Writing job messages to tradies and contractors with AI

A good message to a tradie is short, specific and easy to answer. A bad one is a paragraph of chat with the real request buried in the third line. A writing tool is handy for tightening the first into the second.

Coordinating repairs and overseeing contractors are standard parts of the work, as one general description of property management puts it.¹ You'll write this kind of message often, so a repeatable pattern pays off.

The six things a tradie wants to know

Put these in the first few lines:

• The address (you can add this yourself after the draft).
• The problem, in plain words, from the job note.
• How urgent it is, as you've decided, not the tool.
• Access: keys, lockbox, tenant present, pets, a time window.
• The spending limit before they must call you.
• How to reply and who to contact.

Missing access and limit details can lead to extra questions.

A prompt that works

Give the tool your facts and a clear format:

"Write a brief work request to a plumber, in five sentences or fewer. The problem comes first, then access, then the spending limit, then how to reply. Rely on the notes below and nothing else. Notes: (your notes)."

See what the prompt leaves out: the tenant's name and phone number. The tool doesn't need them. Put contact details in yourself afterwards. The OAIC's Privacy Act guidance on AI applies to organisations the Act covers. Check with the OAIC whether it covers your business.²

A follow-up that doesn't nag

A tool can help you write a nudge that's firm but polite. Ask for something like:

"Write a two-sentence follow-up to a contractor who hasn't replied to my request from earlier this week. Ask whether they can still do the job and by when they could attend. Keep it friendly."

Then add the real date of your first message yourself. Don't let the tool choose it.

Quotes, scope and promises

A draft can slip these in, so watch for them.

• Promises of payment or approval. Don't let a draft say "the owner has approved" unless they have.
• Scope creep. If the draft adds "and have a look at the roof while you're there", delete it unless you meant it.
• Invented details. Wikipedia describes hallucination as false or misleading content delivered with confidence.³ A made-up fault or part number could send a tradie out with the wrong gear.
• Blame. Keep the wording neutral. Don't suggest the tenant or a previous contractor caused the fault.

Licences and insurance

Whether a contractor needs a licence for a job, and what insurance they must hold, depends on the trade and the place. A writing tool can't tell you. Check with your state or national licensing body, and keep your own records of who you've used.

Check before sending

Run through this each time:

• Right property, right job, right tradie.
• Access details match what you've arranged.
• Spending limit is the owner's real limit.
• Nothing in it you can't stand behind.

The OAIC says that when you choose an AI product, you should consider how human oversight can be embedded into your processes.² For a tradie message, that person is you, reading it once before it goes.

Keep a small template folder

Before long you'll own a message that suits plumbers, another for electricians and one for handyman jobs. Save each. From then on you just fill in blanks.

That means you'll lean on the tool less, which is fine. It only ever spared you an empty message box. The step before this one is covered in tidying maintenance requests.