AI phone answering: answers calls you can't pick up and emails you who called and what they need.
The AI Power Users Trade Playbook
Every Call Answered. Even When You Can't.
Missed calls after hours and on the job turn into jobs for your competitor. Many callers won't leave a voicemail. Here's how to get every call answered and every job's details captured, without hiring a receptionist.
Quick answer: For most phone-driven service businesses, the first AI move is to stop losing the calls and quote requests you already get. That means two things:
- an AI receptionist that answers calls you can't, day or after hours, and emails you the details
- follow-up on open quotes
Every page in this playbook says what a tool does, what it won't do, and links to the vendor's own documentation so you can check it yourself.
Pick your trade
| Trade | Page | Status |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC | /tradeplaybook-hvac | Live now |
| Plumbing | /tradeplaybook/plumbing | Live now |
| Roofing | /tradeplaybook/roofing | Live now |
| Electrical, Solar, Landscaping, Pest control, House cleaning, Auto repair/detailing, Dental/med-spa | n/a | Coming soon. Tell us which one you want next (form below). |
How this playbook works
- One trade per page. Each page has 5 or 6 use cases that matter for that trade.
- Every use case card follows the same format:
- the problem, in an owner's words
- what the AI does
- setup difficulty (DIY, Medium, or Have it done)
- example tools, with links to their docs
- a one-line verdict
- An honesty box on each page ("What it won't do").
- A compliance box on each page covering reviews, AI calls, and call recording. Each one links to primary sources.
- No invented numbers. If we don't have a sourced number, we don't print one.
The use cases we cover
AI receptionist / after-hours answering: an AI voice agent answers or backs up your line.
Quote and estimate follow-up: polite nudges on open quotes.
Review requests: ask every customer for an honest review.
Appointment reminders: cut no-shows with email reminders.
Website AI chat: answers common questions and books appointments.
Instant estimates (roofing): online ballpark pricing that qualifies leads.
Option A: Do it yourself
Send me one plain-English AI tip a week
Each week: one practical AI play for your trade, with sources.
Option B: Done for you
Get every call answered
Or start with the Missed-Call Test: Test my phone line ($297). Pick either one; we'll confirm which fits by email after you send the form.
Dearie Digital builds on HighLevel.
Every Call Answered. Every Caller's Details in Your Inbox.
Voice-First Front Desk for your trade: an AI receptionist that answers your phone
Your phone gets answered every time: nights, weekends, and while you're on a job. You get an email with every caller's details so you can book the work. We set it all up. You don't build anything.
- An AI receptionist that answers your phone when you can't: after hours, on a job, or on another call. You decide when it picks up.
- It sounds like your business. It uses your business name, hours and service area, and asks the questions you want asked.
- It captures the job: name, number, address and what they need, so you can book it.
- An email to you after every call with a short summary.
- Emergencies go to you. If a caller says one of the words you choose, like "flooding" or "no heat," the call goes straight to your on-call phone.
- It tells callers the call may be recorded.
- You hear it first. We call your line before and after launch so you hear exactly what your callers hear. Nothing goes live until you say yes.
- A monthly call report, and we keep improving it while you're with us.
- Fixes after launch: if something breaks, we respond by the next business day.
How it goes
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0 | Kickoff. You tell us your hours, service area, and what counts as an emergency. |
| 1–2 | We send you the script. You approve it within 2 business days. |
| 3–5 | We build it and make test calls. |
| 6 | You call it yourself and sign off. |
| 7 | It's live. |
Not live by day 7? We keep working free until it is.
Price
$1,500 setup + $497/month. 3-month minimum, then month-to-month.
Start with the Missed-Call Test
Not sure yet? Start with the Missed-Call Test ($297). We call your line 10 times and show you what callers hear in a 20-minute review. If you start the Voice-First Front Desk within 14 days, the full $297 comes off your setup. Test my phone line ($297): use the "Done for you" form below.
Only 4 a month
We set up 4 new Voice-First Front Desks a month (an AI receptionist that answers your phone). Chas runs every kickoff, and we don't rush builds. When the month is full, you go on next month's list.
Guarantee
Missed-Call Test ($297): We call your line 10 times and show you what callers hear, plus a 20-minute review, done within 5 business days, or your $297 comes back. We only call your line after you reply "yes" to the audit confirmation email.
Voice-First Front Desk (an AI receptionist that answers your phone): approve your script within 2 business days of our request, and your phone is answered by day 7. After launch, if something breaks, we respond by the next business day.
Not live by day 7? We keep working free until it is.
The guarantee covers what we control: our delivery and our timeline. It doesn't cover how many people call, how many jobs you book, how emergencies turn out, or outages at your phone company.
What we won't promise
- More jobs or more money. We make sure your calls get answered and you get the details. Booking the job and doing the work is still yours.
- Perfect calls every time. The AI receptionist follows the script you approve. We test it, listen, and fix what's off.
- How an emergency turns out. We send emergency calls to the phone you pick. We can't promise someone answers it. Keep your own on-call plan.
- Text messages. This is phone answering with email alerts to you. It doesn't text your customers.
Option A: Do it yourself
Send me one plain-English AI tip a week
Each week: one practical AI play for your trade, with sources.
Option B: Done for you
Get every call answered
Or start with the Missed-Call Test: Test my phone line ($297). Pick either one; we'll confirm which fits by email after you send the form.
Dearie Digital builds on HighLevel.
FAQ
What should I start with?
Start with getting every call answered: an AI receptionist on after-hours and busy-time calls, with an email to you after each one.
Do I need to replace my current software?
Not necessarily. Several field-service platforms now include their own AI phone agents: ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, and Jobber all do (see the sources below). Customer-list tools like HighLevel offer AI agents as well. Start with what you already pay for.
Will an AI answer every call?
Only if routing is set up correctly. HighLevel's own documentation notes that assigning a number to a Voice AI agent "does not guarantee that the agent will answer every call." Routing, working hours, and timeouts all affect it.
Can AI call my leads for me?
Be careful. In February 2024 the FCC confirmed that AI-generated voices count as "artificial" voices under the TCPA, so those calls need the called party's prior express consent.
Sources
- HighLevel, Voice AI agents (create, test, deploy): https://help.gohighlevel.com/support/solutions/articles/155000004107-how-to-create-voice-ai-agents
- ServiceTitan, AI Voice Agent FAQ: https://help.servicetitan.com/v1/docs/ai-voice-agent-for-basic-phones-and-phones-pro-faq
- Housecall Pro, CSR AI overview: https://help.housecallpro.com/en/articles/9740104-csr-ai-overview
- Jobber, Receptionist (Jobber AI): https://help.getjobber.com/en/articles/receptionistpowered-by-jobber-ai/
- FCC Declaratory Ruling FCC-24-17 (AI voices under the TCPA): https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-24-17A1.pdf