24/7 AI Receptionist for Missed & After-Hours Calls
Office is closed or dispatch is busy; emergency callers hit voicemail and call the next company.
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Guides / AI tools & pricing
AI tools & pricing
Last updated · Reviewed by Jacob Campos
Choosing and paying for AI tools: what they cost, how they bill, and how to compare vendors fairly.
Workflows in this guide
60-Second Speed-to-Lead SMS + Voice Agent
Web/LSA/Facebook leads wait 30+ min; homeowner books first responder.
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Missed-Call Text-Back Automation
Tech/owner misses call on a job site; no callback for hours.
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Website Chat to Booked Job Agent
Site visitors browse at 9pm, don't want to call, form abandonment is high.
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LSA & Google Ads Lead Qualifier
Paid leads include renters, out-of-area, wrong service; reps waste time calling all equally.
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AI Dispatch & Route Optimizer Assistant
Dispatcher juggles skills, location, urgency, parts - reschedules create windshield time.
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Solar Bill & Roof Qualification Agent
Reps drive to homes with low bills, renters, or bad roofs - wasted site visits.
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Appointment Reminder + No-Show Reducer
Homeowners forget, tech arrives to empty house, route collapses.
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Waitlist & Cancellation Backfill Agent
Cancellations leave holes; waitlisted customers already booked competitor.
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Price-Shopper SMS Handler with Guardrails
'How much for...?' leads get ignored or quoted badly by text; they still book inspections.
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Emergency Triage & On-Call Routing
True emergencies (no heat, burst pipe, sparking) wait in same queue as tune-ups.
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AI Missed-Call Text-Back for Roofers in Storm Season
Set your phone system to send an automatic text within a minute of any missed call, then let an AI assistant collect the address, damage type, and insurance status by text.
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HVAC Missed Calls During Heat Waves and Cold Snaps
Route overflow calls to an AI voice agent only when your CSRs are busy, and have it collect the details and book from real open slots.
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Solar Speed-to-Lead Follow-Up for Web Leads
Text every new web lead within minutes and have AI ask the few questions that decide fit: ownership, roof age and shade, average electric bill, and timeline.
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Plumbing Emergency Missed-Call Triage
When a call is missed, text back immediately and have AI sort it into emergency or routine.
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Electrical Permit & Inspection Scheduling Assistant
Track every open permit in one sheet, and have AI generate a daily list of inspections to request, homeowner access texts, and prep checklists for the crew.
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Remodel Selections Deadline Reminders
Build a selections schedule from your project timeline and lead times, then have AI send friendly reminders before each deadline with links to the options.
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Landscaping & Lawn Care Rain-Delay Rescheduling
When weather cancels a route, have AI draft one clear text per affected customer with the new day, based on your rescheduled route.
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Tools for this topic
- Smith.ai AI Receptionist: Shops that want AI answering with a live-agent backup option. Free (25 calls/mo, then $3/call); Pro $150/mo for 75 calls
- Goodcall: Solo operators who want a predictable flat monthly bill. $79/mo (100 unique customers), $129/mo, $299/mo
- Rosie: Low-cost after-hours and overflow answering for small shops. $49/mo (250 min), $149/mo (1,000 min), $299/mo (2,000 min)
- Retell AI: Builders or agencies wiring a custom voice agent into a CRM. Pay as you go, $0.07-$0.31/min
- Synthflow: Large, multi-location operations with high call volume. Enterprise contracts from $30,000/yr
- Ruby (live receptionists + AI assist): Owners who want humans answering, with AI features on top. See pricing
- Twilio (SMS): DIY missed-call text back with n8n/Make or custom code. $0.0083 per SMS segment + carrier fees; local number $1.15/mo
- Podium: Shops that want texting, reviews, webchat, and payments in one inbox. See pricing
- Hatch: Established teams working old estimates and leads with AI follow-up. See pricing
- Jobber: Solo and small crews that want quoting, scheduling, and invoicing in one app. Core from $29/mo billed annually ($49/mo with no commitment); Receptionist add-on $29/mo
- Housecall Pro: Residential service shops (HVAC, plumbing, electrical) that want built-in review and financing tools. Basic $59/mo billed annually
- Workiz: Phone-heavy service businesses that want a built-in phone system and AI answering. See pricing
- ServiceTitan: Larger HVAC, plumbing, and electrical companies with dispatchers and call centers. See pricing
- NiceJob: Automated review requests with little setup. Starter $75/mo, Pro $125/mo
- Birdeye: Multi-location businesses managing reviews across many listings. See pricing
- Google Business Profile: Everyone: your review link, review replies, and map listing. Free
- Roofr: Roofers who want measurements, proposals, and e-signatures in one place. Starter $0 (reports from $19 each); Essentials $249/mo; AI Receptionist add-on $99/mo
- ChatGPT: Drafting follow-ups, review replies, scopes, and checklists. Free plan; paid plans: see pricing
- Claude: Long documents: proposals, permit checklists, contract summaries. Free; Pro $20/mo monthly ($17/mo billed annually)
- Google Gemini: Teams already on Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Sheets). See pricing
Prices are from vendor pricing pages. See the full comparison for checked dates and sources.
Questions this guide covers
We're answering these one at a time. Answered questions link to their page.
- Which AI tools should a contractor start with?
- How much do AI tools cost for a small contractor?
- ChatGPT vs Claude for contractors: which is better?
- Do I need a paid ChatGPT plan for my business?
- Which field service CRMs have AI features?
- Jobber vs Housecall Pro for AI features?
- What does an AI receptionist really cost at my call volume?
- How do per-minute, per-call, and per-customer pricing compare?
- What hidden fees should I watch for with AI tools?
- How do I run a fair trial of an AI tool?
- Can I build my own AI receptionist with Twilio and an LLM?
- What is n8n and should contractors use it?
- Are AI tools secure enough for customer data?
- How do I calculate ROI for an AI tool?
- Should I buy an add-on or a standalone AI tool?
- How often do AI tool prices change?
Free calculators: missed-call cost · AI receptionist ROI