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TheRealJIMCLORE's avatar
TheRealJIMCLORE
Contributor 2
23 days ago

I love the AI Receptionist, even though it isn't quite what I really need yet.

AI is becoming a bigger part of the home service world, and Jobber’s AI receptionist has been one of the most surprisingly valuable tools I have added to my business. It is not perfect, but it has changed the way we handle calls, especially during the busy season when every minute matters.

Here is what I love. The AI receptionist makes sure no call goes to voicemail. That alone is worth its weight in gold. Missed calls used to mean missed opportunities. Now someone always answers. The system collects basic information, gathers the details for a new request, and takes clean, general messages when needed. It keeps customers engaged long enough for us to circle back and turn that call into booked business. Those minutes matter.

But since this is the AI category, here is the honest side of things too. The AI receptionist is sharp, but it is not very flexible. The line of questioning feels locked in. It seems designed around filling out the connected request form step by step, instead of listening to the customer and adapting the way a human would. Sometimes it asks questions that do not make sense because they appear on the form, not because they fit the flow of the conversation.

I wish there was more free text space or deeper customization in the AI trainer to teach the system how my business actually works. Every home service business has its quirks, its personality, its way of handling certain kinds of clients. If we could train the AI with more nuance, it would feel more like a human receptionist and less like a form with a voice.

Even with those limitations, the tool is still a win for us. It has saved time. It has kept customers from hanging up. It has bought us breathing room and captured leads we probably would have missed. That is real value.

AI is only going to get better from here. And if Jobber continues building flexibility into this system, I think it is going to become one of the most powerful parts of the entire platform.

For now, it does its job. It keeps the phone alive, keeps the customer talking, and keeps me from drowning in missed calls. And in the world of home services, that is a big deal.

2 Replies

  • PestFreeCanada's avatar
    PestFreeCanada
    Contributor 4
    14 days ago

    I had a thought to look into this before but got distracted as I always do and didn't ever circle back to it. I was thinking that the AI voice should introduce itself as such, just so the customer knows what to expect on the call and speak in a way they think it would understand. Or in the call mention that it is an AI call and if they have a more specific issue, to send an email with the important information...

  • sarconllc's avatar
    sarconllc
    Contributor 2
    6 days ago

    Really well said. This is one of the most balanced takes I have seen on AI receptionists in home services. I agree 100%. AI has come a long way, but rigid, form driven logic is still the biggest gap. We ran into the same issue. It is great at preventing missed calls, but not always great at handling how customers actually talk. What helped us was moving to a more vertical, service specific AI. We use Supportiyo. It is built specifically for home services, so it adapts better to real conversations and industry terminology. It is still not perfect, but it is the closest we have seen so far. Flexibility is really the key, and it sounds like Jobber is moving in the right direction. Appreciate you sharing such an honest breakdown. These tools are only going to keep getting better.