Workbench · Toolbox
AI for HVAC: draft from the ticket, check one thing, send
Method record status: hypothesis. These methods and prompts are not yet tested in a named shop or measured. Nothing on this page has been proven yet.
The work is no-cool calls, two-option quotes and maintenance reminders. The machine drafts from the notes you already wrote. You make one named check. Then it leaves, or you delete it.
Use it when
The job is done and the words are already in the ticket, the photos, or a voice memo. Do not use it to make up a price, a diagnosis, or a code requirement. If the notes are thin, the draft will be thin. Fix the notes.
Prompts
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Same-day note after a no-cool call
Job notes: [paste]. Write a two-sentence text to the customer for the thread we already use: what we found, what we did. If my notes mention a recommended repair, add one line with the price from my notes. No scare words.
Check before you send: The part name and price match the ticket.
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Replace-or-repair quote, two options
From this ticket and my price sheet [paste], write a quote with exactly two options: repair and replace. For each: price, what it includes, how long it takes. Do not rank them or call either one best. End with how to pick one by reply.
Check before you send: Both option prices come from your price sheet.
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Maintenance visit reminder
Write a short text reminding [name] their maintenance visit is due in [month]. Offer the two time windows I list here [windows]. One sentence. No discount unless I list one.
Check before you send: The windows are ones the board actually has open.
Tools that fit HVAC work
You do not need any of these to run the prompts above. A free chat assistant is enough to start. If you already pay for one of the job tools, use what it has before adding another login.
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Claude
Free $0; Pro $17/mo billed annually ($20 monthly); Max from $100/mo. Source: Claude pricing page, checked 2026-10-15.
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ChatGPT
Not published in fetched page text (plan prices render client-side); page says a free version is available to everyone. Price figures not captured; recheck by hand. Source: ChatGPT pricing page, checked 2026-10-15.
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Google Gemini
$0 with a Google Account; plans at $4.99/mo and $19.99/mo; from $99.99/mo; business from $21/seat/mo. Source: Google Gemini pricing page, checked 2026-10-15.
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Jobber
Core starting at $29/mo; additional users $29/mo each; higher tiers listed up to $699/mo. Pricing page nav lists 'AI Tools' and 'Receptionist'. Source: Jobber pricing page, checked 2026-10-15.
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Housecall Pro
Basic from $59/mo billed annually; 14-day free trial. Source: Housecall Pro pricing page, checked 2026-10-15.
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ServiceTitan
Not published (page offers packages via demo / contact sales). Source: ServiceTitan pricing page, checked 2026-10-15.
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CompanyCam
Core base price not in fetched text; additional users $29 each, billed annually; free trial. Page lists 'Turn job photos into reports'. Source: CompanyCam pricing page, checked 2026-10-15.
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Workiz
Not published in fetched page text; 7-day free trial mentioned in FAQ. Source: Workiz pricing page, checked 2026-10-15.
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Service Fusion
Starter $208/mo billed annually ($245 monthly), unlimited users. Page lists add-on 'ServiceCall.ai'. Source: Service Fusion pricing page, checked 2026-10-15.
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Markate
$49.95/mo ($45.95/mo billed yearly); Kate-AI Receptionist add-on $1/call; 14-day free trial. Source: Markate pricing page, checked 2026-10-15.
The count
Of the 7 non-chat tools we list for HVAC work, 4 printed a dollar figure on their pricing page on 2026-10-15, from $29 to $208 as the first listed figure. 0 had a free tier.
Method: same fetch as the toolbox; first dollar figure on each page's cheapest plan. Add-on-only figures (for example a per-user or phone add-on) are not counted as an entry price, matching the toolbox index; see each row.
A worked run
Teaching input, not a real job: the ticket says capacitor replaced, condenser coil dirty, recommend cleaning at the price on your sheet. Run the no-cool prompt. The draft should have two sentences and one price line. If it adds a refrigerant check you never wrote, delete that line and tighten the notes before the next call.
Limits
These prompts tell the assistant to leave blanks blank. Assistants still fill gaps sometimes. That is why every prompt ends with one check, and why the check is yours.
Methods draw on published ideas from Dan Koe (focused one-person work) and Cal Newport (deep work, career capital). This page cites them as influences only. Neither author has reviewed or endorsed Today’s Worker.