The problem
Surveying a new site for a guarding quote means walking the perimeter with a torch, checking gates, fences, lighting, blind spots, access points and where a patrol should go. Notes get scribbled on a clipboard in the rain, and writing them up takes about an hour back at the office. At 6 surveys a month that's 6 hours, and a forgotten gate or unlit yard means a second visit or a quote that misses a patrol point.
What the AI does
ChatGPT Voice lets you talk to it hands-free and interrupt it whenever you like, and the conversation stays in the chat as a transcript. At the start of the walk, tell it you're surveying a site for a guarding quote and ask it to prompt you about anything a survey should cover that you haven't mentioned, such as lighting, keyholding or welfare facilities for officers. Then say what you see as you walk. Afterwards, in the same chat, type one request: turn this into survey notes by area, with risks, suggested patrol points and questions for the client. You check the notes and price the quote yourself. Voice is on every plan; Go (about $9£7€8A$13C$13 a month) gives more voice use than Free.
A worked example
A manned guarding company in Stockport with 30 officers surveys about 6 prospective sites a month: warehouses, building sites and retail parks. The operations manager talks each walk-round through ChatGPT Voice on their phone, then asks for survey notes in the same chat.
Before
About 1 hour writing up each of 6 surveys: 6 hours a month
After
About 20 minutes checking ChatGPT's notes for each: 2 hours a month
What it's worth
About $186£140€167A$269C$263 a month in time saved, against about $9£7€8A$13C$13 for ChatGPT Go. 40 minutes saved on each of 6 surveys is 4 hours, at an assumed $47£35€42A$67C$66 an hour.
How to set it up
- Install the ChatGPT app and choose Go (€8, about $9£7€8A$13C$13 a month) so voice lasts through a full walk-round; Free voice use is limited and can run out partway.
- Start a new chat for each site, tap the voice icon and say: 'I'm surveying a site for a guarding quote. Ask me about anything a survey should cover that I haven't mentioned.'
- Walk the site and talk: boundaries, gates, lighting, CCTV coverage, access points, keyholding and welfare facilities for officers. Describe the site, not the people on it.
- End the voice conversation and type in the same chat: 'Turn this into survey notes by area, with risks, suggested patrol points and questions for the client.'
- Check the notes against your photos, then write the quote and, if you win the site, the assignment instructions yourself.
What goes wrong
- Transcripts can mishear, especially in wind or near traffic and machinery. Check every count and measurement against your photos.
- A client's site layout and weak points are sensitive. Go and Plus are personal plans that can use chats for training unless you opt out in the data settings, so leave out alarm codes, key safe numbers and the client's name.
- Never describe or name the client's staff, members of the public or past incidents involving people on a personal plan. If surveys need personal data, use the Business plan (about $24£18€21A$35C$34 per user a month billed annually, from 2 users), which doesn't train on business data by default.
- It suggests typical risks, but it doesn't know the site's history, the client's insurance conditions or your staffing costs. The risk assessment and the price are yours.