Every example in here is a real task from your own inbox, so you can start using this today, not "someday." Built 2026-07-17.
01Setup, about ten minutes
Go to claude.ai and create an account with alyssa@texashotelmgt.com. Ace will add you to the plan.
Install the Claude app on your iPhone (App Store: "Claude by Anthropic"). Same login. Half your work arrives as email on your phone, so this is the one that matters.
Optional: the Claude desktop app on your laptop for longer jobs like candidate screening or legal documents.
That's it. No settings to configure on day one.
02The three habits that make it work
1. Paste everything relevant. Claude only knows what you show it. Paste the whole email thread, the whole complaint, the whole invoice, not a one-line summary. You can also attach PDFs and photos: a scanned invoice, a resume, a letter.
2. Ask for a draft, not an answer. "Draft a reply to this" beats "what should I do." You stay the decision-maker; Claude does the typing.
3. Talk to it like a sharp new assistant. Too formal? Say "shorter and friendlier." Table missing a column? Say so. The second version is usually the keeper.
03Your top uses, with prompts to copy
Ordered by how often the task hits your inbox. Tap a button to copy the prompt, then paste it into Claude along with the email or document.
Almost daily
Guest complaint alerts (GSS / Medallia)
Here is a guest complaint alert from our Marriott guest-satisfaction system. Draft a short email to the GM that (1) summarizes the complaint in one line, (2) gives a specific corrective action with a deadline, and (3) asks them to confirm once done. Keep my usual direct tone.
[paste the alert]
Hiring
Candidate screening
Instead of hand-writing notes on every candidate:
I'm hiring a Sales Coordinator for a Holiday Inn Express in Houston. I'll paste several resumes and my call notes. Build me a comparison table: name, current role, relevant hotel or sales experience, salary expectation, red flags, and a one-line verdict. Then draft a short phone-screen question list.
[attach resumes or paste notes]
Also great for: drafting the polite rejection email once, then reusing it.
Vendors & AP
Invoices and price checks
Here's an invoice from our supplier. Are these unit prices reasonable? What questions should I ask the vendor before paying? Draft the pushback email if anything looks high.
[attach invoice]
Also: "Compare these three quotes for the life-safety inspection and tell me the real differences, not just the prices."
Claims & HR
Insurance, TWC, and workers' comp letters
Draft a response to this TWC notice. Facts: [employee name, dates, what happened]. Formal tone, keep it factual, don't admit anything we haven't verified.
[paste the notice]
Rule: anything legal or claims-related is a first draft. You review it, and anything on active litigation goes through the attorneys. Claude is for the typing, not the judgment.
Money in dispute
Chargebacks and AMEX disputes
I'm going to paste several chargeback notices. Build a tracker table: property, guest name, amount, card network, case number, response deadline, status. Then draft the evidence-request email to the GM for each one.
Tip: keep the tracker in one running Claude chat and paste new cases into the same conversation; it will update the table.
Vendor problems
Firm escalations
For when a vendor misses another committed repair date:
This vendor has missed several committed dates on our elevator repair. Here's the thread. Draft a firm escalation email that lists every missed commitment with dates, asks for a named owner and a hard date, and copies their regional manager. Professional but with teeth.
[paste the thread]
Anything confusing
"Explain this to me"
Bank letters, legal discovery requests, insurance proposals, brand notices:
Explain this document in plain English. What are they actually asking for, what are the deadlines, and what happens if we ignore it?
[attach or paste the document]
Works on family finance too: "Compare these insurance proposals side by side: cost, what triggers payout, and what questions to ask the advisor."
Home & kids
Family logistics
Same tool, same habits: draft the note to Awty about accommodations, screen tutor options, plan the week's appointments, summarize a school newsletter. There is no work/personal switch, just start a new chat.
04Ground rules
Never paste full card numbers, account numbers, SSNs, or passwords. Last-4 digits and case numbers are fine. Banking especially: Claude can help draft bank emails, but Positive Pay exception approvals stay a you-only task inside the bank portal.
Verify every number before it leaves the building. Claude occasionally states things confidently that are wrong. Dollar amounts, dates, and names in an outgoing email get a ten-second check against the source.
Legal = draft only. Anything for the attorneys, TWC, or workers' comp gets your review; litigation material gets attorney review.
Guest and employee info: fine to paste for drafting help, but don't paste more than the task needs.
05Your first week
Day 1
Do one real guest-complaint alert with Ace sitting next to you. Ten minutes.
Day 2–3
Run the next batch of candidate resumes through the comparison-table prompt.
Day 4–5
Start the chargeback tracker chat and add cases as they arrive.
Friday
You'll know which prompts you'll use forever. Chats are saved, so your favorites are always one scroll away.