

Second Draft

The prompt (summary; full text in the library)

What the prompt asks for:
— say plainly that a fixed price needs a visit
— offer the visit fee, credited against the repair
— give a range only where the owner has confirmed one
— name the two things that move this price most
— stay under 120 words and invent no numbers
— ask for the fee and the range before sending

What comes back

Thanks for the photo. The valve looks corroded, but I can't confirm the pipe behind it from a picture. A fixed price needs a visit. The service call is $95 and is credited against the repair. Parts are usually $40–$70, and I'll confirm the total before any work starts. What moves it most is access and the condition of the pipe behind the valve. I can be with you Thursday morning or Friday afternoon. Which is easier?

What to check before sending

  • The $95, the $40–$70 parts range and the two slots are all in the facts. No other number appears.
  • No fixed price is given. It says the total will be confirmed before work starts.
  • Access and the pipe behind the valve are the two price drivers the prompt asked for.
  • It does not claim the photo is a diagnosis, and it does not promise a same-day visit.
  • No discount, no free callout and no invented parts are offered.
  • It is under 120 words, as the prompt asks.

See the plumbing prompt set → · The quote kit →

Hair salons · Hiring

A job ad that says what the job is.

The last advert brought forty applications and nobody who could cut. The generic prompt writes another advert full of mood words. The Second Draft prompt starts with the terms.

The input
Stylist. Four days including Saturday. $24 an hour plus tips. Chair rent is not charged. Two years' cutting experience. Must be comfortable with color. Start before December 1. Team of five, no receptionist.

No application email or link has been supplied yet.
Generic AI

The prompt

Write a job ad for a stylist at our salon. We need someone reliable and passionate about hair.

What usually comes back

Join our fun, fast-paced salon! We're looking for a passionate stylist to join our amazing team. Competitive pay, great tips, and a supportive atmosphere. Must be reliable, creative, and have a great attitude. Apply today!

Why it fails: it leaves out the days, the pay, the experience, the start date and the fact that there is no receptionist. “Competitive pay” is not a number. “Passionate” and “amazing” filter for mood instead of the ability to do the job, and there is no way to apply.

Second Draft

The prompt (summary; full text in the library)

What the prompt asks for:
— the role, the days and hours, the pay, and the experience required
— what the job is actually like: team size, no receptionist, Saturday cover
— a start date only if the owner has one
— a plain advert under 200 words, with no “passionate” and no “rockstar”
— no invented benefits, tips or contract type
— ask for the pay, hours and start date before writing

What comes back

We're looking for a stylist for four days a week, including Saturdays. $24 an hour plus tips, and we don't charge chair rent. You'll need two years' cutting experience and to be comfortable running a color service; we'll teach you the rest of our systems. You'd be the sixth person in a team with no receptionist, so you'll answer the phone between clients. Start before December 1. Apply at [APPLY ROUTE] with two recent cuts and the days you can work.

What to check before posting

  • The pay, the four days, the Saturday, the experience line and the start date are all in the facts.
  • “Sixth person” is arithmetic from a team of five plus this role. Confirm that is how the team will describe itself.
  • Answering the phone is inferred from “no receptionist”. Confirm it is part of the job and not an extra duty added by the advert.
  • [APPLY ROUTE] is a visible gap, not an invented email or link. Fill it before posting.
  • No “passionate”, no “rockstar”, no invented benefits and no unpaid trial shift.
  • The only requirements are the two years' cutting and comfort with color. Check the ad does not exclude people without meaning to.

See the salon prompt set → · The hiring kit →

All six outputs are written examples for this page. The generic ones are not transcripts of a model, and the Second Draft ones are not customer results. The point is the difference in what each prompt requires before a sentence is allowed to exist. The first prompt is free in full; the plumbing and salon prompts are summarised because they are part of the paid library.

The prompt asks for facts

Each Second Draft prompt asks for the specific experience, number or action before it writes. None of them accept “we're sorry for the inconvenience” or “competitive pay” as a complete answer.

The output leaves a trail

The facts in each reply can be checked against the input. The invented price, the free meal and the missing application route cannot.

A gap stays visible

Where the owner was not told something, the draft leaves a bracket or names the assumption. That is the point: the gap is easier to fix than a confident invention.

Use the same rules

Write the reply with the facts you have.

The free review-reply builder uses the same rules, leaves a visible bracket wherever it was not told something, and switches to an owner-first holding reply for safety or legal complaints. Then run the final wording through the checker.

Open the review-reply builder → Check the final reply → Read all the free prompts →