Sign inBecome a member
Start hereFreeGuide 4 of 7

Ask AI well: write a clear request in four parts

By the end of this guide, you can write a request (a “prompt”) that gets a usable answer on the first or second try, in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot or any other AI, in English, German, French or Italian. Time needed: 10 minutes to read, then 2 minutes per request.

Weak answers usually come from short requests. “Write an email to a customer” gives the AI nothing to work with, so it guesses.

The four parts: context, task, format, check

Part Question it answers Example
1. Context Who are you, who is it for, what does the AI need to know? “I run a 12-person garage in Thun. The customer is a regular.”
2. Task What exactly should the AI do? Start with a verb. “Write a reply that confirms the service date.”
3. Format What should the result look like? “Under 100 words. Swiss German spelling. Sign off ‘Freundliche Grüsse’.”
4. Check What should the AI do when facts are missing? “Don’t invent prices or dates. Write [CHECK] where a fact is missing.”

Steps

  1. Open a new chat for each new job, so old details don’t get mixed in. Use your company account, not a private free one (What you can safely share with AI).
  2. Write the four parts. One task per request. In the format, say the language, form of address (“Sie”, “vous”, “Lei”), currency and date format.
  3. Add your source, such as the customer email, your notes or a price list. Leave out personal data you don’t need. For a long document, attach the file (see below).
  4. Read and correct. Tell the AI what to change: “Shorter. More formal.” Two or three rounds is normal. Then run the check in Check AI answers before you use them.

Attaching a file: click the + or Add files button next to the message box. ChatGPT Free allows 3 uploads a day (OpenAI Help). From your company storage:

  • Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat: click +, then Attach cloud files for OneDrive and files shared with you (Microsoft Support).
  • Gemini: click Add files, then Add from Drive (Gemini Help).
  • ChatGPT or Claude: both can open Google Drive, and OneDrive or SharePoint on some plans. See Choose your AI assistant.

Worked example: from a weak request to a usable reply

For example, a regular customer asks a 12-person garage in Thun to move her car service from Tuesday to Thursday.

Weak request: “Answer this customer.” The AI may invent a free slot or a price, and you can’t tell which facts are real.

Four-part request:

Context: I run a 12-person garage in Thun. The customer is a regular. Thursday 15.10.2026 at 08:00 is free. The service price stays at CHF 290.00 incl. VAT. Task: Write a reply that moves the service to Thursday and confirms the price. Format: Swiss Standard German, “Sie” form, under 80 words, sign off “Freundliche Grüsse, Marco Muster”. Check: Use only my facts. Write [CHECK] for anything else the customer asks.

[paste the email]

Follow-up in the same chat: “Shorter. Add that she can leave the key in the key box from 07:00.”

Four copy-paste examples for Swiss businesses

Replace everything in square brackets. All examples are hypothetical.

1. Summarise a supplier offer

Context: I’m comparing offers for [new office printers] for a [15-person Treuhand office]. Task: Summarise the offer below. Format: A table with: price in CHF, VAT included or excluded, contract length, notice period, service included, anything unusual. Then three questions I should ask the supplier. Check: Quote the offer’s own words for prices and terms. If something isn’t in the offer, write “not stated”.

[paste offer]

2. Write a job ad

Context: We are [a 25-person electrical installer in Lucerne]. We need [an electrician EFZ, 100%, start 01.01.2027]. Task: Write a job ad. Format: Swiss German spelling (“ss”, never “ß”). Under 250 words. Sections: about us, the job, what you bring, what we offer, how to apply. Check: Use only the facts I give. Don’t invent salary, benefits or team size. Use neutral wording that suits all genders and ages.

Facts: [paste notes]

3. Turn meeting notes into actions

Context: These are my rough notes from our team meeting on [08.10.2026]. Task: List the decisions and the actions. Format: Two lists. Each action as: who, what, by when (DD.MM.YYYY). Check: If an action has no owner or date in the notes, write [CHECK]. Don’t add actions that aren’t in the notes.

[paste notes]

4. Explain a Swiss rule in plain words

Context: I run [a 10-person shop in Bern]. I’m not a lawyer. Task: Explain in plain words [what changes for my invoices if I go over CHF 100,000 turnover a year and must register for VAT]. Format: Five short bullet points. Then a list of official sources (admin.ch or estv.admin.ch) I should read. Check: If you’re not sure about a rule, say so. Don’t give amounts or deadlines without naming the source.

Always check legal and tax answers against the official source.

Ask inside your email program

If your AI sits inside your email, use the same four parts there.

  • Outlook (Microsoft 365, work account): start a new email or a reply. Click the Copilot icon, then Draft with Copilot. Type your request and click Generate. Use Make it shorter or Change tone if needed, then Keep (Microsoft Support). If you don’t see the icon, ask whoever manages your Microsoft 365 licences.

    What you’ll see: Retry writes a different version.

  • Gmail (Google Workspace): start a new email or a reply. Type your request in the prompt bar at the bottom and click Create. Refine with Formalize or Shorten (Gmail Help).

    What you’ll see: Undo and Redo to move between drafts.

Ask in German, French or Italian

  1. Write your request in the language you want back, or add “Answer in French” to the format line.

  2. Ask for Swiss usage. Add one line:

    • German: “Use Swiss Standard German: ‘ss’ instead of ‘ß’, Swiss terms like ‘Offerte’ and ‘Rechnung’, ‘Sie’ form.”
    • French: “Use Swiss French: ‘septante’ and ‘nonante’, ‘vous’ form.”
    • Italian: “Use Swiss Italian as used in Ticino, ‘Lei’ form.”

  3. Swiss German dialect: AI tools write Standard German well, but vendors don’t promise dialect. Write your request in Standard German.

  4. Menu language (optional): ChatGPT: profile icon, Settings, General, Language (OpenAI Help). Claude: profile icon, Language (Claude Help). This changes the menus, not the answers.

    What you’ll see: ChatGPT shows Auto-detect until you change it. Claude switches its menus as soon as you choose.

Save your context once

If you type the same context every day, save it once. Let the AI write it: paste your website link and ask, “Read our website and write a short description of our business I can save as standing instructions: who we are, what we sell, our tone. Add: use CHF, dates as DD.MM.YYYY, Swiss spelling, never invent facts, mark gaps with [CHECK].” Check it, then paste it here:

  • ChatGPT: Settings, Personalization, Custom Instructions (OpenAI Help).

  • Claude: Settings, Instructions for Claude (Claude Help).

  • Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat: … Settings and more, Chat settings, Personalization, then Custom instructions (Microsoft Support).

  • Gemini: Settings & help, Personal context, then Add (Gemini Help).

For one job you repeat, use a BizzyAI skill (Install a BizzyAI skill). When a result isn’t right, tell the AI what you didn’t like and ask it to update the skill (Customise a skill).

For Swiss businesses

  • Put the VAT status in every price request. Say whether prices include the 8.1% standard rate (ESTV). AI tools often get this wrong when you don’t say it.
  • Name Swiss sources. For rules, ask the AI to cite admin.ch, estv.admin.ch or kmu.admin.ch. Then open the link and check it yourself.
  • One language at a time. Get the German version right, then ask: “Now the same in Swiss French.”

Sources

Next: What you can safely share with AI under the Swiss Data Protection Act

One practical issue every Friday

Every Friday: three AI stories that matter for Swiss businesses, and what to do about them. Free, in English, German, French or Italian.