For Franchise Owner-Operator (Service Business)s ·
What you'll accomplish
Supplier quotes arrive as PDFs and emails in different layouts, and lining them up by hand takes an hour of retyping. You will upload the quotes to Claude and ask for one table: a row per item, a column per supplier, and extra columns for lead time, delivery, payment terms and what each quote leaves out. That last column often catches the thing you would otherwise discover after you order. Claude adds no prices of its own. You check each figure against the original quote and do the totals in your own spreadsheet.
What you'll need
Data caution. Quotes can hold account numbers, contact names and your business details. Before you upload, remove account numbers, customer numbers and personal contact details. Customer and staff records never belong in this workflow, and they stay in your brand's required system. Open Claude's privacy settings to check whether chats and uploaded files may be used to improve the model and how long they are kept. If your supplier terms or your franchisor limit what you can share, follow those first.
Check approved vendors first. Your operations manual or your franchise business consultant is the authority on whether your brand has approved or required vendors. Settle that before you compare prices, because a cheaper quote from a vendor your brand does not allow does not help you.
What you should see: one clean file per supplier. Troubleshooting: A photo of a paper quote may not read well. Claude's upload page says it can read images, but a typed or PDF copy is easier to check.
Claude's upload page says you can click the plus button in the chat box, choose to add files or photos, and pick files from your device, or drag and drop them into the chat.
What you should see: the file names above the message box. Troubleshooting: If an upload fails, save the file in another supported type, such as PDF or plain text. Claude's page lists limits on size and number of files per chat.
Paste the prompt below.
These are three supplier quotes, labeled S-1, S-2 and S-3. They are invented for practice. Build one table with one row per item and one column per supplier. Copy each unit price exactly as written in the quote. Add rows for lead time, delivery, and payment terms. Add a final row called "What this quote leaves out" for each supplier.
Rules:
1. Do not add, multiply, total or average anything. Do not add any price of your own.
2. If a supplier did not quote an item, write "Not quoted".
3. If a detail is missing from a quote, write "Not stated".
4. Quote the line you took each figure from, or name the file.
5. Do not recommend a supplier.
What you should see: a table like the one below. Troubleshooting: If Claude adds a total or a recommendation, reply "Rule 1: remove all totals and recommendations" and ask again.
The correct table for the invented quotes looks like this (plain numbers, no totals):
| Item | S-1 | S-2 | S-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-purpose spray, case of 12 | 36 per case | 34 per case | 38 per case |
| Microfiber cloths, pack of 50 | 28 per pack | 31 per pack | 27 per pack |
| Vacuum bags, box of 10 | 21 per box | Not quoted | 19 per box |
| Lead time | 3 business days | 5 business days | 2 business days |
| Delivery | Included | Included | Charge of 12 per order |
| Payment terms | Net 30 | Net 30 | Payment at order |
| What it leaves out | Return terms, quote validity | Vacuum bags, return terms, quote validity | Return terms, quote validity |
What you should see: every cell matches a line in a quote, and every gap is named. Troubleshooting: If a cell says something that is not in the quote, tell Claude "That is not in the quote. Show me the line," and correct the table.
Claude does no arithmetic you rely on, so totals go in your sheet.
What you should see: a sheet where every number traces back to a quote line. Troubleshooting: If your total differs from the example, recheck the quantities (10, 4 and 6) before you blame the quotes.
What you should see: a table and sheet that match the quotes line for line. Troubleshooting: If Claude's table misread a number, ask it to show the source line for that cell, then correct it yourself.
Questions for a supplier
Using the "What this quote leaves out" row for [S-2], draft a short email asking about each missing item. Keep it polite, put my name and details in [brackets], and do not mention what other suppliers quoted.
Side-by-side terms
Compare only the delivery, lead time and payment terms across the three quotes. Quote the line for each.
Mismatch check
Compare the item names across the three quotes and tell me if any two are not clearly the same product, such as a different pack size. Do not compare prices.
Reorder note
Write a short reorder message to [Supplier S-1] listing the items and quantities I give you: [list]. Leave price, account number and delivery address in [brackets].