Give ChatGPT the Checkatrade lead's job description, with no name, phone or address, plus a short facts block you update weekly: your availability, what you do and your photo request. Ask for under 90 words that echo one detail from the lead, ask one question and name a next step. Edit until it sounds like you, then send it yourself.
Personal doesn't mean slow or long. Checkatrade's own page for plumbers tells members to respond quickly and set clear expectations on availability and next steps, and to ask a couple of practical questions to confirm scope before following up with a neat summary. A first reply that does exactly that, in your voice, in a few lines, is the target. Generic replies fail because they could be sent to anyone, and the cure is one detail that only this lead could have.
What arrives matters. Checkatrade's membership page says customers can call you directly, request a quote or book from your profile, and that members choose their trade, the areas they cover and how many leads they want each year. It doesn't describe how a lead reaches you or how quickly you must answer, and it doesn't say whether other members receive the same enquiry. Assume you are not the only one replying.
The drafting here runs in plain ChatGPT, under your control, rather than in the AI job-management tools Checkatrade promotes alongside its TradeMore app. If you're weighing that app, Is Checkatrade's AI-powered TradeMore app right for a heating engineer? covers it. The same drafting works for any lead source, and the cost side of Checkatrade against a rival is covered in MyBuilder vs Checkatrade for plumbers: cost per job, with AI replies.
The six parts of a first reply that reads like you
A good first reply is short and does six small jobs. Write them down once and you can check any draft against the list in ten seconds. The example column follows a lead about a drip under a kitchen sink.
| Part | The job it does | Example line |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Echo | Shows you read this lead, using a detail only it contains | "A drip that gets worse when the dishwasher runs" |
| 2. Fit | Says yes or no to the job in one honest line | "That's well within what I do" |
| 3. Availability | Gives real windows, not "soon" | "I can visit Thursday 9-11am or Friday after 1pm" |
| 4. One question | Asks the single practical question that confirms scope | "Is it dripping from a joint or from the pipe itself?" |
| 5. Photo request | Asks for two specific pictures | "The whole cupboard, then a close-up of the wet joint" |
| 6. Next step | Says what happens after their reply, then signs off with name and number | "Send those and I'll tell you what it needs. [your name], [your number]" |
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Buy nowThe prompt: a facts block, the lead text and a voice line
The prompt has three blocks. The facts block changes weekly and is the only place your availability lives, so the draft can't invent a day you aren't free. The voice line is stable and belongs in custom instructions or a Project. The lead text is the customer's job description, pasted without personal details.
Draft a first reply to a customer enquiry for my trade business. Use ONLY the facts block and the lead text. Follow this order: (1) repeat back one specific detail from the lead, (2) one honest line on whether I do this job, (3) my availability, (4) one practical question to confirm the scope, (5) a request for two specific photos, (6) the next step, then sign off with my first name and number. Under 90 words. If a fact is missing, write [MISSING]. Do not give a price, a guarantee, qualifications, insurance claims or advice on fixing it themselves.
VOICE: plain, friendly, first-name terms, short sentences, "I" not "we". No "thank you for reaching out", no "I would be delighted", no exclamation marks.
FACTS (this week):
- I am a plumber and heating engineer; I do leaks, taps, toilets, radiators and boiler servicing.
- I can visit Thursday 9-11am or Friday after 1pm.
- Photo request for a leak: a wide shot of the cupboard or area, then a close-up of the wet joint.
- My first name: [your name]. My number: [your number].
LEAD TEXT (job description only, no personal details):
"Drip from the pipe under the kitchen sink that gets worse when the dishwasher is running. Started two days ago. Can someone look this week?"Illustrative output.
Hi [first name], thanks for the details: a drip that gets worse when the dishwasher runs usually points at the dishwasher connection or the waste pipe, so it's well within what I do. I can visit Thursday 9-11am or Friday after 1pm. Is it dripping from a joint or from the pipe itself? Could you send two photos: the whole cupboard, and a close-up of the wet joint? Then I can confirm I'll fix it on the first visit. [your name], [your number]
Two lines have to go. "Usually points at the dishwasher connection or the waste pipe" is a diagnosis you haven't made: you haven't seen the pipe, and a wrong guess in writing sounds worse than saying nothing. "I can confirm I'll fix it on the first visit" promises more than two photos can support, so replace it with "then I can tell you what it needs". What the draft did well is the first line. It repeated the dishwasher detail, which is the proof that a person read the lead.
Paste only the job description from the lead. The name, number and address sit in the lead and none of them helps the draft; add the name back when you paste the reply wherever you send it. For a one-off lead, Temporary Chat keeps the conversation out of model training, though OpenAI may hold it for up to 30 days. For regular use, a ChatGPT Project can hold the voice line and the facts block, so every lead starts from the same set-up and you edit one line each Monday. If you're on a personal plan, open the data controls and decide whether OpenAI may train on your chats; ChatGPT's business plans start with that switched off.
Two more leads: the generic draft against the one you'd send
The structure is the same for every trade, but the detail that carries the reply changes. Here are two more leads, each shown with the generic draft that a lazy prompt produces and the edited version that goes out under your name. Both edited replies run to under 80 words.
The first lead is for a fencer: "Three fence panels blown down in the wind, back garden, panels roughly 1.8 metres wide, posts look okay. Want them replaced. Side access is through a narrow gate."
Generic draft.
Dear Customer, thank you for reaching out regarding your fencing requirements. We would be delighted to assist you. Please provide further details of your project and we will provide a competitive quote at the earliest opportunity. Kind regards, [company]
Edited reply.
Hi [first name], three panels down with the posts still standing is a quick job to look at. The narrow side gate matters for getting panels through, so roughly how wide is it? I can come Wednesday afternoon or Friday morning. Could you send a wide photo of the gap and a close-up of one post where it meets the ground? Then I can give you a price without a wasted visit. [your name], [your number]
What makes the second one personal is that it swaps "your fencing requirements" for the actual damage, three panels with the posts standing, and asks the one question only this lead raises: how wide the gate is. The photo request says where to point the camera, because the foot of a post is where its condition shows. The generic draft asks for "further details", which hands the work back to the customer.
The second lead is for a painter: "Repaint hallway, stairs and landing, woodwork too. Walls last painted about five years ago, some marks along the stairs from a pushchair. We'd like it finished before relatives arrive at the end of next month."
Generic draft.
Hello, I would be delighted to help with your painting project. Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss your requirements and arrange a free quotation.
Edited reply.
Hi [first name], stairs, landing and woodwork is a proper job, and finishing before the end of next month looks workable. I can look on Thursday after 4pm or Saturday morning. Could you send a photo looking up the stairwell, so I can see the ceiling height, and one of the worst marks along the stairs? Then I'll give you a day count and a price. [your name], [your number]
The personal detail here is the deadline, picked up from the lead, plus the question a painter would ask before pricing: how high the ceiling is. Notice that the reply doesn't promise to finish in time. "Looks workable" is a judgement you must be willing to stand behind, so if you aren't sure, change it to "I'll check my diary". A draft that says "we will definitely finish before then" is exactly the kind of line a model writes and you regret.
Response-time targets you can keep
Checkatrade's pages say to respond quickly and give no number, so any target is yours to set. These are the ones I'd start with. They are my suggestions, not Checkatrade rules, and you should adjust them to the hours you actually work. If you want a stricter standard, how to reply to every enquiry in under five minutes with AI sets out what that takes.
| Moment | Target | What goes out |
|---|---|---|
| A lead arrives while you're working | Acknowledge within 15 minutes; full reply within the hour | The full six-part reply, or a two-line holding message if you can't write more |
| A lead arrives out of hours | Holding message within 15 minutes if you're awake; full reply by 9am | A two-line holding message |
| A lead sounds urgent (water escaping, no heating in winter, power lost) | Ring within 10 minutes | A phone call, not a draft |
| You're mid-job with both hands busy | Reply at your next break, two hours at most | A draft made on your phone in two minutes |
A holding message keeps your place and the full reply wins the job, so draft both from the same facts block and make sure the times in them agree. Something like this is enough.
Holding message.
Hi [first name], got your message about the dripping pipe. I'm on a job until 4 and will reply properly by 5pm. If it's getting worse fast, ring me on [your number]. [your name]
Don't promise a time you can't keep: "by 5pm" should be a time you'd bet on. Speed without the six parts isn't an improvement either. A fast generic reply holds the customer's attention for a moment and then loses it to whoever asked a real question.
Scrubbing the AI tells out of a draft
Even a careful prompt leaves traces that a customer recognises in a second. Keep this short list beside the draft and fix each tell you find.
| Tell | Why it jars | Replace with |
|---|---|---|
| "Thank you for reaching out" | Opens with the sender, not the customer's problem | "Thanks for the details", or open with the detail itself |
| "I would be delighted to assist" | Nobody speaks like this | "I can do that" |
| "Please do not hesitate to contact me" | Filler that delays the next step | "Ring or text me on [your number]" |
| "We" and "our team" from one person | Sounds like a bigger firm than you are | "I" |
| "Reliable, professional and friendly" | A claim your verified reviews make better | Delete it |
| A theory about the cause | You haven't seen the job | One question instead |
| Exclamation marks and emojis you never use | Not your voice | Delete them |
Build the voice line from five real messages
A voice line written from imagination sounds like a brochure, while one built from your own sent messages sounds like you. Paste five real messages with names and numbers removed, and ask for a description, not a flattering rewrite.
Here are five messages I actually sent to customers, with names and numbers removed. Describe my writing style as five short rules I can paste into custom instructions: sentence length, greeting, sign-off, how I ask questions, and words or phrases I never use. Describe the style as it is; do not improve it.
[paste five messages]Illustrative output.
1. Sentences stay short, mostly under 15 words.
2. Greets with "Hi" and a first name, never "Dear".
3. Asks one question at a time, usually near the end.
4. Signs off with first name and number, with no "kind regards".
5. Never uses "please do not hesitate", "delighted" or exclamation marks.
Then check the rules against your five messages. If rule 4 says "no kind regards" and three of your five end with it, the model has described the style you wish you had. Paste the confirmed rules into the VOICE line of the prompt, and apply one test to every draft: if you would feel silly saying a sentence to the customer's face, change it.
Photo requests that get usable photos
"Send some photos" gets a blurry shot from across the room. Ask for two, say which, and say where to point the camera. Put the lines in your facts block so each draft uses your wording.
| Job | Ask for | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Leak under a sink | A wide shot of the whole cupboard, then a close-up of the wet joint | Where the water is, and whether it's a joint or the pipe |
| Fence panels | A wide shot of the gap, then one post where it meets the ground | The extent of the damage and the state of the posts |
| Painting stairs | A shot looking up the stairwell, then the worst marks | Ceiling height for access and the state of the surface |
| Bathroom refit | A shot from the doorway, then the wall where the shower will go | Room size, layout and access |
Photos belong on your phone, not in the chat. A picture of a customer's home can show a house number or a face, so if the draft needs to refer to what's in a photo, describe it in your own words. If a customer can't manage photos, offer a short call instead.
When to skip the draft and pick up the phone
- A lead that describes danger such as a gas smell, sparking or a ceiling about to come down. Ring straight away and tell them to contact the emergency services or the relevant emergency line first. No draft.
- Urgent jobs where time matters: water escaping, no heating in winter, power lost. Ring within ten minutes, then send a text summarising what you agreed, which is the "neat summary" that Checkatrade's own page recommends.
- A complaint that arrives as a lead, or a past customer with a problem you caused. Ring, then use your own words. A drafted message here reads as a brush-off.
- An anxious or vulnerable customer. Slower, kinder and human beats fast.
- A job you won't take. Write the two-line decline yourself and say it plainly.
A four-week log to see whether it worked
Record four things for every lead over four weeks: when it arrived, when you replied, whether the customer answered, and whether it led to a visit and a job. A notes file or a spreadsheet will do. The arithmetic afterwards is one median and three ratios.
| Measure | How to work it out | Before (invented) | After (invented) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median time to first reply | The middle value of your reply gaps | 3 hours 10 minutes | 22 minutes |
| Leads that got a customer reply | Replies divided by leads | 14 of 24 (58%) | 18 of 24 (75%) |
| Replies that led to a visit | Visits divided by replies | 6 of 14 (43%) | 9 of 18 (50%) |
| Visits that became jobs | Jobs divided by visits | 3 of 6 (50%) | 5 of 9 (56%) |
The figures are made up to show the arithmetic, and real ones deserve caution. Four weeks is a small sample, and two leads either way moves a percentage a long way. Leads also differ from month to month, so a quiet fortnight in the "before" column can flatter the "after". Treat the result as a direction. If the reply time shrinks and the customer-reply rate doesn't move, look at the reply itself: the six parts, the question and the photo request.
Keep the facts block short and honest, edit every draft and send each reply yourself. The draft gives you minutes back on each lead, and the edit is where the customer meets you. If you later want parts of this automated, replying to trade enquiries in 60 seconds with AI covers what that takes, and how Thumbtack, Angi and Bark leads compare on cost per booked job shows how the same first-reply habit applies on other platforms.
Questions Checkatrade members ask about AI-drafted replies
How fast should I reply to a Checkatrade lead?
Checkatrade's own guidance for members is to respond quickly and set clear expectations, but the pages I read give no required time. A target I'd use: acknowledge within 15 minutes in working hours and send the full reply within the hour, with a short holding message out of hours and the full reply by 9am.
Can I paste the customer's lead into ChatGPT?
Paste the description of the job, not the customer. Take out the name, phone number, email and address, and use [first name] where the name goes. If the lead includes photos, describe them in your own words instead of uploading them. You add the real name back when you paste the draft into your reply.
Is it acceptable to use AI to reply to leads?
Drafting is fine if you edit it, send it yourself and everything in it is true. Check your membership terms for anything on how you communicate with leads. If you ever automate the sending, tell customers they are dealing with automation, because some places require it and it keeps trust.
Does Checkatrade have its own AI tools?
Checkatrade's membership page promotes AI job management tools, and its TradeMore app puts Checkatrade, email, WhatsApp for Business and other leads in one inbox. Plain ChatGPT works alongside either, because it only drafts the words that you then edit and send yourself.
Further reads
- Boiler Replacement Leads: Follow Up in Minutes Using AI — Follow up high-value heating leads within minutes.
- Plumbing Lead Generation: Cost per Job Tracked With AI Summaries — Track cost per job across your lead sources.
- Lawn Care Leads: Answer Every Quote Request Fast With AI — Fast quote replies for a seasonal rush of enquiries.
- Deck Builder Leads: What They Cost and How to Reply Fast With AI — What leads cost a deck builder, and how to reply fast.
- AI Receptionist for Tradesmen: Put It on Your Own Mobile Number — Put an AI receptionist on your own mobile number.
- How Much Does Bark Charge for Leads? Credits, Cost per Job, AI Replies — Credits, cost per job and AI replies for another lead marketplace.
- AI Receptionist for Tradespeople: What It Costs and When It Pays — What an AI receptionist costs a tradesperson, and when it pays.
- Window Replacement Leads: Reply Fast and Book the Survey With AI — A reply routine for window installers: qualifying questions, photo requests, consent for texts, survey reminders and a cost-per-sale sheet.
- AI for Tradies: Eight Admin Jobs to Hand Over Before You Hire Help — Eight admin jobs to give AI first, with a prompt or rule for each, the set-up time, what stays manual, and a test for when to hire.
- AI Tools and AI Development: The Complete 2026 Guide — the AI hub, including every tutorial in the AI-for-business series.
Sources: Checkatrade's membership pages on join.checkatrade.com, including its plumber page and its TradeMore app page; OpenAI's help-centre notes on data controls and Temporary Chat.