> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.kordless.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quote from experience

> Capture how you price from memory and experience by explaining it in your own words, then review and publish it as a Book.

You know what a job should cost — you have quoted hundreds of them — but you have never written the rules down. Kordless can capture how you price by having you explain it in your own words. Read this page to finish with a publishable Book in Test mode.

## Your situation

<Note>
  This path is for you if you price **from memory and experience** — you know the price when you see the job, but there is no list to point to. If you already have a price list, start from [start from a price list](/product/scenarios/start-from-a-price-list). If you have **no price book and no idea where to start**, start from [no price book](/product/scenarios/start-with-no-price-book).
</Note>

## How this path works

Kordless asks you to describe, in your own words, how you price the work today. It reads your description and turns it into plain-language rules. You then review, correct, calibrate, and verify those rules. The hardest part is putting your knowledge into words — this page shows you exactly how to do it.

## The example we follow

Riverside Custom is a busy tinting and detailing shop. The owner, Dana, has quoted thousands of cars and "just knows" what each job costs. She has never written it down. We follow Dana as she captures her pricing by explaining it. Where you see Dana, do the same with your own way of pricing.

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Book start">
    From your workspace, click **Book** in the left navigation, then **Start a new Book**.

    You will see three starting methods. Choose **Explain how we quote** — it says describing how you price in your own words is enough to get started.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Describe how you price">
    This is the core step. Write down how you price today, in plain language. Two tips make this much easier:

    1. **Describe your starting price** — "A standard sedan window tint is \$180."
    2. **Describe the adjustments** — "SUVs and trucks cost more. Roofs are extra. If the car is filthy, add \$30 to the detail price."

    Dana writes something like this:

    > Window tint is $180 for a sedan. SUVs and trucks are $250. Sunroof is $50 extra. Ceramic tint is $100 more than regular. Detailing starts at $120 for a sedan interior, and adds $40 for SUVs. Really dirty cars add \$30.

    Do not worry about perfect wording or a perfect structure — the Review step will show you exactly what was captured, and you can fix every sentence there.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Answer questions">
    Kordless may ask clarifying questions about what you described — for example, "Does the \$30 dirty-car charge apply to both tint and detail?" Answer the ones you can with **Looks right**, **Not needed**, or by choosing a value. Questions marked **Required to publish** must be answered before the Book can publish. See [Answer questions](/product/book/answer-questions).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review what was captured">
    When the description is processed, the status changes to **Needs review**. Open **Review** in the Book menu.

    You will see every rule as a plain-language sentence, such as:

    * "Window tint base price is \$180 for a sedan."
    * "SUVs and trucks add \$70 to the window tint price."
    * "Ceramic tint adds \$100 to the window tint price."

    Check each sentence against what you meant. Fix anything wrong with **Edit**, and add anything you forgot with **Add rule**. See [Review the draft](/product/book/review-draft).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Calibrate with example jobs">
    Open **Calibrate**. Kordless generates boundary cases — jobs where a small detail might change the answer, like a truck with a sunroof and ceramic tint. For each case, pick the outcome you would actually quote:

    | Button                          | When to use it                                             |
    | ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
    | Correct                         | The price matches what you would charge.                   |
    | Wrong price                     | The price is wrong. Enter the price you would charge.      |
    | It depends                      | This work needs your judgment each time — route to review. |
    | I would not quote this remotely | The job needs an in-person inspection.                     |

    This is where your experience becomes explicit. Every case you confirm or correct teaches the Book how you actually price. See [Calibrate scenarios](/product/book/calibrate).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the statements">
    Open **Verify**. Every material rule must be explicitly verified before it can reach a customer. Read each statement and choose **Verify**. The Book cannot publish while any material rule is unverified. See [Verify Statements](/product/book/verify).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Preview and publish to Test">
    Open **Preview & publish**. The preview shows how the Book compiles and any remaining blockers. When there are no blockers, publish to **Test**. This does not reach customers — Test is your sandbox.

    Dana publishes to Test and tries a few sample quotes before moving further. See [Preview and publish](/product/book/preview-and-publish).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go Live when you are ready">
    When you are confident, open **Preview & publish** again and publish to **Live**. The environment indicator in the top bar changes to **Live**. Only now can quotes reach real customers. See [Test and Live](/product/getting-started/test-and-live).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Completion check

* [ ] The Book status chip shows **Live** (or **Live · changes pending** if you edited after publishing).
* [ ] Review showed **Ready to publish** with no blockers before you published.
* [ ] Every material rule was verified.
* [ ] You published to Test first, tried sample quotes, then published to Live.

## Stuck? Start here

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I cannot put my pricing into words">
    Start with the two tips from [Describe how you price](#describe-how-you-price): first your starting price, then your adjustments. If you still get stuck, do one job in your head: "A customer asks for a sedan window tint — what do I say?" Write that down, then the next job that is slightly different, and note what changed. Two or three examples are enough to start. The Book does not need to be perfect on the first try — Calibrate is where you correct it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Kordless captured my description wrong">
    Open [Review the draft](/product/book/review-draft) and correct the rules with **Edit**. Every sentence is editable. You can also remove rules that were captured but should not exist.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Kordless asked questions I cannot answer">
    Only **Required to publish** questions block publication. For anything else, skip it and continue. You can answer more questions anytime. See [Answer questions](/product/book/answer-questions).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I published to Test but do not see Live">
    Publishing to Test is a separate step from publishing to Live. Open **Preview & publish** again and choose **Live**. See [Preview and publish](/product/book/preview-and-publish).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Send your first quote" icon="paper-airplane" href="/product/quotes/overview">
    With a Live Book, you can create and send quotes to customers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Keep the Book current" icon="arrows-right-left" href="/product/book/update-live-book">
    Learn how to update the Live Book when your prices change.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>