You can't answer the phone from a crawl space or a roof. When a call goes to voicemail, most homeowners just call the next contractor on the list. We help you set up text-back and AI answering so fewer of those calls become someone else's job.
Homeowners with a leaking pipe, a dead furnace or a roof estimate to book are usually calling several contractors in a row. Whoever answers, or replies first, tends to get the job. If you are on a ladder or under a sink, you can't be that person, and a voicemail is rarely enough to hold the lead.
The problem is not effort. It is that the person who would answer the phone is the same person doing the work.
of callers who reach voicemail at a home service business hang up and call the next contractor instead of leaving a message, according to Invoca consumer behavior research.
Missed-call text-back sends a text to the caller within seconds of a call you couldn't take, so the lead stays warm. The caller can reply with the details or pick a time, and you see it on your phone.
An AI receptionist goes a step further and answers the call itself. It introduces itself as an AI, collects the address and the problem, books estimates, flags emergencies, and hands off to you when it should.
We don't build either one. We help you find the right third-party provider for your business, then set it up and connect it to your phone, calendar and booking. The provider runs the service and bills you directly; we work with them on your behalf.
A routine call. You're on a roof at 1 p.m. when a homeowner calls about an estimate. You can't pick up, so they get a text a few seconds later asking what they need. They reply with the address and the problem, and pick a time for the estimate. By the time you're down the ladder, it's on your calendar.
An urgent call. At 9 p.m. a customer calls about water coming through a ceiling. The AI receptionist answers, recognizes the urgency, collects the address and flags the call so it reaches your phone right away, instead of waiting in a voicemail box until morning.
Illustrations of how it can work, not client stories.
Any trade where the phone rings while you are on a job and a new lead is worth real money, from HVAC and roofing to remodeling, painting and landscaping. See how it fits each one below.
Solo operators often get the most from it, because the person doing the job is also the person missing the call. Many start with text-back alone and add an AI receptionist later. Plumber or electrician? See AI answering built around plumbing and electrical calls.
Chasing late payments is the other half of the problem. See automated invoice follow-ups for contractors.
A no-heat or no-cooling call is urgent, and it arrives on the coldest and hottest days, when you are busiest. Text-back or the AI receptionist captures the address, the system and the symptom, flags urgent calls under your rules, and books routine tune-ups and install estimates.
Leaks and storm damage can bring a burst of calls at once, along with replacement estimate requests. The receptionist asks where water is getting in and collects the address, then books an inspection or estimate so none of those calls wait for a callback.
Project inquiries arrive by phone, form and text, often while you are on site. The setup captures the project type, address and timeline and books a site visit, so a good lead does not cool off waiting for your evening.
Most calls are estimate requests. The receptionist asks whether it is interior or exterior, roughly how big the job is and when the customer wants it done, then books an on-site estimate on your calendar.
Seasonal rushes and storm cleanups bring more calls than one person can answer. The setup separates urgent storm-damage requests from routine mowing, planting or pruning estimates and sends you a clear summary of each.
These businesses live on quote requests and follow-ups. The setup answers the first call or text, collects the details, books a site assessment or estimate, and keeps the lead from going quiet.
When you can't pick up, the caller gets a text within seconds saying you're on a job and asking what they need. They can reply with the details or book a time, and you get the message on your phone instead of a voicemail to return later.
Many contractors start with text-back alone because it is the simplest piece and covers the most common case, a call you missed while on a job. An AI receptionist goes further by answering the call itself, collecting the details and booking estimates. We help you decide which fits your call volume before anything is set up.
Yes. The receptionist introduces itself as an AI, and callers can ask for a person at any time. Anything it can't or shouldn't handle is passed to you.
Yes. Urgent requests, like a burst pipe, a gas smell or an electrical hazard, can be flagged and routed to reach you right away, while routine estimate and scheduling requests are handled automatically.
No. We help you find the right third-party provider for your business, then set it up and connect it to your phone, calendar and booking. The provider runs the service and bills you directly. We work with them on your behalf.
Yes. We are based in Silicon Valley and meet in person in San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda and Santa Clara counties. For the rest of the Bay Area, including Marin, Contra Costa, Napa, Solano and Sonoma, we work remotely, and the setup does not require us to be in the room. See how we work across the Bay Area.
Setup starts at $500. The provider's own subscription is separate, roughly $30 to $300 a month depending on call volume and features, and is billed to you directly. Your real price is a fixed quote after we talk through your setup. See all starting prices.
Start with a free 30-minute discovery call. We'll look at how calls and estimates reach you today before recommending anything.
