AI for Wisconsin shop owners, in plain English

Tools like ChatGPT and Claude are writing assistants you talk to by typing. You tell them who to act like, give them your details, and they write a first draft (a text, an estimate, a job posting, a phone script) in seconds. They don't know your business unless you tell them, and they can be confidently wrong, so you're always the editor. Think of it as a sharp new office hire who types fast but needs clear instructions and a second look.

1. Go to chatgpt.com on your phone or computer.
2. Click Sign up and use your business email.
3. Verify your email.
4. Optional: in Settings → Personalization → Custom instructions, tell it about your business once (name, town, services, tone) so you don't retype it.
5. Optional: download the ChatGPT app. You can talk to it out loud from the truck.

(Claude at claude.ai works the same way. Both have free tiers; paid plans are about $20/mo. Prices change, so check the sites.)

• Role: who it should act like. "You are an experienced service advisor at a Wisconsin auto shop."
• Context: your details. Name, town, prices, policies, the customer's situation.
• Task: exactly what you want. "Write a reply to this review."
• Format: how you want it back. "Under 100 words, then a text-message version."

Then refine: "shorter," "friendlier," "now for an angry customer." Every prompt on this site follows this pattern, so just fill in the BRACKETS.

1. Never paste card numbers, Social Security numbers, passwords, or bank info.
2. Check every fact, price, and date before it goes to a customer. AI makes things up sometimes.
3. Keep customer details to the minimum. First names are fine; skip full addresses and phone numbers unless needed.
4. You're responsible for what you send. Read it out loud first.
5. Legal, tax, insurance, and safety questions: use AI to get organized, then confirm with a professional.