Hey there!
Welcome to the first real issue of ServiceAI.
Every week I'm going to give you one AI tool or tactic you can put to work in your business immediately. No fluff. No theory. Just stuff that actually works.
This week: estimates and proposals.
The problem every service business owner knows
You finish a job, get home at 6pm, and still have three estimates sitting in your notes that need to be written up and sent. You're tired. It takes 20-30 minutes each. You know slow estimates lose jobs. But you also know you don't have another hour in you tonight.
This is exactly where AI earns its keep.
The fix: use AI to write your estimates in under 2 minutes
Go to chat.openai.com (free) and paste this prompt:
"Write a professional estimate email for a [type of job] for a customer named [first name]. The job includes [brief description of work]. The total price is $[amount]. I want it to sound professional but friendly, explain what's included, and end with a clear call to action to approve the estimate. My company name is [your company name]."
A real example
Here's a prompt an HVAC owner might use:
"Write a professional estimate email for an AC unit replacement for a customer named Mike. The job includes removing the old unit, installing a new 3-ton Carrier system, and testing. The total price is $4,800. I want it to sound professional but friendly, explain what's included, and end with a clear call to action to approve the estimate. My company name is Alpine Cooling."
Take it further
Once you have a format you like, save it as a template. Next time just swap out the job details and price. Over time build a library of templates for your most common jobs — installations, repairs, maintenance plans, emergency calls — and cut your estimate time down to under a minute.
Some service business owners are sending 3x more estimates per week just by removing the friction of writing them. More estimates sent = more jobs closed.
Your action for this week
Pick one estimate you need to send today. Use the prompt above. See how it compares to what you'd normally write.
I'd genuinely love to hear how it goes — just reply to this email and let me know.
Talk next Tuesday,
Ian
Founder, ServiceAI