Turn voice notes into quotes: a simple pipeline for ServiceM8 or Tradify that posts invoices to Xero and QuickBooks

Jump to: Who this is for • Quick answer • How it works • Set it up step-by-step • Template prompts • Pricing and limits • Troubleshooting • FAQ

Engineer recording a voice note that is transcribed to a quote, then invoiced to Xero and QuickBooks

Who this is for

Trades who like speaking more than typing: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, carpentry, decorating.
Small teams using ServiceM8 or Tradify for quotes and jobs.
Businesses on Xero or QuickBooks that want invoices created as soon as a customer accepts.

Quick answer

You can record a short voice note on-site and have it automatically transcribed, structured into line items, pushed into a draft quote in ServiceM8 or Tradify, and on approval, post the invoice to Xero or QuickBooks. Use a speech-to-text tool (e.g. Whisper, Microsoft Word Transcribe, or Google’s built-ins), a simple extraction prompt, and a no‑code tool like Make or Zapier to map fields to your job system. Keep a human check step for low-confidence jobs.

Reference guides: ServiceM8 quoting basics and options How to build and send your first quote, Quote options and versions. Xero reorder points and stock tips if you carry parts: Xero Inventory Plus reorder points, QuickBooks low stock alerts UK guide.

How it works (30,000-foot view)

Capture

You or your engineer records a clear voice memo after a job survey. Keep it 30–120 seconds.

Transcribe

Use a tool you already have: Microsoft Word’s Transcribe, Google Docs Voice Typing, or a phone app. Aim for a text transcript.

Extract

Run a short AI prompt that turns the transcript into structured fields: job type, labour hours, parts list, price per item, VAT rate, customer details, notes.

Create quote

Send those fields to ServiceM8 or Tradify via Make/Zapier. Create a draft quote with line items and a clear scope.

Send and approve

Email/SMS the quote with an acceptance link. On acceptance, set job to Work Order and auto‑create an invoice.

Post to accounts

Push the invoice to Xero or QuickBooks with correct VAT code. Take payment (e.g. Stripe/GoCardless) and mark as paid.

Flow from voice note to transcription to quote to invoice

Set it up step-by-step

1) Keep the voice note clean

Speak near the phone mic, avoid wind or van noise.
State the essentials in the same order every time: address, job type, measurements, materials, labour, extras, access notes.
Example script: “123 High Street, MK5 7AB. Replace kitchen tap. Parts: Bristan tap, 1x flexi hose pair, PTFE tape. Labour 1.5 hours. Parking on street. Customer Mrs Jones, prefers morning.”

2) Transcribe quickly

Options that work now:

Microsoft Word Transcribe for Microsoft 365 users: Microsoft Support
Google Docs Voice Typing: Tools > Voice typing (desktop)
WhatsApp transcripts for received voice notes on newer iOS/Android builds: see WhatsApp help on “Voice message transcripts”.
Dedicated apps: Evernote AI Transcribe, VEED.IO, NoteGPT. Check GDPR and storage policies.

3) Structure the text with a prompt

Paste the transcript into your AI tool and use a fixed prompt to turn it into line items. Example:

You are assisting a UK trades quoting workflow. Extract these fields and return valid JSON only:
{
  "job_type": "",
  "customer_name": "",
  "phone": "",
  "address": "",
  "description": "",
  "line_items": [ { "name": "", "qty": 1, "unit_price": 0, "tax_code": "", "notes": "" } ],
  "labour_hours": 0,
  "labour_rate": 0,
  "materials_subtotal": 0,
  "labour_subtotal": 0,
  "vat_rate": 20,
  "preferred_time": "",
  "access_notes": ""
}
Rules: Use GBP. If unsure on prices, leave unit_price blank. Do not invent parts. Keep description plain English suitable for a customer.

4) Create the quote in ServiceM8 or Tradify

ServiceM8: Open the job and use Billing to add items, then Send Quote. Guides: First quote, Quote options, Remote signature.
Tradify: Use Quote templates and price lists to speed up entry. Help centre has step-by-steps for creating quotes and templates. Start at Tradify Help > Quotes.

Automation path with no-code:

Trigger: new transcript file in OneDrive/Google Drive or a WhatsApp export.
Step: AI extraction module outputs structured JSON.
Step: Create draft quote in ServiceM8/Tradify via connector.
Step: Send quote via email/SMS with {document} link (ServiceM8) or Tradify’s online acceptance link.
Step: If accepted, convert to job/work order and create invoice.

5) Post the invoice to Xero or QuickBooks

Xero: Post an Accounts Receivable invoice with correct VAT code. If you carry stock, consider Xero Inventory Plus reorder points for common parts so low stock alerts kick in: Xero Central.
QuickBooks: Enable low stock alerts and set a Reorder point per item: QuickBooks UK.

6) Add safety rails

Confidence check: If AI confidence is low, send a Teams/Slack approval to a manager before the quote goes out.
Price list lock: Only allow prices from your price list or leave blank for office to fill.
VAT sanity: Default to 20 percent unless the job is labour-only on zero-rated work or within CIS reverse charge scope. See our CIS and reverse charge guides in Finance and Tax.

Template prompts you can reuse

Voice script for engineers “Job address. Job type. Parts list with quantities. Labour hours. Access notes. Preferred time. Customer name and mobile. Any photos taken.”
Extraction prompt As above in Step 3. Save it as a template in your AI tool.
Customer message “Thanks for the enquiry. We’ve drafted your quote from today’s survey. Please review and accept online. If anything looks off, reply to this email or call us and we’ll adjust straight away.”

Pricing and limits to expect

Transcription: Microsoft 365 Word Transcribe is included for many business plans; third‑party tools range from free to about £10–£20 per month.
Make/Zapier: typical starter tiers £10–£25 per month. Watch file size and task caps.
ServiceM8/Tradify, Xero/QuickBooks: normal subscription fees apply.

Troubleshooting common snags

Garbled transcripts: re-record in a quieter spot, or use a phone mic adapter. Keep to 1–2 minutes.
Wrong line items: tighten your prompt, and keep a controlled price list. Add a rule “if item not found, leave blank”.
VAT codes not mapping: map each line to a default VAT code in your automation and override only when needed.
Quote not sending: in ServiceM8, ensure your email/SMS template includes the {document} link so clients can view and accept online. See Quote options.
Stockouts after acceptance: set reorder points in Xero Inventory Plus or QuickBooks so repeat‑use parts auto‑flag for re‑order.

What are people saying on Reddit?

No directly relevant recent UK trade threads on this exact pipeline were found this month; however, we see steady interest in faster quoting and transcription tools across forums. If you’ve built this, share your stack with us and we may feature it.

Handy links and next reads

ServiceM8: Build and send your first quote, Quote options and versions
QuickBooks UK: Low stock alerts and reorder points
Xero: Set up reorder points in Inventory Plus
Related Academy articles: Voice notes to job report, Send invoices on WhatsApp

FAQ

Can I do this without paying for extra software?

Yes. Use Microsoft Word Transcribe or Google Docs Voice Typing for the transcript and paste into ServiceM8/Tradify manually. Automation just saves time and typos.

Will this work with Jobber or Simpro?

Yes in principle. You need an API or connector t…