Why it helps
Sunday night, you've got a list of jobs, a rough idea of where they are and a forecast that looks iffy for Wednesday. Working out which order to do them in, what to pick up from the merchant and who to text takes longer than it should, and something usually gets missed.
Give AI the list with suburbs, rough durations, materials and which jobs need dry weather. It groups jobs by area to cut down driving, puts the outdoor work on the better days, builds a pick-up list and writes a short text for each customer. You still make the final call, because you know the jobs and the customers.
The prompt
Copy it, swap the bits in [square brackets], and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot.
I'm a [trade] based in [suburb, town], New Zealand. Help me plan my week from [day] to [day]. My working hours: [e.g. 7:30am to 4:30pm] Weather this week (from MetService): [e.g. Tuesday and Wednesday look wet] Jobs: - [Customer first name or job name], [suburb], [about how long], [materials needed], [outdoor or indoor], [any fixed time or deadline] - ... Please give me: 1. A day-by-day plan. Group jobs in the same area on the same day where you can, put outdoor or weather-dependent jobs on the drier days, and leave some buffer time each day. 2. A materials list for each day, so I know what to pick up and when. 3. A short, friendly text message for each customer letting them know which day I'll be there and a rough arrival window. 4. Anything that doesn't fit, or any clashes, listed at the end. Use NZ English. Only use the jobs, times and details I've given. Don't invent jobs, addresses, prices or travel times. If you're not sure about something, ask me.
Then keep chatting
Wednesday's now going to be fine. Redo the plan and the texts that change.
Add a backup indoor job for each wet day.
Write a text for [customer] saying I'm running a day late, with an apology.
Turn this into a checklist I can paste into my notes app.
Step by step
- List every job for the week with the suburb, a rough time, materials and whether it's outdoor or indoor. Note any fixed times.
- Check the forecast on MetService and add a line about which days look wet or windy.
- Paste it into the prompt and run it.
- Check the plan makes sense to you: travel between suburbs, which jobs really need dry weather, and enough time for each one. Change anything that doesn't feel right.
- Copy each text into your phone and send it from your own number. Pick up materials the day before where you can.
Worked example
Example details are made up. Your results will vary, so always read and check before you use them.
Watch out for
- Privacy: use first names or job names and suburbs only. Don't paste full addresses, phone numbers or details about customers' homes and security. Add phone numbers in your phone, not in the prompt.
- AI doesn't know real travel times or traffic. Check the order makes sense, especially across town at peak times.
- Weather: check the forecast yourself on metservice.com, and check again the day before. AI can't see the forecast unless you paste it in.
- Read every text before you send it. Make sure the day, time and job are right, and that you're happy with the tone.
Go further
Do this every Sunday or Monday morning with the same prompt and just paste in the new jobs. If you use a job app like Tradify, Fergus or ServiceM8, use the plan to set up the week there. The notes to action list use case is handy for turning voice memos from the ute into next week's job list.
