Electrical contractors and technicians often work across multiple job sites. There are usually one or two people inside the office who handle calls. No matter how efficient, these are real people who need breaks and can only work for standard business hours. The risk of losing business, customers, and leads is high, and eventually, all that means is lost opportunities. If your company is struggling with missed leads and calls, it is time to consider an AI-powered answering service for electricians. Here is an overview!
Incredible Advantages of 24/7 answering services
Many AI answering solutions and receptionists are designed for service providers. Signpost, for example, has an AI voice agent that hundreds of small businesses in the United States are currently using. Their AI receptionist is not only limited to taking calls but also integrates with existing tools and automates customer reviews. If you decide to rely on voicemail, you will lose customers – period. Callers are no longer interested in waiting or leaving messages. They expect prompt responses, and when that’s missing, they will immediately choose the next available electrician. Also, the domain is all about emergencies and unexpected breakdowns, which means waiting isn’t a choice for customers either.
The benefits are real, including:
- Real-Time Availability: AI doesn’t require a caller to wait. It can answer all calls, covering weekends, holidays, and rush hours with equal ease.
- Capture All Leads: AI can automatically collect caller details, including requests, contact information, location and names. Your team doesn’t have to waste time on manual data entry.
- Routing as Required: What if a customer needs more support or bespoke solutions? In such cases, AI will route the call to an available electrician or team member, ensuring there are no delays.
- Mobile App for Fast Notifications: Your team can also see leads and messages on the go with a mobile app. This is useful for electricians and busy team members hustling between job sites.
- Compete with Bigger Players: As a small business, you may not be able to hire more people, but with AI handling all calls, you can certainly compete with larger companies and services.
- Customer Trust: The first impression within seconds is always useful for building customer trust. If you respond soon, you have a better chance of getting positive reviews.
- Marketing Automation: Providers also often have this feature, which means sending confirmed bookings directly to teams.
- Integration with Electrician Tools: No matter whether you use QuickBooks or Housecall Pro, your AI answering service can integrate with existing tools with the right provider.
- Payment Support: You can also get notifications when payments are due or someone makes a payment, ensuring your billing details are always in check.
What to Look for in a 24/7 Answering Solution?
Start with configuration and features that align with your electrical business. As we discussed before, features are critical, but always choose an AI receptionist that makes sense in the long run. Integration with existing tools and CRM is always advantageous, and it is also essential to get urgent notifications via email and SMS. Contrary to what many business owners assume, AI doesn’t have to sound flat. Today, AI models rely on conversational AI and voice synthesis, which means their responses are very natural. However, you may want to listen to a few calls to understand the outcome.
Finally, don’t forget to check whether the service can scale with you. As your electrical business grows, you should be able to use the AI agent to take more calls.
Takeaways
If you have never used an AI answering service, it is okay to feel concerned. However, if you choose a service provider like Signpost with a good product, you will find the onboarding process extremely simple. Start with a demo and review the AI agent for a few months, after which you can consider a long-term commitment.
