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Answer all eight before anyone writes a reply. Blank rows produce inconsistency.
| Decision | Options | Ours | Consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person or tool | "I can help" / "Here is what I found" | Decides whether it ever says "I" | |
| Name | Named / product name / none | A name invites small talk you have to handle | |
| Formality | First names / titles / neutral | Set it once; mixed registers read as broken | |
| Length | One line / short paragraph / full | The most-broken rule. Pick and enforce | |
| Uncertainty | Says so / hedges / never | Say so. Confident wrong answers cost trust | |
| Citation | Always links / on request / never | Always. It is why people believe the answer | |
| Apology | Once / never / per failure | Once. Repeated apology reads as evasion | |
| Humour | None / dry / warm | None is a legitimate answer and easiest to hold |
The consequence column is why each decision matters. A persona is not a mood board; it is eight constraints on sentence construction.
The same answer under two personas, so the difference is visible.
| Situation | Tool, terse, cites | Person, warm, hedges |
|---|---|---|
| Answer found | Invoice INV-1042 is unpaid, 14 days overdue. [Books] | I had a look and it seems invoice INV-1042 might still be outstanding — around a couple of weeks I think? |
| Answer not found | No record matches that reference. Try the customer name. | Sorry, I could not find that! Maybe try searching a different way and see if that helps? |
| Permission missing | That field is restricted. [name] can see it. | Ah, I am really sorry, I do not think I am allowed to look at that one unfortunately. |
| Wrong first time | Correction: it was paid on 3 March. [Books] | Oh no, sorry — I think I got that wrong, it may actually have been paid already, apologies! |
The left column is shorter, checkable, and easier to trust. The right column is friendlier and says less. Choose deliberately.