I lost 3 quotes in one day. All to the same competitor.
The third customer actually told me why: "Sorry Tom, but AquaFix got back to me in 5 minutes with a full quote. You're great, but I couldn't wait 2 days."
Two. Days. For a quote.
That's when I knew something had to change.
The Investigation That Changed Everything
I couldn't understand it. How was AquaFix quoting complex jobs in 5 minutes?
So I did something a bit dodgy. I called them pretending to be a customer. Described a complicated bathroom renovation. Full re-pipe, multiple fixtures, the works.
Their response came via SMS in 3 minutes and 47 seconds.
Complete with itemised pricing, three package options, available booking slots, and payment terms.
It would have taken me 2 hours just to calculate the materials.
Following the Trail
I had to know their secret. After some digging (and a few beers with a mate who used to work there), I discovered the truth.
They weren't faster plumbers. They weren't working harder. They had automated their entire quoting system with AI.
❌ What I Was Doing
- • Manually calculating every job
- • Taking 2-3 days to quote
- • Missing 60% of requests
- • Working 60 hours/week
✅ What They Were Doing
- • AI pricing in seconds
- • Quotes in under 5 minutes
- • 100% response rate
- • Working normal hours
They were quoting 20 jobs while I was still working on one.
The Numbers That Made Me Sick
I pulled my records for the last quarter:
I was leaving roughly $31,000 per month on the table just from slow quoting.
My Breaking Point
The worst part came when Mrs. Henderson called. She'd been our client for 15 years. Her hot water system had died.
"I'm sorry Tom," she said. "I waited 3 hours for your quote, but AquaFix responded immediately. They're already on their way."
Fifteen years of loyalty. Gone. Because I was too slow.
That night, I made a decision. If you can't beat them, learn from them.
The 30-Day Transformation
I found someone who could set up the same kind of system. Here's how it rolled out:
Week 1: Basic AI Quoting Live
First day: 12 quotes sent automatically. Won 4 jobs before lunch.
Week 2: Smart Scheduling Added
Customers could book their preferred time slot instantly. No more phone tennis.
Week 3: Inventory Integration
AI knew exactly what was in stock and could price accordingly.
Week 4: Full Automation
Quotes, scheduling, invoicing, follow-ups - all automatic.
The game-changer? The AI learned from every quote. It got more accurate, faster, and started suggesting upsells I'd never thought of.
The Sweet Taste of Victory
Three months later, I got a call I'll never forget.
"Tom? It's Dave from AquaFix. We're losing a ton of jobs to you lately. What's your secret?"
I just smiled and said, "Fast service, mate. Fast service."
Here's what happened in those three months:
But the best part? I was working 35 hours a week instead of 60.
Current State of Play
It's been 8 months since I automated. AquaFix is still my competitor, but now it's a fair fight.
Actually, it's better than fair. I've got the AI system PLUS 20 years of reputation. They can't compete with that combination.
Last Month's Numbers
Revenue
$247,000 (was $148,000)
Working hours
30/week (was 60)
Jobs completed
312 (was 180)
Team size
Same 3 people
We're doing 73% more work with the same team, working half the hours.
My Confession
I nearly didn't do this because of pride. I thought "real tradies" did things manually. That technology was for the big corporate companies.
What an idiot I was.
I let my competitor steal $31,000 per month for over a year because I was too proud to admit the old ways weren't working.
That's $372,000 I'll never get back. Plus all those weekends. Plus the stress.
The Truth Nobody Tells You
Your competitors are already doing this. They just don't advertise it.
They're winning jobs while you're still calculating quotes. They're booking work while you're playing phone tag. They're growing while you're drowning.
The question isn't whether to automate. It's whether you'll do it before it's too late.