The 5 automations that pay in a service business
For a service business, AI pays first where an inquiry leaks out: an unanswered call, a forgotten appointment, a quote nobody chased, a happy customer who never leaves a review. These five tasks come up every day and can be handled once and for all.
| Automation | What it does | Most useful if | Where to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI receptionist | Answers calls in English and Québec French, takes messages and bookings, sends you a summary of every call | You are often on a job site or with a client | AI receptionist |
| Missed-call text | Texts the person whose call you missed | Your customers call several businesses in a row | Automated follow-up |
| Appointment reminders | Sends a text before the appointment | No-shows cost you time slots | Automated follow-up |
| Quote follow-up | Follows up on quotes that got no answer | You send quotes and wait | Automated follow-up |
| Review requests | Sends your Google review link after the visit, to every customer | You have few recent reviews | Review link and QR code tool |
Where to start
One automation at a time, starting with the most expensive leak. My rule of thumb:
- You miss calls during business hours? Start with the missed-call text: it is the cheaper of the two options.
- You mostly miss calls in the evening and on weekends, or people hang up instead of leaving a message? The AI receptionist answers for you and can book the appointment.
- Your calendar is full but people do not show up? Appointment reminders.
- You send a lot of quotes? Automatic follow-ups, for example at 2 days and again at 7 days.
- You have fewer recent Google reviews than your competitors? Review requests, sent to every customer without exception.
A worked example: missed calls
Here is an example with assumptions you should replace with your own numbers. A business gets 30 calls a week and misses 1 in 5: 6 a week, about 26 a month. If half of those calls came from new customers and one in three would have booked, that is about 4 lost customers a month. At $400 per customer, roughly $1,700 a month goes to a competitor.
Against that, automated follow-up costs $125 a month and the AI receptionist $300 a month after setup. The math only holds if your assumptions do: before buying anything, count your missed calls for two weeks in your phone's call log. For a comparison of AI and human answering services in Quebec, read my guide to virtual receptionists in Quebec.
What an AI should never do
A badly set-up automation costs more than none at all. Four limits I apply to every setup:
- Pretend to be a person. Always Booked's receptionist tells callers they are speaking with an automated assistant.
- Make up an answer. It answers from your business's own information (services, hours, service area). For anything else, it takes a message and sends it to you.
- Text without consent. Under section 6 of Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, a commercial electronic message needs the recipient's express or implied consent, identification of the sender and an unsubscribe mechanism.
- Go live untested. You listen to test calls and read every text before launch.
This section is general information, not legal advice.
Prices and what is included
| Service | Setup | Per month | Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI receptionist | $900 | $300 | Up to 300 minutes of calls a month, English and Québec French, a summary of every call |
| Automated follow-up | $600 | $125 | Up to 500 texts a month: missed calls, reminders, quote follow-ups, review requests |
| Complete system | From $5,000 | $1,000 | Both services, plus the website, Google Ads, Facebook and Instagram ads and a monthly strategy call |
All prices are before tax, month to month, with no commitment. See the pricing page for the full packages.
AI automation in Montreal and Laval
Always Booked is based in Laval and works with small businesses in Laval, Montreal, the West Island and the North Shore. The receptionist speaks English and Québec French, which matters in a region where part of your customers call in each language. I do the setup, testing and adjustments myself, and walk you through every setting before launch.
To get more calls to automate in the first place, see my digital marketing agency in Montreal page, which brings ads, the website and these automations together.
Questions
Will my customers know they are talking to an AI?
Yes. Always Booked's receptionist tells callers they are speaking with an automated assistant. It answers from your business's own information, takes messages and bookings, and sends you a summary of every call.
Does the AI replace my receptionist?
Not necessarily. It can answer only in the evening, on weekends or at peak times, when nobody is free. You choose when it takes over.
How many texts and minutes are included?
Automated follow-up includes up to 500 text messages a month, and the AI receptionist up to 300 minutes of calls a month.
What happens if I stop?
Both services are month to month, with no commitment. You can stop at the end of any month.
Want this done for you?
AI receptionist: from $300 / month. A 15-minute call to see if it is a good fit.