Is an AI receptionist worth it for a trade business?
It's worth it when the jobs it saves you are worth more than its full monthly bill. This page shows the arithmetic with the bills on this site. It can't tell you how many jobs a receptionist will save you; only your own call log can.
The break-even math
Jobs a month to cover the bill = full monthly bill ÷ gross profit per job. Gross profit is what a job leaves after parts and labor, not the invoice total.
The table takes the lowest, median and highest full monthly bill among the vendors we track that publish a price at two example call volumes, and three example profits per job: $150, $300 and $600 Unverified. These are examples to show the math, not predictions for your business.
| Full monthly bill | At $150 a job | At $300 a job | At $600 a job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest bill at 200 calls: $105.33 | 1 job | 1 job | 1 job |
| Median bill at 200 calls: $205.65 | 2 jobs | 1 job | 1 job |
| Highest bill at 200 calls: $898.50 | 6 jobs | 3 jobs | 2 jobs |
| Lowest bill at 450 calls: $129 | 1 job | 1 job | 1 job |
| Median bill at 450 calls: $409.80 | 3 jobs | 2 jobs | 1 job |
| Highest bill at 450 calls: $2,173.50 | 15 jobs | 8 jobs | 4 jobs |
Example call lengths: 3 minutes at 200 calls, 3.5 minutes at 450 Unverified. Jobs are rounded up to whole jobs. The lowest bill isn't always the vendor that fits you; price your own call volume and use the bill of the vendor you're considering.
When it isn't worth it
- You or your office already answer nearly every call, including after hours.
- Most of your calls are existing customers or suppliers, not new jobs.
- It can't do what your callers need, such as booking into your scheduling software or putting an emergency through to you.
- Your volume puts you deep into overage charges, so the bill grows faster than the jobs. Overage charges compared
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Answers when you're on a job, driving or closed | A monthly bill that rises with call volume on most plans |
| Takes the same details on every call | Some callers would rather talk to a person |
| Some book straight into Jobber, Housecall Pro or ServiceTitan | Setup time: your services, prices, hours and rules |
| Many offer a trial, so you can measure before you commit | Some bill for spam and wrong numbers; ServiceTitan's FAQ says every call counts Verified |
How to measure it in your business
- From your phone log, count last month's missed calls and how many were from new customers.
- Note your gross profit on a typical job.
- During a trial month, count the jobs booked from calls the AI answered that you would have missed.
- Compare those jobs' gross profit with the full monthly bill at your volume.
Questions
- Is an AI receptionist worth it for a small trade business?
- It is when the jobs it saves you each month are worth more than its full monthly bill. If you already answer nearly every call, or most calls aren't new work, it may not be.
- How do I work out the break-even?
- Divide the full monthly bill by your gross profit on a typical job. The result is how many jobs a month it has to save to pay its way. Use the calculator for the bill at your own call volume.
- What does the bill include?
- On this site, the full monthly bill includes the plan plus any base plan, seat or phone number the vendor requires. Taxes, one-time fees and optional extras are not included.
- Can I try one before paying?
- Several vendors list a free trial or a free plan. A trial month is a good time to count how many calls the AI answers that turn into booked jobs.
Calculator · AI Receptionist Price Index · Free trials and free plans · AI receptionist vs answering service · Jobber AI receptionist cost
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