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OverviewExporting DataImporting DataWhat Gets ImportedSupported FormatsCommon IssuesTipsQuestionsChange 2: AI Price GuardrailsOverviewHow It Works

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title: "Import & Export Data" category: "Invoicing" description: "Import and export items and customers via CSV or Excel with support for multiple platform formats and automatic property creation"

Overview

BlueClerk lets you import and export your items and customers in CSV or Excel format. This is useful for migrating from other systems, backing up your data, or bulk-editing records in a spreadsheet. The import system now automatically recognizes column names from BlueClerk, Housecall Pro, Jobber, ServiceTitan, and generic CSV formats.

NEW: Property Creation on Import - When importing homeowner customers with addresses, BlueClerk automatically creates Property records with geocoded latitude/longitude for each address. This happens in the background so imports aren't blocked, and ensures every homeowner has their property set up immediately.

Exporting Data

Export Items or Customers

  1. Go to Settings > Data
  2. Choose what to export: Items or Customers
  3. Select format: CSV or Excel (XLSX)
  4. Click "Export"
  5. Download starts automatically

Importing Data

Import Items

  1. Go to Settings > Data
  2. Click "Import Items"
  3. Upload your CSV or Excel file
  4. BlueClerk automatically detects columns and maps them to the right fields
  5. Preview your data - Review parsed items with validation
  6. Click "Import" to add items to your catalog

Import Customers

  1. Go to Settings > Data
  2. Click "Import Customers"
  3. Upload your CSV or Excel file
  4. BlueClerk automatically detects columns - Name, email, phone, address, type (homeowner/business)
  5. Preview your data - Review parsed customers with validation
  6. Click "Import" to add customers

Automatic Property Creation: When importing homeowners with addresses, BlueClerk automatically:

  • Creates a Property record for each homeowner
  • Geocodes the address to get latitude/longitude
  • Runs geocoding in the background so import completes instantly
  • Links the property to the homeowner customer

No additional steps needed - properties are ready to use immediately after import.

What Gets Imported

Items

  • Name - Product or service name (required)
  • Description - Detailed description
  • SKU - Stock keeping unit or item code
  • Type - SERVICE, PRODUCT, or LABOR
  • Price - Selling price in dollars
  • Cost - Your cost in dollars (optional)
  • Taxable - Whether sales tax applies (true/false)

Customers

  • Name - Customer name (required)
  • Email - Contact email
  • Phone - Contact phone number
  • Address - Street address (for homeowners)
  • City - City (for homeowners)
  • State - State abbreviation (for homeowners)
  • Type - HOMEOWNER or BUSINESS
  • Company Name - For business customers

Supported Formats

CSV Format

Upload a simple CSV file with column headers. BlueClerk recognizes:

  • BlueClerk format - Exported from BlueClerk
  • Housecall Pro format - Price Book export
  • Jobber format - Products/Services export
  • ServiceTitan format - Items export
  • Generic CSV - Any CSV with name, price, description columns

Excel Format (XLSX)

Upload an Excel spreadsheet with headers in the first row. Same automatic column detection as CSV.

Common Issues

Missing Required Fields

  • Items need a name - Every item must have a name
  • Customers need a name - Every customer must have a name
  • Invalid prices - Prices must be numbers (dollar signs and commas are removed automatically)

Duplicate Detection

  • Items - BlueClerk checks for duplicate names and SKUs
  • Customers - BlueClerk checks for duplicate names, emails, and phone numbers
  • You'll see warnings for duplicates before importing

Type Conversion

BlueClerk automatically converts type names:

  • "Inventory" → PRODUCT
  • "Service" → SERVICE
  • "Labor" → LABOR
  • "Non-Taxable" → false
  • "Taxable" → true

Tips

  • Export first to see the expected format
  • Test with a small file before importing hundreds of records
  • Review the preview carefully before clicking Import
  • Prices are in dollars - No need to include currency symbols
  • For homeowners: Include full addresses so properties are created automatically with geocoding

Questions

Q: Can I update existing items or customers? A: Not yet - imports only create new records. To update, edit them individually in BlueClerk.

Q: What happens to duplicates? A: You'll see warnings in the preview. You can choose to skip duplicates or import them anyway (creates separate records).

Q: Can I import from QuickBooks or Xero? A: Use the accounting integrations (Settings > Integrations) to sync automatically instead of importing.

Q: Will importing homeowners create properties automatically? A: Yes! When you import homeowners with addresses, BlueClerk automatically creates Property records with geocoded lat/lng in the background.

Q: Do I need to wait for geocoding to finish? A: No - geocoding runs in the background (fire-and-forget) so your import completes instantly. Properties are created immediately and geocoding happens afterward.

Change 2: AI Price Guardrails

ACTION: NEW

FILENAME: contractors/ai-chat-pricing-rules.md

CONTENT:

title: "AI Chat Pricing Rules" category: "Contractors" description: "How AI handles pricing when rates are missing and when to configure company rates"

Overview

The BlueClerk AI assistant refuses to guess prices when your company hasn't configured rates. This prevents fabricated estimates and ensures customers only see accurate pricing based on your real rates. When rates ARE configured, AI uses them exactly as specified.

How It Works

When Rates Are Missing

If you haven't configured labor rates, material markups, or service call minimums in AI Settings, the assistant will:

  • Refuse to provide prices for estimates or quotes
  • Show a message telling you to configure rates in Settings
  • Not make up numbers - AI never fabricates pricing data
  • Suggest next steps - Directs you to Settings > AI Settings to add your rates

Example conversation:

User: "How much should I charge for a water heater replacement?"

AI: "I can't provide accurate pricing because your company hasn't configured labor rates or material markups yet. Please go to Settings > AI Settings to add your hourly rate and markup percentages, then I can give you precise estimates based on your actual costs."

When Rates Are Configured

Once you add rates in Settings > AI Settings, AI will:

  • Use your exact rates - No guessing or adjusting
  • Apply your material markup - Adds your configured percentage to item costs
  • Include labor at your rate - Uses your hourly rate for time estimates
  • Respect minimum service calls - Ensures estimates meet your minimum charge
  • Reference your item catalog - Uses actual prices from your Items list (up to 200 items with SKU and cost)

Example conversation:

User: "How much should I charge for a water heater replacement?"

AI: "Based on your configured rates ($85/hr labor, 25% material markup, $150 minimum):
- Labor: 3 hours × $85 = $255
- 50-gallon water heater from your catalog: $450 (your cost) × 1.25 markup = $562.50
- Total estimate: $817.50

This includes installation, hauling away the old unit, and testing. Want me to create an estimate with these line items?"
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