AI Receptionist for Trades & Service Businesses

A connection to ServiceM8, Tradify, AroFlo, simPRO or Fergus is not part of Starter or Professional and can be scoped as custom work on a quote. On the Professional plan the AI books into your Google Calendar or Outlook: when a customer calls to book a job, the AI checks your real-time availability, books the appointment into your calendar, and sends the customer an SMS confirmation with the date, time window, and your business details. It respects travel time between jobs and can prioritise emergency callouts based on your rules.

You configure your emergency protocols during setup. For genuine emergencies (burst pipes, electrical faults, gas leaks, no hot water in winter) the AI can immediately transfer the call to your mobile, send an urgent SMS with the customer details and address, or escalate to your on-call team member. For non-urgent requests, it books the next available slot and reassures the customer their job is logged. You control what counts as an emergency and how each type is handled.

Yes. The AI tells customers it is an AI assistant at the start of each call and answers honestly if asked. The system uses natural, conversational Australian English and understands trade-specific terminology. It knows the difference between a hot water system replacement and a tap washer.

No. The AI does not give prices or quotes on the call. It captures the job details your team needs to quote, explains your quoting process, and books a quote visit for jobs that need an on-site inspection. If you choose to publish a fixed callout fee, the AI can tell callers that fee.

The AI is trained to recognise when a question exceeds its knowledge, for example, specific fault diagnosis or custom fabrication enquiries. In these cases, it takes a detailed message including the customer's description of the issue, captures photos via MMS if offered, and schedules a callback from you during your preferred callback window. It never guesses or provides incorrect technical advice, which protects both your reputation and the customer's safety.

Unlike a single receptionist or your own phone, the AI answers several calls at once. Monday mornings are typically the busiest time for trade businesses, homeowners discover weekend problems and businesses need urgent repairs. Callers get the same professional greeting without an engaged signal or voicemail, so fewer hang up to call your competitor.

Absolutely. The AI collects the customer's address, contact details, a description of the problem, the best access instructions, and any safety information (dogs on property, asbestos concerns, locked gates). It can also request photos via SMS or MMS follow-up so you can assess the job before arriving. All this information is sent to you in a structured job summary via SMS or email, or pushed directly into your job management software.

A part-time receptionist is paid by the hour and covers only the hours they work. Our Professional plan costs $599 a month plus GST and answers 24/7, including public holidays, weekends and after hours when many emergency callouts come in. For example, if your average job is worth $400 and the AI books two extra jobs a month that would otherwise have gone to voicemail or a competitor, that is $800 of work against $599 a month plus GST on Professional, or $299 plus GST on Starter if business hours are enough. Check it with your own job value and margin.