AI assistant for trades: 2026 playbook
A practical guide to using AI for call intake, quoting, dispatch, invoicing, and payment chasing—without letting a chatbot run your business.
AI assistant for trades: 2026 playbook
“AI assistant” shouldn’t mean “random chatbot that sometimes makes things up”. For a trade business, it should mean:
- A reliable intake flow that captures the right details.
- A clear approval step (human or rule-based).
- An audit trail (who said what, what was created, when).
- One system of record for customers, jobs, and invoices.
This playbook shows how UK trade teams are using AI in 2026 for real outcomes: faster quote turnaround, fewer missed appointments, and less time chasing money.
The simple rule
AI can draft, summarise, and suggest. A human (or strict policy) should approve money, contracts, and safety-critical decisions.
The 5 workflows that pay back fastest
1) Call intake → job card (without missing details)
Most lost jobs happen before you even send a quote: bad notes, wrong address, no photos, no access notes.
AI does well:
- Ask the same questions every time (postcode, access, parking, urgency, photos).
- Summarise the call into a clean job description.
- Tag the job by type (“boiler breakdown”, “EICR”, “storm damage”).
Human still owns:
- Booking promises (“we’ll be there in 30 minutes”).
- Price commitments.
- Safety / compliance sign-offs.
If you want the AI to create the customer + job automatically, connect it to Toolfy via ChatGPT Apps/MCP (Toolfy supports Authorization: Bearer <PAT> + Idempotency-Key on write calls).
2) Quote drafting (faster, not cheaper)
AI helps you ship quotes faster by turning messy intake notes into clear scope + assumptions.
What to automate:
- Rewrite scope in plain English.
- Add exclusions and access assumptions.
- Add 2–3 upsell suggestions (only as suggestions).
What not to automate:
- Final price.
- Whether VAT applies.
- Contract wording that creates liability.
If you run fixed-price menus, pair this with a price book and keep the AI away from totals.
3) Dispatch + scheduling triage
Most “AI scheduling” tools are really just prioritisation + routing.
Minimum viable AI dispatch:
- Score jobs by urgency and revenue risk.
- Suggest the best tech based on skill + location.
- Draft the customer message (“tech en route, ETA 2:10pm”).
In Toolfy, keep it simple:
- Store skills as tags (e.g., “gas-safe”, “ladder-work”, “EICR”).
- Store job type as a category and urgency as a field/tag.
- Let AI suggest assignments; a dispatcher approves the final schedule.
4) Invoice + payment link (same day, every time)
You don’t need AI to “do invoicing”. You need it to remove the friction:
- Draft invoice notes and “work completed” summaries from job photos/checklists.
- Suggest the correct payment ask (“pay now by card”, “bank transfer ok”).
- Trigger a payment link immediately after completion.
Toolfy already makes “get paid today” a default workflow; use AI to speed up the wording and consistency, not the accounting.
5) Payment chasing + review requests (without awkwardness)
The best follow-ups are short, specific, and consistent. AI makes that repeatable.
Automate the drafting:
- “Friendly nudge” (day 1 overdue)
- “Second nudge + options” (day 7 overdue)
- “Final notice” (day 14+ overdue)
- “Paid → review request”
Keep the policy human-owned:
- When you stop work.
- When you send a letter before action.
- When you write off bad debt.
Two implementation modes (pick one)
Mode A: AI drafts, humans approve (recommended)
Best for solo owners and small teams. You keep control, but you still remove 80% of the admin.
Example:
- Customer calls → transcript created.
- AI produces a “job card draft”.
- Office checks it for errors → clicks “Create job”.
Mode B: AI executes tools (guardrails required)
Best when you already have stable processes and you want speed at the edges (after-hours intake, high volume, seasonal spikes).
Guardrails that matter:
- Use Toolfy
Idempotency-Keyon every write (POST/PATCH). - Pass
x-agent: chatgptso logs and rate limits attribute automation traffic. - Limit scopes (e.g.,
customers:write,jobs:write, no admin/billing scopes).
Toolfy setup checklist (10 minutes)
- Create a Personal Access Token in Toolfy (scoped to the workflow).
- In your AI tool, store:
Authorization: Bearer <PAT>x-org-id(if you manage multiple workspaces)x-agent: chatgpt
- For any write endpoint, generate a unique
Idempotency-Keyper user action.
For the full header list and API surface, see the Toolfy ChatGPT Apps quick start:
https://help.toolfy.io/help/integrations/chatgpt-apps
Prompt pack (copy/paste)
Prompt: call intake → structured job card
You are the dispatcher for a UK trade business.
Ask only the questions required to create a job card.
Output JSON with: customer_name, phone, email, address, postcode, job_type, urgency, access_notes, photos_requested, description, preferred_dates.
If something is missing, ask a single follow-up question.
Prompt: quote scope rewrite (no pricing)
Rewrite the job scope in plain English using UK spelling.
Do NOT invent details. Use only the notes provided.
Include: what we will do, what we won't do, assumptions, what the customer needs to prepare, and 2 optional upgrades.
Return as bullet points.
Prompt: payment reminder (firm, polite)
Write a 3-sentence payment reminder for an overdue invoice.
Tone: calm, professional.
Include the invoice number, amount, and payment link placeholder.
Offer 2 options: pay now or reply with a date for payment.
What to measure (so this isn’t “AI theatre”)
- Quote turnaround: % of quotes sent same-day.
- AR days: time from invoice sent → paid.
- No-show rate: confirm reminders reduce wasted travel.
- Admin hours saved: weekly time in “paperwork” before/after.
- Rework incidents: track “AI got it wrong” and fix the intake questions.
FAQs
What’s the biggest risk with AI in a trade business?
Letting it invent facts. Solve this with structured intake, strict “don’t guess” prompts, and a human approval step.
What’s the easiest place to start?
Quote drafting + payment reminders. They’re low risk, high frequency, and immediately measurable.
Do I need a developer?
Not for the first version. Start with AI drafting and humans approving. If you want tool execution, Toolfy’s ChatGPT Apps/MCP surface is designed for ops teams with guardrails (scopes + idempotency).
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
This guide is for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute professional advice of any kind (legal, financial, tax, insurance, or otherwise).
Before making business decisions: Consult with qualified professionals (solicitors, accountants, insurance brokers, etc.) who can assess your specific circumstances. Laws, regulations, and industry standards change frequently and vary by location and situation.
Toolfy and the article authors accept no liability for decisions made or actions taken based on information provided in this guide. You are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an AI assistant book jobs for a trade business?
Is it safe to let AI send invoices?
How do I stop duplicates if the assistant retries?
Need this workflow in Toolfy?
Spin up the exact checklist, scripts, and automations from this article inside your workspace.
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