Project Instructions:
Teach Claude Your World
A Conway, Arkansas Car-Mart store manager replaces 30 minutes of context reconstruction with a 90-second read by writing a CLAUDE.md that holds the dealership’s grace period policy, customer payment history, and decision rules.
The Conway problem: A Car-Mart store manager in Conway, Arkansas is deciding whether to extend the 7-day grace period on a 2018 Camry for a customer 4 days late. The customer has historically paid on time. The policy lives in a printed binder, the payment history lives in Dealertrack and RouteOne, and the unwritten decision rules live only in the manager’s head. Every time the manager opens Claude, they must rebuild this context from scratch.
What You’ll Learn
Encode dealership policy
Turn the Car-Mart 7-day grace period rule into persistent instructions so Claude understands BHPH operations without re-explaining it for every Conway or Jonesboro customer.
Capture customer history
Document specific payment patterns so Claude can weigh that a customer on a 2018 Camry in Conway has paid on time for 14 months before recommending grace period extension.
Define escalation logic
Write clear rules for when a store manager should extend grace versus escalate to a field collector or regional escalation in Springdale or Harrison.
Map your tools
Teach Claude when to reference Dealertrack versus RouteOne when reviewing payment history across Arkansas Car-Mart stores.
Standardize decisions
Create reusable decision frameworks so the same logic used on a 2014 Silverado repossession in Pine Bluff can be applied consistently in other stores.
Four Prompt Patterns for CLAUDE.md
1. Be Specific
Replace vague language with concrete Car-Mart details. “Customer is late on 2018 Camry in Conway” is stronger than “customer payment issue.” Include the exact vehicle, store location, days past due, and historical payment behavior.
2. Give It a Role
Start the file by defining who you are in the dealership. “You are an experienced Car-Mart store manager in Arkansas who uses Dealertrack daily and knows when to involve a field collector.” This grounds every response in BHPH reality.
3. Show Your Work
Include one or two past decisions with outcomes. Example: “Last month in the Pine Bluff store I extended grace on a 2014 Silverado because the customer had only one late payment in 18 months and immediately brought the account current.”
4. Iterate
Begin with a basic CLAUDE.md for your Conway store, then add rules after real decisions. After handling a repossession case, add the outcome and revised rule so Claude improves with every Arkansas store interaction.
T3+ Stretch Goal
Before the end of the day, open a new file called CLAUDE.md in your Conway, Pine Bluff, or Jonesboro store folder. Write the three core sections using the patterns above. Use a real customer situation you handled this month as the first example.
Start your CLAUDE.md nowWhat Each Person Leaves With
Starter CLAUDE.md Template
# Role You are a Car-Mart store manager at a BHPH dealership in Arkansas. You manage customer accounts in Dealertrack and RouteOne. You make daily decisions about grace periods and when to involve a field collector. # Store Context - Location: [Conway / Pine Bluff / Jonesboro / Springdale / Harrison] - Typical vehicles: 2018 Camry, 2014 Silverado - Standard grace period: 7 days # Decision Rules - Extend grace when customer has paid on time for 12+ months and is only 1-4 days late. - Escalate to field collector when customer has multiple recent late payments or has ignored two prior contacts. - Regional escalation required for any repossession decision on accounts over $4,800 past due. # Tools Always check Dealertrack first for payment history, then RouteOne for contract details.
Filled Example — Pine Bluff 2014 Silverado
# Role You are a Car-Mart store manager at a BHPH dealership in Arkansas. You manage customer accounts in Dealertrack and RouteOne. You make daily decisions about grace periods and when to involve a field collector. # Store Context - Location: Pine Bluff, Arkansas - Current case: 2014 Silverado, customer 9 days late on payment - Standard grace period: 7 days # Decision Rules - Extend grace when customer has paid on time for 12+ months and is only 1-4 days late. - Escalate to field collector when customer has multiple recent late payments or has ignored two prior contacts. - Regional escalation required for any repossession decision on accounts over $4,800 past due. # Past Decision Example In March we had a 2014 Silverado in Pine Bluff. Customer was 6 days late but had only one prior late payment in 22 months. I extended grace for 5 days. Customer paid in full on day 4. No repossession needed. # Tools Always check Dealertrack first for payment history, then RouteOne for contract details. If account shows three or more 30-day lates in last 12 months, do not extend grace without field collector review.
This single Project file replaces scattered notebook scribbles, printed policy binders, and repeated context rebuilding for every customer payment decision across Car-Mart’s Arkansas dealerships.