Finally Made the Jump to Jobber… Now What About AI Receptionists?

Question

Hey everyone,After years of debating it, we finally got convinced enough to switch over to Jobber — big moment for our little backflow company here in California. The setup has been smooth so far, but now we’re staring down the next big decision: AI receptionists.I’ve heard mixed reviews about Jobber’s AI Receptionist. Some folks say it’s better than a lot of the options out there, others say it’s still not quite where it needs to be. So now we’re sitting here with a ton of choices and even more questions.We’ve been getting absolutely blown up by Clara AI sales reps, plus about a million other AI companies claiming they can do it better, faster, smarter, cheaper — you name it. I know a lot of these tools integrate with Jobber, which is great, but it also leaves us stuck trying to figure out which direction to go instead of wandering down ten thousand different paths.So I’m asking the pros here:What do you feel is the best AI receptionist for skilled trades? Plumbing, backflow, HVAC, electrical — anything where the calls are technical, urgent, and sometimes chaotic.If you’ve tested multiple platforms, I’d love to hear real‑world experiences. If you’ve stuck with Jobber’s AI Receptionist, I’d love to hear why. If you’ve found a third‑party AI that actually understands trades work, even better.Any solid advice that can point us in one direction instead of ten thousand would be hugely appreciated.Thanks in advance —From Cali with Love, Mr. Backflow

hugehomepros · Answer

Jobber's AI receptionist is pretty good but I would only use it for after hours stuff. Having a human on the phone will always (as of now) be way better for the people. One thing I've learned is that even a VA can be off putting unless their english is perfect and they understand your trade and area a little bit. People can sniff out if it's a receptionist type person and it kind of turns them off. This is just my experience because we offer so many different things.&nbsp;

matt_kaleafirm · Answer

Hey MrBackflow​&nbsp;Congratulations on joining Jobber!&nbsp;I echo HUGEHomePros​&nbsp;&nbsp;sentiments on AI receptionist. It's a great tool in the tool belt when using it outside of business hours or when the humans are too busy to respond.&nbsp;I've been on the forefront of training with ai in general. There are a lot of strong suits. Interacting "face-to-face" with humans is not one of them. I think as long as you realize it's just a tool Jobber AI receptionist is good; however, I would not recommend it replacing someone who does these tasks for you. The AI receptionist should piggyback what they already do to make them better and free up time.&nbsp;As a consumer the quickest way for me to not do business with a company is the utilization of ai for customer facing interactions. There are also significant issues with ai in this position as the primary source. For instance, I was attempting to hire a cleaning company. I reached out to four smaller companies. All four of them used AI in some form for the intake. I needed the cleaning done within 3 weeks. I heard back from one company 5 weeks later and didn't hear back from the rest of the companies. Long story short, all four of these companies lost a repeat customer with a strong referral basis and they probably have no idea.&nbsp;I can elaborate more on the limitations and business pros/cons if you would like but it can get rather lengthy.&nbsp;Great topic! What platforms have you tested?MattKalea Consulting

mims01 · Answer

Congrats on making the move to Jobber! That’s a big step forward for the business. I think you’re asking the right questions with AI because the goal should be finding something that actually helps you grow, capture more calls, and give customers a great experience. Don’t feel like you have to rush the decision—test a few, see what fits your workflow, and go with the one that makes your life easier. You’re already moving in the right direction! 💪

mims01 · Answer

This is a great perspective. I completely agree that AI should be a tool that supports your team, not something that replaces the human connection customers expect. Saving time is great, but if it costs you a customer or a referral because they felt ignored or couldn’t reach a real person, it defeats the purpose. I think the businesses that find the right balance between technology and personal service are going to have a huge advantage moving forward

mims01 · Answer

That’s a great point. I think the real opportunity is getting AI to understand your specific trade and customers instead of giving everyone the same generic experience. The technology is moving fast, so it’ll be interesting to see where it goes.

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Finally Made the Jump to Jobber… Now What About AI Receptionists?

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