How voice quoting works
Say "6 metres of copper pipe at 95 rand a metre" and a perfect quote line appears. But what actually happens between your voice and the finished quote?
How speech recognition works
When you press the microphone button in Prummo and start speaking, your voice is converted to text in real time. This isn't the basic dictation built into your phone that confuses numbers and units, it's speech recognition trained to understand South African English, including regional accents and trade terminology.
The system recognises numbers, units, and rand values in context. When you say "six metres of 22mm copper pipe at ninety-five a metre", it understands "six" as a quantity, "metres" as a unit, "ninety-five" as a price, and "a metre" as the unit price.
This works because the underlying model was trained on huge volumes of real speech. It isn't guessing at isolated words, it's understanding full sentences in the context of quotes and services.
In practice, you can speak at your normal pace, the way you'd explain a job to a colleague on site. No artificial pauses, no need to spell out technical terms. If you use common trade references, the system picks them up correctly.
What happens to your words
Once speech recognition has converted your words into text, Prummo takes over. The raw transcript of what you said is analysed and organised into structured quote lines.
Prummo identifies each item you mention and extracts four things: description, quantity, unit price, and total. For example, if you say "four 20 amp circuit breakers at 145 rand each", Prummo creates a line with: 20A Circuit Breaker | Quantity: 4 | Unit price: R145.00 | Total: R580.00.
The processing isn't a simple split by commas, it understands context. If you say "labour, two days at 3,600 a day", it knows "two days" is the quantity and "3,600" is the daily rate, even without you saying "rand" or "per day" explicitly. If you say "painting the lounge, 28 square metres at 95", it understands it's a service priced by area.
Prummo also handles corrections mid-sentence. If you say "no wait, it's 12 metres, not 6", the system adjusts. And if you rattle off several items in a row without pausing, as you naturally do when running through the job in your head, Prummo still separates each one into its own line.
All of this happens in a few seconds. Between finishing speaking and seeing the organised quote on screen, it's typically 3 to 5 seconds.
Real examples: from what you say to what appears
Here's what happens in practice when tradespeople dictate a quote.
An electrician says: "Replacement of single-phase distribution board with three-phase, one unit at 4,200 rand, 12 metres of 2.5mm twin and earth cable at 28 a metre, four circuit breakers 20 amp at 145 each, labour six hours at 450 an hour." Prummo creates 4 lines: the distribution board (R4,200), the cable (R336), the breakers (R580), and labour (R2,700), with an automatic total of R7,816.
A plumber says: "Replace geyser with Kwikot 150 litre wall-mounted unit, one unit at 4,800 rand, six metres of copper pipe at 95 a metre, two gate valves at 145 each, labour five hours at 450." Result: 4 lines, total calculated automatically.
A painter says: "Flat painting, lounge 28 square metres at 95 a metre, main bedroom 18 metres at 95, second bedroom 16 metres at 95, ceilings 40 metres at 105, materials three tins of paint at 1,450 each." Result: 5 lines with areas, prices per metre, and totals.
Notice that none of these examples follow a rigid script. Every tradesperson speaks differently, and Prummo adapts. You don't need to memorise a format, just talk the way you normally would.
How to get started in 1 minute
Using voice quotes in Prummo is simpler than it sounds. No setup, no installation, no templates to configure first.
Open Prummo in your phone's browser and create a free account, it takes about 30 seconds. Tap "New Quote", then the microphone icon. Start speaking: describe the job as if you're explaining it to a colleague. Materials, quantities, prices, labour. Prummo handles the rest.
When you're done talking, review the result. You can edit any line, change a description, adjust a price, add or remove an item. When you're happy with it, tap "Send via WhatsApp". The customer receives a professional link.
A few practical tips for better results: mention the price right after the item ("copper pipe at 95 a metre") rather than listing everything and then reading out prices at the end. Use clear units ("metres", "units", "hours", "square metres"). Don't worry about hesitating or repeating yourself, Prummo filters that out.
Your first quote might take 2 minutes while you get used to it. From the second one onwards, a minute is plenty. And the time you save, 20 to 30 minutes compared with writing it out by hand, is time you can spend on the next job.
Frequently asked questions
Does Prummo understand South African trade terms like distribution board or geyser?
Yes. The system recognises trade terminology used across electrical, plumbing, painting, and general construction work in South Africa. Common terms like distribution board, geyser, and twin and earth cable are recognised correctly.
What if something comes out wrong?
You can edit any line after Prummo organises the quote. Change descriptions, prices, quantities, or add new lines. The result is a starting point that saves you most of the typing.
Do I need an internet connection to use voice quoting?
Yes. Speech recognition needs an internet connection. Normal mobile data works fine, you don't need WiFi.
Does it work if I have load-shedding and lose signal briefly?
You need a live connection while dictating, so if signal drops mid-recording you may need to redo that section. Once you've got connectivity back, the quote picks up normally, nothing you've already sent is lost.
Can I dictate prices in rand with cents, like R145.50?
Yes. Say the amount naturally, "one forty-five fifty" or "a hundred and forty-five rand fifty", and Prummo will interpret it correctly as R145.50 in the quote line.
Can I record the quote in a noisy environment, like on site?
The system handles reasonable background noise well, most tradespeople dictate quotes on site or in the van between jobs. For very loud environments, stepping somewhere slightly quieter for a minute gives the most accurate result.