The problem
A quote visit means measuring room by room, noting cracked plaster, stained ceilings and doors to strip, then typing it all up later. At 5 quote visits a week and about 20 minutes typing up each, that's 100 minutes a week, and a missed room or a forgotten stain block turns into unpaid work.
What the AI does
With ChatGPT's voice with video, you walk each room with the phone camera on and talk: room, sizes, surfaces, condition and prep. Tell it at the start to ask about anything a decorating quote needs that you haven't covered, such as ceilings or woodwork. After the call, the transcript stays in the chat, and you ask in text for a room-by-room list of surfaces, prep and coats, with paint quantities at your coverage rates. Video is on Go (about $9£7€8A$13C$13 a month) and above, in the iPhone and Android apps.
A worked example
A two-person decorating firm in Brighton does about 5 quote visits a week. The owner walks each house with ChatGPT video on, then turns the transcript into a room list and paint quantities before pricing.
Before
About 20 minutes typing up each visit: 100 minutes a week
After
About 5 minutes per visit checking the list: 25 minutes a week
What it's worth
About $214£161€192A$309C$303 a month in time saved, against about $9£7€8A$13C$13 for ChatGPT Go. Write-ups drop from 100 to 25 minutes a week, and 75 minutes times 4.3 is about 5.4 hours a month at an assumed $40£30€36A$58C$56 an hour.
How to set it up
- Choose ChatGPT Go (€8, about $9£7€8A$13C$13 a month) or above in the iPhone or Android app; Free doesn't include video.
- Start a chat with a brief: your coverage rates per liter, the number of coats you usually allow, and 'ask me about anything a decorating quote needs that I haven't mentioned'.
- In Settings, Voice, choose the Advanced option, start voice and tap the camera button to share video.
- Walk each room saying its name, sizes, surfaces, condition and prep, and point the camera at problem areas.
- End the call and ask in text for a room-by-room list of surfaces, prep and coats, and paint quantities. Check every size against your own measurements before pricing.
What goes wrong
- It can't measure from video. Use your own tape or laser measurements and say them out loud.
- OpenAI says voice transcripts are not word-for-word records, so check every number before it goes into a price.
- Video clips are stored with the chat for 30 days. Ask the customer's permission before filming inside their home, and avoid filming people or personal papers.
- Free doesn't include video, and the newer Live voice option doesn't support it; use Advanced on Go or above.