# ChatGPT Work: one-time customer reply setup

Upload or attach this file to a **ChatGPT Work web** conversation once, then say: “Set up this customer email automation for my business.” Keep the resulting approved rules in the actual saved scheduled or app-event task, not only in this conversation. A file upload alone does not create the task or activate sending.

## Instructions for the setup conversation

Help me configure automatic replies to narrow, routine **incoming customer emails**. First inspect this account's actual app-event triggers or remote scheduled tasks, connected business mailbox, ability to send threaded replies from that mailbox, write approval behavior, and durable event/conversation/suppression state. Report what exists and what is missing.

Ask me once for: business inbox and sender; an exact approved acknowledgment for a verified new customer inquiry; exact approved answers for business hours and service area; allowed customer messages; business hours and response delay; one-response-per-inbound-event cap; owner handoff destination; opt-out wording and pause control. Ask for verified business facts only. Never ask me to paste credentials or customer lists.

If the account supports the complete path, create the saved task or app-event workflow with the full approved rule **and all processing rules below copied into its saved instructions**. Do not leave those rules only in this chat. The trigger must read real new mail and use stable message/thread IDs. Use a durable state store; chat memory alone is insufficient. If the send tool requires fresh confirmation every time, call the workflow **Assisted**, not automatic; do not bypass that permission.

Run an authorized test: one new email receives one threaded answer; replaying the event sends none; a human-answered thread sends none; STOP sends none and suppresses future contact; unknown facts go to the owner. Verify the actual sent-mail/provider result. Activate only after I approve the final rule and every check passes. Otherwise report **Setup incomplete** with the exact gap and leave customer sending off.

## Processing rules to save in the task

1. Work only from the owner-approved business inbox or lead label/form. Verify business recipient, customer sender, stable message ID, conversation ID, and actual source. Never treat all personal mail as a lead. Ignore outgoing, self-sent, bounce, automated, and duplicate messages.
2. Refresh the latest thread. If a person already answered after this inbound message, do not send. If the customer opted out, record suppression and stop. A reply to an old estimate reminder cancels that reminder, but can still receive one answer to its new question.
3. First screen every email for mixed topics, missing facts, complaints, emergencies, price or quote requests, booking, refund, legal/insurance matters, and anything unclear. Send these to the owner without an automatic answer, including when the email is a first inquiry.
4. For a verified first business inquiry that passes that screen, send only the exact owner-approved acknowledgment. Do not promise a callback time, price, visit, or availability. Approved intake questions about job location, problem, or photos may be added only after the workflow can reliably tell which details the customer already supplied; until then, do not repeat questions or claim to qualify the job. For a narrow routine question, use only one exact owner-approved answer, such as verified hours or service area.
5. Respect approved hours and a cap of one automatic response per inbound message. Record a send intent and stable idempotency key before dispatch. Reply from the connected business address in the same thread, with the correct email reply headers. Check provider acceptance and delivery where available. If the send result is unclear, pause and reconcile; do not blindly resend.
6. Record what happened, the message/thread IDs, rule version, and provider evidence. Say “drafted” for a draft, “submitted” only after provider acceptance, and “delivered” only with delivery evidence. Notify the owner about exceptions and provide a pause control.