Choose labels that trigger different actions
Useful intents correspond to a workflow: cancel a subscription, request an invoice, change account details, or ask a product question. Two labels that always lead to the same action may not need to be separate.
Include a needs clarification outcome for messages containing several requests. Define whether the primary intent is the first request, the most urgent issue, or the action that blocks the customer.
Keep actions outside classification
An intent is not permission. Your application must still authenticate the user, check ownership, and ask for confirmation before a sensitive operation. Never cancel an account solely because a classifier predicted cancellation intent.
Test boundaries, not only easy examples
Evaluate negation, quoted text, short replies, and instructions embedded in customer messages. Treat the message as evidence to classify, not instructions that can redefine the task. Review outcomes that are ambiguous or outside the allowed labels.