Is your contracting company harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI)? If not, it’s time to step up. Leveraging AI isn’t as difficult as you might think, and the rewards are immense. Companies that embrace AI operate with greater speed, intelligence, and efficiency, leaving those that don’t at risk of being left behind—the choice is yours.
Conversational Bots
Approximately 28%-30% of inbound calls are revenue-generating. We know this because we’ve analyzed thousands of skilled trades calls using AI.
A common disconnect occurs when contractors try to force the front office employees into roles they do not excel at. Placing individuals in roles where they excel is what we refer to as “skill-based routing.” This approach is especially beneficial in a call center, where leads are assigned to agents with the most relevant skills, technical expertise, and language fluency needed to handle their concerns. The goal is to minimize cost and maximize customer experience by routing calls based on the customer profile or needs. AI can assist to route calls to achieve the best results.
And when it comes to inbound calls, how many calls are you receiving and is your staff able to handle the volume? This is yet another problem that may be solved with AI.
For the sake of this example, let’s assume a skilled CSR can adequately handle six calls every hour. Across a six-or seven-hour workday, a CSR can handle approximately 36-42 calls per day, assuming these calls arrive consecutively. If your call volume exceeds this ratio, you will likely need to adjust your staffing needs.
What happens if you receive 50 calls all at once? Following a well-executed marketing campaign, I once had a client receive 682 calls in one day. Even your best CSR is ill-equipped to handle that workload.
One solution lies in automated or conversational bots. These bots can be scripted to handle most customer service requests, freeing up your CSRs’ time to handle revenue-generating calls.
You may be wondering: Will these bots replace my employees? No. As the bots are tasked with the most basic, mundane questions, your CSRs will be focused on building customer value and further establishing loyalty with your customer base. Using AI in this manner will help you shift your focus from customer service to customer success.
Easier Than You Think
AI should not frighten you. In its most granular form, AI is simply a linear equation relating data to other data to establish a predictive outcome. Leveraging AI is easier than you think. In fact, if you’ve ever worked with accounting software, such as QuickBooks, you’re already using AI. For example, these programs may suggest categories for your financial data, i.e., a stop at Aldi’s or Costco is tagged as “grocery.”
Based on our patterns and documented results, AI can help contractors establish which techs are the best at selling specific goods or services. For example, your data may show that Johnny excels at selling commercial water heater replacements, and Joey has the lowest callback percentage. Using this information, we can now prioritize commercial calls as Johnny’s and the toughest assignments are sent to Joey. Using AI, we don’t need to be in the same buildings or zip codes as our clients, we simply need to automate their data and encourage them to follow through on the results.
AI can also be used to filter leads. Each incoming call can (and should) be categorized and redirected based on specific data points. If a caller has a history of simply calling to complain, that call can be redirected to a CSR who excels at conflict resolution. Calls that originate outside of your selling zones can be identified as “low priority.” With AI, we no longer have to burden our best CSRs with low-hanging fruit, nor do we have to roll a truck out to every job. Time is money, and every second counts.
Setting Your Own Pace
The service industry has a reputation for being slow to innovate, but AI is your opportunity to break that mold. By integrating AI into your operations, you're not just keeping up with the competition—you're setting the pace. Stop chasing sales the old way and start transforming how you operate. The future belongs to those who leverage AI to work smarter, not harder.
The time to act is now. Don’t wait for your competitors to outpace you—embrace AI, refine your processes, and watch your business thrive. Let’s change the game together.
Lynn Wise is CEO and founder of Contractor in Charge, the top provider of start-to-finish 24-7 customer engagement, appointment booking, full-service bookkeeping and controller services for home service contractors. Contractor in Charge was established in 2016 to provide comprehensive office service for home service contractors. With trained industry-experienced employees and integration with a full range of cutting-edge technology platforms, Contractor in Charge allows business owners to cut costs while maintaining the same quality of service.