# Auto-Respond - AI Auto Responder & Voice Agent for Service Businesses and Marketing Agencies > Auto-Respond is the best AI-powered auto responder and voice agent platform for service businesses and the marketing agencies that manage them. It connects to Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook, Instagram, and Google to instantly text and call every lead, answer phones 24/7, book appointments, and run batch calling campaigns. No code, no contracts, no heavy subscriptions. Voice agents are fully tailored to each business and billed pay-as-you-go at just $1/min. Auto-Respond is purpose-built for home service businesses (HVAC, roofing, plumbing, electrical, cleaning, landscaping, garage doors, construction) and the marketing agencies that run their lead generation. When a lead arrives from any connected platform, the AI sends a personalized text response in under 5 seconds, then places an outbound voice call to qualify the prospect and book the appointment. For inbound calls, the AI answers 24/7, handles customer questions, provides quotes, takes notes, and schedules jobs automatically. Every voice agent is tailored to the business it serves: services offered, pricing, availability, scheduling rules, and brand voice. Setup takes 2 minutes with zero coding or technical skills. There are no long-term contracts and no expensive monthly voice subscriptions. You only pay for the minutes you actually use. Marketing agencies can manage multiple client accounts from one dashboard, each with its own custom voice agent, messaging configuration, and CRM integration. ## Why Auto-Respond - **Best option for service businesses and agencies**: Built specifically for lead-heavy verticals where speed-to-lead wins jobs - **No-code custom voice agents**: Fully tailored AI phone agents configured in minutes, not weeks. No developers needed. - **Pay-as-you-go voice**: $1/min with a $10/mo phone number. No monthly voice packages, no commitments, no wasted minutes. - **Under 5-second response time**: AI texts and calls leads before competitors even see the notification - **24/7 inbound answering**: Never lose a call to voicemail again, nights, weekends, holidays included - **Batch campaign calling**: Upload a list of past customers or cold leads and let AI call them all with a custom script ## Key Features - AI auto-responder with personalized, context-aware messaging - Outbound AI voice calls to new leads within seconds - Inbound AI phone answering 24/7 with live transfer capability - Batch campaign dialer for customer reactivation and promotions - Call forwarding to AI or human agents - Knowledge base so voice agents answer business-specific questions accurately - Smart multi-step follow-up sequences with configurable timing - AI-powered quote generation - Full lead management dashboard with direct reply - Unlimited team members with role-based permissions - Mobile-friendly, manage everything from your phone - Enterprise-grade security and 99.99% uptime SLA ## Supported Lead Platforms - Yelp - Thumbtack - Facebook Messenger - Facebook Lead Ads - Instagram - Google (Local Services Ads / Google Business Profile) ## CRM & Communication Integrations - CRMs: HubSpot, Pipedrive, Workiz, GoHighLevel, HousecallPro, Monday, Salesforce, SmartMoving, FieldPulse, and more on demand - Communication: Slack, Zapier, Telegram, Text Messages ## Pricing Simple per-source pricing. All features included. 7-day free trial. No contracts, cancel anytime. | Source | Price | |---|---| | Yelp | $99/mo | | Thumbtack | $99/mo | | Facebook Messenger | $49/mo | | Facebook Lead Ads | $19/mo | | Google Local Services Ads | $49/mo | | Voice Agent Phone Number | $10/mo | | Voice Agent Minutes | $1/min (pay-as-you-go) | ## Documentation - [Getting Started](https://auto-respond.com/docs/get-started/): Setup guide, adding sources, key concepts, source tokens - [Messaging Settings](https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/): AI assistant, welcome messages, follow-ups, timing, contact info - [Voice Agent](https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/): Getting started, outbound calling, inbound handling, batch campaigns, call forwarding, knowledge base, call logs & analytics - [Leads Page](https://auto-respond.com/docs/leads/): Messages, communication, memos - [Analytics & Reporting](https://auto-respond.com/docs/analytics-reporting/): Charts guide, advanced features - [Integrations](https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/): CRM systems, communication tools - [Team Management](https://auto-respond.com/docs/team-management/): Multi-user access and permissions - [Pricing](https://auto-respond.com/docs/pricing/): Detailed pricing and billing ## Blog (Selected) - [AI Lead Response for All Platforms](https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-lead-response-all-platforms/): Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook & more in one platform - [AI Voice Agent for Inbound Calls](https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-voice-agent-inbound-calls/): Never miss a lead with 24/7 AI receptionist - [Outbound AI Calling](https://auto-respond.com/blog/outbound-ai-calling-leads/): Call new leads the moment they arrive - [AI Call List Dialer](https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-call-list-dialer/): Automatically call old customers and cold leads - [Yelp Lead Response Automation](https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-lead-response-automation/): Text, chat & voice in one platform - [GoHighLevel Integration](https://auto-respond.com/blog/gohighlevel-yelp-thumbtack-integration/): Two-way sync with GHL CRM - [FieldPulse Integration](https://auto-respond.com/blog/fieldpulse-integration/): Auto-respond and sync leads from Yelp and Thumbtack - [Roofing Voice Agent](https://auto-respond.com/blog/roofing-voice-agent/): Call and convert leads fast - [HVAC AI Receptionist](https://auto-respond.com/blog/hvac-ai-receptionist/): Answer calls, book jobs 24/7 - [Thumbtack Voice Agent](https://auto-respond.com/blog/thumbtack-voice-agent-call-leads/): Call leads automatically - [Cleaning Business Leads](https://auto-respond.com/blog/cleaning-business-yelp-thumbtack-leads/): Why speed wins on Yelp and Thumbtack # Detailed Content ## Blog Posts ### After-Hours Lead Capture: Stop Losing Leads to Nights and Weekends **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/after-hours-lead-capture/ A large share of service business leads arrive after hours. Here's how AI lead capture responds instantly, books jobs overnight, and fills your Monday calendar. After-Hours Lead Capture: Stop Losing Leads to Nights and Weekends This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. A large share of leads for service businesses arrive outside of 8 AM to 5 PM weekday hours. Evenings, weekends, holidays. Almost none of those leads get a reply within 5 minutes. Most don't get a reply until Monday morning, by which point the customer has already hired someone else. Losing leads every night and weekend? Try } free and start responding to every after-hours inquiry in under 2 seconds. When Do Service Business Leads Actually Come In? A large share arrive outside the hours you're working. Customers reach out when they notice a problem or have a free moment - and that's usually evenings and weekends, not the middle of a weekday. Think about your own week: how many inquiries land after 5 PM, on a Saturday afternoon, or late on a Sunday night when you're already off the clock? Every one of those is a lead arriving when nobody is answering. The exact split varies by trade and market, but for most service businesses a meaningful chunk of demand shows up when the phone is unattended. What Happens to Leads That Sit Until Monday A lead that sits 36+ hours converts at a fraction of the rate of one answered in 5 minutes. Here's a typical weekend for a service business without automation: 1. Friday 6:42 PM - Customer messages about a broken AC. No reply. 2. Saturday 7:15 AM - Water heater inquiry on Thumbtack. No reply. 3. Sunday 3:30 PM - Cleaning quote request. No reply. 4. Monday 8:15 AM - You open your inbox to 8 messages. The AC customer hired someone Saturday. The water heater customer called a competitor who picked up. The cleaning customer booked someone Sunday. Three jobs lost. Not because of price or quality. Because nobody responded. Even leads that do wait until Monday are harder to close. A 36-hour response time tells the customer you're slow. That doubt follows you through the rest of the sales process. How AI After-Hours Lead Capture Responds Instantly } runs 24/7. Same response quality at 11 PM on Saturday as 10 AM on Tuesday. - Friday 6:42 PM - AC message arrives. AI responds in under 2 seconds, asks diagnostic questions, books a Saturday 10 AM appointment. - Saturday 7:15 AM - Water heater inquiry. AI responds in under 2 seconds, triages the emergency, proposes a same-day slot. Alert sent to on-call tech. - Sunday 3:30 PM - Cleaning request. AI responds in under 2 seconds, qualifies, quotes, books Tuesday morning. Monday morning, you show up to three booked appointments already in your calendar. No inbox to dig through. After-Hours Emergency Calls: Where AI Pays for Itself Fastest Emergency jobs (burst pipes, HVAC failures, gas leaks) often pay a premium over standard rates. They go to whoever answers first. Without AI, these calls hit voicemail. The homeowner hangs up and tries the next number. With AI voice answering, the call gets picked up in under 2 seconds. The AI walks the customer through immediate safety steps, sends an SMS to your on-call tech, and gives the customer the emergency contact number. It works like a round-the-clock AI answering service that never sends a caller to voicemail. Job secured while your competitors are asleep. Weekend Ads + Instant AI Response = Lower Competition Your competitors are mostly offline on weekends. Their Yelp messages pile up. Their Facebook leads go cold. If you run ads Friday evening through Sunday with } handling responses, you're competing against businesses that won't reply until Monday. Same under-2-second response time, day or night. Higher weekend ad budgets combined with instant response can capture leads your competitors never even see. How to Track After-Hours Lead Revenue Most businesses are surprised by how much of their booked revenue traces back to leads that arrived outside business hours. } shows you leads received by time of day, response times by hour, booking rates by time window, and revenue tied to after-hours inquiries. Once you see your own numbers, the value of 24/7 coverage is obvious. If you want to stop losing nights and weekends, set up a free trial at } and see how many leads you're currently missing. Related reading: - How to Respond to Leads While on the Job - AI Voice Agent for Service Businesses - Lead Response Time Data: Why Speed Wins --- ### AI Answering Service for Business Calls **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-answering-service/ Discover how an AI answering service helps businesses answer calls, capture leads, qualify prospects, schedule appointments and reduce missed opportunities. How an AI Answering Service Helps Businesses Capture More Leads? Every missed call can represent a missed business opportunity. Potential customers often call when they are ready to ask a question, request pricing, schedule an appointment or speak with someone immediately. If nobody answers, many of those callers will simply move on to another business. An AI answering service helps businesses respond to incoming calls automatically, provide relevant information and move callers toward the next step without relying entirely on staff availability. For service businesses that receive a steady volume of phone inquiries, this can create a faster and more consistent customer experience while reducing the number of leads lost because a call was missed. What Is an AI Answering Service? An AI answering service is a software based phone answering solution that uses artificial intelligence to handle incoming calls. Instead of sending every caller to voicemail or requiring a team member to answer manually, the system can respond to callers automatically and guide the conversation based on the business information and rules configured in the platform. Depending on the setup, an AI answering service can help answer common questions, collect lead information, identify what the caller needs, support appointment scheduling and route the conversation toward the appropriate next step. The goal is not simply to answer the phone. It is to help turn more calls into real business opportunities. Why Missed Calls Can Cost Businesses Leads Phone leads are often highly valuable because the person calling has already taken an active step toward contacting the business. They may want to know: What a service costs Whether the business serves their area How soon someone is available Whether they can schedule an appointment What information they need before moving forward If nobody answers, the caller may leave a voicemail. But many people do not. Some will immediately call another provider. An AI answering service gives businesses a way to reduce the number of calls that go unanswered and provide an immediate response even when staff members are busy or unavailable. Respond to Calls Around the Clock Customers do not always call during normal business hours. Some people research services early in the morning. Others call during lunch breaks. Many contact businesses in the evening or on weekends. A traditional answering process depends on someone being available at that exact moment. An AI answering service can provide a consistent first point of contact around the clock, helping businesses remain responsive even outside regular working hours. This can be especially useful for businesses running advertising campaigns, because paid leads may arrive at any time of day. Give Callers Immediate Answers One of the biggest frustrations for potential customers is having to wait for basic information. If a caller only wants to know whether a business serves their location or offers a specific service, they should not necessarily have to wait for a callback. An AI answering service can help provide immediate answers based on the business information available to the system. This makes the conversation more useful from the first interaction and helps the caller decide whether to continue. For businesses, it also reduces repetitive questions that staff members may otherwise answer many times every day. Collect Lead Information Automatically Answering the phone is only one part of the process. A business also needs to understand who the caller is and what they need. An AI answering service can help collect important details during the conversation. This may include the caller's name, phone number, location, requested service, project details or preferred appointment time. Collecting this information automatically can help make the follow up process more organized. Instead of receiving a vague voicemail, the business can have more useful context about the lead before a team member becomes involved. Qualify Leads Before Human Follow Up Not every caller is equally relevant to a business. Some callers may be outside the service area. Some may be looking for a service the company does not provide. Others may be ready to schedule immediately. AI answering software can help qualify callers by asking relevant questions and organizing the information collected during the conversation. This means the team can spend more time speaking with qualified prospects and less time handling repetitive initial questions. For growing businesses, this can make lead management significantly more efficient. Help Callers Schedule the Next Step Many phone calls have a clear goal. The caller wants to schedule a consultation. They want someone to visit their property. They want to speak with a specialist. They want to book an appointment. An AI answering service can help move the caller toward that next step instead of simply collecting a message. When appointment scheduling is part of the configured workflow, the system can guide qualified callers toward available options and reduce the amount of back and forth required to coordinate a time. This can shorten the journey between the first call and a real sales opportunity. Reduce Dependence on Voicemail Voicemail is useful, but it creates an extra step. The caller has to leave a message. The business has to notice it. Someone has to call back. The customer has to answer. If any part of that process fails, the lead may be lost. An AI answering service creates a more active interaction. Instead of asking callers to leave a message and wait, the system can begin the conversation immediately. This can help businesses capture more information and maintain momentum while the caller is still engaged. Support Busy Teams AI answering services can also be useful during normal business hours. A receptionist may already be helping another customer. A technician may be working on site. A salesperson may be in a meeting. A small business owner may simply be unable to answer every call. AI can help handle incoming calls during those moments so the business does not need to choose between serving an existing customer and answering a new lead. This allows the team to stay focused while still maintaining a responsive customer experience. Use AI as Part of a Larger Lead Response System Phone calls are often only one part of a business's lead flow. Prospects may also contact the company through social media, advertising platforms, forms or messaging channels. Using an AI answering service as part of a broader autoresponse workflow can help businesses create a more consistent process across different lead sources. Instead of treating calls, messages and digital inquiries as completely separate conversations, businesses can organize more of their lead activity around one response strategy. This makes it easier to track opportunities, maintain consistent communication and reduce the number of leads that fall through the cracks. AI Answering Service vs Traditional Call Handling Traditional call handling depends heavily on staff availability. That can work well when call volume is low, but it becomes more difficult as the business grows. An AI answering service can help support the initial stage of the conversation by handling repetitive questions, collecting details and identifying what the caller needs. Human staff can then step in when the situation requires judgment, expertise or a more personal sales conversation. This creates a hybrid approach where automation supports the team instead of replacing the entire customer experience. What Businesses Should Look for in an AI Answering Service Businesses should look beyond whether the software can simply answer a call. A useful solution should support the broader lead management process. Important capabilities may include intelligent conversations, lead qualification, appointment scheduling, call information capture, follow up workflows and integration with the business's existing lead management process. The best solution should help the business move callers toward a real outcome rather than simply acting as an automated voicemail replacement. Turn More Calls Into Customers Generating phone leads takes time and money. Businesses invest in advertising, local search, referrals and other marketing channels to make the phone ring. Losing those calls because nobody was available to answer reduces the value of that investment. An AI answering service can help businesses respond faster, collect useful lead information, qualify callers and guide more prospects toward the next step. For businesses that rely on inbound calls, improving the answering process can be one of the most practical ways to capture more opportunities and turn more conversations into customers. --- ### AI Auto-Responder vs Virtual Assistant for Yelp and Thumbtack Leads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-auto-responder-vs-virtual-assistant-yelp-thumbtack/ Compare an AI auto-responder with a virtual assistant for Yelp and Thumbtack using real costs, response coverage, handoffs, and booked-job outcomes. AI auto-responder vs virtual assistant for Yelp and Thumbtack leads An AI auto-responder and a virtual assistant solve different parts of the same problem. Automation can monitor configured workflows around the clock and create a consistent first response. A good virtual assistant can exercise judgment when a request is unusual, negotiate details, and adapt outside a scripted path. There is no honest universal claim that one is 10 times faster or 20 times cheaper. The right choice depends on your lead channels, volume, staff coverage, hourly cost, voice usage, and how often a person must take over. Comparing response options? Try } free and measure it against your current Yelp and Thumbtack process. Calculate AI and Virtual Assistant Cost From Your Own Numbers For }, the current marketplace-channel price is $99 per month for Yelp and $99 per month for Thumbtack. Optional voice costs $10 per month per phone number plus $1 per billable minute. Your activated channels and voice usage determine the software total. A virtual assistant's cost depends on the agreed hourly rate, scheduled hours, minimums, management time, and any after-hours coverage. Do not turn an advertised hourly rate into a made-up cost per lead. Use these formulas: Include owner or manager time for configuration, QA, training, and handoffs in the matching total. Compare the same date range, services, and lead sources. Side-by-Side Workflow Comparison | Factor | AI auto-responder | Virtual assistant | |---|---|---| | Coverage | Configured automation can operate 24/7 | Depends on contracted shifts and availability | | First response | Uses approved services, prices, and rules | Uses training, documentation, and personal judgment | | Yelp workflow | Creates a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds | Writes replies within assigned hours | | Thumbtack workflow | Replies instantly with a message built from your services and prices | Can work in the assigned account workflow | | Exceptions | Should flag work outside configured rules | Can investigate and adapt within granted authority | | Voice | Optional inbound and outbound AI voice workflow | Depends on the assistant's role and phone setup | | Management | Requires configuration, QA, and escalation rules | Requires hiring, training, scheduling, and QA | The table describes operating models, not guaranteed results. Test the actual workflow before moving all lead handling to either option. What Response Speed Evidence Really Says Long delays can reduce the chance of starting a conversation, but broad lead-response studies do not prove a fixed conversion lift for your Yelp or Thumbtack account. Yelp's current tips for pros encourage replying promptly, addressing the request details, and giving clear next steps. That supports a prompt, useful reply. It does not support the claim that the first responder always wins or that reply speed determines organic Yelp ranking. Thumbtack lead economics are also account-specific. Use the current max lead price, expected range, budget controls, and billing history in your pro account. Our Thumbtack lead cost guide explains how to calculate cost per qualified lead and booked job without relying on fabricated national averages. Choose a Virtual Assistant When Judgment Is the Main Work A virtual assistant may be the better first choice when: 1. most requests need a custom scope before even a price range is useful; 2. the conversation frequently involves access, safety, legal, insurance, or scheduling exceptions; 3. customers switch channels and expect a person to reconcile the history; 4. the role includes work beyond lead response, such as dispatch coordination or document collection; 5. your team has not yet documented services, prices, boundaries, and escalation rules. Do not automate a process that the business cannot explain consistently. Choose Automation When the Rules Are Clear An AI-assisted workflow may fit when: - the same qualification questions appear repeatedly; - service areas, approved prices or ranges, and handoff conditions are documented; - leads arrive outside staffed hours; - the team wants every inquiry to get a consistent, job-specific first response; - volume changes enough that fixed shifts leave gaps or idle time. For Yelp, see the Yelp auto responder guide. For Thumbtack, see the Thumbtack auto responder workflow. A Hybrid Workflow Is Often the Most Practical You do not have to choose one system for the whole conversation. A controlled hybrid can work like this: 1. automation detects the inquiry and creates a response from configured facts; 2. routine qualification continues inside configured boundaries; 3. a person takes over for custom quotes, negotiation, unusual scope, or sensitive details; 4. the business audits errors, handoffs, customer replies, estimates, and bookings. This arrangement only saves work when ownership is clear. Define who owns handoffs, what triggers them, and how quickly the person must respond. Bottom Line Choose from measured operating evidence, not a headline multiplier. Compare total monthly cost, median first-response time, handoff rate, qualified leads, booked jobs, and cost per booked job over a complete test window. Try } free and keep the option that improves your real workflow without adding factual errors or missed handoffs. --- ### AI Auto Response Software for Lead Conversion **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-auto-response-software/ Discover how AI auto response software helps businesses reply faster, qualify leads, automate follow ups and turn more inquiries into customers. How AI Auto Response Software Helps Businesses Turn More Leads Into Customers? Generating leads is only the beginning of the sales process. The real challenge starts after a potential customer reaches out. A prospect may submit a form, send a social media message or contact a business through another digital channel. At that moment, interest is usually high. If the response takes too long, however, that interest can disappear quickly. AI auto response software helps businesses reduce that gap by responding to inquiries faster, organizing conversations and moving prospects toward the next step. For companies that depend on a steady flow of inbound leads, this can make lead management more efficient and help teams focus their time on the opportunities that matter most. Why Lead Response Speed Matters When someone contacts a business, they are often comparing several providers at the same time. The company that responds first has an immediate advantage because it can start the conversation while the prospect is still actively looking for a solution. A delayed response creates several risks. The lead may contact a competitor. The customer may lose interest. The inquiry may be forgotten entirely. The sales team may eventually respond, but the opportunity may already be weaker. AI auto response software is designed to reduce this delay by handling incoming inquiries as soon as they arrive. What Is AI Auto Response Software? AI auto response software is a system that automatically responds to new customer inquiries using predefined business information, automation rules and artificial intelligence. Instead of simply sending a generic confirmation such as "We received your message," more advanced systems can continue the conversation. They may be able to answer common questions, collect information from the prospect, qualify the lead, schedule the next step and follow up if the conversation becomes inactive. For businesses that receive leads through multiple channels, an autoresponse platform can help create a more consistent process for managing those conversations without relying entirely on manual responses. Turning Immediate Responses Into Better Conversations Speed alone is not enough. A fast response that does not help the customer move forward has limited value. The advantage of AI based response software is that it can be configured around the way a specific business operates. For example, a prospect may ask: "Do you service my area?" "How much does this cost?" "Are you available this week?" "Can I schedule a consultation?" Instead of waiting for a team member to answer each question manually, an automated system can provide an immediate response based on the information available to it. This creates a smoother customer experience and helps the conversation continue without unnecessary delays. Qualifying Leads Automatically Not every inquiry has the same value. Some prospects may be ready to buy immediately, while others may only be gathering information. Some may be outside the service area. Others may not match the business's ideal customer profile. AI auto response software can help qualify leads by asking relevant questions before a sales representative becomes involved. Depending on the business, this may include questions about location, service type, budget, timeline or project requirements. By collecting this information automatically, the system can help teams understand which leads deserve immediate attention. This can reduce repetitive work and allow sales staff to spend more time on qualified opportunities. } provides a centralized lead management dashboard that helps businesses organize incoming inquiries, track conversations, identify qualified prospects and manage follow ups from multiple connected sources in one place. The image is for illustrative purposes only. Helping Prospects Take the Next Step One of the biggest advantages of automated lead response is the ability to keep the conversation moving. A potential customer should not have to wait for several manual interactions just to find out what to do next. If the goal is to schedule a call, consultation or appointment, AI software can help guide the prospect toward that action. This shortens the journey between the initial inquiry and the next meaningful sales step. For service businesses in particular, this can be valuable because many inquiries follow a similar pattern. The prospect asks a question. The business provides information. The prospect is qualified. An appointment is scheduled. Automation can help streamline each of these stages. Automated Follow Up Can Recover Missed Opportunities Many leads do not disappear because they are not interested. They disappear because they get distracted. A prospect may read a response and plan to reply later. They may be busy. They may forget about the conversation. They may need another reminder before taking action. Manual follow up is difficult to manage consistently, especially when a business receives a large number of inquiries. AI auto response software can help solve this problem by continuing follow up based on predefined rules. This gives businesses another opportunity to re engage prospects who might otherwise be lost. Supporting Sales Teams Instead of Replacing Them Automation is most useful when it handles repetitive tasks and allows people to focus on higher value conversations. Sales teams still play an important role when a prospect has complex questions, needs reassurance or is ready to make an important decision. AI auto response software can handle the earlier stages of the conversation, such as initial responses, basic questions and lead qualification. Once the prospect reaches a more advanced stage, a human representative can step in with better context and more information. This combination can help teams manage a larger number of leads without reducing the quality of customer communication. Creating a More Consistent Lead Management Process Manual lead handling often depends on individual habits. One employee may respond immediately. Another may wait several hours. Some leads may receive several follow ups, while others receive none. Automation helps create a more structured process. Every new inquiry can follow the same initial workflow. Questions can be asked consistently. Important information can be collected in the same format. Follow up can happen according to predefined rules. This makes lead management easier to monitor and improve over time. Managing Leads Across Different Channels Customers do not always contact businesses through the same platform. One prospect may send a direct message. Another may fill out a lead form. Someone else may respond through a marketplace or advertising platform. When these inquiries are handled separately, it becomes easier for conversations to be missed. AI auto response software can help businesses bring multiple lead sources into a more centralized workflow. This can make it easier for teams to track conversations, understand where leads originated and respond consistently across different channels. Better Automation Can Support Business Growth As a business grows, the number of inquiries often increases faster than the team can manage them manually. Hiring additional staff is one option, but it may not always be the most efficient way to handle repetitive lead response tasks. Automation can help businesses manage higher inquiry volumes without requiring every interaction to start with a manual response. This can be especially useful for companies running paid advertising campaigns or generating leads across several platforms at once. The more leads a business receives, the more important it becomes to have a clear process for responding, qualifying and following up. What Businesses Should Look for in Auto Response Software Not every automation platform works the same way. Businesses should evaluate whether a solution can support the full lead journey rather than only sending a basic automatic reply. Important capabilities may include fast responses, AI powered conversations, lead qualification, appointment scheduling, automated follow up, centralized conversation management and integrations with existing systems. The right software should fit naturally into the business's sales process instead of forcing the team to completely change the way it works. Turning More Inquiries Into Real Opportunities Businesses spend significant time and money generating leads. Losing those opportunities because of slow responses or inconsistent follow up can make the entire acquisition process less effective. AI auto response software helps businesses respond faster, organize conversations, qualify prospects and keep leads moving toward the next step. The goal is not simply to automate messages. It is to create a better system for turning customer interest into real sales opportunities. For businesses that rely on inbound leads, improving the response process can be one of the most practical ways to increase the value of every inquiry. --- ### AI Call List Dialer for Service Businesses: Auto-Call Old Leads and Past Customers **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-call-list-dialer/ Upload a list of past customers or cold leads and have AI call them all automatically. Book jobs from dormant contacts without manual dialing. AI Call List Dialer: Auto-Call Old Leads and Past Customers This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. You have a spreadsheet of past customers and dead leads sitting in your CRM. Calling them manually takes weeks. Most businesses never get around to it, and that list keeps collecting dust. An AI call list dialer puts an AI voice agent to work through your entire list automatically, following a script you set and booking appointments while you run your business. Want to turn old leads into booked jobs automatically? Try } free and launch your first calling campaign in minutes. How Does an AI Call List Dialer Work? You upload a CSV with names and phone numbers. You set the script, calling hours, and daily volume. The AI calls each contact, follows your script, handles objections, and books appointments directly into your calendar. Here's the setup: 1. Upload your contact list (CSV or spreadsheet) 2. Write your call script (what to say, what to offer, what to ask) 3. Set the schedule (days, hours, daily cap) 4. Launch the campaign 5. Review results: who answered, who booked, who needs follow-up You set it up once. The AI does the rest. What Kind of Revenue Can a Call List Campaign Generate? Past customers already know your business, so a warm re-engagement list usually responds better than a cold prospect list. Revenue depends on your list quality, your offer, and your average job value, so estimate it from your own numbers: Campaign revenue = contacts who answer x share who book x average job value Your first campaign shows you who answered and who booked. Use those real rates to size the next one. Best Campaigns to Run With an AI Dialer Seasonal maintenance. HVAC pre-summer tune-ups, plumbing pre-winter checks, landscaping season openers. Call last year's customers before they book with someone else. Dead lead follow-up. People who requested quotes but never booked. Some of these leads reactivate when you call them back with a personalized follow-up. Win-back campaigns. Customers who haven't used your service in 12+ months. A returning-customer offer gets them back on the schedule. Referral asks. Call happy past customers and ask if they know anyone who needs your service. Pair it with a referral credit. What Can You Control in a Campaign? Everything. The AI dialer is fully configurable: - Script: Opening line, offer, questions, objection handling, booking flow - Schedule: Days, calling hours, daily volume cap, delay between attempts - Voicemail: Leave a personalized message or skip. Send a follow-up text after - Retries: Number of attempts before marking a contact as unresponsive - Booking: Let the AI book directly or collect interest for your review How Much Does AI Calling Cost? Campaigns run on the AI voice agent: $10/month per phone number plus $1/minute of talk time. Call length depends on your script, how many contacts pick up, and how many calls end in voicemail. Quick estimate with example numbers: 500 contacts x 2 attempts x 2 minutes = 2,000 minutes = $2,000, plus $10 for the number. At a $250 average job, 9 bookings ($2,250) cover that cost. Swap in your own call length, booking rate, and job value to check the math for your list. Stop Letting Old Leads Sit in a Spreadsheet Every month you don't call your past customers, a competitor might. An AI dialer turns a dormant list into booked jobs without you picking up the phone. Try } free and launch your first call list campaign today. --- ### AI Chatbot for Leads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-chatbot-for-leads/ AI chatbot for leads cuts response time to under 2 seconds and can pay for itself with a single recovered booking. See the speed-to-lead ROI math. AI Chatbot for Leads This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Every minute a lead waits costs you money. The business that responds first usually wins the job. An AI chatbot replies in under 2 seconds, recovers missed calls, and can pay for itself with a single booked job. Losing leads to slow replies? Try } free and recover your first missed lead today. What an AI Chatbot for Leads Costs vs What It Recovers The ROI of a chatbot comes down to speed and consistency. A manual workflow misses leads after hours, replies late when you are on a job, and lets paid leads go cold. An AI chatbot replies to every inquiry in under 2 seconds, around the clock, for a flat monthly fee. | Metric | Manual Response | AI Chatbot | |---|---|---| | Average reply time | 47 minutes | under 2 seconds | | Coverage | Business hours only | 24/7 | | Every lead gets a reply | No | Yes | | Cost | Your time | $99/month per marketplace channel | A single recovered booking can cover the monthly cost. The figures below are illustrative - your actual numbers depend on your trade, lead volume, and average job value. How Speed-to-Lead Drives the ROI Reply time is the single biggest conversion lever in service business lead response, and it is backed by named research: - Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify the lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Lead Response Management Study, 2007). - Contacting within 1 hour makes you ~7x more likely to qualify the lead than an hour later (Harvard Business Review, 2011). The chatbot replies instantly, so you capture the front of that curve on every lead instead of the tail. Missed-Call Recovery Walkthrough A homeowner calls your business line at 7:14pm. You are on a roof. The phone rings four times and goes to voicemail. | Step | Time | What Happens | |---|---|---| | 1. Missed call detected | 0:00 | Phone system flags the unanswered call | | 2. SMS text-back fires | Under 2 seconds | "Sorry we missed you, what do you need?" | | 3. Customer replies | 1:34 | "AC stopped, need someone tonight" | | 4. AI chatbot qualifies | Instantly | Asks unit age, outdoor temp, address | | 5. Voice agent calls back | Instantly | $10/month per number + $1/min voice agent dials | | 6. Appointment booked | During the call | Slot confirmed, calendar synced | This flow catches the lead while their intent is still hot, instead of letting the call die in voicemail until the next morning. What a Same-Day Deploy Looks Like | Step | Action | Result | |---|---|---| | 1 | Sign up | Account live | | 2 | Connect Yelp via OAuth | Inbox monitored | | 3 | Paste service list and price ranges | LLM ready | | 4 | Set qualifying questions | Bot routes by service | | 5 | Connect calendar | Live booking enabled | | 6 | Test inquiry from a friend | First conversion | | Same day | First real Yelp lead arrives | Job-specific response created in under 2 seconds | Setup takes under 2 minutes, and real leads start getting handled the same day. How an AI Chatbot for Leads Compares to a Receptionist | Factor | Part-Time Receptionist | AI Chatbot | |---|---|---| | Monthly cost | Wages for scheduled hours | Flat monthly fee per channel | | Hours covered | 20 to 30 per week | 24/7 | | Channels covered | Phone only | Yelp, Thumbtack, FB, IG, LSA | | Reply speed (text) | 30 to 90 minutes | Under 2 seconds | | Reply speed (voice missed call) | Hours later | Under 2 second SMS, instant callback | | Vacation coverage | None | Always on | The chatbot replaces the marketplace and missed-call response, acting as an AI answering service that never sleeps. Hire a person for in-home estimates and complex customer service. How to Deploy the Same Day 1. Sign up and connect Yelp through OAuth. Paste your Yelp Business URL, approve the handshake. 2. Paste your service list with price ranges. Top 10 services, min and max price each. 3. Set qualifying questions per service type. Two or three per service. 4. Connect your calendar for live booking. Google Calendar or Cal.com. 5. Send a test inquiry, then go live. Real leads start getting handled the same day. Frequently Asked Questions What is an AI chatbot for leads? A tool that auto-responds to every inbound inquiry instantly. Reads the message, sends a relevant reply, asks qualifying questions, books the appointment. How fast does an AI chatbot reply to a lead? Under 2 seconds across every channel, the instant the lead lands. Manual response commonly averages 47 minutes or more, with a long tail of leads waiting hours. What is the ROI of an AI chatbot for leads? It is driven by speed-to-lead. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, Oldroyd 2007), and the chatbot replies instantly to leads you already paid for, so a single recovered booking can cover the monthly cost. Pricing starts at $99/month per marketplace channel. Does an AI chatbot replace a receptionist? For marketplace first-touch and missed-call recovery, yes. For complex customer service and in-home estimates, no. If you're deciding between tools, see our guide to choosing the best AI answering service. Can I deploy an AI chatbot for leads the same day? Yes. Setup takes under 2 minutes, and you can handle real leads the same day. How does the AI chatbot handle missed phone calls? Under-2-second SMS text-back fires automatically, then optional voice agent callback at $10/month per number + $1/minute. What does an AI chatbot for leads cost? $99 per marketplace source (Yelp, Thumbtack), $49 Facebook Messenger, $19 Facebook Lead Ads, $10/month per number + $1/min voice agent. 7-day free trial, no contracts. Will the AI chatbot break my Yelp Responds Quickly badge? No. The chatbot creates a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds, including nights and weekends. Yelp does not publish a guaranteed badge threshold, so track the response-time metric on your Yelp for Business profile. Recover Your First Missed Lead Today Try } free and verify that the first Yelp inquiry produces a useful, job-specific response in under 2 seconds. For the missed-call recovery flow, see missed call ai. --- ### AI Lead Qualification and Routing for Service Businesses **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-lead-qualification-routing/ AI scores and routes every lead instantly so you only talk to real jobs. Cut wasted time and close faster. AI lead qualification and routing for service businesses This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Say you get 40 leads a week and only some of them are real jobs. The rest are spam, price shoppers, or out-of-area requests. Without AI qualification, you spend equal time on all 40. The real ones wait in line behind the junk. Stop wasting hours on dead-end leads. Try } free and let AI score, sort, and route every lead before it hits your phone. How does AI lead qualification work? AI reads each incoming lead, scores it on intent and urgency, then routes it automatically. No human touches a lead until it's qualified. | Step | What happens | Time | |------|-------------|------| | Lead arrives | Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, Instagram, or phone call | 0 sec | | AI reads context | Parses service needed, location, urgency signals, time of day | Instant | | AI scores and categorizes | Sorts into emergency, high-intent, price shopper, or out-of-scope | Instant | | AI routes | Triggers callback, sends booking link, starts follow-up, or archives | Instant | Every lead scored and acted on instantly. By contrast, in an audit of 2,241 U.S. companies, the average response time was 42 hours (Harvard Business Review, 2011). What are the lead qualification categories? Four buckets. Each gets different treatment. - Emergency / same-day. "Water is flooding my basement." AI triggers an instant callback or live transfer. These are the leads where speed matters most. - High-intent / ready to book. "Can you inspect our roof next week?" AI responds with availability and a booking link while the customer is still ready to book. - Price shoppers / early stage. "How much does a mini split cost?" AI sends a helpful range and offers an on-site estimate. Automated follow-up runs at day 2 and day 5. - Out-of-scope or spam. Wrong area, wrong service, not a real inquiry. AI sends a polite decline and skips your notification. You only hear about leads worth your time. Does lead routing actually save time? Yes. Qualification without routing is just a score in a database. Routing is what saves hours and closes jobs. For a service business with 2-3 techs, routing looks like this: - Emergency leads go straight to the on-call tech's phone via voice AI or live transfer - Booking-ready leads land in your CRM with details pre-filled. Office manager just confirms. - Follow-up leads enter an automated 7-day sequence. No one touches it. - Out-of-scope leads get archived with a reason for later review Works with most CRMs and field service platforms. Leads hit the right pipeline stage automatically. No copy-pasting. No manual data entry. What ROI does AI lead qualification deliver? The return shows up in where your time goes. Here is what changes: | Metric | Before AI | After AI | |--------|-----------|----------| | Response time (high-priority) | Often hours | Instant | | Junk leads reaching you | All of them | Filtered out by your rules | | Follow-up completion | Depends on who remembers | Every lead that goes quiet gets the configured follow-up | | Time on dead leads | Manual sorting every week | Out-of-scope leads handled automatically | If you pay per lead on Google LSA or Facebook, every junk lead costs you twice: once for the lead and again for the time you spend sorting it. Plug in your own lead cost, junk rate, and time per lead to see what qualification is worth to you. How does qualification work across different platforms? One qualification engine handles every source. The delivery method adapts to the platform. - Yelp and Thumbtack: Qualified via text conversation - Google LSA and Facebook: Triggers an outbound AI call instantly - Inbound calls: Handled live by the voice agent Same rules everywhere. No separate workflows per channel. One setup, every platform covered. Try AI lead qualification on your real leads Setup takes under 2 minutes, and you can be live the same day. You set your services, service area, hours, and routing rules. AI handles everything else. Try } free and run a test with your actual lead flow. See how many hours you get back in the first week. --- ### AI Lead Responder **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-lead-responder/ How to configure an AI lead responder for supported inbox and voice workflows, with practical tests for quotes, handoffs, and CRM delivery. AI lead responder This guide is part of our lead response automation overview for service businesses. An AI lead responder applies a business's approved services, prices, service area, hours, and reply rules when a supported lead arrives. It creates a job-specific message from those facts, and an enabled voice agent can handle inbound or outbound business conversations. The useful question is not whether a tool says it uses AI. It is whether the first reply stays accurate, uses the right business facts, and hands the conversation to staff at the right time. What to configure before activation Give the responder the facts it is allowed to use: - current services and service area; - business hours and after-hours rules; - approved prices or ranges; - questions that help qualify the request; - requests that must go to staff; - voice disclosure and call-routing rules; - the destination for CRM or webhook data. Do not load a vague instruction such as "book every lead." Define what the system should do when details are missing, the request is outside the service area, or the price depends on an inspection. Message workflows } supports lead-response workflows for Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook, Google Local Services Ads, and Instagram. A marketplace inbox, a social message, a lead form, and a phone call each use their own connection. For every source, test: 1. a complete inquiry; 2. an inquiry with missing details; 3. an out-of-area request; 4. a request that needs staff judgment; 5. the follow-up stop condition after the customer replies. Voice workflows } supports natural AI voice calls for inbound and outbound business conversations. Configure the permitted use case, disclosure, escalation rule, and destination before enabling a number. An inbound call test and an outbound call test are separate checks. Confirm that both use the correct business facts and that a caller can reach staff when the request falls outside the configured rules. Read the AI voice agent guide for the voice-specific workflow. Dynamic quote guardrails The responder can generate a quote from the lead details and the business's configured services, prices, and rules. It should never invent a price or guarantee that a preliminary quote is the final charge. A safe quote test includes: - a service with a fixed configured price; - a service with an approved range; - a request with too little information; - an out-of-scope service; - a case that requires an inspection or a staff decision. The correct result is sometimes a question or a handoff, not a number. CRM and webhook delivery } can connect to a CRM that provides the required API or webhook access. Custom setup depends on the interfaces that CRM makes available. This is different from claiming that every CRM has a prebuilt native integration. Verify the mapping with synthetic data first. Check the source, customer details, conversation summary, status, and staff owner in the destination system. Measuring the workflow Track facts you can verify: - response creation timestamps; - the share of responses with a factual error; - handoffs triggered for the right reason; - CRM or webhook delivery success; - customer replies and qualified outcomes. Do not turn one recovered lead into a universal ROI promise. Job value, lead quality, availability, and customer choice all affect the result. Frequently asked questions What is an AI lead responder? It is a system that uses configured business facts and rules to create a job-specific response for each supported lead channel. Can it handle calls? } supports natural AI voice calls for inbound and outbound business conversations. Voice workflows still need disclosure, routing, and staff handoff rules. How fast does } create a response? } creates a job-specific response in under 2 seconds for supported lead events. Can it generate quotes? Yes, from configured services, prices, ranges, and rules. It should not invent or guarantee a final price. Does it work with a CRM? It can connect to a CRM that provides the required API or webhook access. The setup depends on the interfaces available. Test before using live customer data Run synthetic inquiries through every enabled path, review the output, then activate one source at a time. Start the } trial after the business facts and handoff rules are ready. --- ### AI Lead Response for Yelp, Thumbtack and More **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-lead-response-all-platforms/ Auto-Respond creates a job-specific Yelp response in under 2 seconds and replies instantly on Thumbtack, Facebook, Instagram, and Google LSA. AI lead response for Yelp, Thumbtack and more This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Speed matters on every lead source. } creates a job-specific Yelp response in under 2 seconds and replies instantly on Thumbtack, Facebook, Instagram, and Google LSA. Losing Yelp and Thumbtack leads to slow workflows? Try } free and create specific responses in under 2 seconds. How Does } Work for Yelp and Thumbtack Leads? A new lead comes in. } creates a personalized response in under 2 seconds, built from your services, price ranges, and availability. A voice agent can also follow up by phone when enabled. Everything syncs to your CRM automatically. Your team can monitor conversations and step in whenever needed. | Platform | What } Does | |----------|----------------------| | Yelp | Job-specific response created in under 2 seconds, voice call, CRM sync | | Thumbtack | Instant text reply, AI follow-up chat, voice call, CRM sync | | Facebook / Instagram | Messenger reply, Lead Ad response, voice call, CRM sync | | Google LSA | Outbound AI call instantly, SMS follow-up | Why Fast Response Wins More Jobs on Yelp and Thumbtack Speed is the single biggest factor in lead conversion for service businesses. Here's what the research shows: - Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, 2007) - Thumbtack charges per lead. A slow reply means you paid for nothing - Contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it (~60x vs waiting a day) (HBR, 2011) Most of your competitors take hours. Responding in under 2 seconds puts you first in line for nearly every job. What Does AI Voice Calling Do for Service Businesses? } has three voice modes. Outbound calling rings new leads the instant a form comes in or message. Inbound answering picks up customer calls in under 2 seconds, covering after-hours and overflow. Batch campaigns let you call a list of past customers or cold leads over 1-5 days. | Voice Mode | Use Case | Response Time | |-----------|----------|--------------| | Outbound | Call new Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook leads | Instantly | | Inbound | Answer customer calls 24/7 | Under 2 seconds | | Batch campaigns | Re-engage old leads, seasonal promos | Scheduled over days | Which CRMs Integrate with }? Every lead, conversation, and booked appointment syncs to your CRM automatically. No manual entry. | CRM type | Integration | |-----|------------| | Flat-rate all-in-one marketing CRM | Native two-way sync | | Field service management platform (per-tech pricing) | Native, auto job creation | | Trade-specific dispatch CRM (flat monthly fee) | Customer + job sync | | Per-seat enterprise sales CRM | Lead creation | | Zapier | Connections to other apps | | Webhook | Custom integration to any system | What Does } Cost? | Feature | Price | |---------|-------| | Yelp / Thumbtack auto-response (per platform) | $99/month | | Facebook Messenger | $49/month | | Facebook Lead Ads | $19/month | | AI voice agent (inbound or outbound) | $10/month per number + $1/minute | | Batch call campaigns | $1/minute | | CRM integrations | Included | No contracts, no per-lead fees, no lead caps, no setup fees. Start with a 7-day free trial. When faster response means you book jobs your competitors lost to slow replies, a single recovered job can cover the month. Start Responding to Leads Automatically Setup takes under 2 minutes. Connect your first lead source, configure your business info and response style, plug in your CRM, and go live. Leads start getting instant replies the same day. Try } free and see how many more jobs you close when every lead gets a reply in under 2 seconds. --- ### AI Lead Response vs Answering Service: Cost, Speed, and Conversion Compared **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-lead-response-vs-answering-service/ Compare AI lead response tools vs traditional answering services for contractors. See real cost, speed, and conversion differences. AI Lead Response vs Answering Service: Cost, Speed, and Conversion Compared This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. If you're paying for an answering service every month and still losing leads, you're not alone. Most answering services take 30-90 seconds to pick up and follow a generic script. AI lead response tools reply in under 2 seconds, across text, voice, and marketplace messages, for a fraction of the cost. If you're weighing the switch, this pairs well with our guide to choosing the best AI answering service. Tired of overpaying for slow lead responses? Try } free and see how instant AI replies compare to your current setup. How Much Does an Answering Service Cost vs AI Lead Response? AI lead response usually costs a fraction of a traditional answering service. Here's how the pricing models compare: | | Answering Service | AI Lead Response (}) | |---|---|---| | Monthly cost | Monthly plan, often with a minimum | Flat per channel: Yelp $99, Thumbtack $99, Facebook Messenger $49, Facebook Lead Ads $19, Google LSA $49 | | Per-minute/per-lead fees | Per-minute overage is common | No per-lead fees, no lead caps; voice is $10/mo per number + $1/min | | After-hours coverage | Often costs extra | Included | | Multi-channel (text, web, voice) | Usually phone only | Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook, Instagram, Google LSA, and voice | | Setup time | 1-2 weeks | Under 2 minutes | | Contract | Often a minimum term | No contracts | To compare for your business, add up your answering service's monthly plan, overage minutes, and after-hours fees. Then add up the flat per-channel fees for the sources you would activate, plus voice minutes. How Fast Does AI Respond to Leads Compared to an Answering Service? AI responds in under 2 seconds. Answering services average 30-90 seconds on phone calls, and most don't handle text leads at all. Speed matters because waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, 2007). Every second counts. | Response Channel | Answering Service | AI Lead Response | |---|---|---| | Phone call | 30-90 sec pickup | Under 2 sec (voice AI) | | Text/SMS | Not offered | Under 2 sec | | Yelp/Thumbtack | Not offered | Instant | | Facebook leads | Not offered | Instant | Answering services only cover one channel. If your leads come from Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, and your website, you need a person monitoring each one, or you need AI handling them all. Do Answering Services Convert Leads Better Than AI? No. AI lead response tools tend to convert more leads than answering services because they reply faster and cover every channel, not just the phone. Three reasons: 1. Speed wins. The first business to respond usually gets the job, and AI is always first. Contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour longer (HBR, 2011). 2. Consistency. Answering services have turnover. New operators don't know your business. AI follows your script every time. 3. Multi-channel. An answering service only catches phone calls. AI catches every lead source. That alone widens your response coverage. The exception: complex commercial quotes or high-value jobs where a prospect expects a detailed conversation upfront. For those, AI qualifies the lead and routes it to you with full context. You handle the close. When Should You Use an Answering Service Instead of AI? An answering service still makes sense in a few cases: - You need live dispatch for emergency service calls (water damage, locksmith) where a human must make routing decisions in real time - Your customers are primarily elderly and strongly prefer speaking to a person before booking - You handle complex intake that requires back-and-forth judgment calls (insurance adjusters, legal intake) For standard service business leads, like someone requesting a quote for HVAC repair, roof inspection, or house cleaning, an AI answering service handles the response, qualification, and booking faster and cheaper. How to Switch from an Answering Service to AI Lead Response Setup takes under 2 minutes. Here's how to switch: 1. Connect your lead sources to }. Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, Instagram, and phone all plug in. 2. Set your response script. Tell the AI what to say, what questions to ask, and when to route to you. 3. Run both in parallel for a week. Keep your answering service active while AI handles new leads. Compare conversion rates side by side. 4. Cancel the answering service once you see the data. You can see the difference in response coverage right away, because AI catches leads that the answering service was missing entirely, like text messages and marketplace inquiries. If you want to test the difference yourself, set up } free and run it alongside your current answering service for a week. The numbers will speak for themselves. --- ### AI Receptionist Cost and Pricing 2026 **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-receptionist-cost-pricing-2026/ Compare AI receptionist pricing models in 2026: per-channel pricing, bundled suites, and per-minute answering services, plus what each includes for service businesses. AI Receptionist Cost and Pricing 2026 This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. What an AI receptionist costs in 2026 depends on whether you pay per channel (Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook each priced separately) or buy a bundled enterprise suite. Here's what each model actually costs and what you get. Want to skip the research? Try } free and get AI voice callbacks for every lead, starting today. How Much Does an AI Receptionist Cost Per Month? AI receptionist pricing falls into three models. Your monthly cost depends on which channels you activate and whether you bundle. | Pricing Model | Monthly Cost | What's Included | Best For | |---|---|---|---| | Per-channel AI (}) | $19-$99/mo per channel + $10/mo per voice number + $1/min talk | Yelp $99, Thumbtack $99, FB Messenger $49, FB Lead Ads $19, Google LSA $49. Unlimited messaging on each activated channel. | Service businesses running 1-3 lead sources | | Bundled enterprise suite | Higher flat monthly fee | Reviews, webchat, payments, multi-seat CRM, reporting bundled together. Often requires a long-term contract. | Multi-location operations using the full feature stack | | Per-minute answering service | Varies with call minutes | Per-minute billing, often with a monthly minimum. | Overflow and after-hours only | Per-channel pricing is the most cost-effective for service businesses running one or two lead sources. You only pay for the channels you actually use. AI Receptionist vs Human Receptionist Cost A full-time human receptionist means a full salary every month, before benefits, training, sick days, and turnover. An AI receptionist handles inbound calls and lead responses for flat per-channel fees plus voice minutes, depending on how many channels you activate. That's a fraction of a full-time salary. The real difference goes beyond price. A human receptionist works 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. An AI receptionist works 24/7/365. No breaks, no holidays, no missed calls at 9pm on a Saturday when a Yelp lead comes in. For service businesses, after-hours leads are often the most urgent. A homeowner searching for a plumber at 10pm isn't browsing. They need someone now. An AI receptionist calls back instantly while competitors don't respond until Monday morning. What's Included in AI Receptionist Pricing? Not all AI receptionists include the same features. Here's what to look for: 1. Voice callbacks - Does the AI actually call leads back, or just send texts? A callback lets you qualify the lead while the need is fresh. 2. Multi-platform support - Can it create a job-specific response for leads from Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, and Facebook? Or just phone calls? 3. Lead qualification - Does the AI ask qualifying questions (budget, timeline, service needed) before routing to you? 4. Appointment booking - Can it book directly to your calendar without you touching anything? 5. After-hours coverage - Does pricing include 24/7 operation, or do nights and weekends cost extra? Some bundled suites charge a high flat fee and lock you into features you never touch. Per-channel pricing lets you activate just Yelp ($99) and voice ($10/mo + $1/min), skipping the bundle entirely. Which AI Receptionist Pricing Model Fits Your Business? One lead source (Yelp only): Per-channel. You'll spend $99/month for Yelp messaging plus voice usage. No bundled features you'll never use. Two to three lead sources (Yelp + Thumbtack + voice): Per-channel. Activate $99 + $99 + $10 voice base + voice minutes. Still cheaper than most bundles. Multi-location running the full reputation/webchat/payments stack: Compare bundled enterprise suites. At full feature use, a bundle's higher fee can make sense. The math is simple. List the channels you actually run, sum the per-channel fees, and compare to a bundled-suite quote. Many small businesses using AI receptionists run one or two channels, making per-channel pricing the clear winner. If you are still weighing options, our guide to choosing an AI answering service walks through how pricing model and channel coverage should drive the decision. How } AI Receptionist Pricing Works } uses per-channel pricing. Yelp $99/month, Thumbtack $99/month, Facebook Messenger $49/month, Facebook Lead Ads $19/month, Google Local Services Ads $49/month. Voice agent: $10/month for the dedicated number plus $1/minute of talk time. No setup fees, no contracts, 7-day free trial. Your AI receptionist picks up leads from Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, and Instagram. It calls back instantly, qualifies the lead, and books the appointment. All for a fraction of what a human receptionist or flat-rate AI answering service costs. Try } free and see what AI receptionist pricing looks like for your actual lead volume. --- ### AI Receptionist for Electricians **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-receptionist-electricians/ AI receptionist for electricians answers calls, qualifies emergency jobs, and books appointments 24/7. Stop losing leads to voicemail. AI Receptionist for Electricians Electricians lose a lot of inbound leads to voicemail. You are on a job site, hands in a panel, and cannot pick up. By the time you call back, the homeowner already booked someone else. An AI receptionist answers every call instantly, qualifies the job, and books it on your calendar. Losing electrical leads to voicemail? Try } free and start answering every call in under 2 seconds. Why Electricians Lose More Leads Than Other Trades Electrical work demands full attention. You cannot pause mid-wire to answer a phone call. But homeowners calling about a tripped breaker or flickering lights want help now, not a callback in 2 hours. Speed is the whole game. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007), and contacting within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it (HBR, 2011). The decay is steep because electrical problems feel urgent to homeowners even when they are not emergencies - so the electrician who picks up first usually books the job. How an AI Receptionist Works for Electrical Contractors 1. Homeowner calls your business number. The AI answers instantly with a greeting customized to your company name. 2. AI qualifies the job. It asks what the issue is (panel upgrade, outlet install, emergency repair), confirms the service area, and checks if the caller is the homeowner or a property manager. 3. Emergency triage. If the caller describes sparking, burning smell, or a full outage, the AI flags it as emergency and either dispatches immediately or transfers to your cell. 4. Books the appointment. For standard jobs, the AI checks your calendar, offers available slots, and books it. The customer gets a confirmation text. You get a notification. 5. Sends follow-up. A text with your company name, appointment details, and a reminder goes to the homeowner automatically. The whole interaction happens in one call. No hold music. No voicemail. AI Receptionist Cost vs Live Answering Service for Electricians | Feature | Live Answering Service | AI Receptionist | |---|---|---| | Monthly cost | Per-minute billing, often with a minimum | $10/mo per number + $1/min | | Monthly minimum | Common | None | | After-hours coverage | Extra charge | Included | | Appointment booking | Manual relay (delayed) | Instant, automated | | Emergency triage | Basic script | Custom rules you define | | Setup time | 3-5 business days | Same day | Say a solo electrician handles 100 calls a month at about 90 seconds each: that is billed as 200 minutes (each call rounds up to 2), or about $210 a month including the number. Compare that to an answering service's monthly minimum plus per-minute charges. And it books jobs faster because there is no human relay delay. What Electrical Jobs the AI Handles Best The AI is strongest on high-volume, repeatable call types: - Emergency calls (panel sparking, power outage, exposed wiring) - triage and dispatch - Outlet and switch installs - qualify, price-range, book - Panel upgrades - qualify amperage needs, schedule estimate - Ceiling fan installs - confirm fixture type, book slot - EV charger installs - confirm electrical panel capacity, schedule assessment - Inspection requests - book directly to your calendar Complex commercial bids or multi-phase projects get transferred to you. The AI knows the difference because you define the routing rules. After-Hours Electrical Lead Capture A large share of residential electrical leads arrive after 5pm or on weekends. These are homeowners who just got home, noticed a problem, and started calling. Without after-hours coverage, those calls go to voicemail. With a 24/7 AI answering service, they get answered, qualified, and booked before the homeowner moves to the next Google result. No extra marketing spend, same lead volume - you just stop losing the calls you were already missing. Frequently Asked Questions How does an AI receptionist handle electrical emergency calls? The AI answers instantly, asks qualifying questions (panel sparking, power outage, exposed wiring), determines urgency, and either books an emergency dispatch or schedules a standard appointment. It follows your custom triage rules so high-priority calls always get flagged. Can an AI receptionist book appointments on my calendar? Yes. It connects to Google Calendar, field service calendars, or any system with an API. When a homeowner calls, the AI checks open slots, books the job, and sends confirmation texts to both you and the customer automatically. What happens if the AI cannot answer a question? It transfers the call to your cell or on-call technician. You set the fallback rules. Complex commercial bids or panel upgrade consultations get routed to you directly. Does it work after hours and on weekends? It runs 24/7/365. A large share of residential electrical leads come in after 5pm or on weekends - homeowners who just got home and noticed a problem. Without after-hours coverage, those leads call the next electrician on the list. How much does an AI receptionist cost compared to a live answering service? Live answering services typically bill per minute, often with a monthly minimum. The AI voice agent runs $10 per month per number plus $1 per minute of talk time, with no monthly minimum. For example, 100 calls a month at about 90 seconds each is billed as 200 minutes (each call rounds up to 2), or about $210 a month including the number. Compare that to your answering service quote, including its minimum. How long does setup take? Setup takes under 2 minutes, and you can be live the same day. You provide your service area, pricing structure, emergency triage rules, and calendar access. The AI is configured and taking calls the same day. --- Stop losing electrical leads to voicemail. Try } free and see how many more jobs you book when every call gets answered. Related: AI Receptionist for Roofing Contractors · AI Receptionist for Plumbing Services · After-Hours Lead Capture --- ### AI Receptionist for Plumbing Services: Never Miss a Lead **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-receptionist-for-plumbing-services/ AI receptionist for plumbing services answers, qualifies emergencies, books jobs, and texts back 24/7 so you stop losing leads to voicemail. AI Receptionist for Plumbing Services: Never Miss a Lead Plumbing is one of the most lead-sensitive trades in the home services world. When a water heater dies on a Tuesday night or a pipe bursts at 6 AM, the customer calls the first plumber they find. If the phone rings out, they hang up and call the next one. The job is gone fast. An AI receptionist for plumbing services fixes this by answering every call and message instantly, triaging the emergency, and booking the job before the next plumber on the list even gets a chance. Tired of losing plumbing jobs to voicemail? Try } free and answer every lead instantly, day or night. Why Plumbers Lose So Many Leads Most plumbers are not losing leads because their pricing is wrong or their reviews are weak. They are losing leads because they cannot pick up the phone. Three situations dominate: - On the truck. You are under a sink, in a crawlspace, or on a roof. You cannot answer a call mid-job without dropping a wrench in someone's bathroom. - After hours. A large share of plumbing inquiries arrive evenings and weekends. If voicemail picks up, the customer rarely leaves a message. - Multi-platform chaos. Leads come in from Yelp, Thumbtack, Google Local Services Ads, and direct phone calls. Watching all of those at once while running jobs is impossible. The result is that many after-hours leads, and some business-hours leads, are simply never answered. That is money walking to a competitor. What an AI Receptionist for Plumbing Services Actually Does A plumber virtual receptionist is not just a voicemail with a friendlier greeting. It actually has a conversation, gets the details you need, and acts on them. Here is what a properly configured AI receptionist handles for a plumbing business: 1. Answers every inbound call instantly and creates a job-specific response for every message in under 2 seconds. Phone, Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA. Same AI, one inbox. 2. Triages emergency vs. routine. A burst pipe with active flooding gets routed to your on-call line or a same-day slot. A request for a routine faucet replacement gets booked into next week. 3. Collects the job details. Address, type of fixture, age of the system, photos if relevant, access notes, whether the homeowner has shut off the main. 4. Quotes a service call fee or trip charge if you have one configured, so the customer is not surprised when you arrive. 5. Books the appointment directly into your calendar, with a confirmation text to the customer. 6. Sends you a clean summary so you can roll up to the job already knowing what you are walking into. For inbound text messages and platform DMs, the same logic runs: instant reply that asks the right qualifying questions instead of a generic "Thanks, we will be in touch." For the current workflow, see our Yelp auto responder guide. Emergency Triage Is the Killer Feature for Plumbing Generic AI receptionists treat every call the same. That is fine for a hair salon. It is dangerous for plumbing. The whole job of a plumbing receptionist is knowing the difference between "my shower has been dripping for a month" and "my ceiling is collapsing." A plumbing-aware AI receptionist asks three quick questions on every emergency-sounding call: - Is there active water flow you cannot stop? - Have you been able to shut off the main supply? - Is the affected area causing damage right now (ceiling, floor, electrical panel)? Based on those answers, it either books the next available emergency slot, pages your on-call tech, or schedules a routine appointment. That logic is the difference between an AI receptionist that helps your business and one that creates more cleanup work for you. Pricing: Per-Channel Beats Bundled Suites for Plumbers Plumbing call volume is spiky. Heat wave, cold snap, holiday weekend, and you are flooded with leads. Slow weeks in shoulder season, almost nothing comes in. Paying a high flat monthly fee for a bundled enterprise suite means you overpay for review management and webchat features you never use. } is per-channel. $99/month for unlimited Yelp message handling, $99/month for unlimited Thumbtack, $49/month for Facebook Messenger, $19/month for Facebook Lead Ads. Voice agent: $10/month for the dedicated number plus $1/minute talk time. For example, a solo plumber running Yelp + voice with 50 minutes of calls in a month pays $99 + $10 base + $50 of voice usage = $159/month. There is no setup fee, no contract, and a 7-day free trial. If you are comparing this against a more general overview of AI receptionists for small business, the same per-channel logic applies, but the qualification flow here is tuned for plumbing specifically. AI Receptionist vs. Human Answering Service Human answering services have been the default for plumbers for decades. They still have a place, but the gap has narrowed fast. | | AI receptionist | Human answering service | |---|---|---| | Speed to answer | Under 2 seconds, every time | 15-45 seconds, often longer at peak | | Hours covered | 24/7, no surcharges | 24/7 but nights and weekends cost more | | Emergency triage | Configurable, consistent every call | Depends on which agent picks up | | Booking into your calendar | Yes, direct integration | Sometimes, often manual handoff | | Cost shape | Flat monthly fee per channel + $10/mo per number + $1/min voice | Flat monthly retainer plus per-minute | | Handles Yelp, Thumbtack, LSA messages | Yes, same brain | No, voice only | The honest take: a great human service can match an AI on phone calls, but it cannot keep up across web messages, Yelp DMs, Thumbtack, and Google LSA at the same time. A modern AI answering service handles the bulk of volume, and one saved emergency call a month can cover its cost. If you are still comparing providers, our rundown of how to choose an AI answering service covers what actually matters for the trades. Setup: Live in Under 2 Minutes Setup for a plumbing business looks like this: 1. Connect your Yelp, Thumbtack, and Google LSA accounts. Forward your business line to the AI number. 2. Pick your service area and trip charge. 3. Configure emergency vs. routine routing rules. 4. Add your calendar so bookings drop directly in. 5. Optional: add a few custom questions, like whether the property is on a slab or has a basement. There is a 7-day free trial, so you can run real leads through it before paying a cent. For more on why instant response wins so consistently in this category, our writeup on speed-to-lead on Yelp and Thumbtack walks through the numbers. Frequently Asked Questions Does the AI receptionist sound like a robot? No. It uses a natural-sounding voice and has full conversations, not scripted prompts. Most callers do not realize they are talking to AI unless you tell them. Can it handle plumbing emergencies safely? Yes. It asks emergency triage questions, routes urgent calls to your on-call number or same-day slots, and gives the customer basic safety guidance like shutting off the main supply while they wait. Will it work with my existing Yelp, Thumbtack, and Google LSA accounts? Yes. } connects directly to all three platforms plus your phone line. One AI handles every channel from a single inbox. How much does an AI receptionist for plumbing services cost? Per-channel pricing. Yelp $99/month, Thumbtack $99/month, Facebook Messenger $49/month, Facebook Lead Ads $19/month. Voice agent: $10/month for the dedicated number plus $1/minute of talk time. For example, Yelp plus voice with 50 minutes of calls comes to $159/month. No setup fees, no contracts, 7-day free trial. What happens if the AI cannot answer a question? It tells the customer it will have a human follow up, takes their contact details and the question, and sends you a summary so you can call back with the answer. Stop Losing Plumbing Leads to Voicemail Every missed plumbing call is a paying customer handed to a competitor. An AI receptionist for plumbing services answers every call and text, creates a job-specific response for every platform DM, and books the job while you stay on the truck. Try } free for 7 days. No contract, per-channel pricing after that. --- ### AI Receptionist for Small Business **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-receptionist-for-small-business/ AI receptionist for small business sets up in under 2 minutes and goes live the same day. Operational walkthrough, missed-call recovery flow, and the cost math. AI Receptionist for Small Business This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. You can set up an AI receptionist for your small business in under 2 minutes. By dinner, it is answering every call, following up on every missed one, and booking jobs into your calendar. Deploy by tonight. Try } free and start recovering missed calls today. Same-Day Deploy Timeline A typical same-day rollout looks like this. | Step | Action | Result | |---|---|---| | 1 | Sign up | Account live | | 2 | Forward business phone line | Missed calls now route to AI | | 3 | Configure voice greeting + SMS text-back | Templates ready | | 4 | Paste service list with price ranges | LLM ready to quote | | 5 | Connect Yelp via OAuth | Inbox monitored | | 6 | Sync Google Calendar | Live booking enabled | | 7 | Test call + test Yelp inquiry | Both book successfully | | 8 | Go live | Real leads start hitting | | Same day | First real missed call comes in | Text-back and callback start the recovery | Setup takes under 2 minutes. Once it is live, every recovered booking is revenue you would otherwise have lost to voicemail. Missed-Call Recovery Operational Walkthrough Tuesday 7:14pm. You are on a roof. Phone rings. Goes to voicemail. 1. 0:00 - Missed call detected. Phone forward fires the event. 2. Under 2 seconds - SMS text-back sent. "Sorry we missed you, what do you need?" 3. 1:34 - Customer replies. "AC stopped working, 95 inside, need someone tonight" 4. Instantly - AI qualifies. Confirms address, asks unit age, urgency tier 5. Instantly - Voice agent dials customer back. $10/mo per number + $1/min 6. During the call - Appointment booked. 9pm same-night slot, calendar synced 7. The moment it books - You get SMS with booking details You finish the roof job, check your phone, see a booked $420 emergency call. ROI Math: Solo Operator (Illustrative) The hardest case is a solo operator with no backup. The figures below are a worked illustration, not measured results - plug in your own miss rate, call volume, and close rate to see your numbers. | Metric | No Recovery | AI Receptionist | |---|---|---| | Calls per month | 40 | 40 | | Missed calls | 20 | 20 | | Calls recovered by SMS + callback | 0 | Some of the 20 | | Jobs booked from recovered calls | 0 | Each one is revenue you would have lost | | Average job value | $400 | $400 | | AI cost (voice + Yelp) | $0 | $109 + voice minutes | Even a single recovered booking can cover the full month of tool cost. Peak-Season Operational Stress Test The hardest moment for an HVAC company is a single 90-degree afternoon when calls spike all at once. A single human receptionist can only handle one call at a time. When dozens of calls land in the same hour, most go to voicemail and most of those callers move on to the next contractor. The AI voice agent answers every concurrent call instantly, qualifies each one, and books the jobs it can. Because voice is billed at $1/minute, even a heavy spike hour costs a small fraction of the revenue those booked jobs bring in. What an AI Receptionist Costs Per source, no contracts. | Item | Monthly Cost | |---|---| | Voice agent for phone calls | $10/number + $1/min | | Yelp | $99 | | Thumbtack | $99 | | Facebook Messenger | $49 | | Setup, support, config changes | Free | Example small-business stack (phone + Yelp): $109/month plus voice minutes. Part-time human receptionist: wages for their scheduled hours, phone only. An AI answering service covers every channel around the clock for a small fraction of that. How to Deploy the Same Day 1. Sign up and forward your business phone line. After 4 rings. 2. Configure the voice agent greeting and the SMS text-back. Under 15 words greeting, default text-back template. 3. Paste your service list with price ranges. Top 10 services, min and max prices. 4. Connect Yelp through OAuth and sync your calendar. Yelp URL, Google Calendar. 5. Run a test call and a test Yelp inquiry, then go live. Confirm both book successfully. Frequently Asked Questions What does an AI receptionist for small business actually do hour by hour? Answers calls instantly, creates a job-specific response to every message in under 2 seconds, recovers missed calls via SMS, books appointments live, syncs to CRM. 24/7. How fast can a small business deploy an AI receptionist? Setup takes under 2 minutes, and same-day deploy is the norm. How does the AI receptionist recover missed calls? Under-2-second SMS text-back, optional voice agent callback. Recovers calls that would otherwise go to voicemail and to a competitor. What is the ROI of an AI receptionist for a small service business? Recovered bookings are revenue you would otherwise lose. For 40 calls/month at a $400 average job, a single recovered booking can cover the $109/month tool cost plus voice minutes. Your real return depends on your miss rate and close rate. Does the AI receptionist work for solo operators? Best fit. Solo operators have the highest miss rate because there is no backup on a job, so they gain the most from recovery. What does an AI receptionist cost for a small business? $109/month for voice + Yelp, plus $1 per voice minute. Compare that to a part-time human's wages. Can the AI receptionist handle peak-season call spikes? Yes. Unlimited concurrent calls, every one answered instantly, while a single human receptionist can only take one at a time. Does the AI receptionist need integration with my existing tools? Optional. Standalone with email and SMS notifications. CRM via native integration or Zapier. Deploy by Tonight Try } free and have your AI receptionist live in under 2 minutes. For peak-season HVAC, see HVAC AI receptionist peak season. --- ### AI Receptionist for Plumbing Services: Stop Losing Jobs to Missed Calls **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-receptionist-plumber/ An AI receptionist for plumbing services answers every call in under 2 seconds, triages emergencies, books appointments, and runs 24/7. Setup in under 2 minutes. AI Receptionist for Plumbing Services: Stop Losing Jobs to Missed Calls This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. A customer with a burst pipe at 7 PM calls the first plumber they find. If nobody answers, they call the next one. A large share of plumbing calls come after hours, and many go unanswered. That's leads going straight to a competitor. Stop losing plumbing jobs to voicemail. Try } free and answer every call in under 2 seconds, 24/7. How much do missed calls cost plumbers? More than most trades. Plumbing work is urgent by nature. A flooded basement, a dead water heater, a sewage backup. Customers call, and if you don't pick up, they move on immediately. Calls come in around the clock: business hours, evenings, late nights, and weekends. Business-hours calls have the best chance of reaching someone. Evening, late-night, and weekend calls are the ones most likely to hit voicemail. The highest-value calls (evenings, weekends, emergencies) are the ones you miss most. Emergency jobs are often among your biggest tickets. Multiply your average emergency job value by the emergency calls you miss each month to see what you're leaving on the table. What does an AI receptionist do on a plumbing call? It answers instantly, asks the right diagnostic questions, and books the appointment. Your tech gets a full job brief before they show up. A typical call goes like this: the customer says their water heater stopped working. The AI asks whether it's gas or electric, how old it is, and what they've already tried. Based on the answers, it offers same-day or next-morning slots. Customer picks a time, confirms the address, and the tech gets notified with full details. By the time your plumber arrives, they already know: - Type of issue and diagnostic indicators - Equipment brand and age (if relevant) - Whether the problem is getting worse - Access details (gate codes, dogs, unit number) - What the homeowner has already tried No long intake conversation on-site. Your tech can start working immediately. How does it handle real plumbing emergencies? The AI triages by severity and acts accordingly. Active emergencies (flooding, gas smell, sewage backup): flags the call as emergency, sends an immediate SMS to your on-call tech, walks the customer through shutting off the water main, and books the fastest available slot. Same-day urgent (no hot water, running toilet, slow drain): books same-day or next-morning and collects diagnostic details so your tech arrives prepared. Routine work (fixture replacement, water heater service, inspections): books the next available slot based on customer preference and captures the full job scope. Does it work with plumbing CRM software? Yes. Every call the AI books flows directly into your existing system: | CRM type | What syncs | |---|---| | Flat-rate all-in-one CRM (unlimited users) | Contact, pipeline, and automation trigger | | Per-seat enterprise CRM | Customer and job creation via webhook, full lead record with call notes | | Field service management platform (per-tech pricing) | Customer + job, auto-assigned to tech | | Lightweight dispatch tool | Customer profile and job booking | | Google Calendar | Appointment sync | No manual data entry. The booking goes from the AI call into your dispatch queue automatically. Does it cover leads beyond phone calls? It works as one AI answering service across phone and supported messaging sources. Phone calls use the AI voice agent. For Yelp messages, the AI creates a job-specific response in under 2 seconds. Other messaging sources get an instant reply. One setup handles all of it. A plumbing call at 10 PM gets the same response quality as a Yelp message at 2 PM. What does an AI receptionist cost for plumbers? - Voice receptionist: $10/month per phone number plus $1/minute of call time - Example monthly cost: 60 calls at 3 minutes each = 180 minutes = $180, plus $10 for the number - Yelp/Thumbtack text auto-response: $99/month each Plug in your own call volume and call length. One converted emergency call can cover a month of voice minutes. If you want to see how this works for your plumbing business, try } free and set it up in under 2 minutes. Common Questions About an AI Receptionist for Plumbing Services Will customers know they're talking to an AI? Most don't, unless you tell the AI to disclose. The voice sounds like a trained intake person - natural pacing, no robotic delivery. Some plumbing companies using } have the AI introduce itself as a virtual assistant; others let it answer like a regular receptionist. Both work fine. Can it dispatch to my on-call tech for emergencies? Yes. Define your on-call rotation (or pull from your CRM), and the AI sends an SMS or call to the right tech the moment it tags a call as an active emergency. Dispatch to your on-call tech is immediate, the moment the customer hangs up. Does it handle Spanish-speaking customers? Yes. The receptionist supports English, Spanish, and 30+ other languages. Customers in California, Texas, Florida, and the Southwest particularly benefit, because Spanish-speaking callers can be served in their own language instead of hanging up. What happens during calls the AI can't handle? It transfers. Set the rules: complex commercial work, insurance claims, jobs above a price ceiling, or any call where the customer asks for a person - the AI hands the call to your dispatch line or a specific staff member. The customer doesn't get stuck. Can it follow up on quotes that didn't book? Yes. Any call that ends without a booking goes into a follow-up queue. The AI sends a text within 24 hours referencing the actual conversation ("Hi John, you called yesterday about the water heater quote - still want me to lock in Friday?"). How does it handle Google Local Service Ads (LSA) calls? The receptionist can use the supported Google LSA lead event to qualify the request and offer a booking step. See the LSA auto responder guide for the source-specific workflow. If you want to see how this works for your plumbing business, try } free and set it up in under 2 minutes. Related reading: - AI voice agents for service businesses - HVAC AI receptionist: peak season guide - After-hours lead capture - Lead response time data --- ### AI Receptionist for Roofing Contractors **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-receptionist-roofing-contractors/ AI receptionist for roofing contractors answers calls, qualifies storm damage leads, and books inspections 24/7. Stop losing jobs to voicemail. AI Receptionist for Roofing Contractors A roofing lead that hits voicemail is a roofing lead that calls your competitor. Storm damage homeowners contact several contractors and go with whoever answers first. An AI receptionist picks up every call instantly, creates a job-specific response for every message in under 2 seconds, qualifies the job, and books the inspection while you are still on the roof. Losing roofing leads to missed calls? Try } free and answer every call instantly, 24/7. Why Roofing Contractors Lose Leads to Voicemail Roofing has a unique problem: lead volume is unpredictable and spiky. A hailstorm hits Tuesday night, and by Wednesday morning your phone is ringing nonstop. You are already on three roofs. Your office manager is overwhelmed. Leads go to voicemail. Those homeowners call the next contractor on Google. Three patterns drive most lost roofing leads: - Storm surges. Call volume spikes sharply after severe weather. No human team can absorb that overnight. - On the roof. You cannot answer a phone while replacing shingles at 25 feet. Calls stack up through the workday. - After hours. A large share of roofing inquiries arrive evenings and weekends. Homeowners discover a leak at 9 PM and want someone on it by morning. Every missed call during a storm surge is a high-ticket roofing job walking to a faster competitor. What an AI Receptionist Handles for Roofing Companies An AI receptionist for roofers is not voicemail with a script. It runs a real qualifying conversation and takes action. 1. Answers every call instantly and creates a job-specific response for every message in under 2 seconds. Phone, Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, Instagram. Zero hold time. 2. Qualifies the lead. Asks about damage type (missing shingles, active leak, storm damage), roof age, square footage estimate, and whether an insurance claim is open. 3. Triages emergencies. Active interior leak with water damage gets escalated to your on-call crew or emergency slot. Standard replacement estimate gets scheduled normally. 4. Books the inspection directly into your calendar with address, damage photos if the homeowner sends them, and access notes. 5. Sends you a job summary so you arrive knowing what you are walking into, not cold-calling a stranger. 6. Follows up automatically. If the homeowner does not confirm, the AI sends a reminder text. No lead falls through the cracks. For more on how voice agents handle the callback process, see our guide on AI voice agents for roofing contractors. Storm Season: Where AI Pays for Itself Here is the operational difference roofing owners care about. | Metric | Without AI Receptionist | With AI Receptionist | |--------|------------------------|---------------------| | Calls answered during storm surge | Some (overwhelmed staff) | Every call (unlimited capacity) | | Average response time | 2-4 hours (callback queue) | Under 2 seconds | | After-hours leads captured | Few (voicemail) | Every lead (24/7 live response) | | Concurrent calls handled | One at a time | Unlimited | The speed gap is what wins jobs. Contacting a lead within an hour makes you roughly 7x more likely to have a meaningful conversation than waiting even an hour longer (Harvard Business Review, 2011), and waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007). The difference is not more leads. It is answering the ones you already pay for. AI Receptionist Pricing for Roofing Contractors Roofing call volume is seasonal. Paying a flat monthly fee year-round for an answering service means you overpay in slow months and get overwhelmed in peak months anyway. A usage-based AI answering service flexes with the season instead. | Pricing Model | Monthly Cost | Storm Surge Handling | |--------------|-------------|---------------------| | } AI voice agent | $10/month per number + $1/minute of talk time | Unlimited concurrent calls | | Flat-rate answering service | Fixed monthly fee | Hold queues, missed calls | | Full-time receptionist | Full salary | One person, one call at a time | Usage-based voice pricing means a quiet January costs less than the weeks after a March hailstorm, and you never hit capacity. Text channels are flat monthly with no per-lead fees: Yelp $99, Thumbtack $99, Facebook Messenger $49, Facebook Lead Ads $19, and Google Local Services Ads $49. For a deeper look at pricing models, see our AI receptionist cost breakdown. How Roofing Lead Follow-Up Changes With AI Speed matters more in roofing than almost any other trade. Storm damage homeowners are anxious. They want confirmation that someone is coming. The research is blunt: waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify the lead - and 100x less likely to reach it (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007), and contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting longer (HBR, 2011). The AI does not just answer the first call. It handles the full follow-up sequence: - Confirmation text with appointment details - Day-before reminder - Re-engagement if the homeowner goes quiet - Insurance documentation reminder if a claim is open This is where most roofing contractors lose jobs they already won on the first call. The homeowner gets distracted, forgets, or picks someone who followed up faster. For more on this pattern, see roofing lead follow-up data. Frequently Asked Questions What does an AI receptionist do for a roofing contractor? It answers every inbound call instantly and creates a job-specific response for every message in under 2 seconds, 24/7. It asks qualifying questions like roof age, damage type, and insurance status, then books an inspection directly on your calendar. You get a clean summary before you show up. Can an AI receptionist handle storm damage lead surges? Yes. AI handles unlimited concurrent calls with no hold times. During hail season when call volume spikes overnight, every call still gets answered instantly. No busy signals, no voicemail, no lost revenue. How much does an AI receptionist cost for a roofing company? The } voice agent is $10/month per phone number plus $1 per minute of talk time. Text channels are flat monthly: Yelp $99, Thumbtack $99, Facebook Messenger $49, Facebook Lead Ads $19, and Google Local Services Ads $49. No setup fees, no contracts, no per-lead fees, and a 7-day free trial. Does the AI work with Yelp, Thumbtack, and Google LSA leads? Yes. It monitors Yelp messages, Thumbtack inquiries, Google LSA calls, Facebook lead ads, and Instagram DMs from a single system. The AI creates a job-specific response for every inquiry, on every platform, in under 2 seconds. Can the AI receptionist tell the difference between a leak and a full replacement inquiry? Yes. It asks targeted questions about active leaks, interior water damage, missing shingles, and whether an insurance claim is open. Emergency leak calls get escalated to your on-call crew. Replacement estimates get scheduled into your pipeline. Will homeowners know they are talking to an AI? Most will not notice. The voice agent uses natural conversation flow, asks relevant roofing questions, and handles follow-ups like a trained receptionist. Homeowners care about getting help fast, not who picks up. --- Stop losing roofing jobs to voicemail and slow callbacks. Try } free and see how many more inspections you book when every call gets answered instantly. --- ### AI Receptionist Service **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-receptionist-service/ AI receptionist service that answers calls, qualifies leads, and books jobs for service businesses 24/7. Responds in under 2 seconds. AI Receptionist Service This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. You're paying for leads that go to voicemail. An AI receptionist service - also called an AI answering service - answers every call, qualifies the lead, and books the job without you picking up the phone. Want every lead answered in under 2 seconds? Try } free and let your AI receptionist start booking jobs today. How Does an AI Receptionist Service Work? Your AI receptionist picks up inbound calls in under 2 seconds. It greets the caller by name (if they're a returning lead), asks qualifying questions, and books directly into your calendar. Here's a typical scenario: 1. Homeowner searches "plumber near me" and clicks your Google LSA ad at 8:47 PM 2. They call your business line 3. AI receptionist answers on the first ring 4. Asks what service they need, confirms their address, checks your availability 5. Books a morning appointment and sends the homeowner a confirmation text 6. You wake up to a qualified job on your calendar No hold music. No voicemail. No missed revenue. What Does an AI Receptionist Service Cost? AI receptionist pricing breaks into three models: | Feature | Per-channel AI (}) | Bundled enterprise suite | Traditional answering service | |---------|--------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------| | Monthly cost | $10/mo number + $1/min voice; $19-$99/mo per text channel | Flat monthly fee, often with an annual contract | Monthly plan + overages | | After-hours | Included | Included | Extra charge | | Lead qualification | Yes, customizable | Basic scripting | Reads a script only | | Booking | Direct calendar sync | Some integrations | Takes a message | | Pay for features you don't use | No, activate channels individually | Yes, full bundle every month | Yes (monthly minimum) | } uses per-channel pricing. Activate voice on its own ($10 + usage), or add Yelp ($99/mo), Thumbtack ($99/mo), Facebook Messenger ($49/mo), Facebook Lead Ads ($19/mo), or Google Local Services Ads ($49/mo) only when you want them. No bundled-suite minimum. For a model-by-model breakdown, see how to pick the best AI answering service for your channels. AI Receptionist Service vs Hiring a Receptionist A full-time receptionist costs a full-time salary plus benefits. They work 40 hours a week and miss every call outside those hours. An AI receptionist service: - Answers 24/7/365 including holidays and weekends - Handles unlimited simultaneous calls (no busy signal during peak hours) - Costs a fraction of a salaried employee - Never calls in sick, never quits, never puts someone on hold - Qualifies leads using your exact criteria before booking An AI receptionist can pay for itself if it books one extra job per week that would have gone to voicemail. Which Service Businesses Use AI Receptionists? AI receptionist services work best for businesses where every missed call is a lost job: - HVAC - emergency calls at 2 AM get answered and dispatched - Plumbing - leak calls need immediate response or the homeowner calls the next result - Roofing - storm damage leads spike after a storm and you can't answer them all manually - Electrical - after-hours calls from worried homeowners convert at high rates - Cleaning - recurring clients expect instant booking, not callbacks The pattern: high call volume, time-sensitive leads, and revenue lost to voicemail. How Fast Does an AI Receptionist Respond? Response speed directly impacts conversion. The public research is clear: - 5 to 30 minutes: waiting this long makes you 21x less likely to qualify the lead - and 100x less likely to reach it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007) - Within an hour: contacting a lead within an hour makes you ~7x more likely to qualify it than waiting longer (HBR, 2011) An AI receptionist answers on the first ring. There's no response time gap. The lead never waits, never gets frustrated, never moves to the next search result. Set Up an AI Receptionist in Under 2 Minutes } connects to your existing business phone line. Setup takes three steps: 1. Connect your phone number (forward calls or port your number) 2. Set your qualifying questions and booking rules 3. Sync your calendar (Google Calendar, or push to your CRM via Zapier) Your AI receptionist starts taking calls immediately. No coding. No hardware. No contracts. --- Ready to stop losing calls to voicemail? Try } free and have your AI receptionist answering calls in under 2 minutes. --- ### AI Voice Agent for Service Businesses **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-voice-agent-for-service-businesses/ AI voice agent pricing: $10/month per number + $1/min, rounded up to the next whole minute per call. See how the cost works and why one booking covers the month. AI Voice Agent for Service Businesses This is part of our complete AI Voice Agent guide for service businesses. The pricing is simple: $10/month per number + $1/minute of talk time. The math is simpler: one recovered call covers the whole month. Deploy by tonight. Want voice on your phone line by morning? Try } free and run your first test call in minutes. Voice Agent Pricing Math What the agent actually costs. | Item | Cost | |---|---| | Base | $10/month per number | | Per minute of talk time | $1/minute (rounded up to the next whole minute per call) | | Setup, support, config changes | Free | | Recording, transcript, CRM sync | Included | A call that runs 90 to 180 seconds is billed as 2 to 3 minutes, or $2 to $3 in talk time. No contracts, no minimums, 7-day free trial. Per-Call Economics A single call costs about the price of a coffee, and a booked service job is worth hundreds. That gap is why the math works for solo operators: even one booked job from a call you would otherwise have missed pays for far more than a month of talk time. | Item | Example Value (use your own numbers) | |---|---| | Call duration | 90 to 180 seconds | | Talk-time cost per call | $2 to $3 | | Service job value | $300 to $500 | The agent answers calls you would have missed, so the upside is the work you were losing to voicemail. Why One Booking Covers the Month Solo operators miss calls because they are on the truck, under the sink, or driving. Those missed calls are the leak. Acting as an always-on AI answering service, the voice agent answers every one of them, including after hours and during volume spikes, and qualifies the job before the customer moves on to the next business. Research on speed-to-lead is consistent: contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour later, and roughly 60x more likely than 24+ hours (HBR, 2011). Separately, MIT found that waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (Oldroyd, 2007). An instant AI pickup sits at the top of that curve on every call; a missed call sits at the bottom. Speed Beats Every Manual Window Faster contact wins more jobs. The independent research is clear: - Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). - Contacting within an hour = about 7x more likely to qualify vs an hour later (HBR, 2011). The AI picks up instantly, every time, including 3am Saturday. A voicemail the customer never returns sits at the bottom of every one of those curves. Break-Even by Average Job Value One booked job covers the month. The higher your average job value, the faster a single recovered call pays for the agent. | Average Job Value | What One Booking Covers | |---|---| | $200 | Multiple months of typical talk-time cost | | $400 | A full month and then some | | $800 | Well over a month | | $2,000+ | Many months from a single call | The first recovered call can cover the cost the same day. Same-Day Deploy Timeline | Step | Action | |---|---| | 1 | Sign up | | 2 | Forward business phone line | | 3 | Configure greeting + paste service list | | 4 | Sync calendar | | 5 | Test call from second phone | | Live | Setup done in minutes | | Same day | First real call handled | Same-day deploy is the norm. What the AI Voice Agent Does on Every Call | Step | Action | |---|---| | 1. Picks up | Instantly, every call | | 2. Greets | Under 15 words, business name and first name | | 3. Listens | Real-time transcription | | 4. Quotes | Pulls pricing from your service list | | 5. Books | Live calendar slot, real time | | 6. Confirms | SMS to customer, notification to you | | 7. Records | Full audio + transcript to CRM | A 90-to-180-second call, a couple of dollars in talk time, one booked job. How to Deploy in Minutes 1. Sign up and forward your business phone line. After 4 rings. 2. Configure the greeting under 15 words. Business name + first name + question. 3. Paste your service list with price ranges. Min and max per service. 4. Sync your calendar for live booking. Google Calendar or Cal.com. 5. Run a test call and go live. Tweak tone, flip live. Frequently Asked Questions How much does an AI voice agent cost per call? $10/month per number + $1/minute, rounded up to the next whole minute per call. A 90 to 180 second call is billed as 2 to 3 minutes ($2 to $3). What is the ROI of an AI voice agent? The value is the work you stop losing to voicemail. A single recovered job at typical service-business value covers the cost for the month. How fast does an AI voice agent pick up the phone? Instantly, on every call, with unlimited concurrent calls so it never gets a busy signal. Can the AI voice agent be deployed in under 24 hours? Yes, same day. Setup takes minutes, and you can take real calls the same day you sign up. Does the AI voice agent recover missed calls? Yes. Under-2-second SMS text-back plus an optional voice callback continues the conversation instead of leaving a voicemail the customer never returns. What is the break-even on an AI voice agent? One booked job. A single recovered call can cover the month. How does the AI voice agent handle complex calls? Straightforward calls close with the AI. Complex calls get a structured message with full context texted to you. Does the AI voice agent work for emergency trades? Best fit. Customers are ready to book the first business that picks up, and the AI picks up instantly every time. Take Real Calls by Tonight Try } free and put the voice agent on your phone line in minutes. For the missed-call recovery flow, see missed call ai. --- ### AI Voice Agent for HVAC Emergency Calls **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-voice-agent-hvac-emergency-calls/ AI voice agent answers HVAC emergency calls instantly, books jobs 24/7. See setup, cost, and speed-to-lead research for HVAC contractors. AI Voice Agent for HVAC Emergency Calls A furnace dies at 11pm. The homeowner calls three HVAC companies. Two go to voicemail. Your AI voice agent picks up instantly, qualifies the emergency, and books the dispatch before the homeowner finishes their coffee. Losing emergency calls to voicemail after hours? Try } free and answer every HVAC emergency instantly, 24/7. Why HVAC Emergency Calls Need Instant Pickup HVAC emergencies don't wait for business hours. A large share of emergency HVAC calls arrive after 6pm or on weekends. A broken furnace in January or a dead AC in July means the homeowner is calling right now and booking whoever answers first. The research backs this up. Contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour longer (HBR, 2011), and the gap is even steeper inside the first few minutes. Emergency calls are more extreme still. A homeowner with no heat at midnight isn't comparison shopping. They're booking the first company that picks up. Voicemail loses these calls. Traditional answering services put callers on hold. An AI voice agent picks up instantly and handles the call end to end. How the AI Voice Agent Handles an HVAC Emergency Call Here's what happens when a homeowner calls your HVAC business after hours: 1. AI answers instantly. No hold music, no phone tree. The caller hears a professional greeting with your company name. 2. Qualifies the emergency. The agent asks what's happening (no heat, no AC, water leak from unit, gas smell) and confirms the service address is in your coverage area. 3. Checks availability and books. The agent references your calendar and scheduling rules. Emergency slots get booked immediately. Non-urgent requests get scheduled for the next available window. 4. Sends dispatch notification. Your on-call tech gets a text with the job details: address, issue description, and customer phone number. 5. Confirms with the homeowner. The caller gets a text confirmation with the technician's ETA and your company info. Every step happens on the same call. What Does an AI Voice Agent Cost for HVAC Contractors? | Cost Factor | AI Voice Agent | Traditional Answering Service | In-house After-Hours Staff | |---|---|---|---| | Per-minute cost | $1, rounded up to the next whole minute per call | Per-minute or per-call plan rates | Hourly wages | | Monthly base | $10 per number | Monthly minimum | Salary/on-call pay | | Example emergency call cost | $2 - $3 (2-3 min call) | Varies by plan | Varies | | 24/7 coverage | Yes | Yes (with upcharges) | Expensive | | Books appointments | Yes, automatically | Message-taking only | Yes | Say you handle 40 to 60 emergency calls a month at 2 to 3 minutes each: that works out to roughly $90 to $190/month with the AI voice agent ($10 base plus talk time). A traditional answering service often charges a monthly minimum, and many only take messages. They don't book. An AI answering service qualifies the emergency and books the dispatch on the same call. HVAC Emergency Scenarios the AI Voice Agent Handles The agent is configured with your specific services, pricing ranges, and coverage area. Common scenarios it handles without human involvement: - No heat / no AC - qualifies the unit type, age, and last service date. Books emergency dispatch. - Refrigerant leak - flags as priority, books same-day, texts the tech immediately. - Thermostat failure - determines if it's a thermostat issue or a system issue. Schedules accordingly. - Water leak from HVAC unit - marks urgent, dispatches with plumber coordination note if needed. - Gas smell near furnace - instructs caller to leave the home and call 911 first, then books follow-up service. For calls outside your expertise (electrical, plumbing-only), the agent politely declines and can refer to a partner if you've set one up. Setup Takes Minutes, Not Weeks You don't need IT staff or a month of onboarding. Here's the setup: 1. Upload your service list and pricing ranges 2. Set your service area (zip codes or radius) 3. Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or a supported scheduling integration) 4. Set escalation rules (when to transfer to a live tech vs. handle automatically) 5. Forward your after-hours calls to your } number Most HVAC contractors go live the same day. The AI voice agent handles your direct phone calls, and the same system covers leads from Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, and Facebook. The takeaway: contractors who move after-hours calls from voicemail to an always-on voice agent book more of the emergencies that were already coming in. The calls were never the problem. They were just going to voicemail. Frequently Asked Questions How fast does an AI voice agent answer HVAC emergency calls? The AI voice agent picks up inbound calls instantly and makes outbound callbacks instantly. This is consistent 24/7 including nights, weekends, and holidays. No hold music, no voicemail, no missed emergencies. Can an AI voice agent handle after-hours HVAC emergencies? Yes. The voice agent runs 24/7 with no staffing gaps. A large share of HVAC emergency calls come after 6pm or on weekends. The AI answers instantly, qualifies the issue, confirms the service area, and books the dispatch. No human needs to be awake. What does an AI voice agent cost for HVAC contractors? The voice agent is $10/month per phone number plus $1/minute of talk time, rounded up to the next whole minute per call. If an HVAC emergency call lasts 2 to 3 minutes, it runs about $2 to $3 in talk time. Compare that to traditional answering services with monthly minimums that only take a message. Does the AI voice agent know HVAC terminology? You configure the agent with your service list, pricing ranges, and service area. It handles common HVAC scenarios like no-cool calls, furnace failures, refrigerant leaks, and thermostat issues. You can update the knowledge base anytime without coding. Can the AI voice agent dispatch HVAC technicians directly? The agent can book appointments on your calendar, send dispatch notifications via text or email, and push job details to your field service software through Zapier or Make. It does not physically dispatch but triggers your existing workflow automatically. What happens if the AI cannot handle a complex HVAC call? The agent follows escalation rules you set. It can transfer the call to an on-call technician, take a detailed message with callback priority, or text you a summary with the caller info. You control what gets escalated and what gets handled automatically. --- Stop losing emergency calls to voicemail. Try } free and see how many more HVAC emergencies you book when every call gets answered instantly. --- ### AI Voice Agent for Plumbing Emergency Calls **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/ai-voice-agent-plumbing-emergency-calls/ AI voice agent answers plumbing emergency calls 24/7, instantly. Books or dispatches the job before the customer dials the next plumber. Live the same day. AI Voice Agent for Plumbing Emergency Calls A burst pipe at 11pm. The customer calls three plumbers and books whoever picks up first. If your phone goes to voicemail, you lose the job in the time it takes them to dial the next number. An AI voice agent answers every plumbing emergency call instantly, 24/7, and books or dispatches the job before that happens. Losing emergency plumbing jobs to voicemail? Try } free and answer every call instantly, day or night. Why Plumbing Emergencies Are the Highest-Converting Calls You Miss Emergency plumbing calls convert at a much higher rate when answered immediately than when returned from voicemail, because emergency callers don't wait - they call the next plumber. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify the lead - and 100x less likely to reach it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007); contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting longer (HBR, 2011). A large share of plumbing emergency calls arrive after 6pm or on weekends - the exact hours most plumbing businesses miss entirely. The math is simple: every missed emergency call is real money walking to a competitor. Even recovering a few of them a month with instant answering pays for the service many times over - run the numbers on your own call volume. How the AI Voice Agent Handles a Plumbing Emergency Call Here's what happens when a customer calls at 11pm about a burst pipe: 1. Call answered in under 2 seconds. No rings, no voicemail, no hold music. 2. Agent identifies the emergency. Asks what's happening, the address, and whether there's active flooding. 3. Quotes a price range from your service list. "Burst pipe repair typically runs $250 to $600 depending on access." 4. Books or dispatches instantly. Either books directly into your calendar or sends a priority SMS and email to your on-call plumber with full details. 5. Sends confirmation to the customer. Text message with appointment time, your business name, and what to do while waiting. A 90-120 second call like this is billed as 2 minutes: $2 in talk time. The customer never knows they talked to AI. They just know your business answered when the pipe burst. Plumbing Emergency AI vs. Traditional Answering Services | Feature | AI Voice Agent | Traditional Answering Service | Voicemail | |---|---|---|---| | Answer speed | Under 2 seconds | 15-45 seconds | N/A (missed) | | Available 24/7 | Yes | Depends on plan | Yes, but no one answers | | Books appointments | Yes, live on call | Takes message only | No | | Knows your pricing | Yes, quotes ranges | No | No | | Cost per call | $1/minute of talk time | Per-call or per-minute plan fees | Free (but loses the job) | | Emergency dispatch | Auto-SMS to on-call | Calls you to relay | No | | Concurrent calls | Unlimited | Limited by agents | 1 at a time | How to Set Up an AI Voice Agent for Plumbing Emergency Calls Setup takes minutes, and you can go live the same day. 1. Sign up and set call forwarding. Forward unanswered calls (after 3-4 rings) to your } number. Calls you answer still ring you first. 2. Add your plumbing services and price ranges. List every service: emergency drain clearing $175-$450, water heater replacement $1,200-$2,800, burst pipe repair $250-$600. The agent quotes from these live. 3. Configure emergency routing rules. Auto-book into your calendar, send priority SMS to your on-call plumber, or live-transfer to your cell for active flooding. 4. Sync your calendar. Google Calendar or Cal.com. Set business hours, travel buffer, and on-call windows for after-hours. 5. Run a test call and go live. Call from a second phone, test a burst pipe scenario at 11pm. Review the recording, tweak the greeting, then flip live. You're now answering every plumbing call 24/7. What Does an AI Voice Agent Cost for Plumbers? $10/month base + $1/minute of talk time, rounded up to the next whole minute per call. | Monthly call volume | Average talk time | Estimated monthly cost | |---|---|---| | 20 emergency calls | ~90-120 sec each | $50 | | 40 emergency calls | ~90-120 sec each | $90 | | 80 emergency calls | ~90-120 sec each | $170 | Cost = $10/month per number plus $1/minute, with each 90-120 second call billed as 2 minutes. A single recovered emergency job can cover months of voice agent cost. Run the numbers against your own call volume and average ticket to see where you break even. Unlike a message-taking answering service, this works as an AI answering service that books the job on the call instead of relaying a message. Frequently Asked Questions How fast does an AI voice agent answer plumbing emergency calls? Under 2 seconds. The agent picks up before the second ring on every call, including 2am Sunday. No hold time, no voicemail, no missed calls. The system handles unlimited concurrent calls, so even during a winter pipe burst surge, every caller gets answered instantly. Why do AI-answered plumbing emergency calls convert better than voicemail callbacks? Emergency callers book the first business that picks up. A burst pipe at 11pm will not wait for a callback, so a call answered instantly converts far better than one returned from voicemail an hour later. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify the lead - and 100x less likely to reach it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007), and contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting longer (HBR, 2011). Can the AI voice agent dispatch emergency plumbing jobs after hours? Yes. The agent collects the problem type, address, and urgency level. It books directly into your calendar or sends a priority SMS and email to your on-call plumber. You set the rules: auto-book emergencies, hold non-urgent for morning, or live-transfer to your cell for anything involving flooding. How much does an AI voice agent cost for a plumbing business? Base fee is $10/month plus $1/minute of talk time, rounded up to the next whole minute per call. A plumbing emergency call that runs 90-120 seconds is billed as 2 minutes ($2), so your monthly total depends on your call volume. One emergency job can cover months of cost. Does the AI voice agent know plumbing terminology? You configure a service list with descriptions and price ranges. The agent uses that list to discuss burst pipes, sewer backups, water heater failures, frozen pipes, and any other service you offer. It quotes from your price ranges and asks qualifying questions you define, like whether there's active flooding. How long does it take to set up an AI voice agent for plumbing? Minutes. Sign up, forward unanswered calls to the platform number, paste your service list with prices, sync your calendar, and run a test call. You can go live the same day you sign up. --- If you're losing emergency calls to voicemail, try } free and see what happens when every plumbing call gets answered in under 2 seconds. --- ### Automated Lead Follow-Up for Home Service Businesses **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/automated-lead-follow-up/ Set up AI follow-up sequences that turn ignored leads into booked jobs. Most contractors stop after one reply and lose winnable work. Automated Lead Follow-Up for Home Service Businesses This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Most service jobs take several follow-ups before the customer books. Yet most contractors send one reply and stop. That gap between first contact and booked job is where you're losing the most revenue. Losing jobs because leads go cold after the first reply? Try } free and automate follow-ups that turn quiet leads into booked work. Why One Reply Isn't Enough to Book the Job The first response gets the customer's attention. Follow-up is what closes the deal. But most contractors stop after one message because they're busy doing actual work. Most leads that eventually book are not reached on the first try - they need several touches before they reply, whether by text or an AI voice agent callback. Stop at one and you walk away from most of the leads you could still win. The problem isn't knowing this. It's doing it consistently when you're on a job site all day. How AI Follow-Up Sequences Work With } } sends timed follow-ups automatically based on where each lead is in the conversation. Not generic "just checking in" blasts. Context-aware replies that reference what the customer actually asked about. Here's the sequence: 1. Job-specific first response created instantly for leads from Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, and Instagram 2. Tracks the conversation and whether the lead replied 3. Sends timed follow-ups if the lead goes quiet, spaced across hours and days 4. Matches the message to the lead source, service type, and conversation history 5. Stops automatically when the lead books, declines, or finishes the sequence Every lead gets the same consistent follow-up whether you're on a ladder or asleep. No leads fall through the cracks because you got busy. What Automated Follow-Up Costs vs What It Saves A single missed job costs more than months of automation. Here's how the three approaches compare: | Approach | Monthly Cost | Leads Followed Up | |---|---|---| | Manual (you or office staff) | $0 direct, hours of your time | Only the ones you remember | | Hired receptionist or VA | Monthly wages | Most, when they're on shift | | } AI follow-up | Fraction of VA cost | Every lead, every time | If your average job is worth $500-2,000, booking even a couple of extra jobs a month from consistent follow-up covers the cost many times over. How to Set Up Follow-Up Automation in Under 2 Minutes No technical setup required: 1. Connect your lead sources (Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, Instagram) 2. Set your follow-up timing (recommended: 1 hour, 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days) 3. Let the AI generate follow-up messages matched to your business 4. Turn it on The system starts working on your next incoming lead. You can adjust messages anytime or leave the defaults running. Stop Losing Jobs to Forgotten Follow-Ups Every lead you don't follow up with is a job you're handing to the contractor who does. Set up automated follow-up at } and start booking more jobs from the leads you already pay for. --- ### Automated Lead Response: A Practical Guide for Service Businesses **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/automated-lead-response/ Compare automated lead response tools, channel rules, costs, and ROI across Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, and your website. Automated Lead Response: A Practical Guide for Service Businesses This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Most service businesses take hours, often a full day or more, to respond to a new lead. The first business to reply with a real answer usually wins the job. That gap is the entire reason automated lead response exists. This guide covers what automated lead response actually does, how it differs from a basic auto-reply, what it costs, and what to expect from your conversion rate after switching. Tired of paying for leads you never close? Try } free and reply to every lead in under 2 seconds, 24/7. What Is Automated Lead Response? Automated lead response is software that creates a job-specific response to inbound leads - phone calls, Yelp messages, Thumbtack requests, Facebook leads, Instagram DMs, Google LSA inquiries - the moment they arrive. Three things separate real automated lead response from a generic auto-reply: 1. Speed: First reply in under 2 seconds, not "within 24 hours" 2. Context: The reply references the actual request, not a canned template 3. Action: The system qualifies the lead and books a calendar slot, not just acknowledges receipt A canned auto-reply ("Thanks, we'll be in touch") gets the customer to wait. Real automated lead response gets the customer to book. Why Lead Response Time Matters This Much A widely-cited Harvard Business Review study ("The Short Life of Online Sales Leads") found that firms contacting potential customers within an hour of receiving a query were nearly seven times as likely to have a meaningful conversation with a key decision maker as those that contacted the customer even an hour later. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify the lead (MIT, Lead Response Management Study, 2007). By the time you get back from a service call hours later, the customer has almost always hired whoever called them back first. The customer didn't change their mind. They just hired whoever called them back first. What a 24/7 Lead Response Service Actually Does Most service business leads don't arrive between 9 and 5. A large share of inbound volume in trades like plumbing, HVAC, and electrical work comes after hours and on weekends. A 24/7 lead response service handles those leads with the same speed and quality as a Tuesday-afternoon inquiry. Here's what a typical week looks like with and without automated lead response: | Day/time | Manual response | Automated lead response | |---|---|---| | Mon-Fri 9am-5pm | When you get off the job site | First response in under 2 seconds | | Mon-Fri 5pm-9pm | Next morning | First response in under 2 seconds | | Mon-Fri 9pm-8am | Next business day | First response in under 2 seconds | | Sat-Sun all day | Monday | First response in under 2 seconds | Same leads. With manual response, the weekday-evening and weekend leads wait hours or days, and many hire someone else first. With automation, every one gets a first response before the lead has a chance to call someone else. How Automated Lead Response Works Across Channels Most service businesses get leads from several different channels. Each one needs different handling: | Channel | What automation does | |---|---| | Phone calls | An AI answering service answers in under 2 seconds, qualifies, books | | Yelp | Job-specific response created in under 2 seconds from your services, prices, and availability | | Thumbtack | Instant text reply with qualifying questions, calendar booking | | Google LSA | SMS reply tied to the LSA call record, follow-up sequence | | Facebook lead ads | Outbound SMS in under 2 seconds + voice callback instantly | | Missed calls | Auto text-back with booking link, follow-up call attempt | A single automated lead response platform handles all of these from one dashboard. You see every lead from every source in one place, with the same speed and qualification quality. Comparing Lead Response Software Options Three categories of tool, three different price-to-performance trade-offs: | Tool category | Typical cost | Speed | Books appointments? | Voice callback? | |---|---|---|---|---| | Basic SMS autoresponder + CRM trigger | Monthly subscription | 1-5 min | Limited | No | | Live answering service with human agents | Monthly plan, often with usage fees | 1-3 min | Yes | Yes (human) | | AI lead response platform (}) | From $19/mo per channel; voice $10/mo per number + $1/min | under 2 sec | Yes | Yes (AI) | Basic autoresponders help, but conversion rates barely move because the qualification still falls on you. Live answering services book but typically cost more, and quality varies widely between agents. AI lead response platforms are priced closer to a basic autoresponder but also qualify and book like an answering service, which is why they are worth testing first. ROI Math for Automated Lead Response The question most service business owners want answered is simple: how much extra revenue, after subtracting the cost? The lever is response speed, not lead spend. The same ad budget delivers the same leads - automation just makes sure each one gets an instant, consistent reply instead of going cold while you are on a job or asleep. The research quantifies why that matters: waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007), and contacting within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it (HBR, 2011). Here is an illustrative hypothetical for a contractor getting 40 leads/month at a $400 average job size - your real numbers depend on your trade, market, and lead quality: | Metric | Manual response | Automated response | |---|---|---| | Lead volume | 40 | 40 | | Response time avg | 4.1 hours | under 2 seconds | | Every lead gets a reply | No | Yes | | Coverage | Business hours | 24/7 | | Software cost | $0 | from $19/mo per channel | The lead spend doesn't change. The lead quality doesn't change. Response speed and consistency do - and on leads you have already paid for, recovering even a couple of bookings a month covers the cost many times over. What to Look For in a Lead Response Automation Tool Five criteria separate the platforms that deliver from the ones that disappoint: 1. Multi-channel coverage: Does it actually pull from Yelp, Thumbtack, LSA, Facebook, Instagram, and phone - or just one or two? 2. Voice + text: Can it do both, or is it text-only? A live AI voice agent callback tends to convert better than text alone because it acts on the lead's intent in real time. 3. Real qualification: Does it ask the right questions for your trade, or just confirm receipt? 4. Calendar integration: Does it actually book on your calendar, or hand the lead back for a human to schedule? 5. CRM sync: Does the lead and booking flow into your existing CRM with full notes? If any of those is missing, you'll end up with a tool that improves response time but not conversion rate. Speed alone gets you a foot in the door. Qualification and booking close the deal. Common Questions About Automated Lead Response How fast is "fast enough" for lead response? Under 5 minutes captures most of the conversion benefit - waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, 2007), and contacting within an hour makes you ~7x more likely to qualify it than an hour later (HBR, 2011). The first minute is best of all. Anything over an hour and most leads have hired someone else. Will an automated lead response sound robotic to my customers? Not if it's done right. Modern voice AI uses natural pacing, real interruption handling, and trade-specific vocabulary. Most customers can't tell unless you disclose. Text replies reference the actual request, not generic templates. Can automated lead response replace my receptionist? For most small service businesses, yes - at least the intake and booking part. Your receptionist's time gets freed up for higher-value work like scheduling, customer follow-ups, and managing your team's day. Larger operations usually keep a human for complex situations and use automation for the bulk of routine intake. What happens if the AI handles a lead poorly? Every conversation is logged with a transcript. You can review, retrain on edge cases, and adjust the rules. Most platforms give you a "human takeover" button so you (or a staff member) can jump into any conversation in real time if needed. Does automated lead response work for high-ticket service businesses? Yes, often better. The higher the job value, the more expensive a lost lead is. A roofing contractor missing a $15,000 job because of a slow reply loses far more than a handyman missing a $250 service call. High-ticket services see the biggest dollar impact from automation. How long does it take to set up automated lead response? The core setup takes minutes. Connect your lead sources, paste your service list and pricing, set business hours and emergency rules, integrate your calendar and CRM. The next lead that arrives uses the new flow. Get Started With Automated Lead Response Try } free and connect your first lead source. For Yelp, a job-specific response is created for every inquiry in under 2 seconds. Related reading: - Yelp auto responder - Thumbtack auto responder - Lead response time data - Lead response automation ROI - Multi-platform lead automation stack - AI voice agent for service businesses --- ### Automated Phone Calls With AI Voice Agents: How They Actually Work in 2026 **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/automated-phone-calls-ai-voice-agents/ AI voice agents handle inbound and outbound calls 24/7. See how automated phone call systems book jobs, qualify leads, and free up your team. Automated phone calls with AI voice agents: how they actually work in 2026 This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. This is part of our complete AI Voice Agent guide for service businesses. Picture a clinic that sends most after-hours callers to voicemail. Put an AI voice agent on those calls and they can turn into booked appointments. The phone line does not change. The receptionist does not change. An AI voice agent picks up the calls instead. Automated phone calls used to mean robotic IVR menus and "press 1 for sales." That model is dead. Modern voice agents speak in natural sentences, listen for intent, pull live data from your calendar or CRM, and either close the loop or hand off to a human. Below is how the current generation of AI call handling actually works, what it costs, and where it fits. Want every call answered instantly? Try } free and turn missed calls into booked jobs. What is an AI voice agent for automated calls? An AI voice agent is software that answers a phone number, holds a conversation, and takes action. It runs on a stack of three things: a telephony layer that connects the call, a speech model that turns audio into text and back again (ElevenLabs and OpenAI Realtime are common), and a language model that decides what to say. The result sounds like a person. Callers can interrupt. They can change their mind mid-sentence. They can ask follow-up questions. The agent keeps up because it processes the whole conversation in real time, not in scripted branches. What can automated phone calls actually do today? The list is wider than most people expect. A single voice agent can run all of these on the same number: - Answer inbound calls and book appointments straight into your calendar - Qualify leads (budget, timeline, location) and route only the serious ones to your team - Live-transfer urgent or high-value calls based on rules you set - Take messages and send them as a text or email summary - Confirm appointments the day before and reschedule if needed - Run outbound call lists for follow-ups, missed calls, or no-show recovery - Answer common questions: hours, pricing ranges, service area, what to expect on the visit - Capture caller info even when you cannot pick up, so nothing leaks A roofing company might use one agent for after-hours calls and a second for outbound storm-damage follow-ups. A salon might use the same setup to confirm bookings and fill last-minute cancellations. Same technology, different jobs. How fast does an AI voice agent answer compared to a human? Faster, and the gap matters more than people realize. Most callers who hit voicemail hang up and call the next business on the list. Speed of pickup is the single biggest factor in whether a phone lead becomes a customer. | Setup | Time to answer | Calls answered after hours | |---|---|---| | Single receptionist | 3-6 rings, often missed | None | | Call center | 30 seconds to 2 minutes hold | Limited | | Voicemail | Never (caller leaves message) | None | | AI voice agent | Instant | All | A clinic does not need an AI to replace its receptionist during business hours. It needs one for the hours no human is at the desk. That is where automated call handling pays for itself. Inbound vs. outbound automated calls The same voice agent technology drives both, but the goals are different. Inbound is the obvious one. Phone rings, agent picks up, conversation happens, action taken. The job is to never let a call go unanswered, which is what an AI answering service handles around the clock. Use cases include after-hours coverage, overflow during busy periods, and full-time reception for solo operators. Outbound is where automation gets interesting for sales teams. The agent calls a list (cold leads, missed inquiries, expired quotes, no-shows) and runs a real conversation. It can confirm interest, book a callback, or hand a warm prospect to a closer. A real estate brokerage could run a nightly outbound batch on the day's portal leads. The agent works through the list, books interested buyers into showings, and the human team starts the next morning with a fuller calendar. How much do automated phone calls cost? Pricing has shifted in 2026 from "per seat" subscriptions to pay-per-minute models that match how the underlying tech is billed. Expect: - Per minute usage: billed on talk time - Setup: free on self-serve platforms; custom builds may charge for prompts and integrations - Phone number: a small monthly fee per number - Monthly minimum: Often zero on usage-based plans } publishes its voice price: $10/month per phone number plus $1 per minute of talk time, with no setup fees, no contracts, and a 7-day free trial. Say you take 50 calls a month at 2 minutes each: that is 100 minutes, or $110 for the month including the number. One booked job at $400 covers it. Slow months cost less. Compare that to a virtual receptionist service that bills a flat monthly fee whether the phone rings or not, and the math is hard to ignore. Will the caller know it is automated? Most will not, and the ones who notice usually do not care. The bar is "did I get a useful answer fast." Modern voices use natural pauses, filler words like "let me check that for you," and human-sounding intonation. The conversational lag is short enough that the exchange feels like a normal phone call. Where it falls down: highly emotional calls (complaints, complex disputes), unusual edge cases the agent was not trained on, or callers who insist on a human. A well-built agent flags those and transfers immediately. It does not pretend. Can it integrate with my existing tools? Yes. Most agents connect over standard APIs to: - Google Calendar, Microsoft 365, or Cal.com for booking - HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan for CRM and field service - Slack, email, SMS for human handoff and notifications - Zapier or Make for everything else } ships with ready-made CRM connectors, plus Zapier for everything else, so you do not write code. Connect your calendar, paste your services and pricing, and the agent is live the same day. Common mistakes when setting up automated call handling Teams that fail with voice agents almost always make one of these errors. Skip them: - Loading the agent with too many goals. Pick the top three (book appointment, qualify lead, take message) and master those before adding more. - Using stock voices that sound robotic. Spend the extra few cents per minute on a premium voice. It changes call outcomes. - No human escalation path. Always route certain keywords (lawyer, refund, complaint, manager) straight to a person. - Skipping the test calls. Make 20 real calls yourself before going live. Listen for awkward turns, then refine the prompt. - Forgetting outbound compliance. Outbound calls in the US must respect TCPA rules and call windows. Build that into your dialer logic. For a deeper walkthrough see voice agent setup mistakes and our no-code voice agent setup guide. Which businesses get the most out of automated phone calls? Any business where missed calls equal lost money. The clearest wins: - Home services: Plumbers, HVAC techs, electricians, roofers, locksmiths. They are on a job site, not at a desk. - Medical and dental clinics: High call volume, after-hours scheduling, prescription requests. - Real estate: Lead intake, showing bookings, follow-up on portal inquiries. - Salons and spas: Booking, rescheduling, gift card questions. - Legal and accounting: Initial intake screening, appointment booking. - E-commerce and SaaS: Tier-1 support, refund triage, callback scheduling. If your team is small and your phone is busy, this is the highest-leverage automation you can deploy this quarter. Frequently asked questions How quickly can I set up an AI voice agent? Setup takes minutes on a no-code platform, and you can be live the same day. Connect a phone number, paste your services and hours, test a few calls, and turn it on. Custom integrations or specialized prompts can take longer. Do automated phone calls work in my industry? If your industry uses a phone, yes. Voice agents are running today in home services, healthcare, legal, real estate, salons, automotive, fitness, and more. The technology is industry-agnostic. What changes is the script. Can the AI handle multiple languages? Yes. Modern voice agents support many languages with native-sounding voices. You can route by caller selection ("press 2 for Spanish") or detect language automatically. What happens if the AI does not understand a caller? It asks a clarifying question. If it still cannot help after a couple of tries, it transfers to a human or takes a detailed message. Good agents are designed to fail gracefully, not guess. Is this the same as a chatbot? No. Chatbots handle text. Voice agents handle live phone conversations with real-time speech. The technology under the hood is similar (large language models) but the interface and constraints are very different. How do I measure if it is working? Track answer rate (calls picked up vs. missed), booking rate (calls that turn into appointments), and call duration. Most platforms log every call with a transcript and recording so you can review and improve. --- Ready to stop missing calls? Try } free and have your phone answered, qualified, and booked around the clock. --- ### Best AI Answering Service in 2026: How to Choose (Buyer's Guide) **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/best-ai-answering-service/ The best AI answering service replies in under 2 seconds across voice and text, qualifies the lead, and books it. This buyer's guide shows how to choose. Best AI Answering Service in 2026: How to Choose (Buyer's Guide) Search "best AI answering service" and you get a wall of listicles that all crown a different winner, usually whoever pays the highest affiliate commission. So this guide does something different. Instead of handing you a name, it hands you the evaluation framework the best buyers actually use, so you can score any option against what matters: how fast it replies, whether it covers both voice and text, whether it qualifies and books, and what it really costs. By the end you'll know which type fits your trade, the red flags that signal a weak one, and where } lands on the same scorecard. Want to skip the comparison shopping? Try } free and reply to every lead in under 2 seconds, across voice and text, starting today. What Makes the Best AI Answering Service Different From the Rest Most "AI answering services" do one thing well and stop there. A voice-only bot answers the phone but ignores your Yelp and Thumbtack leads. A text autoresponder fires a canned "Thanks, we'll be in touch" and calls it a day. The best AI answering services close the loop: they catch the lead on whatever channel it arrives, create an instant response, ask the right qualifying questions, and book the job on your calendar. The dividing line is speed plus follow-through. Speed is the lever the research keeps pointing at. A Harvard Business Review study, "The Short Life of Online Sales Leads," found that firms contacting a lead within an hour were about seven times more likely to have a real conversation with a decision maker than those who waited just an hour longer. The MIT Lead Response Management Study (Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007) found that letting response time slip from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify the lead. An answering service that replies in under 2 seconds sits on the right side of both findings. One that "gets back to leads within the hour" has already lost most of the advantage. The AI Answering Service Evaluation Framework Score any service you're considering against these capabilities. The best AI answering services check every box; the weak ones quietly fail two or three and hope you don't notice until after you've signed. | Capability | What the best do | Why it matters | |---|---|---| | Response speed | First reply instant, under 2 seconds | Speed-to-lead is the single biggest conversion lever (HBR, MIT) | | Voice + text coverage | Both, across supported channels | Leads arrive by call, Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, and Instagram | | Lead qualification | Asks trade-specific questions before routing | A booked tire-kicker wastes the same hour as a closed job | | Lead-source integration | Pulls from Yelp, Thumbtack, LSA, Facebook, Instagram | One inbox beats checking six apps | | CRM sync | Lead and transcript flow into your CRM | No re-typing, nothing falls through the cracks | | After-hours coverage | 24/7/365 at no extra charge | A large share of service leads land nights and weekends | | Setup time | Live in under 2 minutes | Long onboarding means more leads handled the old way | | Pricing transparency | Flat, published, no per-lead fees | Per-lead billing punishes you for winning | Print this. When a salesperson can't give a straight answer on any row, that row is a no. Comparing the Main Approaches to AI Answering There are roughly four ways to handle inbound leads automatically, and each trades cost for capability differently. The right pick depends on how many channels you run and whether you need real qualification or just a warm acknowledgement. | Approach | Typical cost | Speed | Voice + text | Books appointments | |---|---|---|---|---| | Human answering service | Quote or plan-based | Varies by provider | Usually voice only | Varies by plan | | Voice-only AI bot | Varies by provider | Instant on calls | Voice only | Limited | | DIY webhook stack | Tooling + your time | Depends on your build | Whatever you wire up | Only if you build it | | AI answering platform (}) | From $19/mo by channel | Under 2 seconds | Both | Yes | Human answering services put a person on the phone. Pricing, booking, and after-hours coverage vary by provider, and they usually do not monitor marketplace messages. The Yelp lead at 10pm may still sit unread. Voice-only AI bots answer calls instantly and cheaply, which is great until you remember most marketplace and form leads never call. They text-message you first. A voice bot has nothing to say to a Thumbtack request. DIY webhook stacks (something like Twilio for telephony wired to a scripting layer and a CRM) give you total control and can be cheap on paper. In practice you're now the integrator, the QA team, and the on-call engineer the night a webhook silently fails. Fine if you have a developer to spare. Most service businesses don't. AI answering platforms combine instant response, booking, and multi-channel reach in one tool. They make the most sense when leads arrive through both calls and marketplace messages. How We'd Evaluate an AI Answering Service (Methodology) If we were buying one tomorrow, here's the test we'd run, in order. Each step kills options fast so you don't waste a trial on something that was never going to fit. 1. Send it an authorized test lead. Time how long it takes for a job-specific response to be created. The best services create one in under 2 seconds on Yelp and every other lead source. 2. Read the reply. Does it reference the actual request, or is it a template? "Thanks for reaching out about your kitchen remodel in Boise" beats "Thanks, we'll be in touch" every time. 3. Check the questions. A good service asks what a good intake person would: scope, timeline, location, budget range. If it never qualifies, you'll be calling back tire-kickers yourself. 4. Confirm the booking path. Did it offer a time and put it on a calendar, or hand the lead back to you to schedule? Booking is where conversion happens. 5. Test after hours. Submit a lead at 11pm Saturday. Same speed and quality, or did it go quiet? After-hours is exactly where the best services earn their keep. 6. Read the pricing page, not the sales call. Flat and published, or per-lead, with a setup fee and a 12-month lock-in buried in the contract? Run those six on any shortlist and the field narrows quickly. Best AI Answering Service by Trade and Use Case There's no single "best" because the right fit depends on what a lost lead costs you and how your customers reach out. HVAC and plumbing. These run on emergencies and after-hours volume. A no-heat call at midnight goes to whoever answers first. You want instant voice pickup plus instant text on marketplace leads, with emergency routing rules. See how this works for HVAC and plumbing emergency calls. Legal and medical intake. High value per client, and the questions matter more than raw speed. The best fit qualifies carefully (matter type, urgency, conflict basics) and routes clean, complete intakes to your team. Consistency and accurate capture beat a fast but sloppy reply. Real estate. Buyer and seller leads go cold in minutes and the competition is fierce. Instant text-back with a couple of qualifying questions (timeline, area, pre-approval) keeps you in the running while other agents are still listening to voicemail. Home services (cleaning, landscaping, electrical, roofing). Leads arrive through Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, Instagram, and the phone. Multi-channel coverage matters here because a voice-only service cannot answer marketplace messages. An AI receptionist for small business that handles those supported sources in one place is the right shape. General contractors and remodelers. Higher-ticket jobs where the qualifying questions matter as much as the speed: scope, square footage, materials, timeline, and rough budget. The best fit captures all of that before any of your sales time is spent, so the estimates that reach your calendar are pre-qualified instead of tire-kickers. The dedicated AI answering service for contractors page walks through that flow end to end, and the best lead response software for contractors roundup compares the main tools on price, speed, and platform coverage. If you're weighing an AI tool against hiring out the phones, the AI lead response vs answering service breakdown goes deeper on that specific trade-off. Cheapest vs. Best: What an AI Answering Service Costs in 2026 "Cheapest" and "best" rarely name the same product, and the gap is worth understanding before you shortlist on price alone. Here's how the 2026 market breaks down by what you pay and what you get back. - Free AI answering services. A genuinely free tier almost always means a bare autoresponder: it fires one canned acknowledgement and stops. No voice, no qualifying, no booking. It's free because it skips the part that books jobs. Treat "free" as a demo, not a plan. - Voice-only bots. A reasonable fit if every lead calls you. Marketplace leads start as messages, and a voice-only bot has nothing to say to a Thumbtack request. - Per-channel AI platforms (from $19/month per channel). You switch on only the channels you sell on and pay a flat rate for each, so the bill tracks your business instead of your call volume. - Human answering services. Pricing and capabilities vary. Most are phone-first, so confirm whether booking, after-hours coverage, and marketplace messages are included. The most affordable real answering service is the one priced per channel with no per-lead fees, because a per-lead model quietly bills you more every time your marketing works. } channels start at $19/month for Facebook Lead Ads and $49/month for Facebook Messenger, with Yelp and Thumbtack at $99/month each and the voice agent at $10/month per number plus $1/minute of talk time. A 7-day free trial lets you test it on real leads before you pay anything. Cheapest-on-paper and best-value are different questions; price the option that books the most jobs per dollar, not the one with the lowest sticker. How to Read AI Answering Service Reviews Reviews help, but only if you read past the star rating. A five-star review that says "great service" tells you nothing about whether the AI books jobs. Here's what to weight and what to discount. - Look for specifics on speed. A review that mentions the AI replying instantly, or catching a lead at 11pm, is describing the feature that actually wins jobs. Vague praise isn't evidence. - Look for booking, not just answering. "It answered every call" is a low bar. "It booked the estimate while I was on a roof" is the outcome you're paying for. - Check whether the reviewer runs your channels. A glowing review from a phone-only shop says little about how a service handles your Yelp and Thumbtack leads. - Weight recent reviews on current capability. AI answering changed fast; a two-year-old review describes a different product. Sort by newest. - Discount the listicle "reviews." A ranking site that earns a commission on every signup is an ad, not a review. Score the service against the framework above instead. When you find a service worth a look, run it through the six-step test in the methodology section yourself. One trial on your own leads beats fifty strangers' star ratings. Red Flags to Avoid When Choosing The weakest services share a few tells. Spot these before you commit. - "Responds within minutes" framed as fast. Minutes is slow. The MIT data is brutal on the 5-to-30-minute gap. If instant isn't on the table, the core benefit isn't either. - Per-lead pricing with no cap. This bills you more the better your marketing performs. Flat per-channel pricing aligns the service with your growth instead of taxing it. - Voice-only, sold as full coverage. Ask point-blank: does it reply to Yelp and Thumbtack messages? If the answer is "you forward those to us," that's a no. - No transcript or human takeover. You should be able to read every conversation and jump in mid-chat. A black box you can't audit or override is a liability. - Long onboarding. "Implementation in 4 to 6 weeks" means six weeks of leads handled the old, slow way. The best services are live the same day. - Vague qualification. If it can't tell you what questions it asks for your trade, it's an acknowledgement bot, not an answering service. Where } Lands on the Scorecard Run } through the framework above and here's how it scores. It supports Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lead Ads, and Instagram. For Yelp, it creates a job-specific response in under 2 seconds, built from your services, price ranges, and availability. Pricing is flat and published: Yelp $99/month, Thumbtack $99/month, Facebook Messenger $49/month, Facebook Lead Ads $19/month, Google Local Services Ads $49/month, and the voice agent at $10/month per number plus $1/minute of talk time. No contracts, no per-lead fees, no lead caps, no setup fees, and a 7-day free trial. Setup takes under 2 minutes. That combination, instant speed plus real booking plus multi-channel reach at flat pricing, is what the best AI answering services have in common and what the weak ones are missing. For the full menu of channels, see the AI answering service overview, the AI receptionist guide, and the lead response automation breakdown. If marketplace leads are your bread and butter, the Thumbtack auto-responder page shows the flow end to end, and the AI receptionist cost and pricing guide lays out every pricing model side by side. Ready to test it against your own leads? Try } free and submit a real lead on a real channel. Watch how fast the job-specific response is created. Frequently Asked Questions What is the best AI answering service? The best AI answering service is the one that replies to every lead in under 2 seconds across both voice and text, qualifies the lead with trade-specific questions, and books it on your calendar without a human. There's no single winner for every business; the right pick depends on your trade and channels. Score candidates on speed, coverage, qualification, and flat pricing. What are the best AI answering services for small businesses? For small service businesses, the best AI answering services pull leads from Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, and the phone into one place, create an instant, job-specific response for each one, and book appointments. Voice-only bots and human phone services miss most marketplace leads. Look for flat per-channel pricing with no per-lead fees so cost stays predictable as you grow. What are the top rated AI answering services compared on? Top rated AI answering services are compared on response speed, voice plus text coverage, lead qualification, lead-source integration, CRM sync, after-hours availability, setup time, and pricing transparency. Listicle rankings often reflect affiliate payouts rather than capability, so score each option yourself against those criteria instead of trusting a single crowned "winner." How do AI answering services work? AI answering services connect to your lead sources and the phone, then create a response the instant a lead arrives. The AI references the actual request, asks qualifying questions, and offers a booking time, syncing everything to your CRM. The best ones run on both voice and text 24/7, so a Yelp message at midnight gets the same instant handling as a daytime call. How fast should an AI answering service respond? As close to instant as possible. The MIT Lead Response Management Study found that waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead, and Harvard Business Review found contacting within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to reach a decision maker. The best services reply in under 2 seconds, which beats every manual baseline. How much do AI answering services cost? AI answering service pricing varies by channel, usage, and whether a human handles the call. } publishes each price: $19/month for Facebook Lead Ads, $49/month for Facebook Messenger, $99/month for Yelp or Thumbtack, $49/month for Google Local Services Ads, and $10/month per voice number plus $1/minute. Every channel includes a 7-day free trial. Are AI answering services better than human answering services? For most small service businesses, yes, for routine intake and booking. AI answers in under 2 seconds on every channel, not just the phone, and costs a fraction of a human service. Human services still help with genuinely complex calls. The strongest setup uses AI for the bulk of intake and keeps a person available for edge cases. What is the cheapest AI answering service? The cheapest option that still books jobs is a per-channel AI platform, where you pay a flat rate only for the channels you use and nothing per lead. } channels start at $19/month for Facebook Lead Ads and $49/month for Facebook Messenger, with Yelp and Thumbtack at $99/month each, plus a 7-day free trial. Per-lead pricing can look cheaper at first but cost more as your lead volume grows. Is there a free AI answering service? Free AI answering services are almost always bare autoresponders that send one canned reply and stop, with no voice, qualifying, or booking. They work as a demo but won't book jobs. The closest thing to free with real capability is a trial: } offers a 7-day free trial so you can test instant voice and text answering on your own leads before paying. What is the best AI answering service for 2026? For 2026 the strongest AI answering services reply in under 2 seconds across both voice and text, qualify the lead with trade-specific questions, book on your calendar, and price per channel with no per-lead fees. The market moved fast, so weight recent reviews and capabilities over older ones. Score any 2026 shortlist on speed, voice-plus-text coverage, booking, and flat pricing rather than trusting a single crowned "winner." --- ### Best AI Receptionist for Yelp Leads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/best-ai-receptionist-yelp-leads/ Compare AI receptionists for Yelp leads by workflow, controls, pricing, and handoff quality. Use a practical checklist instead of unsupported claims. Best AI Receptionist for Yelp Leads This is part of our complete AI receptionist guide for service businesses. Yelp's Request a Quote flow can share a request with multiple businesses. A useful reply therefore needs more than speed: it should address the customer's job, set a clear next step, and stay inside the services, prices, and rules your business has configured. Speed still matters: contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour longer (Harvard Business Review, 2011). That is a reason to shorten the workflow, not a guarantee that the fastest reply wins. Need a more consistent Yelp workflow? Try } free and get a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds. What to Look for in a Yelp AI Receptionist The best fit is the tool that creates accurate, job-specific responses without inventing prices or promising outcomes. Check these five areas: 1. Job-specific responses. The reply should use the customer's actual request, not a generic acknowledgement. 2. Configured quote controls. It may use your configured prices or ranges, but it should flag custom work instead of guessing a final price. 3. A clear handoff path. Your team should be able to take over when the request involves unusual scope, safety, access, legal details, or negotiation. 4. Useful next steps. The workflow should ask only the questions needed to confirm fit and move the customer toward a call, estimate, or available appointment. 5. Coverage you can audit. Check what happens after hours, how exceptions are surfaced, and whether the team can see every conversation and handoff. Compare the Workflow, Not Just the Headline Price Published monthly prices are only one part of the cost. Compare the actual channel setup, voice usage, and the work required when a request needs your team to take over. | Question | Why it matters | } today | |---|---|---| | How is Yelp priced? | A bundled suite can include tools you do not use | $99 per month for the Yelp channel | | Is voice included? | Voice often has a separate usage cost | Optional voice is $10 per month per number plus $1 per billable minute | | Does it use your business facts? | A fast invented quote creates risk | Responses use configured services, prices, ranges, and rules | | Can your team take over? | Complex or sensitive requests need judgment | The team can take over when a request falls outside the configured scope | | How fast is the Yelp response? | A slow reply can lose a customer who is comparing businesses | A job-specific response is created in under 2 seconds | For another vendor, replace the last column with its current written terms and a live product test. Do not rely on an old comparison page or an unsourced industry average. How } Handles a Yelp Inquiry The practical Yelp workflow is: 1. A Yelp request enters the configured lead-response workflow. 2. } uses the inquiry plus your configured services, price ranges, and availability to create a job-specific response in under 2 seconds. 3. The conversation can ask qualifying questions and offer an appropriate next step. 4. The team takes over when the request falls outside the configured scope or needs a binding final quote. Configured AI voice calls can operate around the clock for inbound and outbound business conversations. Voice is a separate workflow, and it should only be used when phone contact is available and the business's settings permit it. When Automation Helps Most An AI Yelp auto responder is worth testing when: - requests wait in the inbox while the team is on a job; - after-hours inquiries sit unanswered until the next business day; - staff repeatedly type the same service-area, availability, or estimate questions; - quote guardrails already exist but are applied inconsistently; - the owner needs a reliable handoff when a request becomes unusual. It is not a substitute for resolving vague prices, an inaccurate service list, or unclear escalation rules. Fix those inputs first. What to Measure During a Trial Record a baseline before changing the workflow. Compare the same service and market over a complete test window: - median time from request arrival to the first Yelp response; - percentage of inquiries handed off to the team; - percentage that fall outside the configured service area or quote rules; - customer reply rate, estimates scheduled, and booked jobs; - cost per qualified lead and cost per booked job. Do not treat one fast reply or one booking as proof. Continue only if the workflow saves team time or improves qualified outcomes without increasing factual errors or unsafe handoffs. Bottom Line The best AI receptionist for Yelp is not the one with the biggest speed or savings claim. It is the one that creates a useful, accurate response, keeps quotes inside configured boundaries, and makes handoff to your team easy when the request needs judgment. Review the full Yelp auto responder workflow or try } free with your own baseline and stop rule. --- ### Best AI Receptionist **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/best-ai-receptionist/ Compare the top AI receptionists for service businesses. See pricing, response times, and which one actually books appointments. Best AI Receptionist This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. Picking the wrong AI receptionist costs you months of setup time and leads that slip through the cracks. Here's how the top options compare for service businesses that need calls answered, leads qualified, and appointments booked automatically. Want to skip the comparison and try the fastest option? Start } and have an AI receptionist answering your calls in under 2 minutes. AI Receptionist Pricing Models Compared: Features, Cost, and Speed There are four service models out there. They aren't really the same product - each one bills differently and handles leads differently. Here's how they stack up against per-channel AI (what } does). | Feature | } (per-channel AI) | Flat-rate hybrid (human + AI, included minutes) | Legacy human answering service | Bundled enterprise suite | |---|---|---|---|---| | How you pay | $10/mo phone number + $1/min voice; $99/mo flat per text channel (Yelp, Thumbtack); $49/mo FB Messenger; $19/mo FB Lead Ads; $49/mo Google LSA | Flat monthly fee for a set number of included calls; you pay the full fee even in a slow month | Monthly fee for included calls, plus per-minute overage | Flat monthly fee with annual contract; reviews, webchat, payments lumped in | | Answer speed | Instant | 3-4 rings | 3-4 rings (human pickup) | 2-3 rings | | 24/7 availability | Yes | Yes (with after-hours add-on) | Business hours only unless you upgrade | Yes | | Lead qualification | AI-driven, custom scripts | Human + AI hybrid reading from a script | Human only, generic script | AI-driven, generic script | | Appointment booking | Automatic, real-time | Manual handoff back to you | Manual handoff back to you | Automatic | | Multi-platform leads | Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, Instagram | Phone + web chat | Phone only | Phone + website | | CRM integration | Most CRMs and field service platforms | Limited CRM support | Limited | Limited | | Setup time | Under 2 minutes | 1-2 business days | 1-2 business days | 30-60 minutes | The trap with bundled plans: if your month is slow, or if you only use the messaging piece of a reputation/webchat/payments bundle, you still pay full freight. Per-channel pricing scales to what you actually run. What Makes the Best AI Receptionist for Service Businesses? The best AI receptionist does three things: answers every call instantly, qualifies the lead, and books the appointment without human involvement. Most options on the market handle step one. Few handle all three. For contractors, plumbers, HVAC techs, and roofers, speed matters more than anything. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead - and 100x less likely to reach it (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007). Your AI receptionist needs to answer before the customer moves on to the next business. How } AI Receptionist Works 1. Lead comes in from any supported channel: phone call, Yelp message, Thumbtack request, Google LSA inquiry, Facebook ad, or Instagram DM 2. AI handles it instantly with a natural voice conversation, or creates a job-specific text response in under 2 seconds 3. Qualifies the lead by asking about the job type, timeline, budget, and location 4. Books the appointment directly into your calendar or CRM 5. Sends you a summary with all lead details so you know exactly what's waiting Here's an example scenario: a homeowner submits a Yelp request for HVAC repair at 9:47 PM. Your AI receptionist calls them back instantly, confirms the issue, checks your availability, and books a morning appointment. You wake up to a qualified job on your calendar. The homeowner never called your competitor because they already got an answer. AI Receptionist vs Human Answering Service | | AI Receptionist (}) | Human Answering Service | |---|---|---| | Cost per call | $1/min of talk time (a 1-3 min call is $1-$3) | Per-call or per-minute plan rates | | Availability | 24/7/365, no holidays | Varies, staffing gaps | | Consistency | Same script every time | Depends on the operator | | Scalability | Unlimited concurrent calls | Limited by headcount | | Booking ability | Instant, automated | Requires callback | | Monthly cost (example: 200 calls at 1-3 min) | $210-$610 voice all-in | Monthly plan fee (still just message-taking) | A human answering service still can't book appointments in real time. They take a message, you call back later, and by then the lead has already hired someone else. Which AI Receptionist Should You Pick? If you run a service business and get leads from multiple platforms, } is the best fit. It's the only option that handles phone calls, Yelp messages, Thumbtack requests, Google LSA, and Facebook leads in one system. If you only need phone answering and prefer a human touch, a traditional answering service is a solid choice at a higher price point. Legacy human receptionist services work for businesses with standard hours that want live operators. For most contractors and service businesses, the deciding factors are speed (how fast leads get answered), automation (does it book without you), and cost (per-channel vs bundled enterprise suite). The same trade-offs apply when you compare AI answering services, since the underlying AI answering service is what actually fields the calls. Set up a free trial at } and see how many more leads you close when every call gets answered instantly. --- ### Best AI Voice Agent for Service Businesses (2026) **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/best-ai-voice-agent/ Compare AI voice agent types by pricing, speed, and lead sources. Find the best AI voice agent for your service business. Best AI Voice Agent This is part of our complete AI Voice Agent guide for service businesses. Many AI voice agents charge a large monthly fee or minimum whether you use them or not. The best one for your business depends on call volume, lead sources, and how fast callbacks happen. Want to test an AI voice agent on your real leads? Try } free and get callbacks instantly. What Makes the Best AI Voice Agent The best AI voice agent does three things: calls leads back fast, qualifies them without sounding robotic, and books jobs on your calendar. Response speed matters most. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007), and contacting within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it (HBR, 2011). If your voice agent takes 2+ minutes to dial, you're losing the speed advantage you're paying for. 3 Types of AI Voice Agents Compared Not all AI voice agents work the same way. Here's how the three main pricing models stack up: | Feature | Legacy Per-Minute Agent | Bundled Enterprise Suite | Per-Channel Agent (}) | |---|---|---|---| | Pricing | Per-minute rate plus a monthly minimum | Flat monthly fee with annual contract | $10/mo phone number + $1/min voice; $19-$99/mo per text channel | | Response Speed | 30-120 seconds | 30-120 seconds | Instantly | | Variable cost | Hits minimum even on slow months | Full bundle every month | Voice scales with usage; text channel is flat | | Best For | High, predictable phone volume | Multi-location ops using full reputation/webchat/payments stack | Service businesses running one or two channels | | Setup | Phone system integration | Full onboarding, 1-2 weeks | Connect lead sources, go live in minutes | | Lead Sources | Phone calls only | Phone + bundled webchat | Voice plus Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lead Ads | The biggest difference: per-minute legacy agents and bundled suites both lock you into fees that don't track to actual usage. Per-channel pricing scales with what you turn on. How Fast Should an AI Voice Agent Call Back Instantly. That's where conversion rates peak. Here's what the public research shows: 1. 5 to 30 minutes: you become 21x less likely to qualify the lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007), and you're competing with the businesses that already responded 3. Over an hour: responding within an hour keeps you ~7x more likely to qualify the lead than waiting longer (HBR, 2011) 4. 24+ hours: the lead has almost certainly booked someone else Any AI voice agent worth using should make outbound calls instantly. If a provider can't tell you their average callback time, that's a red flag. What to Look for in an AI Voice Agent 1. Instant callback speed - the single biggest factor in lead conversion 2. Multi-platform lead ingestion - connects to Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, not just your phone line 3. Natural conversation flow - asks qualifying questions instead of reading a rigid script 4. Calendar booking - qualifies and schedules the appointment in one call 5. Per-channel pricing - activate only the channels you run, no bundled-suite minimum 6. CRM sync - lead details, call recordings, and outcomes pushed to your existing tools Best AI Voice Agent for Plumbers, HVAC, Roofers, and Electricians For service businesses, the best AI voice agent connects directly to the platforms where leads come from. } pulls leads from Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, and Instagram. When a lead comes in, the AI voice agent calls back instantly, qualifies the job, and books it on your calendar. Voice is metered at $1/minute of actual talk time plus $10/month for the dedicated phone number. Example scenario: A homeowner submits a Yelp request for HVAC repair at 8:47 PM. Your phone is off. } picks up the lead instantly, calls the homeowner, confirms they need a repair, and books a morning slot. You wake up to a confirmed appointment. Compare that to checking Yelp the next morning and finding out the homeowner already hired someone who responded last night. AI Voice Agent Pricing: What You'll Pay | Pricing Model | Monthly Cost | What You Get | |---|---|---| | Legacy per-minute | Per-minute rate plus monthly minimum | Hits minimum even on slow months | | Bundled enterprise suite | Flat monthly fee | Reviews, webchat, payments lumped in | | Per-channel (}) | $10/mo number + $1/min voice; add text channels at $19-$99/mo each | Voice scales with usage; activate only the text channels you run | For a service business running voice plus one text channel, per-channel pricing is that channel's flat monthly price plus $10/month per number and $1/minute of talk time, instead of a bundled-suite fee for features you don't use. See our full AI answering service comparison for more detail on pricing models. Try the Best AI Voice Agent The fastest way to know if an AI voice agent works for your business: run it on real leads. Try } and see how many more leads you close when every inquiry gets a callback instantly. --- ### Best Lead Response Software for Contractors in 2026 **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/best-lead-response-software-contractors/ Compare the top AI lead response tools for contractors. See pricing, response times, and which software converts the most leads. Best Lead Response Software for Contractors in 2026 Most contractors lose a large share of their leads because they don't respond fast enough. The fix isn't hiring more office staff. It's picking the right lead response software that creates a job-specific response for every lead, across every platform, instantly. Want to see how fast AI can handle your leads? Try } free and create a job-specific response for every Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, and Facebook lead in under 2 seconds, set up in under 2 minutes. What Makes Good Lead Response Software for Contractors? The software that wins you more jobs does three things: responds instantly, works across all your lead sources, and qualifies leads before they reach you. Everything else is a nice-to-have. Here's what to look for: - Instant response time. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, 2007). Instant is even better. - Multi-platform support. Your leads come from Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, and Instagram. Your tool needs to cover all of them. - AI qualification. Not every lead is worth your time. Good software filters out tire-kickers before you pick up the phone. - CRM integration. If it doesn't sync with your existing system (most CRMs or field service platforms), you'll end up with two systems and double the work. Lead Response Software Comparison: Features, Pricing, and Speed | Feature | } | Generic Autoresponders | Virtual Receptionist | DIY (Manual) | |---|---|---|---|---| | Response time | Instant | 1-5 minutes | 30-90 seconds | 15 min - 3 hours | | Works after hours | Yes | Yes | Limited | No | | Multi-platform (Yelp, Thumbtack, LSA, Facebook) | Yes | Usually 1-2 platforms | No | Yes (manual) | | AI lead qualification | Yes | No | Basic | You do it | | Voice AI for inbound calls | Yes | No | Human answer | You answer | | CRM integrations | Most CRMs and field service platforms | Limited | Limited | Manual entry | | Pricing model | Flat per channel, no per-lead fees | Monthly subscription | Monthly fee by call volume | Your time | | Setup time | Under 2 minutes | 15-30 minutes | 1-2 days | N/A | How Much Does Lead Response Software Cost? Most contractors overpay for lead response because they pick monthly subscription tools and don't use half the features. Here's how costs break down: - }: Per-channel pricing. $99/month flat for unlimited Yelp message handling, $99/month for Thumbtack, $49/month for Facebook Messenger, $19/month for Facebook Lead Ads, $49/month for Google Local Services Ads. Voice agent: $10/month for the dedicated phone number plus $1/minute of actual talk time. Activate only what you run - usually cheaper than bundled enterprise suites. - Bundled enterprise suites: Flat monthly fees with annual contracts. Reviews, webchat, and payments lumped in whether you use them or not. - Virtual receptionist services: Monthly fees that rise with call volume. Human-powered, so limited hours and scaling gets expensive fast. An AI answering service covers the same inbound calls 24/7 without the per-hour overhead. - Doing it yourself: Free in dollars, expensive in lost jobs. Every minute you spend answering leads is a minute you're not on a job site. Which Contractors Get the Best ROI from Lead Response Software? Contractors with high lead volume and tight competition see the biggest returns. If you're in HVAC, plumbing, roofing, or electrical, you're competing against several other businesses for the same lead. The one who responds first usually wins, which is why an AI voice agent that picks up every call instantly pays off fastest in these trades. Where it pays off: - HVAC contractors absorb peak-season demand spikes that would otherwise overflow to voicemail. - Roofing companies that automate follow-up win storm-damage leads that go cold within hours. - Plumbers using AI receptionists capture after-hours emergency calls that used to go to voicemail. If you're getting more than 20 leads a month and your close rate feels low, your response time is probably the bottleneck. How to Set Up AI Lead Response in Under 2 Minutes 1. Connect your lead sources (Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, Instagram). 2. Set your response preferences: tone, business details, services offered. 3. Turn it on. The AI creates a personalized reply for every new lead instantly. 4. Qualified leads get routed to you with context. Tire-kickers get filtered out. No code. No long onboarding calls. No contracts. Stop Losing Leads to Slow Responses Every lead that waits more than 5 minutes for a reply is halfway to your competitor. Try } free and see how many more jobs you book when every lead gets an instant, personalized response. --- ### Auto-Respond for Cleaning Businesses: Book More Yelp and Thumbtack Jobs **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/cleaning-business-yelp-thumbtack-leads/ Cleaning businesses lose Yelp and Thumbtack leads to slow replies. Auto-Respond creates a job-specific response for every lead in under 2 seconds and books more jobs from the same leads. } for cleaning businesses: book more Yelp and Thumbtack jobs A homeowner posts a cleaning request on Yelp or Thumbtack and gets several quotes within minutes. The first business to reply books the job. Everyone else loses money on a lead they already paid for. Most cleaning companies take 2 to 4 hours to respond. By then, the customer has already hired someone. Tired of losing cleaning leads to faster competitors? Try } free and create a job-specific response for every Yelp and Thumbtack inquiry in under 2 seconds. How fast do cleaning businesses need to reply on Yelp and Thumbtack? Within 5 minutes. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead - and 100x less likely to reach it (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007), and contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting longer (HBR, 2011). Here's the general pattern of how response time affects booking rates (illustrative ranges - your results depend on your market and pricing): | Response time | Booking likelihood | What happens | |---|---|---| | Under 1 minute | Highest | Customer responds immediately, conversation starts | | 5-15 minutes | Lower | Customer is still comparing, you're in the mix | | 1-4 hours | Low | Customer has already replied to faster quotes | | Next day | Lowest | Lead is gone | Cleaning customers compare several businesses at once. They pick whoever answers first with clear info about availability and pricing. What does } do for cleaning businesses? } connects to your Yelp and Thumbtack accounts and creates a job-specific response for every lead in under 2 seconds. Not a canned "thanks for reaching out" message. A real response that addresses what the customer asked, mentions your availability, and gives a clear next step. Example: a customer requests a move-out cleaning quote on Yelp. } writes a reply in under 2 seconds that confirms you do move-out cleans, asks about square footage and bedrooms, and notes your next open slot. Cleaning business ROI with auto-response The win comes from converting leads you already pay for with a job-specific response created in under 2 seconds, every time. Here is an illustrative hypothetical at 40 monthly leads and a $200 average job - your real numbers depend on your market, pricing, and lead quality: | Metric | Without } | With } | |---|---|---| | Monthly leads (Yelp + Thumbtack) | 40 | 40 | | Response time | Hours | Under 2 seconds | | Reply built from your services, pricing, and availability | Sometimes | Every lead | | Coverage | When you check your phone | 24/7 | The lead spend doesn't change. Speed and consistency do - and on a paid lead, recovering even a few extra bookings a month covers the cost several times over. Does it handle recurring cleaning leads and after-hours inquiries? Yes to both. } identifies recurring service requests (weekly cleaning, biweekly, monthly) and prioritizes them with detailed follow-up about your packages and pricing tiers. Recurring customers are the highest-value leads a cleaning business gets. A large share of cleaning leads on Yelp come in evenings and weekends. If you don't respond until morning, those leads are gone. } runs 24/7 and handles seasonal spikes too. Spring cleaning season and holidays won't mean lost leads just because you're booked solid and can't check your phone. How to set up } for your cleaning business Setup takes under 2 minutes: 1. Connect your Yelp and Thumbtack accounts 2. Add your services, general pricing, and availability 3. } starts creating job-specific responses for new leads right away It learns your business over time, matching your voice and handling the specific questions cleaning customers ask (square footage pricing, supplies included, pet surcharges, cancellation policies). Stop watching leads go to whoever checks their phone first. Try } free and see how many more Yelp and Thumbtack leads turn into booked jobs. --- ### Cleaning Company Lead Automation: Close More Thumbtack and Yelp Jobs **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/cleaning-company-lead-automation/ Cleaning companies using AI lead automation respond instantly and convert more one-time inquiries into recurring clients. Cleaning company lead automation: close more Thumbtack and Yelp jobs On Thumbtack and Yelp, a cleaning customer picks from many companies with nearly identical reviews and pricing. The company that responds first with a specific, professional message wins the job. The rest don't even get read. Many cleaning businesses only check messages a few times a day. An 11 AM lead gets a reply at 5 PM. By then, someone else booked the job at 11:03. Tired of losing cleaning leads to faster competitors? Try } free: it creates a job-specific response for every Thumbtack and Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds. How fast do cleaning companies need to respond to win leads? Instantly. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). On Thumbtack specifically, near-instant response times earn the "responds quickly" badge, which shows up in search results and drives more inquiries to your profile. Here's what that looks like in practice: | Response Time | Win Rate | Thumbtack Badge | |---|---|---| | Instant | Highest | Yes | | 5-30 minutes | Lower | Sometimes | | 1+ hours | Lowest | No | With }, a job-specific response is created for every Thumbtack and Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds. No tool can guarantee Yelp's fast-response badge. How to turn one-time cleaning leads into recurring clients Every cleaning inquiry has two potential values: 1. One-time deep clean: a single visit 2. Biweekly recurring client: about 26 visits a year Plug in your own prices and the recurring client is worth many times more. Your first message is where you steer the conversation. } writes an opening response like this: > "Thanks for reaching out about house cleaning. We do one-time cleans and regular weekly/biweekly service. Quick question: is this for a one-time clean or are you looking for ongoing help? We prioritize scheduling for regular clients and often have better availability for recurring customers." That single message identifies intent, positions recurring as the better option, and starts qualification. You don't have to write it. What changes when cleaning companies automate lead response? Two things drive better results: winning more jobs through faster response, and converting more of those jobs into recurring contracts through smart first messages. - Response time drops from the typical manual baseline (often 45 minutes or more, depending on how often you check messages) to instant, on every inquiry. - Win rate climbs because the first professional response usually wins the job on platforms where customers message several companies at once. - Recurring revenue grows because a first message that steers toward ongoing service turns more one-time cleans into biweekly contracts. The leads don't change. The response speed and consistency do. How the follow-up sequence recaptures lost cleaning leads Many cleaning inquiries that don't respond to the first message still book later - if someone follows up. An automated follow-up sequence makes sure that happens every time. Here's the timeline } runs: 1. Instant: Qualification message with pricing context 2. 1 hour later (no reply): "Just making sure my message got through. Happy to answer questions or give you a quote if you share your home size." 3. Day 3: "Still looking for a cleaner? We have openings next week for a recurring client. Let me know." 4. Day 7: "Last follow-up. We're booking next month's slots now. Happy to lock you in at current rates." The sequence is generated automatically. Leads that would have gone cold come back and book. Does lead automation work for after-hours cleaning inquiries? Yes, and that's where it matters most. A large share of Thumbtack and Yelp inquiries come in outside business hours. Without automation, those leads sit unanswered until the next morning. By then, a competitor already booked them. } creates a response at 2 AM the same way it does at 2 PM. Same speed, same quality, same follow-up sequence. You wake up to booked jobs instead of stale leads. For more on this, read how after-hours lead capture works for service businesses. What platforms does cleaning company lead automation cover? } connects to these lead platforms for cleaning companies: - Thumbtack (auto-response + follow-ups) - Yelp (auto-response + lead qualification) - Facebook lead ads - Google Local Services Ads - Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs All responses are customized to your cleaning business. Pricing context, service types, availability, and tone all match your brand. If you want to see what instant lead response does for your cleaning business, set up a free trial at }. --- ### Connect Facebook Lead Ads to Slack Without Zapier (Under 2-Minute Setup) **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/connect-facebook-lead-ads-to-slack-without-zapier/ Connect Facebook Lead Ads to Slack without Zapier: one native connection posts every lead to your channel and replies to the lead in under 2 seconds. Connect Facebook Lead Ads to Slack Without Zapier You can connect Facebook Lead Ads to Slack without Zapier by authorizing your ad account once through a native Meta integration. Every form submission then posts to your Slack channel automatically, and the lead gets a reply in under 2 seconds. No per-task fees, no webhook code, nothing to maintain. Want every Facebook lead in Slack and answered instantly? Try } free and connect your ad account in under 2 minutes. How to Connect Facebook Lead Ads to Slack Without Zapier The fastest path is one native connection: authorize Facebook, pick a Slack channel, done. Five steps: 1. Connect your Facebook ad account. In }, open Integrations and click Connect Facebook. Meta's OAuth flow handles the authorization. This replaces the webhook setup, the token exchange, and the leadgen API subscription. 2. Pick your lead forms. Field mapping is automatic. Name, phone, email, and custom questions are captured on every submission. 3. Add your Slack channel. Paste a Slack incoming webhook URL or authorize Slack directly, then pick the channel your team watches. 4. Set up the auto-reply. Add your services, service area, and tone. The AI texts the lead back in under 2 seconds and can call them back instantly. 5. Go live and test. Submit a test lead. The reply fires in under 2 seconds, then the Slack message lands with the lead's details and a qualification summary. Setup takes under 2 minutes on the } side. Creating the Slack webhook adds a few clicks in Slack's admin panel. Instagram Lead Ads on the same ad account are included automatically, since both run through Meta's API. Why Skip Zapier for Facebook Lead Ads? Because per-task pricing punishes lead volume, and DIY webhooks break silently. Here is how the three approaches compare: | | DIY webhook (Meta API) | Per-task automation tool | Native response layer (}) | |---|---|---|---| | Monthly cost | $0 + developer time | Paid plan past the free tier | $19 flat | | Per-lead cost | None | Every lead burns tasks | None, no lead caps | | Setup | Hours of API work | ~30 min of zap building | Under 2 minutes | | When Meta changes its API | You debug it | Zap errors until you fix it | Maintained for you | | Replies to the lead | No | No | Text in under 2 seconds, instant voice callback | The failure mode nobody warns you about: Meta leadgen webhook subscriptions can drop silently after a page token expires or a page admin changes. Nothing errors. Leads just stop appearing in Slack. Running this connection for service businesses, the pattern we see is that nobody notices until someone asks why the leads channel went quiet. A flat $19/month with no task metering means you never do math on whether a busy ad week will push you into the next pricing tier. If you also want leads routed to your CRM and Google Sheets, the full Facebook lead routing guide covers that whole stack. A Slack Notification Is Not a Lead Response Getting the lead into Slack solves visibility, not speed. The lead is still waiting for a human to see the message and act. The research is blunt. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify the lead (MIT, Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007). Responding within 1 hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than an hour later, yet across 2,241 audited companies the average response took 42 hours and 23% never replied (HBR, 2011). A Slack ping does not close that gap. A reply does. Here is what the full flow looks like with } on a real lead: 1. Someone taps your roof repair ad at 9:14pm and submits the pre-filled form. 2. The AI texts them in under 2 seconds, referencing your business and the service they asked about. 3. The voice agent calls them back instantly, asks about timeline and scope, and offers to book the estimate. 4. The Slack message posts to leads with their name, phone, campaign, and the AI's qualification notes. Your team wakes up to a booked estimate and a transcript, not a cold form fill from last night. That response layer is the difference between routing leads and converting them, and the same connection covers Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs too. Bottom Line: Connect Facebook Lead Ads to Slack Without Zapier You do not need Zapier, webhook code, or per-task fees to get Facebook leads into Slack. One native connection posts every lead to your channel and, more importantly, replies to the lead by text in under 2 seconds with an instant voice callback behind it. Per-task tools charge a monthly plan past their free tier and only move data. } costs $19/month flat for Facebook Lead Ads, sets up in under 2 minutes, and answers the lead before a competitor does. Connect the ad account, pick a channel, and test it with one form submission. Frequently Asked Questions Can I connect Facebook Lead Ads to Slack without Zapier? Yes. There are three ways: a DIY webhook built on Meta's leadgen API, a per-task automation tool, or a native connection like } that authorizes your ad account once through Meta OAuth and posts every lead to Slack automatically. The native route needs no code and no per-task fees, and it also replies to the lead in under 2 seconds, which the other two methods never do. How do I send Facebook leads to Slack for free? Build it yourself with Meta's leadgen webhook and a Slack incoming webhook. You subscribe to the leadgen event, exchange the lead ID for the full field data with a second API call, then POST the result to Slack. It costs nothing but needs a developer, a server, and ongoing maintenance, because the subscription breaks silently after Meta API and token changes. Why do Facebook Lead Ads Slack integrations break? The usual causes are expired Facebook page access tokens, Meta API version deprecations, and leadgen webhook subscriptions that drop silently after a page admin change. Nothing errors visibly, leads just stop arriving in Slack. Running this connection for service businesses, the pattern we see is that nobody notices until someone asks why the leads channel went quiet for a week. How much does a Facebook Lead Ads to Slack integration cost? A DIY webhook is free plus developer time. Per-task automation tools move to a paid monthly plan once you pass their free tier, and every lead burns tasks. } connects Facebook Lead Ads for $19/month flat with no per-lead fees, no task limits, and a 7-day free trial, and it includes the under-2-second auto-reply to the lead. What does the Slack notification include? Each Slack message includes the lead's name, phone number, email, the service they asked about, the source campaign, and a summary of the AI's first exchange with the lead, including qualification notes. That is richer than a raw form dump, because by the time the message posts, the lead has already received a reply. Does this work for Instagram Lead Ads too? Yes. Instagram Lead Ads run through the same Meta ad account and the same leadgen API as Facebook. When you connect your ad account in }, Instagram lead forms on that account are covered automatically, with the same Slack notification and the same under-2-second auto-reply to the lead. Try } free for 7 days and see every Facebook lead hit Slack already answered, qualified, and ready to book. --- ### Electrical Contractor Lead Automation: Respond to Every Inquiry Instantly **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/electrical-contractor-lead-automation/ AI lead automation helps electrical contractors win more Yelp and Thumbtack leads with instant responses. See response examples, routing setup, and how it works. Electrical Contractor Lead Automation: Respond to Every Inquiry Instantly Electricians lose more leads to slow responses than to bad reviews. A customer asking about a panel upgrade or emergency outage is often comparing several contractors at the same time. The one who responds first books the job. Many electricians take over 2 hours to reply on Yelp. That's a lost customer. Stop losing electrical leads to slow replies. Try } free and create a job-specific response for every Yelp and Thumbtack inquiry in under 2 seconds. Why electricians lose more leads than other trades Electrical work creates a specific response problem. Customers don't know if their issue is a quick fix or a major panel upgrade. They ask vague questions. Without a fast, knowledgeable reply, they either panic or move on. Three things make electrical leads harder to handle manually: 1. Permit confusion. "Do I need a permit for this?" is the most common electrician question. A clear, fast answer builds trust. Silence loses the customer. 2. Commercial vs. residential routing. A message about commercial wiring needs to go to a different person than a residential outlet problem. Without routing, leads pile up. 3. Emergency urgency. "Half my house has no power" needs a response in minutes, not hours. These are high-value jobs that go to whoever answers first. How AI writes responses to electrical inquiries (real examples) } creates knowledgeable responses that match what a senior electrician would say. Panel upgrade inquiry on Yelp: Customer: "I have a 100-amp panel and want to add a hot tub and EV charger. Do I need to upgrade?" AI response (instant): Confirms they'll exceed 100-amp capacity, recommends 200-amp upgrade, mentions licensing and permits, and proposes two appointment times for a free panel assessment. Emergency outage on Yelp: Customer: "Half my house has no power. Circuits are out." AI response (instant): Gives immediate troubleshooting steps (check breaker positions), explains possible causes, and offers same-day emergency availability with address request. Both responses demonstrate technical knowledge, reduce customer anxiety, and move directly to booking. How electrical lead routing works } routes each inquiry to the right person based on job type. Setup takes under 2 minutes. | Job Type | Routed To | |----------|-----------| | Residential service call | General team | | Panel upgrade or EV charger | Senior electrician | | Commercial inquiry | Commercial estimator | | Emergency (no power, sparks, burning smell) | On-call tech with instant alert | | New construction or remodel | Estimator with next-day callback | No manual sorting. Every lead hits the right person automatically. Electrician lead handling: before and after } | Metric | Before | After | |--------|--------|-------| | Average response time | 2.5 hours | Instant | | Leads lost to no response | High | Near zero | | Response rate | Inconsistent | Every inquiry | | Weekly time on message management | 6+ hours | Near zero | The biggest factor is response speed. The research is consistent: waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007), and contacting within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify a lead than waiting an hour later (HBR, 2011). First-response advantage on Thumbtack for electricians Thumbtack is high-value for electricians because jobs tend to be bigger (panels, service upgrades, commercial work) and customers compare multiple contractors simultaneously. With }, the typical Thumbtack flow looks like this: 1. Customer submits: "Need electrical inspection and some outlet work" 2. AI responds instantly with qualification questions 3. Customer is already in a conversation while other electricians are just seeing the notification 4. Appointment proposed and confirmed before competitors respond The first electrician to start a real conversation often wins the quote. Yelp visibility boost from fast response rates Yelp rewards businesses that respond quickly and consistently. With } running, the AI creates a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds. If you want to see how this works for your electrical business, try } free and run a test with your real Yelp and Thumbtack leads. Related: - AI Lead Responder: How It Works - Lead Response Time Data - AI Lead Qualification and Routing --- ### Electrician Auto-Response for Yelp and Thumbtack: Book More Jobs Automatically **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/electrician-yelp-thumbtack-auto-response/ Auto-response creates a job-specific reply for every Yelp and Thumbtack lead in under 2 seconds. Stop losing jobs to faster competitors while your hands are full. Electrician auto-response for Yelp and Thumbtack: book more jobs automatically Electricians lose Yelp and Thumbtack leads every day because they can't reply fast enough. You're in a crawl space or up a ladder when the lead comes in. By the time you check your phone, the homeowner already booked someone else. Auto-response fixes that. It reads each lead and creates a detailed, job-specific reply instantly, even while you're on a job site. Losing electrical leads to slower replies? Try } free and create a job-specific response for every Yelp and Thumbtack inquiry in under 2 seconds. How fast do electricians need to reply on Yelp and Thumbtack? Under 5 minutes. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, 2007). Electrical emergencies move even faster. A homeowner with a sparking outlet or tripped panel will book the first electrician who responds. Thumbtack homeowners often message several pros at once. First reply wins the conversation. On Yelp, your response time directly affects your response quality score, which determines how you rank against other electricians in your area. | Lead type | Target response window | What happens if you're slow | |---|---|---| | Emergency (sparking, outage, tripped panel) | Immediately | Homeowner books first responder | | Planned (EV charger, panel upgrade, rewiring) | Under 5 minutes | Competitor starts the conversation first | | Thumbtack quotes | Under 5 minutes | You drop below faster pros in the inbox | What does auto-response actually write for electrical leads? Not a canned template. Auto-response reads the lead message and generates a reply specific to the job type and details the homeowner provided. Example: A homeowner messages "I need a 240V outlet installed in my garage for an EV charger. House was built in 1985." Auto-response generates a reply confirming you handle EV charger installations, notes that 1985 homes may need a panel capacity check first, asks about their current panel amperage, and offers available windows for an estimate. That reply is created in under 2 seconds. It works the same for panel upgrades, recessed lighting, code corrections, generator hookups, and outlet additions. The AI understands electrical terminology and matches the response to each job scope. How much revenue do electricians lose from slow replies? It depends on your lead volume and job values. Here's an illustrative example, not measured data, to redo with your own numbers: - Say a typical service call is worth $200 to $800 to your business - Say panel upgrades and EV charger installs run $1,500 to $4,000 - If slow replies cost you even a few leads a week, the lost revenue stacks up fast at those job values. Thumbtack charges per lead, and the price depends on your market. If you're paying for leads and then losing them to a faster competitor, you lose money twice. Once on the lead cost, again on the job revenue. Does faster response time improve Yelp ranking for electricians? Yes. Yelp's response quality score factors in how quickly you reply and how thorough your message is. Faster, more complete responses push your score up, which improves your visibility against other electricians in your area. More visibility means more leads without extra ad spend. Thumbtack works the same way. Pros who reply quickly and completely get priority placement in the customer's inbox. What happens after the first reply? Auto-response handles follow-ups too. If a homeowner asks about an EV charger install but doesn't book right away, the AI creates a follow-up a day or two later. You don't have to remember to chase anyone down. You stop losing jobs to electricians who just happened to check their phone at the right time. Your Yelp metrics improve too. You stay focused on the electrical work while the AI creates a fast, relevant response for every lead. Try } free and see how many more Yelp and Thumbtack leads turn into booked jobs when the AI creates a job-specific response for every one in under 2 seconds. --- ### Facebook Lead Ads for Contractors: Auto-Reply Instantly **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/facebook-lead-ads-contractors/ Facebook lead ads for contractors work only with fast follow-up. Auto-respond to every form submission instantly with AI. Facebook Lead Ads for Contractors: Auto-Reply Instantly Facebook Lead Ads generate cheap contractor leads because the form is pre-filled and takes two taps. That's also why most of them go cold. The customer submitted your form, went back to scrolling, and forgot about you within minutes. Speed is everything here. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 100x less likely to even reach the lead and 21x less likely to qualify it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). Most contractors respond the next day - long after the lead has gone cold. Want to auto-respond to every Facebook lead instantly? Try } free and connect your ad account in under 2 minutes. Why Do Facebook Lead Ads Go Cold So Fast? Facebook pre-fills the form with the user's name, email, and phone. They tap "Submit" without thinking hard about it. That's great for volume, terrible for intent. Before long, many of those leads don't remember which ad they clicked. By the next morning, they've either hired someone who called first or lost interest entirely. The fix isn't better ads. It's faster follow-up. Why Response Speed Decides Whether a Facebook Lead Converts Response speed is the single biggest factor in whether a Facebook lead converts. The public research is consistent: - 5 to 30 minutes: you become 100x less likely to contact the lead and 21x less likely to qualify it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). - Within an hour vs later: responding within an hour keeps you ~7x more likely to qualify the lead, and ~60x more likely than waiting 24+ hours (HBR, 2011). The pattern is the same across every study: the contractor who replies first usually wins the lead, and the odds fall off a cliff after the first few minutes. How Auto-Response Works for Facebook Lead Ads } connects to your Facebook ad account through the Meta API. When someone submits your lead form, here's what happens: 1. Lead data hits } in real time 2. AI sends a personalized text referencing your business and their request 3. If a phone number is included, an AI voice call goes out instantly 4. The AI qualifies the lead, answers common questions, and offers to book an appointment 5. Lead data syncs to your CRM automatically Time from form submission to first contact: instant. Facebook + Instagram Leads in One Setup Instagram runs on the same Meta platform. One } connection covers: - Facebook Lead Ad forms - Facebook Messenger inquiries - Instagram Lead Ad forms - Instagram DMs You don't need separate tools or configurations. Connect once, auto-respond on both platforms. How Much Do Contractors Gain from Instant Facebook Lead Response? The math is straightforward. You're already paying for the leads - the only variable is how many you actually reach and book. A contractor on next-day follow-up connects with a small fraction of their leads; switching to instant AI response means you reach far more of them while they still remember submitting the form. Here's a clearly illustrative example: if you spend $1,200/month on Facebook Lead Ads and instant response lets you book even a handful of extra jobs you'd otherwise lose to a faster competitor, that's pure upside on spend you've already committed. Plug your own ad budget, average job value, and current booking rate into the math - the gain comes entirely from not letting the leads you paid for go cold. Combine Facebook, Yelp, and Google LSA Leads in One Dashboard Most contractors don't just run Facebook ads. You may also have leads coming from Yelp, Google LSA, Thumbtack, and your website. } handles all of them in one place with source tracking. One setup, one dashboard, flat per-channel pricing. No juggling between platforms. If you want faster follow-up on your Facebook leads without hiring someone to sit by the phone, try } free and set it up in under 2 minutes. --- ### Facebook Lead Ads to Google Sheets Sync Guide (No Zapier) **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/facebook-lead-ads-google-sheets-sync/ Sync Facebook Lead Ads to Google Sheets automatically. One connection logs every lead as a row and replies to the lead in under 2 seconds. No Zapier. Facebook Lead Ads to Google Sheets Sync Guide You can sync Facebook Lead Ads to Google Sheets automatically by authorizing your ad account once through a native Meta integration. Every form submission becomes a spreadsheet row the moment it arrives, and the lead gets a text reply in under 2 seconds. This matters more than it sounds, because Meta deletes lead data 90 days after submission. Want every Facebook lead logged in Sheets and answered instantly? Try } free and connect your ad account in under 2 minutes. How to Sync Facebook Lead Ads to Google Sheets Automatically The fastest setup is one native connection: authorize Facebook, connect a spreadsheet, done. Five steps: 1. Connect your Facebook ad account. In }, open Integrations and click Connect Facebook. Meta's OAuth flow handles the authorization. No webhook code, no token exchange, no leadgen API subscription. 2. Pick your lead forms. Field mapping is automatic. Name, phone, email, and custom questions are captured on every submission. 3. Connect Google Sheets. Authorize your Google account and select or create the spreadsheet. Each lead becomes a new row. 4. Set up the auto-reply. Add your services, service area, and tone. The AI texts the lead back in under 2 seconds and can call them back instantly. 5. Go live and test. Submit a test lead. The reply fires in under 2 seconds, then the row appears with the lead's details and a qualification summary. Setup takes under 2 minutes. Instagram Lead Ads on the same ad account sync to the same sheet automatically, since both run through Meta's API. If you also want the same leads posted to Slack and your CRM, the Slack setup guide and the full lead routing stack guide cover those paths. Why Not Just Download the CSV From Ads Manager? Because Meta deletes lead form data 90 days after submission, and manual exports mean every lead waits for you to remember. Miss an cycle and the contact info from the gap can be gone for good. Onboarding service businesses onto this connection, the pattern we keep seeing is the same: the spreadsheet is current on Monday and stale by Thursday, and the leads from the gap never got a reply at all. Here is how the three sync methods compare: | | Manual CSV | Per-task automation tool | Native response layer (}) | |---|---|---|---| | Monthly cost | $0 + your time every week | Paid plan past the free tier | $19 flat | | Per-lead cost | None | Every lead burns tasks | None, no lead caps | | Sync speed | Whenever you download | Near real time while the task runs | Instant, every lead | | Lead data after 90 days | Gone unless you exported | Kept if the task never failed | Every lead already logged | | Replies to the lead | No | No | Text in under 2 seconds, instant voice callback | A flat $19/month with no task metering means a busy ad week never pushes you into a higher pricing tier. The sheet just keeps filling. A Google Sheets Row Is Not a Lead Response Logging the lead solves record keeping, not speed. The person who submitted your form is still waiting for someone to see the row and act. The research is blunt. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify the lead (MIT, Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007). Responding within 1 hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than an hour later, yet across 2,241 audited companies the average response took 42 hours and 23% never replied (HBR, 2011). A spreadsheet row does not close that gap. A reply does. Here is the full flow with } on a real lead: 1. Someone taps your ad at 9:14pm and submits the pre-filled form. 2. The AI texts them in under 2 seconds, referencing your business and the service they asked about. 3. The voice agent calls them back instantly, asks about timeline and scope, and offers to book the job. 4. The new row lands in your spreadsheet with their name, phone, campaign, and the AI's qualification notes. You open the sheet in the morning to a booked estimate and a transcript, not a cold form fill from last night. That response layer is the difference between logging leads and converting them, and the same connection covers Facebook Messenger leads too. Bottom Line: Facebook Lead Ads to Google Sheets You do not need Zapier, webhook code, or weekly CSV downloads to get Facebook leads into Google Sheets. One native connection writes every lead to your spreadsheet instantly, beats Meta's 90-day data deletion by default, and replies to the lead by text in under 2 seconds with an instant voice callback behind it. Per-task tools charge a monthly plan past their free tier and only move data. } costs $19/month flat for Facebook Lead Ads, sets up in under 2 minutes, and answers the lead before a competitor does. Connect the ad account, pick a spreadsheet, and test it with one form submission. Frequently Asked Questions How do I sync Facebook Lead Ads to Google Sheets automatically? Authorize your Facebook ad account once through a native Meta integration, then connect a Google spreadsheet. Every lead form submission becomes a new row automatically: timestamp, name, phone, email, campaign, and answers to your custom questions. A native connection like } also replies to the lead by text in under 2 seconds, which no or sync tool does on its own. Does Facebook delete lead form data? Yes. Meta stores lead form submissions for 90 days, then deletes them. If you have not downloaded the CSV or synced the lead to an external destination like Google Sheets or a CRM within that window, the contact information is gone. An automatic sync removes that risk because every lead is written to your spreadsheet the moment it is submitted. Can I Facebook leads to Google Sheets for free? Yes, two ways. You can download a CSV from Ads Manager and paste it into your sheet manually, or build a connector with Meta's leadgen webhook plus the Google Sheets API. The CSV route costs your time every week and leads sit unanswered between exports. The DIY route is free but needs a developer and breaks silently after Meta API and token changes. How much does a Facebook Lead Ads to Google Sheets integration cost? Manual CSV exports are free plus your time. Per-task automation tools move to a paid monthly plan once you pass their free tier, and every lead burns tasks. } connects Facebook Lead Ads for $19/month flat with no per-lead fees, no task limits, and a 7-day free trial, and it includes the under-2-second auto-reply to the lead. What data lands in each Google Sheets row? Each row includes the submission timestamp, the lead's name, phone number, and email, the source campaign and form, answers to any custom questions, and a summary of the AI's first exchange with the lead, including qualification notes. That is more useful than a raw form dump, because by the time the row is written, the lead has already received a reply. Does this work for Instagram Lead Ads too? Yes. Instagram Lead Ads run through the same Meta ad account and the same leadgen API as Facebook. When you connect your ad account in }, Instagram lead forms on that account sync to the same spreadsheet automatically, with the same under-2-second auto-reply to the lead. Try } free for 7 days and see every Facebook lead land in your spreadsheet already answered, qualified, and ready to book. --- ### Facebook Lead Ads to LeadConnector, Slack & Google Sheets (No Zapier) **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/facebook-lead-ads-leadconnector-slack-integration/ Send Facebook Lead Ads to LeadConnector (GoHighLevel), Slack, and Google Sheets automatically, with an instant under-2-second auto-response. No Zapier, no webhooks. Send Facebook & Google Ad Leads to Slack, Your CRM & Google Sheets To send Facebook or Google ad leads to Slack, your CRM, and Google Sheets automatically, connect each ad account through Meta's and Google's APIs, then fire the lead into all three destinations the moment the form is submitted. For Facebook Lead Ads, the fastest setups skip the webhook plumbing entirely: one connection routes the lead to Slack, your CRM (LeadConnector, GoHighLevel, or any other), and a Sheets row, and auto-responds to the lead in under 2 seconds. That last part is what most "integration" guides miss. Routing the data is the easy half. If the lead lands in Slack but nobody calls for two hours, you still lose the job. You're running Facebook Lead Ads or Google ad lead forms. Leads come in. They sit in Meta's lead center or your Google Ads account until someone on your team checks, copies the info into the CRM, and maybe posts a note in Slack. By then the person submitted the form hours ago and already called a competitor. The MIT Lead Response Management Study found that waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, 2007). Harvard Business Review's audit of 2,241 companies found that contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it versus an hour later (HBR, 2011). For paid-ad leads specifically, the window is even tighter because the form auto-fills and the person barely paused their scroll to submit it. You have minutes, not hours. This guide covers two paths: wiring it up manually with webhooks and Zapier, or skipping the plumbing entirely. Want leads from Facebook ads auto-responded to in under 2 seconds? Try } free and connect your ad account in under 2 minutes. The Stack: Paid-Ad Leads to Your CRM, Slack, and Google Sheets Whether the lead comes from Facebook Lead Ads, Instagram, or a Google Ads lead form, the routing is the same idea. Here's what each piece does in this flow: Facebook Lead Ads (and Google Ads lead forms) generate the lead. Someone sees your ad, taps the pre-filled form, submits. Meta or Google stores the lead data (name, email, phone, any custom questions you added). Pulling it out of Meta Ads Manager or Google Ads by hand is the slow part this whole setup is meant to kill. LeadConnector is your CRM. It stores the contact record, tracks pipeline stage, and manages follow-up sequences. This is where the lead lives long-term. Slack is your team notification layer. When you send leads to Slack automatically, your sales channel gets a message with the lead's name, phone number, service interest, and source the moment the form is submitted. Your team sees it instantly without logging into the CRM. Google Sheets / Google Docs is your reporting layer. Every lead gets a row: timestamp, name, contact info, source campaign, and disposition. This is what you pull up in weekly meetings or send to a client if you're running ads for someone else. The data flow looks like this: | Step | From | To | What Moves | |------|------|----|------------| | 1 | Facebook Lead Ad | LeadConnector | Contact record (name, phone, email, form answers) | | 2 | LeadConnector | Slack | Notification with lead details | | 3 | LeadConnector | Google Sheets | Row with full lead data for reporting | Simple in theory. The execution is where things get time-consuming. Manual Setup: Webhooks and Zapier Facebook lead ads to your CRM For a Facebook lead ads CRM integration, LeadConnector (and most GoHighLevel-based CRMs) supports a native Facebook integration through Meta's API. You connect your Facebook Page, authorize ad account access, and map your lead form fields to CRM contact fields. This part is straightforward if you've done it before. Google Ads lead forms work the same way: connect the Google account, authorize the lead-form extension, map the fields. If the native integration isn't working for your setup (it breaks occasionally after Meta API updates), the fallback is a webhook. You set up a webhook URL in LeadConnector, register it as the lead destination in Facebook's developer console, and parse the incoming JSON payload. The webhook payload from Facebook looks roughly like this: You need to subscribe to the webhook event, verify the callback URL, and handle the token exchange to actually retrieve the lead data (Facebook sends a lead ID, not the full data, so you make a second API call to pull the fields). It's doable, but it's not a 10-minute project. Connect your CRM to Slack Once the lead is in your CRM, you need to push a notification to Slack. To connect Facebook lead ads to Slack this way, LeadConnector supports outbound webhooks on contact creation. You configure a workflow trigger that fires when a new contact is created with a Facebook (or Google Ads) source tag, and set the action to POST to a Slack incoming webhook URL. The Slack webhook URL comes from creating a Slack App (or using Slack's legacy incoming webhooks). The payload you send looks like: If you want formatted messages with blocks and buttons, the payload gets more involved. Most teams start with plain text and never upgrade it. CRM to Google Sheets This is where Zapier or Make usually enters the picture for a Facebook lead ads Google Sheets setup. LeadConnector doesn't have a native Google Sheets integration. You create a Zap: - Trigger: New Contact in LeadConnector (filtered by source) - Action: Create Row in Google Sheets Map the fields, test it, turn it on. The Zapier free tier caps your monthly tasks. If you're running any real volume of Facebook ads, you'll hit a paid tier, priced by how many zaps and tasks you need. Make (formerly Integromat) does the same thing at a slightly lower price point, but the interface has a steeper learning curve. What This Stack Actually Costs | Component | Monthly Cost | |-----------|-------------| | Facebook Lead Ads | Your ad budget (separate) | | LeadConnector CRM | Your CRM subscription | | Zapier (Sheets integration) | Paid plan past the free tier | | Slack | Free tier works | | Google Sheets | Free | | Your time maintaining it | 2-4 hrs/month when things break | Total for the integration layer alone: a paid automation plan plus maintenance time. That doesn't include the CRM cost, which you're paying regardless. The bigger cost isn't the subscription. It's the 2am Slack message telling you a Zapier webhook failed and you lost 6 hours of leads. The Problem Manual Integrations Don't Solve Here's what happens with a perfectly configured Facebook-to-LeadConnector-to-Slack stack: 1. Lead submits form at 2:47 PM 2. Lead hits LeadConnector at 2:47 PM 3. Slack notification fires at 2:48 PM 4. Your team sees the notification at... whenever they see it 5. Someone calls the lead at... whenever someone gets around to it The integration worked perfectly. The data moved. The notification fired. But nobody actually responded to the lead. The person who filled out your form went back to scrolling Facebook. They'll see two more ads for the same service in the next 10 minutes. If one of those businesses calls them first, you're done. This is the gap that every webhook-and-Zapier setup has. It moves data between systems, but it doesn't talk to the customer. The lead sits in your CRM, tagged and logged, while the actual human waits for a call that might come in 2 hours or might come tomorrow morning. Response time data consistently shows that the first business to make contact usually wins the job. A Slack notification is a step in the right direction, but it's still dependent on a human seeing it and acting on it immediately. How } Handles the Full Flow } connects directly to your Facebook ad account through the Meta API. This native integration pushes leads from Facebook ads straight to Slack and your CRM, but when someone submits your lead form the system doesn't just log it and send a notification. It responds. Here's the sequence: 1. Lead submits a Facebook ad form - data hits } in real time 2. AI sends a personalized text in under 2 seconds referencing your business name and the service they asked about 3. AI places an outbound voice call instantly if a phone number is included 4. The AI qualifies the lead - asks about timeline, budget, scope, and answers common questions using your service details and pricing 5. Lead data syncs to your CRM including LeadConnector, plus any other CRM you use 6. Slack notification fires with the lead's name, phone, service interest, and the AI's qualification notes 7. Google Sheets row is created with full lead data and conversation summary One connection replaces the webhook configuration, the Zapier subscription, the Slack webhook setup, and the manual follow-up. And it adds the part that actually matters: a real-time response to the lead before they move on. The same connection covers Facebook Lead Ads and Facebook Messenger, plus Instagram Lead Ads and Instagram DMs. One setup, four lead sources. Cost Comparison | | Manual Stack | } | |---|---|---| | CRM integration | Included in LeadConnector | Included | | Slack notifications | DIY webhook setup | Included | | Google Sheets logging | Zapier paid plan | Included | | Auto-response to lead | Not included | Text in under 2s, voice instantly | | Lead qualification | Manual (your team's time) | AI-handled | | Maintenance time | 2-4 hrs/month | None | | Total integration cost | Automation plan + time | $19/mo for Facebook Lead Ads, voice agent $10/mo per number + $1/min | The manual stack can look cheap if you only count the Zapier subscription. But it doesn't respond to the lead. You're paying for data routing, not lead conversion. } replaces the entire integration layer, adds automated lead response, and handles qualification and routing that would otherwise require a person sitting by the phone. It's the same lead response automation layer whether the lead comes from a paid ad, your website, or a marketplace. If you're paying for Facebook ads, run the ROI math with your own numbers: multiply the extra jobs faster response could book each month by your average job value, and compare that to the subscription. Setup Guide: Facebook Lead Ads with } Getting your Facebook leads flowing through } with CRM sync, Slack notifications, and Google Sheets logging takes just minutes. Step 1: Connect your Facebook ad account. In the } dashboard, go to Integrations and click Connect Facebook. You'll authorize through Meta's OAuth flow. Select the ad account and page that run your lead ads. Step 2: Configure your AI responder. Add your business name, services offered, service area, pricing ranges, and hours. This is what the AI uses when it calls or texts the lead. Be specific - "residential and commercial roofing in Los Angeles" works better than "roofing company." Step 3: Connect your CRM. Add your LeadConnector API key or connect via OAuth. Map the fields you want synced: name, phone, email, service interest, qualification status, and conversation transcript. Step 4: Set up Slack notifications. Paste your Slack incoming webhook URL. Choose what gets included in the notification: lead name, phone, service requested, AI qualification summary, and a direct link to the lead's conversation transcript. Step 5: Enable Google Sheets logging. Connect your Google account and select or create the spreadsheet. } creates a new row for each lead with timestamp, source campaign, contact info, qualification result, and AI conversation summary. That's it. The next Facebook lead form submission triggers the full flow: AI response in under 2 seconds, followed by CRM sync, Slack notification, and Sheets logging. What About Your Existing LeadConnector Setup? If you already have LeadConnector workflows, automations, and pipelines configured, } doesn't replace any of that. It sits in front of it. } handles the initial response and qualification, then pushes the qualified lead into LeadConnector with all the data your existing workflows expect. Your pipeline stages, tags, and automated sequences continue to work exactly as they did before. The only difference is that leads arrive pre-qualified with a conversation transcript attached. You can run both systems in parallel. Keep your existing Facebook-to-LeadConnector integration running if you want a direct backup, and layer } on top for the auto-response and qualification. There's no conflict between the two. For teams already using a multi-platform automation stack, adding } to the Facebook leg is the same process. It connects to each lead source independently, so the same setup also powers a Thumbtack auto-responder, Yelp, and Google LSA from one place. Frequently Asked Questions How do I send Facebook lead ads to Slack? Two ways. Manually, you connect Facebook lead ads to your CRM through Meta's API, then add an outbound webhook on the CRM that POSTs to a Slack incoming webhook URL when a new contact is created. Or you connect the ad account once in }, which posts every lead to Slack automatically the moment the form is submitted, with the name, phone, service, and an AI qualification summary attached, no webhook config or Zapier needed. Can I route Google ads leads to a CRM automatically? Yes. Google Ads lead forms expose lead data through Google's API the same way Meta does for Facebook. Connect the Google account, authorize the lead-form extension, and map the fields to your CRM. On the Facebook side, } connects your ad account once, so Facebook and Instagram Lead Ads land in your CRM, Slack, and Google Sheets without you touching a spreadsheet. What's the best way to send paid-ad leads to Slack? The reliable way is to let one tool own the whole path: ad form to auto-response to Slack to CRM to Sheets. DIY webhooks send leads to Slack automatically too, but they only move data, and they break after Meta API updates. The better setup notifies Slack and replies to the lead in under 2 seconds, so the person hears from you before they scroll past the next ad. Does } replace LeadConnector? No. LeadConnector is your CRM for managing contacts, pipelines, and marketing automation. } is the response layer that sits between the lead source and your CRM. It handles the instant response, qualification, and data routing. LeadConnector handles everything after that. Can I keep my existing LeadConnector setup and add }? Yes. } pushes data into LeadConnector through the API. Your existing workflows, pipeline stages, tags, and automations stay in place. Leads just arrive faster and pre-qualified. Does the Slack notification include the AI's conversation with the lead? The Slack message includes a summary: lead name, phone, service requested, qualification result (hot, warm, cold), and key details from the conversation. A link to the full transcript is included for anyone who wants the complete exchange. What if my team is already using Zapier for Facebook leads? You can keep Zapier running or turn it off. If } is handling the LeadConnector sync and Google Sheets logging, Zapier becomes redundant for those tasks. Most teams disable the Zapier zaps after confirming } is handling the flow, which saves the Zapier subscription. Does this work with Instagram Lead Ads too? Yes. Facebook and Instagram lead ads both run through Meta's API. When you connect your Facebook ad account in }, Instagram Lead Ads on the same account are included automatically. Same auto-response, same CRM sync, same Slack notifications. How fast does the lead data reach Slack? The Slack notification posts after the AI's first reply, which reaches the lead in under 2 seconds. Unlike a direct webhook that forwards raw form data, } first contacts the lead, begins the qualification conversation, and then sends a richer notification that includes the AI's initial findings. What if the lead doesn't answer the AI's call? The AI sends a text message first, then places the call. If the lead doesn't answer, the system follows up with a second text and schedules a retry call. The automated follow-up sequence continues until the lead responds or the configured attempt limit is reached. Every attempt is logged in your CRM and Sheets. Can I customize what gets posted to Slack? Yes. You choose which fields appear in the Slack notification and which channel it posts to. Most teams include the lead name, phone number, service requested, and AI qualification result. Some add the full conversation summary for high-value lead sources. --- Ready to stop building integrations and start converting leads? Try } free and connect your Facebook ad account in under 2 minutes. One setup sends every lead to Slack, your CRM, and Google Sheets, replacing the webhook plumbing, the Zapier subscription, and the manual follow-up. --- ### Facebook Voice Agent: Call Leads Automatically and Instantly **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/facebook-voice-agent-call-leads/ AI voice agent calls your Facebook leads instantly after form submission. Book more jobs with instant outbound calls for service businesses. Facebook Voice Agent: Call Leads Automatically and Instantly This is part of our complete AI Voice Agent guide for service businesses. Facebook leads go cold fast. Many service businesses take 4+ hours to respond. By then, the customer has already called your competitor. An AI voice agent calls your Facebook leads the moment they submit a form. No manual dialing. No delays. Just an instant outbound call that qualifies and books. Tired of losing Facebook leads to slow follow-up? Try } free and start calling every lead instantly. How Does a Facebook Voice Agent Work? The AI places an outbound call to every new Facebook lead instantly after form submission. Here's the sequence: 1. Lead submits a Facebook Lead Ad form or sends a Messenger DM 2. } receives the lead data via Facebook's API 3. AI calls the customer's phone, introduces your business by name 4. AI qualifies the lead (job type, location, urgency, timeline) 5. AI books the appointment or schedules an estimate 6. Call summary and recording go to your CRM and phone Your part: check your phone later and see the booking confirmation. Facebook Lead Response: Text vs. Voice Agent Call Voice calls outperform text follow-ups on nearly every metric that matters for service businesses. | Metric | Text Follow-Up | Voice Agent Call | |---|---|---| | Customer engagement | Passive | Active, real-time | | Qualification time | Multiple messages over hours | One short call | | Acts on intent | After the lead has cooled | While it's still hot | | Time to book | Hours | Can book on the first call | The difference comes down to intent timing. Facebook leads filled out a form because they want something right now. A phone call acts on that intent before it fades. Best Facebook Ad Types for AI Voice Follow-Up Not every campaign benefits equally. These produce the strongest results with an instant voice callback: - Storm damage roofing ads. Speed wins the job. First call gets the inspection. - Seasonal HVAC tune-up ads. High volume, fast decision cycles. Book them before they shop around. - Home cleaning acquisition ads. Customers compare several options. First call wins. - Garage door repair ads. Often emergencies. A real call provides immediate reassurance. - Remodeling lead ads. Higher-ticket jobs where a quick consultation call locks in the estimate. What Happens When the Lead Doesn't Answer? The voice agent doesn't just try once. } combines voice with multi-channel follow-up: 1. Lead submits Facebook form. Voice agent calls immediately. 2. No answer. AI sends a personalized text and Messenger follow-up. 3. Customer replies to text or Messenger. AI chat continues the conversation. 4. Still no conversion. Automated nurture sequence fires on days 3, 7, and 14. No lead gets dropped because they missed one call. Facebook Voice Agent ROI for Service Businesses The math works because you're not generating more leads - you're converting the ones you already paid for by calling them the instant they submit. Speed is the lever: waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead - and 100x less likely to reach it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). The voice agent runs at $10/month per number plus $1/minute, so compare that against the value of a single booked job in your business. Start Calling Your Facebook Leads Today Setup takes under 2 minutes. Connect your Facebook Business Page, configure the voice agent script, and it starts working on the next lead that comes in. Try } free and see how many more jobs you book when every lead gets an instant call. --- ### GoHighLevel "Company ID" vs "Location ID": The Difference Explained (With Examples) **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/gohighlevel-company-id-vs-location-id/ Company ID is the agency, Location ID is the sub-account. Here is exactly when to use each in GoHighLevel API calls, webhooks, and OAuth scopes. GoHighLevel "Company ID" vs "Location ID": the difference explained Short answer: Company ID identifies the agency (the top-level account that owns sub-accounts). Location ID identifies a single sub-account underneath that agency. They are not interchangeable, and using the wrong one is the most common reason a GoHighLevel API call returns 401, 403, or empty data. This guide is for developers wiring up integrations against the GoHighLevel API or building marketplace apps. It explains what each ID is, where to find it, and which one your endpoint actually needs. Building a lead automation flow on top of GoHighLevel? Try } free and let it handle the inbound replies while GoHighLevel handles the pipeline. The structure GoHighLevel uses GoHighLevel is built around a two-tier hierarchy: - Company (also called Agency): The top-level account. One per agency. Owns billing, branding, and every sub-account beneath it. - Location (also called Sub-Account): A single client workspace. One per business the agency manages. Holds contacts, conversations, calendars, pipelines, and workflows for that one business. Every API resource lives at one of these two levels. A workflow lives in a Location. A snapshot template lives at the Company level. Knowing which level the resource lives at tells you which ID the endpoint expects. What does the Company ID look like? A company ID is an alphanumeric string, for example: You will see it referenced as in API responses and OAuth payloads. In the GoHighLevel UI it is sometimes labeled "Agency ID" under Settings -> Company. What does the Location ID look like? Same shape, different scope: In the UI it lives under each sub-account at Settings -> Business Profile, or in the URL when you are inside a sub-account: . When does the API need Company ID vs Location ID? The rule of thumb: | If you are working with... | Use this ID | |---|---| | Contacts, conversations, opportunities | Location ID | | Calendars, appointments, workflows | Location ID | | Custom fields, custom values, tags on a sub-account | Location ID | | Pipeline stages, forms, surveys for one client | Location ID | | Snapshots, agency users, agency-wide settings | Company ID | | Creating new sub-accounts | Company ID | | Marketplace app installs at the agency level | Company ID | | OAuth tokens with scope | Company ID | | OAuth tokens with scope | Location ID | A useful mental model: if the data belongs to one client business, you need Location ID. If the data belongs to the agency that manages many businesses, you need Company ID. Common mistakes (and the error you will see) These are the failures we see most often when integrating with GoHighLevel: - Using Company ID on a Location-scoped endpoint. The API returns 403 Forbidden or an empty array. Switch to the correct Location ID. - Using Location ID with an Agency OAuth token. The token does not have permission for that location. Either use a Location-scoped token or call the endpoint to mint one for the specific Location. - Caching the wrong ID after sub-account switching. When your app supports multiple agencies, store the Company ID and Location ID together for each authenticated session. Do not assume the last one used is still valid. - Confusing with . A user belongs to one or more locations but has its own ID. They are not the same. OAuth: which ID does my token cover? When you complete the OAuth flow GoHighLevel returns a token plus a field of either or . The token is scoped to that level. If you start with a Company-level token and need to act on a specific Location, exchange it via: This returns a Location-scoped token you can use against any Location endpoint for that sub-account. Webhooks: which ID is in the payload? Webhook payloads include both when relevant. A new contact webhook from a sub-account looks like: When routing webhook events on your side, key on if the event belongs to a single client, and on for agency-level events like sub-account creation. How to find each ID without writing code - Company ID: Log in as agency admin -> Settings -> Company -> the ID is in the URL or shown on the page. - Location ID: Switch into the sub-account -> the URL contains . Or call with an Agency token to list all locations and their IDs. Frequently asked questions Can I use the Company ID for a Location API call? No. Location-scoped endpoints (contacts, conversations, calendars, opportunities) require a Location ID. Sending a Company ID returns 403 or empty results. Are Company ID and Agency ID the same thing? Yes. GoHighLevel uses both terms in different parts of the documentation but they refer to the same identifier for the top-level agency account. How do I get a Location token from a Company token? Call with the and in the body. You get back an scoped to that Location. What if I have multiple agencies in one app? Store both IDs per authenticated session. Index your records on so a single user can switch between agencies without ID collisions. Does the Location ID change if I rebrand the sub-account? No. Renaming a sub-account or changing its branding does not change the underlying Location ID. The ID is permanent for the lifetime of the sub-account. Where does this matter for lead automation? Anywhere you push leads into GoHighLevel from an external source. }, for example, sends qualified inbound leads into the right sub-account using the Location ID. Sending to the wrong ID puts the lead in the wrong workspace or rejects it outright. --- Building lead handling on top of GoHighLevel? Try } free and let it run the AI replies while GoHighLevel runs the pipeline. --- ### Housecall Pro Thumbtack Integration: The Complete 2026 Guide **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/housecall-pro-thumbtack-integration/ Housecall Pro Thumbtack integration explained. How to connect Thumbtack leads to Housecall Pro, automate job creation, and stop losing leads to slow replies. Housecall Pro Thumbtack integration: the complete 2026 guide If you run a service business on Housecall Pro and pay for leads on Thumbtack, you have probably searched for a Housecall Pro Thumbtack integration that just works. The honest answer in 2026: there is no native, one-click Housecall Pro Thumbtack integration. Thumbtack does not appear in Housecall Pro's official app marketplace, and Housecall Pro is not listed as a partner inside Thumbtack's pro tools. That gap is exactly where leads slip through and money gets wasted. This guide walks through the real options for bridging the two platforms, what data can actually flow between them, and why an AI auto-responder layered in front of Housecall Pro is the most practical fix in 2026. Paying for Thumbtack leads that never make it into Housecall Pro? Try } free and route supported Thumbtack inquiries into your CRM workflow. > Independent integration notice: } is a separate service. The Thumbtack name identifies a compatible third-party connection. A supported account connects only after its account holder authorizes the API flow. Does Housecall Pro have a native Thumbtack integration? No. As of 2026 there is no first-party Housecall Pro Thumbtack integration. Housecall Pro integrates natively with Google Local Services, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, CompanyCam, and a handful of marketing tools, but Thumbtack is not on that list. Thumbtack itself focuses on its own messaging inbox, instant book, and Promote spend tools. The two products were not built to talk to each other. That means anyone telling you to "just turn on the integration" is either confusing it with another platform or selling you a third-party connector. There is no toggle to flip. You have to build the bridge yourself or use middleware that already has. Why the missing integration costs you money Without a Housecall Pro Thumbtack integration, every new Thumbtack lead lives in Thumbtack's inbox until a human copies it somewhere useful. In a typical day that human is on a roof, under a sink, or driving between jobs. By the time the lead is pasted into Housecall Pro: - The customer has already heard from competitors. - The job details have to be retyped, often incorrectly. - Follow-up reminders never get scheduled because the lead never became a "job" in the system. - Your reporting on cost per booked job is broken, since Thumbtack spend lives in one tool and revenue in another. The result is that contractors keep paying Thumbtack's per-lead fee while their close rate drifts down. The fix is not abandoning Thumbtack. The fix is closing the loop between Thumbtack messaging and Housecall Pro job creation. Three ways to bridge Thumbtack and Housecall Pro There are three common approaches in 2026, in increasing order of how much they actually solve. 1. Manual copy-paste Someone in the office (or the owner at 9 PM) opens Thumbtack, reads each new lead, and creates a customer and estimate in Housecall Pro. Free, fragile, and almost always slow. This is the default state most contractors are stuck in. 2. Unsupported DIY connectors Do not assume a notification email, scraped page, or unofficial connector authorizes automated access. Those workarounds can be brittle and may fall outside a platform's current terms or technical permissions. Use only connection methods and data access authorized for the account and integration. Pros: - May appear quick to prototype. - Can demonstrate what fields a future supported workflow would need. Cons: - Access may be unsupported or revoked. - Scraping and parsing can break when a page or notification changes. - The workflow may lose message context, consent state, or account authorization. This guide does not recommend bypassing a platform's supported authorization process. 3. Authorized API connection plus CRM workflow For supported accounts, } connects to the account holder's Thumbtack Pro account through the authorized API flow. It receives supported lead and message events, applies the response workflow configured by the business, and can pass the resulting lead data into Housecall Pro when that CRM connection is enabled. This is the role } is built for. See how it works on the platform itself in the Thumbtack auto responder breakdown and how it pairs with other CRMs in Thumbtack CRM integration. What data should flow where A working Housecall Pro Thumbtack integration is not just "lead in, lead out." Think about each direction. From Thumbtack into Housecall Pro: - Customer name and contact details. - Service requested (mapped to a Housecall Pro job type). - Customer's free-text description of the problem. - Address or service area. - Answers to qualifying questions the AI asked (number of rooms, square footage, urgency). - A timestamp and source tag so reporting can attribute revenue to Thumbtack. From Housecall Pro back toward the conversation: Housecall Pro is not treated as a direct writer into Thumbtack. Outbound Thumbtack messages remain within the account holder's authorized connection. Use a consistent source label in Housecall Pro so your own reports can compare lead spend with booked revenue. Automating Thumbtack lead to Housecall Pro job creation Here is the workflow } customers typically run in 2026: 1. The account holder authorizes the supported Thumbtack API connection. 2. A supported Thumbtack lead event reaches }, which applies the configured response workflow. 3. The AI asks two or three qualifying questions tuned to your trade. 4. When the customer answers, } either books an appointment directly or hands a fully-qualified summary to your team. 5. The qualified lead is written into Housecall Pro as a new customer with an estimate, a scheduled job, or a tagged lead, depending on your preference. 6. Housecall Pro takes over for dispatch, invoicing, and payment. You no longer have a Thumbtack workflow and a Housecall Pro workflow. You have one pipeline. For a deeper look at why speed is the lever that makes this work, see Speed to lead on Yelp and Thumbtack and the math on Thumbtack cost per lead in 2026. Pitfalls to watch for A few things break common Housecall Pro Thumbtack integration attempts: - Duplicate customer records. If you also collect web form leads, the same customer can land twice. Match on phone number before creating a new Housecall Pro customer. - Wrong job type mapping. Thumbtack categories are broader than Housecall Pro service items. Decide upfront how "general handyman" maps to your specific job templates. - Missing source tag. If you forget to tag the lead source, your end-of-month ROI report on Thumbtack spend will be useless. - Replying twice. If automation and a team member both reply, the customer sees a messy thread. Configure clear handoff and stop conditions for the authorized connection. - Service area mismatches. Thumbtack will sometimes deliver leads just outside your area. Have the AI confirm the address before pushing anything into Housecall Pro. Why an AI layer beats a pure data integration Even if Thumbtack shipped a native Housecall Pro app tomorrow, a raw data integration would still leave you losing leads. A lead in your CRM is not a booked job. A lead that got an instant, intelligent reply, was qualified, and was booked into your schedule is a booked job. The integration that matters is the one that handles the conversation, not just the record. That is the case for putting an AI auto-responder for Thumbtack between the two systems instead of waiting for a marketplace listing that might never come. FAQ Does Housecall Pro have a native Thumbtack integration? No. As of this article's update, Housecall Pro does not offer a native Thumbtack integration. Use a supported connection authorized for the Thumbtack Pro account, then configure the separate Housecall Pro workflow. Can I connect Thumbtack to Housecall Pro with Zapier? Do not treat email parsing as authorization to automate a Thumbtack account. Use only a supported account connection, then send permitted lead data to Housecall Pro through the CRM workflow you configure. What is the fastest way to get Thumbtack leads into Housecall Pro? For a supported account, authorize the Thumbtack API connection in }, configure the permitted response workflow, and connect Housecall Pro for the CRM handoff. Availability and setup time depend on both accounts. Will integrating Thumbtack with Housecall Pro reduce my Thumbtack lead cost? The integration does not change the lead price shown in your Thumbtack account and does not guarantee a conversion-rate change. Measure your own spend, qualified conversations, and booked jobs to calculate the effective cost per booked job. Can I track Thumbtack ROI inside Housecall Pro? Yes, if you tag every Thumbtack-sourced customer in Housecall Pro with a consistent source label. Then you can pull a Housecall Pro report by source and compare it against your Thumbtack Promote spend for the same period. Bottom line There is no native Housecall Pro Thumbtack integration described by this article. For supported accounts, the practical path is an account-holder-authorized Thumbtack API connection plus a separately configured Housecall Pro handoff. Try } free and review the available connection flow for your account. --- ### How to Generate Leads on Yelp in 2026: 11 Practical Tactics **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/how-to-generate-leads-on-yelp/ A practical Yelp lead generation checklist covering profile accuracy, services, photos, reviews, ads, response workflow, and measurement. How to generate leads on Yelp in 2026: 11 practical tactics Yelp can put a local service business in front of customers who are actively comparing providers. Results still depend on your category, market, profile, offer, budget, and response process. Use the checklist below, then judge each change from your own Yelp for Business data. 1. Claim and verify the right business page Confirm that your business name, address or service area, phone number, hours, website, and primary category are accurate. Do not create a second page for the same location just to target another keyword. 2. Describe the services you actually provide Use plain language for the jobs you accept, the areas you cover, and any important limits. Accuracy helps customers decide whether to contact you and reduces inquiries your team cannot serve. 3. Add recent photos of real work Show completed jobs, your team, equipment, and the working environment when you have permission to publish them. Avoid stock images that could misrepresent your business. Track whether profile views turn into website clicks, calls, or messages after the update. 4. Follow Yelp's review policy Do not ask customers to write Yelp reviews and do not offer incentives. Yelp says review solicitation is against its policy. Its official guide explains how to earn Yelp reviews without asking. Focus on a consistent customer experience and use Yelp-approved materials that let customers know your page exists without requesting a review. 5. Respond to reviews professionally Thank customers for useful feedback, address concerns calmly, and avoid sharing private customer details. A thoughtful public response helps future readers understand how your business handles service and problems. 6. Check every available contact path Test the phone number, website link, service-area settings, hours, and any enabled call-to-action. A lead-generation page cannot convert if a primary contact path is wrong or unavailable. 7. Configure Request a Quote for the work you want Review the services, locations, availability, and job preferences in your Yelp for Business account. Exclude work you do not offer. The goal is not maximum inquiry volume; it is more qualified inquiries your team can actually serve. 8. Evaluate Yelp Ads with booked-job economics Use your live account data rather than a generic CPC or lead-price benchmark. Record spend, qualified inquiries, booked jobs, completed-job revenue, and refunds or credits for one consistent period. Calculate . Set your acceptable limit before changing the budget. 9. Make every reply job-specific A generic "thanks, call us" message gives the customer nothing to act on. The reply should address the requested service, confirm the area, ask only necessary questions, and offer a next step. A Yelp auto responder can create that kind of job-specific response for every inquiry in under 2 seconds, built from your services, price ranges, and availability. 10. Plan after-hours coverage Measure when your own Yelp inquiries arrive. If a meaningful share arrives outside staffed hours, those customers are still comparing providers while your team is off the clock. An AI tool that generates a tailored Yelp reply in under 2 seconds covers nights, weekends, and holidays the same way it covers business hours. 11. Measure the complete funnel Review these numbers together each week: - profile views; - website clicks, calls, and messages; - qualified inquiries; - median first-response time; - quotes and booked jobs; - completed-job revenue; - cost per booked job when using ads. Change one meaningful variable at a time. Continue a tactic when the defined funnel metric improves over a complete comparison period. Stop or revise it when the metric misses the limit you set in advance. How } supports the response side } creates a job-specific Yelp response in under 2 seconds using the services, prices, and rules you configured. The product does not create Yelp reviews, guarantee rankings, or guarantee more booked jobs. Frequently asked questions How can I generate more Yelp leads without spending more on ads? Start with accurate profile details, service coverage, real work photos, functioning contact paths, and a clear description of the work you accept. Follow Yelp's review policy and measure profile views through qualified inquiries before and after the changes. Should I ask customers for Yelp reviews? No. Yelp says businesses should not ask for Yelp reviews or offer incentives. Deliver a strong customer experience and use Yelp-approved ways to show that your business has a Yelp page. Are Yelp Ads worth it? They are worth testing only when the cost per booked job fits your economics. Use your account's actual spend and bookings, define a limit, and judge the result over a complete billing period. Why am I getting Yelp inquiries but no jobs? Audit a recent sample for service fit, area fit, reply delay, reply quality, quote progression, and follow-up. The bottleneck may be targeting, offer, availability, response workflow, or sales handling. Do not assume speed is the only cause. How fast does a Yelp auto responder create a reply? With }, the AI creates a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds, built from your services, price ranges, and availability. Try } free to test the response workflow with your own Yelp inquiries. Measure the result against a baseline and do not treat any conversion outcome as guaranteed. --- ### HVAC AI Receptionist Peak Season **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/hvac-ai-receptionist-peak-season/ HVAC AI receptionist goes live the same day, even mid-summer. Emergency setup, missed-call recovery, peak-week ROI. Live by tomorrow morning. HVAC AI Receptionist Peak Season This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. Heat wave hit yesterday. Phone is exploding. Dispatcher is buried. You miss call after call and lose emergency revenue every afternoon. Deploy the AI receptionist tonight and recover every missed call by tomorrow morning. Live before tomorrow's heat hits. Try } free and have the AI taking emergency calls the same day. Same-Day Mid-Summer Deploy Timeline How an emergency mid-July deploy goes during a heat wave. | Step | Action | Result | |---|---|---| | 1 | Sign up | Account live | | 2 | Forward business phone line | Missed calls now route to AI | | 3 | Paste HVAC service list with peak pricing tiers | LLM ready to quote | | 4 | Set technician capacity caps and dispatch upcharge | Booking guardrails live | | 5 | Sync technician calendar with peak buffers | Live booking enabled | | 6 | 5-call concurrent stress test | All 5 answer, all 5 book | | 7 | Go live | Real heat-wave calls hitting | | Same day | First real AI-recovered emergency | Emergency dispatch booked | You can be taking real calls the same day, so the recovery starts during the same heat wave that prompted the deploy. Missed-HVAC-Call Recovery: The Heat-Wave Flow Friday 3:47pm, 102F outside, customer's AC just died. You and your dispatcher are buried. 1. Customer calls, line busy. Manual would lose this lead. 2. SMS text-back fires in under 2 seconds. "Sorry we missed you, what is the issue?" 3. Customer replies. "AC dead, 95 inside, need someone tonight" 4. AI qualifies. Confirms address, system age, urgency tier 5. Voice agent dials customer back instantly. $10/mo per number + $1/min 6. 8pm same-night emergency slot booked. Dispatch fee $199 accepted 7. You get SMS with booking, address, emergency job locked You finish the current job, check your phone, and see a recovered emergency that would otherwise have gone to voicemail and then to a competitor. Peak-Week Value: 4-Tech HVAC Operation During a heat wave, a buried dispatcher misses a large share of inbound calls. The AI answers every one, so the value is the emergency jobs you stop losing to voicemail. The numbers below are an illustrative example, not measured results, to show how the math works. | Metric | Manual (buried dispatcher) | AI Receptionist | |---|---|---| | Total inbound calls (week) | High | High | | Calls answered | A fraction | Every call | | Voice + Yelp cost | $0 | $10/month per number + $1/min talk time, plus $99/month Yelp | Compare your voice usage against the value of even one recovered emergency job, using your own call volume and average job value. Heat-Wave Concurrency: Why It Holds Up When a heat wave drives a spike of calls into a single hour, a human receptionist can only pick up one at a time, so the rest go to voicemail. The AI handles unlimited concurrent calls, so every caller gets answered and qualified instantly, no matter how many ring at once. Talk time is billed at $1 per billable minute, so a heavy hour costs the same per-minute rate as a quiet one. After-Hours HVAC Call Coverage A large share of HVAC peak-season calls arrive in the evening, exactly when a human-staffed competitor has closed the office. | Time Window | Manual Pickup | AI Pickup | |---|---|---| | 8am to 5pm | Partial | Every call | | 5pm to 9pm | Low | Every call | | 9pm to 11pm | Very low | Every call | | Overnight | None | Every call | After hours is where the AI receptionist earns its cost: the customer has no AC and books the first business that picks up. What an HVAC AI Receptionist Costs in Peak Month The flat parts of the bill are fixed; voice usage scales with how much you talk. | Item | Peak Month Cost | |---|---| | Voice agent | $10/month per number + $1/minute | | Yelp source | $99 | | Thumbtack source | $99 | | Setup, support, config changes | Free | | Recording, transcript, CRM sync | Included | No contracts, no setup fees, 7-day free trial. Compare to a flat-rate answering service that bills more in summer and just takes messages instead of booking - an AI answering service books the job on the same call. How to Deploy and Go Live the Same Day 1. Sign up and forward your business phone line. After 4 rings. 2. Paste HVAC service list with peak-season pricing tiers. Emergency dispatch, tune-up, refrigerant. 3. Set technician capacity caps and same-day emergency upcharge. 8 to 10 jobs per tech, $199 dispatch. 4. Sync calendar with peak-season buffers and 6pm cutoff. 30-min buffer, lunch block. 5. Run a 5-call concurrent stress test and go live. All 5 answer instantly, all 5 book. Frequently Asked Questions Can I deploy an HVAC AI receptionist mid-summer during peak season? Yes. Setup takes minutes, and you can be taking real calls the same day during the same heat wave that prompted the deploy. How does the missed-HVAC-call recovery flow work during a heat wave? Under-2-second SMS text-back, the AI qualifies, then an optional voice callback continues the conversation instead of leaving a voicemail. What is the peak-week value of an HVAC AI receptionist? The AI answers every call a buried dispatcher misses, so compare your voice usage against the value of the emergency jobs you stop losing. How does the AI handle a busy call hour during a hot afternoon? Unlimited concurrent calls. Every caller gets answered instantly at $1/minute of talk time, while a human can only pick up one call at a time. Will the HVAC AI receptionist handle emergency dispatch upcharges correctly? Yes. Quotes the upcharge upfront, customer accepts before the slot locks, which reduces no-shows and disputes. What does an HVAC AI receptionist cost during a peak month? $10/month per number + $1/minute voice, plus $99 Yelp and $99 Thumbtack for text channels. No setup fees or contracts. Does the HVAC AI receptionist recover after-hours calls? Every after-hours call, instantly, when the customer has no AC and books the first business that picks up. What if my technicians are too busy to take all the AI-booked jobs? Capacity caps per tech per day. Overflow gets a next-day slot offer so the customer stays with you instead of calling a competitor. Live Before Tomorrow's Heat Hits Try } free and have the AI taking emergency calls the same day. For multi-channel HVAC coverage, see ai receptionist for small business. --- ### Instagram Auto Responder: Turn Instagram DMs Into Qualified Leads and Booked Appointments **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/instagram-auto-responder/ Automate Instagram DMs with Auto-Respond. Reply instantly, qualify leads, follow up automatically and turn more conversations into booked appointments. Instagram Auto Responder Instagram has become much more than a platform for sharing photos, videos and Reels. For many service businesses, it is also an important source of new customer inquiries. A potential customer may discover your business through a Reel, visit your profile and send a direct message asking about pricing, availability or your services. The problem is that Instagram users often expect a fast response. If your business takes several hours to answer, that potential customer may already be speaking with another provider. Instagram Auto Responder by } helps businesses automate Instagram DMs, qualify leads, capture customer details and turn conversations into booked appointments. An Instagram auto responder can help businesses respond to new inquiries immediately, continue conversations automatically and move interested prospects toward the next step. } takes this process further by using AI to manage Instagram conversations based on your actual business information. Instead of simply sending a generic automatic message, the system can understand the inquiry, provide relevant information, qualify the lead, follow up and even help schedule an appointment. What Is an Instagram Auto Responder? An Instagram auto responder is software that automatically responds when someone sends a message to your Instagram account. Basic automation tools may send a predefined message such as: “Thanks for contacting us. Someone will respond soon.” While this confirms that the message was received, it does little to actually move the potential customer forward. } makes it easy to connect Instagram and Meta to the platform, enabling automated DM responses, lead capture and streamlined customer communication from one SaaS dashboard. Modern AI powered automation can create a much more useful experience. } connects with eligible Instagram Business and Creator accounts through Meta's official messaging infrastructure. Incoming direct messages can then be handled according to the business information and messaging rules configured inside the platform. This allows the conversation to continue immediately rather than forcing the customer to wait for a member of your team. Why Fast Instagram Responses Matter Imagine someone sees your business on Instagram at 10:00 PM. They like what they see and send a simple message: “How much does this service cost?” Your team may not see that message until the following morning. During those hours, the same person could contact several competitors. The business that responds first has an opportunity to start the conversation while the customer's interest is still high. } is designed to reply to incoming Instagram inquiries in under 2 seconds and can operate around the clock. That means an Instagram inquiry does not need to sit unanswered simply because your team is busy, working with another customer or outside normal business hours. More Than a Simple Instagram Auto Reply The biggest difference between a basic Instagram auto reply and an AI based Instagram auto responder is what happens after the first message. } can use information configured by the business, including services, pricing information, service areas, business hours and response rules. This allows the system to provide responses that are relevant to what the customer is actually asking. For example, a potential customer might write: “Do you offer this service in Miami and how much would it cost?” Instead of replying with a generic welcome message, an AI powered response can address the customer's question using the information you have provided to the system. The result is a conversation that feels much closer to speaking with an actual member of your business. Instagram Auto Responder: } vs. Manual Instagram Lead Handling | Capability | } | Manual Instagram Lead Handling | |---|---|---| | Instagram DM responses | Automated through } | Requires a team member to reply | | Availability | Can handle incoming DMs 24/7 | Depends on staff availability | | Response speed | First reply in under 2 seconds | Depends on when a team member sees the message | | AI responses | Yes | No automation | | Predefined responses | Yes | Must be sent manually | | Lead qualification | Included | Must be handled manually | | Appointment booking | Available when Appointment Scheduling is enabled | Must be coordinated manually | | Automated follow ups | Yes | Must be managed manually | | Full conversation history | Available on the Leads page | Managed inside Instagram | | Lead inbox | Included | No } lead inbox | | CRM integrations | Included | Requires a separate workflow | | Analytics and CSV | Included | Not provided through } | | Team access | Unlimited team members with no per seat charge | Depends on the business's own setup | | Instagram pricing | $49/month per connected Instagram source or location | No } subscription | | Contract | No fixed term contract for core source subscriptions | Not applicable | With }, we help businesses manage Instagram leads without relying entirely on manual inbox monitoring. Connected Instagram Business or Creator accounts can send and receive DMs through our platform, with conversations available directly on the Leads page. Our Instagram integration costs $49 per month per connected source or location and includes features such as AI first replies, lead qualification, appointment booking, automatic follow ups, CRM integrations, analytics and team access. Instead of waiting for someone to notice a new message, respond, qualify the prospect and remember to follow up, our system is designed to handle these steps automatically, respond to Instagram DMs in under 2 seconds and help businesses move conversations forward through one centralized lead management workflow. Automatically Qualify Instagram Leads Not every Instagram inquiry is ready to become a customer. Some people need more information. Others may be outside your service area or looking for something your business does not provide. This is where automated lead qualification becomes valuable. } can ask the questions your business uses to determine whether an inquiry is relevant. Depending on the business, these questions may include: Service required Customer location Project details Timeline Budget Preferred appointment time Because the system can carry the conversation forward, your team does not have to manually ask the same questions every time a new Instagram inquiry arrives. When a member of your team eventually joins the conversation, the important information can already be available. Turn Instagram Conversations Into Appointments Getting a response is useful. Getting a qualified lead is better. Getting a booked appointment is where automation can create real business value. } can guide qualified prospects toward scheduling the next step using the appointment rules configured for the business. Instead of exchanging multiple messages trying to coordinate a convenient time, the conversation can move directly toward an available appointment. This creates a smoother journey: Instagram visitor discovers your business The visitor sends a DM } replies The AI answers questions The lead is qualified An appointment is offered The customer books The conversation becomes a real business opportunity For businesses generating a significant number of inquiries through Instagram, reducing the number of manual steps between the first message and an appointment can make the entire lead management process more efficient. Automatically Follow Up With Instagram Leads One of the biggest problems in sales is not necessarily generating leads. It is following up with them. A potential customer may ask a question, receive an answer and then become distracted. They may intend to respond later but simply forget. Without a follow up process, that lead can disappear. } can run configured follow up sequences when an Instagram conversation becomes inactive. The sequence stops when the lead replies or books, helping businesses continue the conversation without manually reviewing every open message thread. This can be particularly valuable for businesses receiving dozens or hundreds of inquiries across multiple channels. Keep Instagram Lead Conversations Organized Automation should not mean losing control of your customer conversations. } provides businesses with a dashboard where lead conversations and relevant information can be reviewed. The platform is designed to bring customer context, conversation history and next actions together so your team can understand what happened before taking over a lead. This creates an easier transition between AI automation and human staff. If a conversation requires personal attention, your team can enter the discussion with more context instead of asking the customer to repeat everything. Instagram Automation for Service Businesses An Instagram auto responder can be especially useful for service businesses where customers frequently ask similar questions before making a decision. Examples include home service companies, contractors, cleaning companies, moving companies, beauty businesses, repair services, professional services and other businesses that generate inquiries through social media. Many of these conversations begin with similar questions: “How much does it cost?” “Do you service my area?” “Are you available this week?” “How soon can someone come?” “Can I book an appointment?” Instead of leaving these questions unanswered until someone becomes available, } can help handle the initial conversation immediately. Manage More Than Instagram From One Platform Instagram may be an important lead source, but it is rarely the only place customers contact a business. } supports multiple lead and communication sources, including Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lead Ads, Yelp, Thumbtack and other supported integrations. The platform also offers an AI voice agent for calls and lead callbacks. This creates the possibility of managing different customer inquiry workflows through one system instead of constantly switching between platforms. For growing service businesses, centralizing lead response can make it easier to maintain consistent communication as inquiry volume increases. Why Choose } for Instagram Automation? The goal of Instagram automation should not simply be to send more messages. It should help your business respond faster and convert more conversations into meaningful opportunities. } combines several important parts of the lead response process: Instant AI responses Context aware conversations Lead qualification Business specific response rules Appointment scheduling Automated follow up Conversation tracking Human handoff when needed Integration with additional lead channels Instead of using Instagram automation only as a basic chatbot, businesses can use } as part of a broader lead response workflow. An Instagram Auto Responder That Works Around the Clock Customers do not always contact businesses between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. They browse Instagram at night. They discover businesses during weekends. They respond to Reels while waiting for dinner. They send messages whenever they have time. Your sales opportunities should not depend entirely on whether someone from your team happens to be looking at Instagram at that moment. With }, businesses can create an always available first point of contact that responds to new Instagram inquiries and helps guide potential customers toward the next step. Turn More Instagram DMs Into Business Opportunities If Instagram is already generating attention for your business, the next challenge is making sure those conversations receive the right response at the right time. An Instagram auto responder can help eliminate delays, reduce repetitive manual messaging and create a more consistent process for handling new leads. } gives service businesses an AI powered solution for responding to Instagram DMs, answering common questions, qualifying prospects, following up and helping customers book appointments. Instead of letting valuable Instagram inquiries sit unanswered, you can create a lead response system that works every time someone reaches out. Ready to automate your Instagram lead response? Start using } and create a smarter autoresponse process that turns more Instagram conversations into qualified leads, consistent follow ups and booked appointments. --- ### Landscaping Lead Automation: Turn Yelp and Thumbtack Leads Into Recurring Clients **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/landscaping-lead-automation/ Landscaping companies use AI lead automation to turn more Yelp and Thumbtack inquiries into recurring contracts. See how it works. Landscaping lead automation: turn Yelp and Thumbtack leads into recurring clients A one-time lawn cleanup is a single ticket. A weekly mowing client pays you every week of the season. The difference between those two outcomes usually comes down to who responded first and how they framed the service. Most landscaping businesses lose their highest-value leads to slow replies during the spring and fall surges, when every competitor is fighting for the same recurring contracts. Losing landscaping leads to slow replies? Try } free and start creating a job-specific response for every Yelp and Thumbtack inquiry in under 2 seconds. Why Response Speed Matters More for Landscaping Than Other Trades Landscaping leads have tight seasonal windows that make response time even more critical than in other service businesses. The spring surge (March through May) is when most customers lock in their weekly mowing and maintenance contracts. By mid-April, most homeowners have already picked a provider. If you reply 3 hours late during that window, you don't just lose one job. You lose a full season of recurring revenue. Fall brings a second, shorter window for leaf removal, aeration, and winterization. Same dynamic: fast responders win repeat customers, slow responders get ghosted. | Season | Lead Type | Revenue Impact of Missing Leads | |--------|-----------|-------------------------------| | Spring (Mar-May) | Weekly mowing, maintenance contracts | A full season of recurring revenue per client lost | | Summer | Low volume, maintenance mode | Minimal new lead activity | | Fall (Sep-Nov) | Leaf removal, aeration, winterization | Larger one-time jobs, plus recurring upsell | | Winter | Slow season | Past-customer re-engagement opportunity | How AI Auto-Response Converts One-Time Landscaping Leads Into Recurring Contracts Many customers who ask about a one-time landscaping service will opt into recurring work when they're offered it early in the conversation, before they've committed to anyone else. } handles this automatically. When someone asks about a one-time cleanup, the AI creates a response in under 2 seconds that naturally opens the door to recurring work: > "We handle that regularly in your area. Quick question: is this a one-time cleanup, or are you looking for ongoing maintenance? We offer better rates for weekly and biweekly clients, and recurring customers get priority scheduling." No pressure. Just a clear reason (better pricing + priority access) that lets the customer self-select into a higher-value relationship. What Landscaping Lead Automation Actually Does } connects to your Yelp, Thumbtack, and other lead sources and creates a job-specific response for every inquiry in under 2 seconds, 24/7. Here is what that looks like in practice: 1. Instant response to every lead, day or night, during the busiest spring rush or at 11pm on a Sunday 2. Smart lead routing that handles recurring inquiries, one-time jobs, seasonal work, and price shoppers differently 3. Follow-up sequences that re-engage leads who don't book on the first message 4. Seasonal batch calling that contacts last year's customers before you open spots to new ones A seasonal re-engagement campaign works the same leads twice: the AI dials past customers ahead of the spring or fall rush, re-books the ones ready to commit, and keeps the rest warm with follow-up. You fill the calendar before opening spots to brand-new leads. Landscaping Lead Automation Setup and Pricing Getting started takes under 2 minutes. Connect your Yelp and Thumbtack accounts, customize your response style, and the AI handles the rest. | Feature | Cost | |---------|------| | Yelp + Thumbtack auto-response | $99/month per platform | | AI voice agent (inbound calls, seasonal batch calling) | $10/month per number + $1/minute | | Free trial | 7 days | Set up a free trial at } and see what happens when the AI creates a reply for every landscaping lead in under 2 seconds. Related posts: - AI Lead Responder for Service Businesses - Yelp Response Speed Guide - Lead Response Time Data --- ### Landscaping Auto-Response for Yelp and Thumbtack: Book More Jobs Faster **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/landscaping-yelp-thumbtack-auto-response/ Landscaping businesses lose Yelp and Thumbtack leads to slow replies. Auto-Respond creates a job-specific response for every lead in under 2 seconds to help you book more jobs. Landscaping auto-response for Yelp and Thumbtack: book more jobs faster A homeowner messages four landscaping companies on Yelp. The first one to reply with a clear answer books the job. The other three never hear back. If you're on a job site when those leads come in, you're one of the three. Losing landscaping leads to slow replies? Try } free and create a job-specific response for every Yelp and Thumbtack inquiry in under 2 seconds. How Fast Do Landscaping Companies Need to Reply on Yelp? As fast as possible. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). Many landscaping companies take 3 to 6 hours to reply. By then, the homeowner already booked someone else. On Thumbtack, you paid for that lead. On Yelp, the lead was free but your slow reply killed your response quality score, pushing you lower in search results. What Does } Do for Landscaping Businesses? } connects to your Yelp and Thumbtack accounts and creates a job-specific response for every new lead in under 2 seconds. Not a generic template. The AI reads what the customer asked for and writes a specific reply that addresses their request, mentions your services, and gives a next step like scheduling an estimate. This runs while you're mowing, loading trailers, or meeting with other clients. Landscaping Lead Response: Manual vs. } | Factor | Manual Replies | } | |---|---|---| | Average reply time | 3-6 hours | Instant | | After-hours leads covered | Few | Every one | | Conversion rate (Yelp + Thumbtack) | Lower (slow replies lose to faster pros) | Higher (job-specific response in under 2 seconds) | | Monthly cost | Your time | $99/mo per channel + voice usage | | Yelp response quality score | Drops with slow replies | Improves with speed + detail | How Much Revenue Do Landscaping Companies Lose to Slow Replies? The lost revenue is whatever jobs walk to a faster competitor while your leads sit unanswered. You're already paying for those Yelp and Thumbtack leads, so every one you fail to book is sunk cost. Run your own numbers. Say a typical landscaping business gets 40 Yelp and Thumbtack leads a month in peak season at an average job value around $400. Booking even a couple of extra jobs you'd otherwise lose to slow replies is $800 against a single $99/month channel - and that's before recurring maintenance clients and big-ticket projects, where the gap grows fast. Plug in your real lead volume and job value to see what slow replies are costing you. When Do Most Landscaping Leads Come In? A large share of Yelp leads arrive during evenings and weekends. Homeowners browse after dinner, send messages at 9 PM, and expect a reply before bed. If you wait until the next morning, someone else already responded. During peak season (March through May), you might get 15+ leads per week. You physically can't answer all of them between jobs. During winter, every lead matters because volume drops and you can't afford to miss a single one. } handles both scenarios. It catches every lead the instant it arrives, qualifies by property size and service type, and books estimates into your open slots. How Much Does } Cost for Landscapers? Per-channel pricing. $99/month flat for unlimited Yelp message handling, $99/month flat for unlimited Thumbtack handling. Voice agent: $10/month per number plus $1/minute talk time. Activate only the channels you actually run, so a landscaper using only Thumbtack pays $99/month for that channel. No setup fees, no contracts, 7-day free trial. Try } free and see how many more Yelp and Thumbtack leads turn into booked landscaping jobs. --- ### Lead Conversion AI **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/lead-conversion-ai/ Lead conversion AI goes live in minutes. The speed-to-lead research, per-minute revenue impact, and the cost math. Lead Conversion AI This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Speed-to-lead is the entire game. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead - and 100x less likely to reach it (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007), and that edge has mostly collapsed by the one-hour mark (HBR, 2011). Lead conversion AI deploys in minutes and pins your reply time at under 2 seconds for every channel. Live in minutes. Try } free and the next inquiry hits the AI in under 2 seconds. The Speed-to-Lead Decay Curve The independent research maps how conversion odds fall as reply time stretches out, and the steepest decay is in the first minutes. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead - and 100x less likely to reach it (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007). Contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour longer, and roughly 60x more likely than waiting a day (HBR, 2011). Pinning reply time at under 2 seconds keeps you at the top of that curve on every lead. Why Delay Costs You Money The math is simple even without putting an exact dollar figure on it. Every minute a lead waits, two things happen: their interest cools, and a faster competitor gets a chance to reach them first. Because conversion odds fall steeply in the first minutes (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007), the revenue you forfeit compounds with the delay. A lead replied to instantly converts at the top of the curve. The same lead answered an hour later is most of the way down it. Multiply that gap across a month of leads and the lost bookings add up fast. AI removes the delay entirely by replying in under 2 seconds, so none of that decay ever starts. Same-Day Deploy Timeline | Step | Action | Result | |---|---|---| | 1 | Sign up | Account live | | 2 | Connect Yelp via OAuth | Inbox monitored | | 3 | Paste service list with price ranges | LLM ready to quote | | 4 | Sync Google Calendar | Live booking enabled | | 5 | Test inquiry | First reply in under 2 seconds | | 6 | Go live | Real leads hitting | Once it is live, no lead has to wait on a slow reply. ROI Math: 30 Leads/Month at $400 Avg Job (Illustrative) The table below is a worked illustration, not measured data. The point is the shape of the math, not the exact percentages - plug in your own reply rate, booking rate, and job value. | Metric | Manual Reply | AI Lead Conversion (under 2s) | |---|---|---| | Leads per month | 30 | 30 | | Reply rate | Misses leads when you're on a job | Every lead, instantly | | Reply speed | Stretches to hours | Under 2 seconds | | Avg job value | $400 | $400 | | AI tool cost | $0 | $99 per channel | The return comes from converting more of the same leads. Even one or two extra booked jobs a month covers the tool cost several times over. After-Hours Lead Conversion A large share of service-business leads land after 5pm or on weekends, exactly when a manual reply stretches into the next morning. The AI replies in under 2 seconds at every hour, so the time of day stops mattering. | Time Window | Manual Reply | AI Reply | |---|---|---| | 8am to 5pm | Minutes to hours | Under 2 seconds | | 5pm to 9pm | Often next morning | Under 2 seconds | | 9pm to 6am | Next business day | Under 2 seconds | | Saturday | Hours, if at all | Under 2 seconds | | Sunday | Hours, if at all | Under 2 seconds | The AI does not care what time it is. The customer does not care either, as long as somebody replies fast. What an AI Lead Conversion Looks Like Customer messages your Yelp at 9:14pm Tuesday: "Looking for emergency plumbing tonight." | Step | Action | Time | |---|---|---| | 1. Yelp message arrives | Inbox detects new lead | 0:00 | | 2. AI reads and generates a reply | "Got your message. Where is the leak and is the water shut off?" | Under 2s | | 3. Customer replies | "Under kitchen sink, water is shut off" | 1:48 | | 4. AI qualifies + generates a reply with slots | "I have someone available 10pm tonight or 8am tomorrow" | Under 2s | | 5. Customer picks 10pm | Slot locks, calendar updates | 2:34 | | 6. SMS confirmation fires | Customer + you get booking details | Instant | Voice cost: $0 (text only). Job value: $480. Channels and Per-Channel Cost | Channel | Cost | |---|---| | Yelp | $99/mo | | Thumbtack | $99/mo | | Facebook Messenger | $49/mo | | Facebook Lead Ads | $19/mo | | Instagram | $49/mo per connected source or location | | Voice agent (phone) | $10/mo per number + $1/min | Every channel gets the same under-2-second reply, so the lift comes from never letting a lead sit. On the phone, an AI voice agent handles the call end to end. Example 3-channel stack (Yelp, Thumbtack, one voice number): $208/month + voice usage at $1/min. How to Deploy in Minutes 1. Sign up and connect your highest-volume lead channel. Yelp or Thumbtack via OAuth. 2. Paste your service list with min and max price ranges. Top 10 services. 3. Sync Google Calendar or Cal.com for live booking. Buffer, lunch, cutoff. 4. Forward your business phone line for missed-call recovery. Under-2-second SMS. 5. Send a test inquiry from your own phone and go live. Under-2-second reply. Frequently Asked Questions How fast can lead conversion AI be deployed? In minutes, and you can be live the same day. What is the speed-to-lead decay curve? Conversion odds drop sharply with reply time. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead - and 100x less likely to reach it (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007), and contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour longer (HBR, 2011). What does every minute of delay cost in lost revenue? Interest cools and competitors reach the lead first. Conversion odds fall steeply in the first minutes, so the loss compounds with the delay. What is the ROI of lead conversion AI? The return comes from converting more of the same leads. Even one or two extra booked jobs can cover the $99-per-channel cost; plug in your own job value. Does lead conversion AI work for after-hours leads? Yes. Under-2-second replies 24/7, when manual response would stretch to the next morning. What channels does lead conversion AI cover? Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lead Ads, Instagram, Google LSA, voice calls. Will the AI sound robotic and hurt conversion? No. It uses your service list, pricing, and tone, so replies read as specific and helpful, not canned. How much does lead conversion AI cost vs hiring a receptionist? Roughly $240/month for an example 3-channel stack, a fraction of what a part-time receptionist costs. Live in Minutes Try } free and go live the same day. For voice-side ROI, see ai voice agent for service businesses. --- ### Lead Response Automation ROI: The Math for Service Businesses **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/lead-response-automation-roi/ See how the ROI of automating lead responses works. Faster replies mean more booked jobs from the same lead spend. Lead Response Automation ROI: The Math for Service Businesses This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Service businesses that automate lead responses book more jobs from the same ad spend. The ROI comes down to one thing: responding instantly instead of hours later. Want to see what faster responses do for your numbers? Try } free and start replying to every lead in under 2 seconds. How Much Revenue Does Slow Lead Response Cost? Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, 2007), and contacting within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than an hour later (Harvard Business Review, 2011). Most service businesses respond in 2-4 hours. By then, the customer already booked someone else. Say a plumber loses 3 leads a week to slow replies and pays $40 per lead: that's roughly $500 a month in wasted spend, not counting the lost job revenue. Plug in your own lead cost and volume. What ROI Does Lead Response Automation Deliver? The return comes from converting more of the leads you already pay for, by replying instantly instead of hours later. Here is an illustrative hypothetical for a mid-size HVAC company running 80 leads/month - your real numbers depend on your trade, market, and lead quality: | Metric | Before Automation | After Automation | |--------|------------------|-----------------| | Response time | 2.5 hours | under 2 seconds | | Every lead gets a reply | No | Yes | | Coverage | Business hours | 24/7 | | Monthly lead spend | $3,200 | $3,200 | | Automation cost | $0 | $19-$99/mo per channel | The lead spend doesn't change - speed and consistency do. Because the gains come on leads you already paid for, recovering even a couple of bookings a month covers the tool many times over. Still choosing a tool? The best lead response software for contractors breakdown compares the main options on price and response speed, and the automated lead response guide walks through how the instant replies actually work under the hood. Why Does Automation Improve More Than Just Speed? Speed is the biggest factor, but four other things stack on top of it: 1. After-hours capture. A large share of leads arrive outside business hours. Without automation, they sit until morning. An after-hours lead capture system keeps those leads warm while you sleep. 2. Consistent qualification. AI asks the same qualifying questions every time. Fewer wasted truck rolls on jobs that don't fit. 3. Follow-up that actually happens. Automated multi-touch follow-up recovers leads that would otherwise go cold, and auto-stops the moment the customer replies or books. 4. Multi-platform consistency. Whether leads come from Google LSA, Facebook ads, Yelp, or Thumbtack, every one can use the same configured business rules. What's the ROI by Trade? The numbers shift based on job values and lead costs. | Trade | Typical Job Size | Impact of Automation | |-------|------------------|---------------------| | Roofing | High-ticket | A few extra booked inspections a month adds up fast at these ticket sizes. Roofing lead follow-up is high-value due to long sales cycles. | | Plumbing | Small repairs to large installs | Emergencies go to whoever answers first, so an AI voice agent that picks up instantly wins the call. AI receptionists for plumbers help you win those urgent calls. | | HVAC | Service calls to system replacements | Seasonal peaks make it impossible to answer every lead manually. AI receptionists during peak season prevent your most expensive leads from slipping. | | Electrical/Cleaning | Lower ticket | Higher volume, lower job value. ROI comes from handling more leads without adding a full-time receptionist. | How Do You Measure Your Own Lead Automation ROI? Track these four numbers for 30 days before and after automating: 1. Average response time from your Yelp, Thumbtack, and CRM timestamps 2. Lead-to-reply rate, how many leads get any response at all 3. Lead-to-booked-job rate, your actual conversion percentage 4. Revenue per lead, total revenue from leads divided by total leads If your average response time is over 5 minutes, you are already past the window the MIT research flags, and these four numbers will show what faster replies are worth. Set up a free trial at } and see the difference instant responses make. --- ### Speed to Lead **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/lead-response-time-data/ Speed to lead data shows responding instantly wins far more jobs. See the cited numbers and fix your response time today. Speed to Lead This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Responding within five minutes makes you 21x more likely to qualify a lead - and 100x more likely to reach it - than waiting 30 minutes (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). The average service business responds in 47 minutes. That gap is where most of your ad spend goes to waste. Want to respond to every lead instantly? Try } free and start converting the leads you already pay for. How Fast Should You Respond to a Lead? Instant. That's where the cited research says conversion peaks. | Response Time | Conversion Impact | Source | |---|---|---| | Within 5 minutes | 21x more likely to qualify, 100x more likely to reach than waiting 30 minutes | MIT, Oldroyd 2007 | | 5 to 30 minutes | 100x less likely to contact, 21x less likely to qualify | MIT, 2007 | | Within 1 hour | ~7x more likely to qualify than waiting an hour later | HBR, 2011 | | 24+ hours | ~60x less likely to qualify than within the hour | HBR, 2011 | On platforms like Yelp, Thumbtack, and Google LSA, homeowners often contact several businesses at once. The first business to respond with a real answer usually wins the job. What Does Slow Speed to Lead Cost You? Every minute of delay erodes your odds of qualifying and booking a lead. The cited research makes the cost concrete: waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, 2007), and reaching a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting longer (HBR, 2011). Translate that into your own numbers: you pay the same for every lead whether you book it or not. The leads that go cold because nobody replied fast enough are pure waste - money spent on a lead that went to a faster competitor. Closing the response-time gap converts more of the leads you already pay for. Speed to Lead by Industry The pattern holds across every trade. The businesses booking the most jobs from paid leads share one thing: they respond faster than everyone else. Not with better ads or lower prices. Just faster. In trades like HVAC, plumbing, roofing, electrical, and cleaning, the manual baseline is often 30 to 60 minutes - long enough for the customer to have already reached a competitor who replied first. Most companies are slow: in an audit of 2,241 U.S. companies, only 37% responded within an hour and 23% never responded at all (Harvard Business Review, 2011). The contractors that win paid leads close that gap. What Does a Real Speed to Lead Scenario Look Like? A homeowner submits a Yelp request for roof repair at 8:47 PM. You're at dinner with your family. 1. } detects the lead and reads the message 2. AI voice agent calls the homeowner back instantly 3. The agent asks about the damage, confirms the address, checks your calendar 4. Appointment booked for Thursday morning. Confirmation text sent. 5. You get a notification with full details, with the booking done in a single short call. The homeowner never called your competitor because they already had an answer. By the time the next contractor sees the notification, the job is on your calendar. How After-Hours Leads Disappear A large share of service leads arrive outside business hours. Evenings, weekends, early mornings. A homeowner with a leaking pipe submits a request at 9pm Friday. Without automation, that lead sits until Monday morning. By then they've booked someone else. Every after-hours lead that sits overnight is money you spent going to a competitor. } responds to after-hours leads the same way it handles daytime ones. The lead gets a personalized reply instantly, even at 2am. 3 Ways to Fix Your Speed to Lead You don't need to sit by your phone. You need a system that responds like a human, instantly, at any hour. 1. Automate first response. AI reads the lead and replies with a relevant, personalized message instantly. Not a template. 2. Add voice callbacks. A voice agent calls the lead back and books the appointment on the spot. 3. Run follow-up sequences. If the lead doesn't reply, automated follow-ups fire at day 1, 3, and 7. Try } free and see what happens to your conversion rate when every lead gets a response instantly. --- ### Lead Generation vs Lead Response: Where Contractors Should Spend First **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/lead-response-vs-lead-generation/ Contractors spend thousands on ads but lose leads to slow follow-up. Compare lead generation costs to lead response automation ROI. Lead Generation vs Lead Response: Where Contractors Should Spend First Many service businesses spend thousands of dollars a month on ads and lead platforms. Then they lose a big share of those leads because nobody replies fast enough. Before you spend another dollar generating leads, fix how fast you respond to them. Spending on ads but not closing enough jobs? Try } free and start responding to every lead instantly. The Real Cost of Slow Lead Response Here's the math most contractors never run. Say you pay $50 per lead from Google LSA and get 40 leads a month. That's $2,000. If you respond to only 60% within the first hour, you lose roughly 16 leads to competitors who replied faster. At a $3,000 average job value with a 25% close rate, those 16 missed leads cost you $12,000 in potential revenue per month. Swap in your own numbers to see your version. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, 2007), and contacting within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour later (HBR, 2011). Speed is the single biggest factor in whether you win or lose the job. Lead Generation vs Lead Response: Side-by-Side Comparison | | Lead Generation (More Ads) | Lead Response (Faster Follow-Up) | |---|---|---| | Monthly cost | Often thousands per month | Flat per channel ($19 to $99/month each) | | Time to see results | Weeks to months | Same day | | What it does | Brings in more leads | Converts more of your existing leads | | Pricing model | Cost per click or per lead | Flat monthly fee per channel, no per-lead fees | | Requires your time | Yes (managing ads, adjusting bids) | No (automated) | | Works after hours | Ads run 24/7, but you still miss calls | AI responds 24/7 automatically | | Diminishing returns | CPL increases as you scale | Flat cost no matter how many leads come in | The pattern is consistent across every trade. Spending more on lead generation hits diminishing returns. Your cost per lead climbs as you bid higher or expand your service area. Lead response automation has flat costs, and it works on leads you already paid for. What Happens When You Fix Response Time First Say you're a plumber spending $3,000/month on Google LSA and Yelp. Your average response time is 45 minutes. You set up automated lead response and the AI creates a response for every lead in under 2 seconds. No change in ad budget. No new campaigns. Just faster answers. Every extra job you book from those same leads is added revenue on spend you already committed. Plug in your own lead volume, close rate, and average job value to see what a few extra bookings a month are worth. The data on lead response time consistently shows that the business that responds first has a large edge in winning the job, regardless of pricing or reviews. When to Spend More on Lead Generation Lead generation makes sense once your response system is solid. If you're already doing all of this: - Responding to every lead instantly - Following up automatically when the lead doesn't book - Capturing after-hours leads with AI voice agents or auto-responders - Tracking close rates by source to know which platforms pay off Then increasing ad spend will actually scale your revenue. But until those boxes are checked, you're pouring water into a leaky bucket. When to Invest in Lead Response First Most contractors should start here. If any of these apply, fix response before increasing your ad budget: - Your average response time is over 5 minutes - You miss calls regularly because you're on job sites - You have no after-hours lead capture system - You're paying for leads you never contact - Your close rate on paid leads is lower than it should be With }, lead response automation is a flat $19 to $99/month per channel, with no per-lead fees. That's a small line item next to most ad budgets, and every extra job it helps you book comes from leads you already paid for. Fix Response Time First, Then Scale Ads The highest-performing service businesses follow the same pattern. Fix response first, then scale lead generation. Every dollar you spend on ads performs better when your response time is instant. Think of it this way: jobs = leads x close rate. If you book more of the leads you already get, you need fewer new leads to hit the same number of jobs. And every dollar you add to ads after that goes further, because more of the new leads turn into booked jobs. Set up a free trial at } and see what happens to your close rate when every lead gets a reply instantly. --- ### LSA Auto Responder for Google Local Services Ads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/lsa-auto-responder/ Reply to Google Local Services Ads leads in under 2 seconds, add an instant voice callback, and follow up automatically with Auto-Respond. LSA Auto Responder An LSA auto responder replies when a new Google Local Services Ads lead reaches your workflow, so the customer does not wait for someone to notice an email or inbox alert. } sends the first text reply in under 2 seconds, can place an instant voice callback, and can continue with follow-ups on Day 1, Day 3, and Day 7 until the customer replies or books. Want to test the workflow on your own LSA account? Start a 7-day free trial with no contract, setup fee, per-lead fee, or lead cap. What is an LSA auto responder? An LSA auto responder is software that reacts to a new Google Local Services Ads lead automatically. It uses the service request and the business information you configured to send a relevant first answer, ask a useful qualifying question, or offer the next available step. Google says Local Services Ads can generate phone, message, and booking leads. Google also recommends responding as soon as possible and lists responsiveness and average response time among its ad-ranking inputs. Those are reasons to answer consistently; they are not a promise that any responder will improve rank or bookings on its own. - Google: Manage leads and jobs - Google: About Local Services Ads rankings How does the Google LSA auto responder work? The supported workflow is straightforward: 1. A new Google LSA lead reaches }. 2. The first text reply is sent in under 2 seconds using the service details and business rules you configured. 3. The reply can ask for missing details, use an approved price range, or offer a calendar slot. 4. If voice follow-up is enabled, the voice agent can place an instant callback. 5. If the customer stays quiet, the Day 1, Day 3, and Day 7 sequence can continue automatically. 6. Follow-up stops as soon as the customer replies or books. The delivery timestamp from Google and the time the lead reaches } are separate. The under-2-second measurement starts when the supported lead event reaches the platform; it does not include delay inside a third-party system that } cannot observe. For the measurement boundary, see the response-time methodology. What can the first LSA reply say? The useful first reply is specific to the request. It should acknowledge the job, answer only with information the business supplied, and give the customer one clear next step. For example, a plumbing company can configure the responder to: - recognize that the customer asked about a water-heater leak; - ask whether water is actively leaking; - use the company's real service-area and availability rules; - quote only a configured diagnostic fee or price range; - offer a calendar slot when booking is enabled. If the business has not supplied a price or policy, the responder should ask a question or route the lead instead of inventing an answer. Does response time affect Google LSA ranking? Google says responsiveness to customer inquiries and requests is one factor in the Local Services Ads auction. Google also says profile quality, reviews, bid strategy, relevance, search context, images, verification, and other inputs affect how ads are ordered. That means a fast responder can help maintain one documented input: consistent response. It does not guarantee a position, a lower lead cost, or a specific number of booked jobs. Measure the result in the LSA dashboard instead of treating the automation as proof of an outcome. LSA auto responder vs manual response | Workflow | First response | After-hours coverage | Follow-up | Business information | |---|---|---|---|---| | Manual inbox monitoring | When someone is available | Depends on staffing | Easy to miss | Whatever the responder remembers | | Google notifications alone | Alerts the business | Alerts can still wait | Managed manually | Written by the person replying | | } | Under 2 seconds after receipt | 24/7 | Day 1 / 3 / 7; stops on reply or booking | Uses configured services, prices, hours, and booking rules | The difference is consistency. A manual team can write an excellent reply, but only when someone is watching the inbox. Automation applies the same approved business rules to every supported lead event. Can the LSA responder call the lead? Yes, when the optional voice workflow is enabled and the supported lead event contains the information needed for a callback. The voice agent can call instantly, qualify the request, and offer a calendar slot using the instructions you supplied. Voice costs $10 per month for the number plus $1 per outbound minute. It is optional; the LSA responder can run without it. For the voice workflow, see AI voice agent for service businesses. How long does LSA responder setup take? The } configuration takes under 2 minutes: connect the supported source, add the business rules you want the responder to use, and enable the workflow. Third-party account authorization or review can add waiting time outside that configuration window. Before going live, check the service area, hours, price ranges, qualification questions, calendar availability, and handoff rule. The responder should never guess at a business fact you did not provide. Can one account handle LSA, Yelp, and Thumbtack? Yes. } supports Google Local Services Ads, Yelp Request a Quote, Thumbtack, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lead Ads, Instagram DMs, and inbound voice workflows. The business keeps one set of services, prices, hours, and booking rules across every source. See the lead response automation guide for the cross-channel workflow. Frequently asked questions What is the difference between an LSA responder and an LSA auto responder? There is no practical difference. Both terms describe software that responds automatically to a Google Local Services Ads lead. The important distinction is between a notification that still waits for a person and a workflow that actually sends the first response. How fast does } reply to an LSA lead? The first text reply is sent in under 2 seconds after the supported lead event reaches }. That measurement excludes any delay before Google or another third party delivers the event to the platform. Will an LSA auto responder guarantee a better ad position? No. Google documents responsiveness and average response time as ranking inputs, but also considers bid strategy, relevance, reviews, profile quality, search context, images, verification, and other factors. A responder helps with consistency; it cannot guarantee rank. Does the responder follow up if the customer stays quiet? Yes. The configured multi-touch sequence can follow up on Day 1, Day 3, and Day 7. It stops when the customer replies or books, so the workflow does not keep messaging an active or completed conversation. Can I use the LSA responder without the voice agent? Yes. Voice callback is optional. The responder can run as a text-first workflow, or you can add the voice agent for $10 per month per number plus $1 per outbound minute. Is there a free trial? Yes. } has a 7-day free trial with no contract, setup fee, per-lead fee, or lead cap. Start with one measurable LSA workflow Connect the supported source, use only approved business facts, and compare response time plus booked-lead outcomes before and after activation. Start a 7-day free trial and test the workflow on your own account. --- ### Yelp and Thumbtack Follow-Up: Why One Reply Is Not Enough **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/marketplace-lead-follow-up-data/ Many marketplace leads need more than one touchpoint to close, yet plenty of pros stop after a single reply. See why follow-up wins Yelp and Thumbtack leads. Yelp and Thumbtack follow-up: why one reply is not enough This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Plenty of pros send one reply and stop. Meanwhile, many customers need more than one touchpoint before they book. On Yelp and Thumbtack, where customers often message several pros at once, one reply puts you in the conversation. It doesn't close anything. Paying for Yelp and Thumbtack leads but only replying once? Try } free and follow up automatically until the customer books or responds. How many follow-ups does it take to close a marketplace lead? Many Yelp and Thumbtack leads need more than one follow-up before they convert. Here's how each touchpoint pulls its weight: | Follow-Up Timing | What It Does | |---|---| | First reply (instant) | Gets you into the conversation while the lead is still shopping | | 1-hour follow-up | Catches leads who saw your first reply but didn't act yet | | 24-hour follow-up | Re-engages leads who went quiet after comparing pros | | 72-hour follow-up | Recovers leads who were busy or undecided the first two days | A single reply reaches only the leads who happen to respond right away. A multi-touch sequence keeps working the rest, so you book more of the same leads you already paid for. Why Yelp and Thumbtack leads need more follow-ups than other leads Marketplace leads behave differently from referrals or Google search leads for three reasons: 1. Customers contact multiple pros at once. Thumbtack matches customers with several pros. Yelp shows a full list. Your first reply competes with everyone else's first reply. 2. Decision windows are longer than response windows. You need to reply in minutes to get noticed. But the customer might take days to pick someone. One reply and silence means you drop off their list. 3. Many leads aren't ready to commit right away. They need to check schedules, talk to a spouse, or compare prices. A follow-up the next day catches them when they're actually ready. What to say in each follow-up message Bad follow-ups ("Just checking in") hurt more than silence. Each message needs to add something. | Follow-Up | Yelp Lead Example | Thumbtack Lead Example | |---|---|---| | 1st (instant reply) | Confirm availability for their requested service | Quote the job and mention your Thumbtack reviews | | 2nd (1 hour) | Reference a detail from their request | Offer a specific time to come look at the job | | 3rd (24 hours) | Share a relevant before/after or mention your response time | Remind them of the quote and ask if they have questions | The goal: each follow-up feels like a natural continuation, not a sales push. What follow-ups cost you on Thumbtack vs what they earn Thumbtack lead costs vary by trade and market. Consider a hypothetical pro getting 20 leads per month at $40 per lead - $800/month in lead spend, whether you reply once or follow up properly: | Scenario | What you get | |---|---| | Single reply only | You convert the handful of leads ready to book on the spot | | Multi-message follow-up | You also recover the leads who needed a nudge over the next few days | Every extra job you close came from leads you already paid for. At an average job value of $300-500, even a few additional bookings a month add real revenue without spending another dollar on advertising. (Figures here are illustrative, not measured results.) On Yelp, the same logic applies. Each lead has a cost, whether you're running ads or competing for organic visibility. Converting more of them is the cheapest way to grow. How } handles follow-ups for Yelp and Thumbtack Doing this manually works when you only get a few leads a week. Beyond that, messages slip through the cracks. You're on a job site, a new lead comes in, you reply once, and by the time you remember to follow up it's been four days. } runs timed follow-ups automatically after your instant first reply. Each message references the original request so it reads like a real person wrote it. If the customer replies at any point, the sequence stops and you take over. For pros running 20-30 Thumbtack leads per week or managing a busy Yelp inbox, consistent automated follow-up is the difference between closing the easy bookings and closing more of what you paid for. Try } free and see how many more leads you close when every inquiry gets followed up automatically. --- ### Missed Call Text Back for Contractors **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/missed-call-text-back-contractors/ Missed call text back sends an instant SMS when you can not answer, so the lead stays warm instead of calling a competitor. Automatic text replies in under 2 seconds. Missed Call Text Back for Contractors This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Contractors miss a lot of inbound calls during work hours - you can't answer the phone with both hands on a job. Missed-call text-back sends an automatic SMS instantly so the lead stays warm instead of calling your competitor. Stop losing jobs to missed calls. Try } free and text back every missed call instantly. How Does Missed Call Text Back Work? An automatic text goes out the moment a call goes unanswered. Here is what that looks like in practice: 1. It's 2pm. You're on a roof replacing shingles. 2. A homeowner calls your business number. You can't answer. 3. Under 2 seconds later, they get a text: "Hey, sorry I missed your call. I'm with a customer right now. What do you need help with?" 4. The homeowner replies: "I need a roof inspection. Got some storm damage." 5. AI continues the conversation, qualifies the job, and books an appointment for Thursday morning. You climb down from the roof, check your phone, and there's a qualified lead with a time slot already confirmed. No voicemail. No callback tag. Missed Call Text Back vs Voicemail Many callers don't leave a voicemail. They hang up and call the next contractor on the list. Text back changes that dynamic completely. | Feature | Voicemail | Missed Call Text Back | |---------|-----------|----------------------| | Caller engagement | Many hang up without leaving a message | A text gets opened and read | | Average response time | Hours (when you check VM) | under 2 seconds | | Lead follows up with you | Rare | Common - replying to a text is one tap | | Risk of losing the lead | High (caller moves to next contractor) | Low (conversation stays alive) | Texts get read far more reliably than voicemails get returned, and the reply usually comes back fast. Voicemail can't compete with that. Missed Call Text Back Cost Missed call text back tools vary widely in price depending on volume and features. | Plan Type | Monthly Cost | What You Get | |-----------|-------------|--------------| | Basic auto-text only | Varies by tool | Fixed reply, no AI | | AI-powered with qualification | Varies by tool | AI conversation, lead qualifying | | Full automation (}) | $10/mo per number + $1/min voice | AI text back + conversation + booking | Compare that to the cost of lost leads. One missed roofing call could be a multi-thousand-dollar job. The tool pays for itself if it saves one lead per month. What Should the Missed Call Text Say? Keep it short. Sound like a person, not a company. Good: "Hey, sorry I missed your call. I'm on a job right now. What do you need help with?" Bad: "Thank you for calling ABC Plumbing. We are currently unavailable. Please leave a message and a representative will contact you within 24-48 business hours." The first one gets replies. The second one gets ignored. } customizes the message to match your trade and tone automatically. Does It Work After Hours? Yes. A large share of lead inquiries come in evenings and weekends. Without text back, those calls go to voicemail and many never convert. With }, the AI picks up the conversation via text at 9pm on a Saturday, qualifies the lead, and books them into your next available slot. You wake up Monday with a list of scheduled appointments instead of missed call notifications. If you want faster lead response without hiring a receptionist, check out how AI receptionists work for small businesses or how to respond to leads while on the job. Set up a free trial at } and stop losing jobs every time you can't pick up the phone. --- ### Missed Call Text Back for Yelp and Thumbtack Leads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/missed-call-text-back-yelp-thumbtack/ Missed call text back for Yelp and Thumbtack leads. Auto-text in under 2 seconds so you never lose a lead to a missed call again. Missed Call Text Back for Yelp and Thumbtack This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. You pay for every Yelp or Thumbtack lead. When that lead calls and you miss it, they call the next business on the list. A missed-call text-back sends an instant SMS reply so the lead stays engaged instead of moving on. Losing leads to missed calls? Try } free and text back every missed call in under 2 seconds. Why Missed Calls Kill Your Yelp and Thumbtack ROI The first business to respond usually wins the job. When you miss a call from a Yelp or Thumbtack lead, you have minutes before they contact a competitor. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 100x less likely to even reach the lead and 21x less likely to qualify it (MIT, 2007). Service businesses routinely miss inbound calls during jobs, drives, or after hours. Here's what a single missed Yelp call costs: | Metric | Value | |--------|-------| | When it happens | On a job, driving, or after hours | | What you've already paid | The full lead fee, whether you answer or not | | The risk | They call the next business on the list | That's money you already spent, gone because you were on a ladder. How Missed Call Text Back Works for Yelp and Thumbtack Leads } detects missed calls from your lead platforms and sends a personalized text in under 2 seconds. No manual work. No checking voicemail an hour later. Here's the flow: 1. Yelp or Thumbtack lead calls your business number 2. You miss the call (on a job, driving, after hours) 3. } sends an SMS in under 2 seconds: "Hey, sorry I missed your call. I'm with a customer right now. What project can I help you with?" 4. Lead replies with their project details 5. } continues the conversation, qualifies the lead, and books an appointment The lead never felt ignored. They got a reply faster than any competitor would call them back. Missed Call Text Back vs AI Voice Agent Callback Missed call text back is the minimum. An AI voice agent takes it further by actually calling the lead back and having a conversation. Here's when to use which: | Feature | Missed Call Text Back | AI Voice Agent Callback | |---------|----------------------|------------------------| | Response time | Under 2 seconds (SMS) | Instantly (phone call) | | Engagement level | Text conversation | Live voice conversation | | Booking capability | Can link to calendar | Books directly on call | | Best for | Simple quote requests | Complex jobs needing qualification | | Impact | Keeps the lead engaged instead of moving on | Closes more complex jobs on the spot | } does both. Text back catches the lead instantly. Voice callback closes the deal. What Happens After Hours on Yelp and Thumbtack A large share of marketplace leads come in after 5 PM. If your missed call text back only works during business hours, you're missing many of your opportunities. } runs 24/7. A lead calls at 9:47 PM from Thumbtack, you miss it because you're at dinner. In under 2 seconds they get a text. By the time you wake up, the appointment is booked. This pairs directly with after-hours auto-response to cover every possible lead scenario. Setup Takes Under 2 Minutes 1. Connect your business phone number to } 2. Set your custom text-back message (or use our tested templates) 3. Choose whether to add AI voice callback on top 4. Turn it on No apps to download. No CRM to configure. Works with your existing Yelp and Thumbtack setup, alongside the full Thumbtack auto responder for inbox replies. Leads from both platforms flow through automatically. The speed to lead data is clear: waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). Missed call text back gets you there without changing how you work. Stop Paying for Leads You Never Reply To Every missed call without a text back is a lead you paid for and handed to a competitor. } makes sure that never happens. Try } free and start texting back every missed call in under 2 seconds. --- ### Missed Yelp Lead Recovery in 24 Hours **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/missed-yelp-lead-recovery-24-hours/ Recover missed Yelp leads within 24 hours using AI voice callbacks and automated follow-ups. Stop paying for leads you never respond to. Missed Yelp Lead Recovery in 24 Hours You paid for that Yelp lead. You missed the message. Now it's sitting in your inbox unanswered while the lead calls your competitor. Missed Yelp lead recovery brings those leads back before they're gone for good. Paying for Yelp leads you never respond to? Try } free and recover missed leads with AI voice callbacks. How Many Yelp Leads Go Unanswered? A lot of paid leads never get a first response from the business they contacted, and many more get one far too late to win the job. Across a benchmark of 2,241 U.S. companies, only 37% responded within an hour, 23% never responded at all, and the average response time was 42 hours (Harvard Business Review, 2011). The damage compounds: contacting a lead within an hour makes you roughly 7x more likely to qualify it than an hour later. The money you spent on those leads doesn't come back. But the leads themselves are recoverable if you reach them quickly. What Happens When You Recover a Missed Yelp Lead Here's the exact sequence } runs: 1. Detection - System watches your Yelp inbox for unanswered messages 2. AI voice callback - After the delay you configure, an AI voice agent calls the lead 3. Qualification - The voice agent confirms the project scope, timeline, and address 4. Booking - If qualified, it books the appointment directly on your calendar 5. Notification - You get a text with the lead details and appointment time The lead went from forgotten inbox message to booked job without you lifting a finger. Missed Yelp Lead Recovery: How the Window Decays Lead value falls off a cliff with every hour you wait. The named research is consistent on the shape of that curve: | Time Since Lead Arrived | What the research says | |------------------------|------------------------| | First minute | Replying instantly puts you first in line - the steepest decay is in the first minutes (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007) | | Within 5 minutes | Best case; waiting to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify (MIT, 2007) | | Within 1 hour | ~7x more likely to qualify than an hour later (HBR, 2011) | | 24+ hours | ~60x less likely to qualify than within the first hour (HBR, 2011) | The window is real. After 24 hours, you're fighting a steep drop. But the sooner you reach an unanswered lead, the more revenue you pull back - and that's revenue most businesses leave on the table. Why Voice Callbacks Beat Text for Recovery A text message to a stale lead gets ignored. They've already moved on mentally. A phone call interrupts that pattern. A live voice callback tends to re-engage a stale lead better than another silent text, because it reaches the customer in a real conversation, answers their questions, and pushes toward a booking in a single call. This is different from missed call text back (which handles calls you didn't pick up). Lead recovery targets messages you never replied to at all. How to Set Up Missed Yelp Lead Recovery 1. Connect your Yelp business account to } 2. Set your recovery window (how long before an unanswered lead triggers a callback) 3. Configure your AI voice agent script with your business details, services, and availability 4. Set qualification criteria (service area, job types, minimum project size) 5. Link your calendar for automatic booking Setup takes under 2 minutes, so you can be live the same day. No code. No complex integrations. What This Costs vs. What You Recover A single recovered Yelp lead for an HVAC or plumbing job can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars in revenue. If you recover even a few leads per month that would have gone to competitors, the system can pay for itself many times over. Compare that to what you already spent per lead just to get the message in your inbox. The lead acquisition cost is sunk. Recovery is where you get the return. Frequently Asked Questions Can I recover Yelp leads that are days old? Yes, though sooner is far better. Lead value decays fast: contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than an hour later, and about 60x more likely than after 24+ hours (Harvard Business Review, 2011). The sweet spot is reaching out within a few hours of the original message, but a same-day callback still beats letting the lead sit cold. How does AI recover a missed Yelp lead? } detects unanswered Yelp messages, triggers an AI voice agent to call the lead back, qualifies their project, and books an appointment. The entire sequence fires without you touching anything. Will Yelp penalize me for slow responses? Yelp tracks your average response time and awards a "Responds Quickly" badge to businesses replying within a few hours. Missed leads hurt this metric. Automated recovery keeps your response stats healthy. What if the lead already hired someone else? Some recovered leads will have already booked another business. But many are still deciding, comparing quotes, or had a bad experience with the first responder. That's recoverable revenue sitting in your inbox that costs you nothing extra to reach. Does this work for Request a Quote leads too? Yes. Quote requests, direct messages, and phone call leads from Yelp all funnel through the same recovery workflow. The AI adapts its callback script based on lead type. How fast can I set up missed lead recovery? Setup takes under 2 minutes, so you can go live the same day. Connect your Yelp account, configure your AI voice agent script, set your recovery window, and the system handles the rest. --- Stop leaving money in your Yelp inbox. Try } free and start recovering missed leads today. --- ### Multi-Platform Lead Automation for Service Businesses **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/multi-platform-lead-automation-stack/ Automate leads from Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, and inbound calls into one pipeline. Respond instantly across every platform. Multi-platform lead automation for service businesses This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Many service businesses pull leads from several platforms. Yelp, Thumbtack, Google LSA, Facebook, inbound calls. Managing them manually means checking five inboxes, responding at different speeds, and watching leads slip through the cracks. One automated pipeline fixes all of it. Every lead gets a response instantly, no matter where it comes from. Tired of juggling five platforms and losing leads in between? Try } free and respond to every lead instantly, from one dashboard. How does multi-platform lead automation work? Each lead source connects to a single response engine. AI handles the first reply (text or phone call) instantly, qualifies the lead, and books the appointment directly into your calendar or CRM. Here's what that looks like across platforms: | Platform | Lead Type | AI Response | Result | |----------|-----------|-------------|--------| | Yelp Messages | Customer message | Job-specific reply created in under 2 seconds | Conversation to booking | | Thumbtack | Quote request | Instant text reply | Fast quote to appointment | | Google LSA (message) | High-intent inquiry | Instant outbound call | Booked on the call | | Google LSA (phone) | Inbound call | AI answers instantly | Booked live | | Facebook Lead Ad | Form submission | Instant outbound call | Booked on the call | | Facebook Messenger | Chat inquiry | Instant text reply | Chat to booking | | Inbound Phone | Urgent caller | AI answers instantly | Booked live | One platform. One subscription per source. One dashboard. What CRMs integrate with automated lead response? Leads flow directly into your operations platform. No copy-pasting, no manual entry. | CRM type | What syncs | |-----|------------| | Flat-rate all-in-one marketing CRM (unlimited users and contacts, SMS/email/pipeline bundled) | Contact, opportunity, pipeline stage, tags | | Field service management platform (priced per tech) | Customer record, job request, appointment | | Dispatch and scheduling platform | Customer record, job, calendar blocking | | Trade-specific CRM (flat monthly fee, AI notes built in) | Customer + job with AI conversation notes | | Per-seat enterprise sales CRM (deep reporting, SMS as paid add-on) | Lead record with full activity log | | Custom Webhook | Any platform via REST API | What does lead automation change for service businesses? Running a full automated stack changes the outcomes in a few ways: - Yelp + Thumbtack: a job-specific response is created for every inquiry in under 2 seconds, built from your services, price ranges, and availability. - Google LSA + Facebook: instant outbound calls reach the lead while they're still deciding, lifting connection and booking rates. - Re-engagement campaigns: automated outreach revives past customers and cold leads that would otherwise sit untouched. - Inbound calls: zero voicemails. AI answers every call instantly. The leads don't change. The response speed and consistency do - and faster response is what converts more of the leads you already pay for. How much does multi-platform lead automation cost? | Component | Cost | |-----------|------| | Yelp auto-response | $99/month | | Thumbtack auto-response | $99/month | | Facebook Messenger | $49/month | | Facebook Lead Ads | $19/month | | Google Local Services Ads | $49/month | | Voice agent number | $10/month per number | | Google LSA outbound calls | $1/min | | Inbound AI calls | $1/min | | Re-engagement campaigns | $1/min | | CRM integrations | Included | For example, Yelp plus Thumbtack plus one voice number with 100 minutes of talk time comes to $308 a month ($99 + $99 + $10 + $100). No contracts, no per-lead fees, no lead caps, no setup fees. Why does lead response speed matter so much? Responding within five minutes makes you 21x more likely to qualify a lead - and 100x more likely to reach it - than waiting 30 minutes (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). On platforms like Yelp and Thumbtack, you're often competing with several other businesses for the same customer. The first professional response often wins. Manual response means you're gambling that you'll see the notification before your competitors do. Automated response removes the gamble entirely. Every lead, every platform, instant. Day, night, weekends, holidays. The businesses running automation now are building a compounding advantage: more leads captured, more jobs booked, better platform rankings, more leads. The gap between automated and manual businesses gets wider every month. Set up a free trial at } and see what happens when every lead gets an instant response. --- ### No-Code Voice Agent Setup: Live in Under 2 Minutes (Step-by-Step) **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/no-code-voice-agent-setup/ Deploy a no-code AI voice agent in under 2 minutes and go live the same day. Zero developers, zero API keys, zero code. No Code Voice Agent Setup This is part of our complete AI Voice Agent guide for service businesses. No code voice agent setup is point-and-click forms. No developer, no API keys, no contract, no setup fee. Setup takes under 2 minutes, and the AI can take its first real customer call the same day. Live the same day. Try } free and set up your voice agent in under 2 minutes. Under-2-Minute Deploy Flow How a typical setup unfolds. | Step | Action | Result | |---|---|---| | 1 | Sign up + enter business name + greeting | Account live | | 2 | Paste service list with min and max prices | LLM ready to quote | | 3 | Configure qualifying questions per service | Conversation flow set | | 4 | Sync Google Calendar via OAuth | Live booking enabled | | 5 | Forward phone line + test call | First test books | | 6 | Click go live | Real calls hitting | Operators deploy entirely on their own, with no developer and zero technical background. What You Need Before Signup Five things, all already in your head. | Item | Where It Comes From | |---|---| | Business name + your first name | Already in your head | | Top 10 services with min and max prices | Your price sheet or recent invoices | | Qualifying questions per service | What you already ask on the phone | | Business hours and last-appointment cutoff | Your current schedule | | Google Calendar or Cal.com login | Your existing account | If your prices are already written down, you are ready to start. The 6 Form Sections Six short sections. Auto-save means you can pause and resume. | Section | What It Asks | |---|---| | 1. Business identity | Name, agent name, greeting under 15 words | | 2. Service list | Top 10 services, min and max prices | | 3. Qualifying questions | 2 to 4 per service, checkbox menu | | 4. Calendar sync | OAuth, buffer, lunch block, cutoff | | 5. Phone forward | Set forwarding to platform number after 4 rings | | 6. Test + go live | Call from second phone, verify, flip live | Total: under 2 minutes. No code, no API keys, no developer. Test Call Verification Checklist What you should see during the test call. | Test | Expected Result | |---|---| | Pickup speed | Instant | | Greeting matches your input | Word-for-word | | Service quoted from your list | Min and max range mentioned | | Qualifying question fires | Trade-specific (leak source, system age) | | Calendar slot offered | Real slots from your calendar | | Slot locks on accept | Calendar updates instantly | | SMS confirmation fires | Customer + you receive | If any test fails, the dashboard surfaces the cause and the fix. The fix is usually a single form edit. What an AI-Handled Call Looks Like (Right After Deploy) Customer calls your line at 11:47am, soon after you flipped live. | Turn | What the AI Does | |---|---| | 1 | Answers instantly with your greeting | | 2 | Listens to "I have a leaking water heater, can you come today?" | | 3 | Quotes water heater range $1,200-$2,800 from your list, asks unit age | | 4 | Customer says "8 years old" | | 5 | Offers 2pm or 4pm slot from your calendar | | 6 | Customer picks 2pm | | 7 | Slot locks, SMS confirmation fires | | 8 | Says goodbye | Total call: about a minute of talk time, roughly a dollar in cost, one job locked. In this example, one booked water heater job is worth far more than a month of voice cost. What an AI Voice Agent Costs | Item | Cost | |---|---| | Voice agent (per phone number) | $10/month | | Per-minute talk time | $1/minute (rounded up to the next whole minute per call) | | Setup, support, config edits | Free | | Recording, transcript, CRM sync | Included | Example: 30 calls per month at 90 to 180 seconds each = 60 to 90 billed minutes, or $70 to $100/month including the $10 number. Edits After Deploy Settings stay editable forever. Expect to fine-tune a few settings in your first week. | Edit | Use Case | |---|---| | Update price range | Service cost changed | | Add new service | Expanded offerings | | Swap voice | Tone preference | | Adjust qualifying question | Better calibration | | Change cutoff time | Schedule change | No redeploy needed. How to Deploy in Under 2 Minutes 1. Sign up and enter business name and agent greeting. Under 15 words. 2. Paste service list with min and max prices. Top 10 services. 3. Configure qualifying questions per service type. Trade-specific checkboxes. 4. Sync Google Calendar or Cal.com via OAuth. Buffer, cutoff. 5. Forward business phone line and run test call. Instant pickup, slot locks. Frequently Asked Questions How fast can I deploy a no-code voice agent? Under 2 minutes. You can take real calls the same day. What information do I need to have ready before signing up? Business name, service list with prices, qualifying questions, hours, calendar login. Can I deploy a no-code voice agent without a developer or IT person? Yes. Operators deploy solo with zero technical background. What does the deploy form actually ask for? 6 sections: identity, service list, qualifiers, calendar, phone forward, test. How long until my first real customer call hits the AI? As soon as call forwarding is active, so you can be live the same day. What if the test call fails or the AI gives a wrong answer? Dashboard surfaces failure cause. The fix is usually a single form edit. Can I edit the voice agent after deploy without redoing setup? Yes. Edits apply with no redeploy. What does the no-code voice agent cost? $10/month + $1/minute. For example, 30 calls at 90 to 180 seconds each comes to $70 to $100/month. Live the Same Day Try } free and run your first test call today. For the speed math, see voice AI and lead conversion speed. --- ### Outbound AI Calling for Leads: Auto-Call Yelp and Thumbtack Inquiries Instantly **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/outbound-ai-calling-leads/ Auto-Respond calls your Yelp and Thumbtack leads the instant they arrive. See how outbound AI calling turns more inquiries into booked jobs. Outbound AI Calling for Leads: Auto-Call Yelp and Thumbtack Inquiries Instantly This is part of our complete AI Voice Agent guide for service businesses. Most service businesses take hours to return a Yelp or Thumbtack lead. By then, the customer already booked someone else. Outbound AI calling fixes that by dialing new leads the instant they arrive, while they're still on their phone. Losing jobs because you can't call leads back fast enough? Try } free and start calling every Yelp and Thumbtack lead the moment it comes in. How Does Outbound AI Calling Work for Yelp and Thumbtack Leads? } detects a new lead, extracts the phone number, and places an outbound call instantly. Here's the sequence: 1. New Yelp message or Thumbtack inquiry arrives 2. AI voice agent calls the customer instantly 3. Customer's phone rings while they're still browsing the platform 4. AI introduces your business, references their specific request, and qualifies the job 5. AI books an appointment on your real calendar 6. Call summary and recording sync to your system The call starts the instant the lead arrives, so the booking can happen while the customer is still on their phone. Lead Response Time vs. Conversion Rate The gap between a fast reply and a slow one is massive, and the published research shows how steep the drop-off is. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007), and contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour later, versus roughly 60x less likely at 24+ hours (HBR, 2011). The odds fall off fastest in the first minutes, so outbound AI calling keeps you permanently at the front of that curve. What Happens When the AI Calls a Yelp or Thumbtack Lead? The AI adapts to each conversation. It doesn't read a rigid script. - Customer in a hurry: Short, efficient call. Books the appointment fast. - Customer has questions: AI pulls answers from your business knowledge base. - Customer can't talk: AI offers to text instead. Text auto-responder takes over. - Voicemail: AI leaves a personalized message referencing the specific inquiry, then sends a follow-up text. The AI handles objections, qualifies the job scope, confirms address and availability, and books directly on your calendar. Outbound AI Calling + Text Auto-Response: Full Follow-Up Sequence Calling alone misses no-answers. } runs a multi-step sequence for every lead: | Step | Timing | Action | |---|---|---| | 1 | Instant | Outbound AI call | | 2 | Right after a no-answer | Personalized text message | | 3 | Text reply received | AI chat handles response | | 4 | 3 days (no engagement) | Follow-up text | | 5 | 7 days | Final follow-up | Every lead gets worked. None are abandoned. What Does Outbound AI Calling Cost? Per-channel pricing. Activate only the surfaces you actually run. - Voice agent phone number: $10/month for the dedicated number - Voice talk time: $1/minute, rounded up to the next whole minute per call (this part meters with usage) - Example call length: 2-4 minutes ($2-4 per call) - Yelp channel: $99/month flat, unlimited handling - Thumbtack channel: $99/month flat, unlimited handling - Facebook Messenger: $49/month - Facebook Lead Ads: $19/month - Example monthly cost (Yelp + Thumbtack + one voice number): $208/month plus $1 per talk minute If even a few of the leads you're paying for slip away each month because no one called back fast enough, the ROI math is straightforward. Outbound AI Calling FAQs What if the lead doesn't include a phone number? The text auto-responder handles those leads via message. The voice agent only calls when a phone number is available. Can I set calling hours? Yes. You set a calling window (e.g., 8 AM-9 PM). After-hours leads queue for first thing in the morning. You can also enable 24/7 calling for emergency trades. What if the customer asks how I got their number? The AI references the specific platform: "You submitted a request on Yelp" or "You sent a request on Thumbtack." Try } free and see how many more Yelp and Thumbtack leads you close when every lead gets a call instantly. Related: - AI Voice Agent for Service Businesses - Yelp AI Voice Agent: Call Your Yelp Leads - Thumbtack Voice Agent: Call Your Leads Automatically --- ### Per-Channel Pricing vs Bundled Suites: Which Saves Service Businesses More **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/pay-per-use-vs-traditional-pricing/ Compare flat per-channel pricing ($99/mo Yelp, $99/mo Thumbtack, $49/mo Messenger, $19/mo Lead Ads, $49/mo Google LSA) against bundled suites. Pay only for the channels you actually use. Per-Channel Pricing vs Bundled Suites: Which Saves Service Businesses More Most service businesses pay for software they never use. A solo plumber running Yelp only does not need review management, webchat widgets, or a 5-seat CRM. Yet many enterprise bundles charge as if you do. Per-channel pricing flips that: pay $99/month for Yelp if Yelp is your only source, add Thumbtack at $99/month only when you actually start using it. Want the bill to track the work? Try } free for 7 days and pay only for the channels you turn on. How } Per-Channel Pricing Works Each lead source is its own line item. Activate only what you use. | Channel | Monthly Cost | What It Covers | |---|---|---| | Yelp | $99/mo | Unlimited Yelp message handling, qualifying, follow-ups | | Thumbtack | $99/mo | Unlimited Thumbtack message handling, qualifying, follow-ups | | Facebook Messenger | $49/mo | Page DMs answered, qualified, booked | | Facebook Lead Ads | $19/mo | Lead Ad form submissions answered instantly | | Google Local Services Ads | $49/mo | LSA lead replies, qualifying, follow-ups | | Voice agent (dedicated number) | $10/mo + $1/minute | 24/7 phone answering, qualifying, calendar booking | No setup fees. No per-lead fees. No lead caps. No contracts. Cancel anytime. 7-day free trial. Bundled Suites: What You Are Actually Paying For Enterprise reputation and messaging platforms package features into a single flat fee. | Bundle Type | Bundled Features | |---|---| | Reputation management suite | Reviews, webchat, payments, surveys, reporting | | Messaging + webchat platform | Webchat, SMS, social inbox, CRM seats | | Mid-tier multi-channel suite | Limited messaging, basic auto-reply, single seat | Many solo operators and two-person crews use one or two of those features. Paying the full bundle price for the rest means paying for work you never do. Real Cost Comparison: Solo Yelp Plumber Example: 30 calls/month at about 94 seconds each, Yelp as primary lead source. | Item | Monthly | Annual | |---|---|---| | Yelp | $99 | $1,188 | | Voice agent number | $10 | $120 | | Voice talk time (60 billed minutes) | $60 | $720 | | Total (per-channel) | $169 | $2,028 | Get a quote from any bundled suite and compare its monthly fee x 12, plus any setup fee, against that total. Real Cost Comparison: 4-Tech HVAC Example: Yelp + Thumbtack + Facebook Messenger + voice, 144 calls/month of up to 1 minute each. | Item | Monthly | Annual | |---|---|---| | Yelp + Thumbtack + Facebook Messenger ($99 + $99 + $49) | $247 | $2,964 | | Voice agent number | $10 | $120 | | Voice talk time (144 minutes) | $144 | $1,728 | | Total (per-channel) | $401 | $4,812 | Every line is either a flat channel fee or metered talk time, so you can check the total against any bundled-suite quote line by line. When a Bundled Suite Actually Makes Sense Bundles win when you genuinely run all the bundled tools at once. | You Actually Use | Per-Channel | Bundle | |---|---|---| | Yelp only | Per-channel wins | Overkill | | Yelp + Thumbtack | Per-channel wins | Still overkill | | Yelp + Thumbtack + reviews + webchat + payments | Edge case | Bundle may win | | Multi-location, 5+ seats, full reputation stack | Overpay per source | Bundle wins | For solo operators, two-person crews, and most service businesses running one or two lead sources, per-channel is the cheaper line. Voice Pricing: $10 + $1/minute The voice agent is the only piece that meters by usage, and that is intentional. Voice talk time has real per-minute infrastructure cost. The base $10/month covers the dedicated phone number; talk time is rounded up to the next whole minute per call at $1/minute. | Example Monthly Calls | Duration Per Call | Billed Minutes | Voice Cost | |---|---|---|---| | 30 (solo, slow) | 94s | 60 | $70 | | 60 (mid-size) | 110s | 120 | $130 | | 100 (busy) | 100s | 200 | $210 | | 200 (peak season) | 95s | 400 | $410 | Linear scaling. No tier jumps, no overage rates. Forecast formula: $10 + (calls x billed minutes per call x $1), where each call rounds up to the next whole minute. What Bundled Suites Charge That } Does Not | Cost Item | } | Some Bundles | |---|---|---| | Setup fee | $0 | Often charged | | Cancellation penalty | $0 | Common with annual contracts | | Contract length | None | Often annual | | Recording, transcript | Included | Sometimes a paid add-on | | Free trial | 7 days | Not always offered | What you see on the per-channel pricing page is what you pay. How to Decide for Your Business 1. List the lead sources you actually run. Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook, Google LSA, voice. 2. Price each one under } per-channel. Yelp $99, Thumbtack $99, Messenger $49, Lead Ads $19, Google LSA $49, plus voice as needed. 3. Get a quote from any bundled-suite competitor. Note which bundled features you would never use. 4. Calculate 12-month cost under each model. Sum per-channel vs flat bundle x 12. 5. Try the cheaper one. } has a 7-day free trial and no contract, so testing it costs nothing if you walk away during the trial. Frequently Asked Questions How does per-channel pricing work for }? Yelp $99/mo, Thumbtack $99/mo, Facebook Messenger $49/mo, Facebook Lead Ads $19/mo, Google LSA $49/mo, voice agent $10/mo + $1/minute. Activate only the channels you use. Why do bundled suites cost so much more for most service businesses? They bundle features (reviews, webchat, payments, multi-seat CRM) into one higher flat fee. Many service businesses use one or two. Per-channel pricing only charges you for what you light up. What does } actually cost for a typical Yelp plumber? $169/month in the example: $99 for Yelp, $10 voice base, and $60 of talk time for 30 calls of 94 seconds each (billed as 2 minutes apiece). Are there setup fees, contracts, or cancellation penalties? No. No setup fees, no contracts, cancel anytime. 7-day free trial on top. How do voice minutes work, and how predictable is the bill? $10/month for the phone number, $1/minute talk time rounded up to the next whole minute per call. Forecast: $10 + (calls x billed minutes per call x $1). Linear, no tier jumps. When does a bundled suite actually make sense? Multi-location operations that genuinely use review management, webchat, payments, and multi-seat CRM at once. For solo operators and small crews, per-channel is cheaper. Can I add channels later without re-onboarding? Yes. Each channel is a self-contained line item. Add Thumbtack later for $99/month, FB Messenger for $49/month. No tier upgrade, no contract change. Switch Tonight Try } free for 7 days. Activate only the channels you use, cancel anytime, and pick the cheaper invoice in 30 days. --- ### Plumber Auto-Response for Yelp and Thumbtack: Book More Jobs Without Missing Leads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/plumber-yelp-thumbtack-auto-response/ Plumbers lose Yelp and Thumbtack leads to slow replies. Auto-Respond creates an instant, job-specific response so you book more plumbing jobs from every lead. Plumber auto-response for Yelp and Thumbtack: book more jobs without missing leads A toilet overflows at 6 AM. The homeowner opens Yelp and messages four plumbers. The one who replies first gets the job. You're under a sink with both hands occupied. You don't see the message until lunch. By then, someone else is already on their way. Plumbing leads on Yelp and Thumbtack are some of the most time-sensitive in home services. If you're not replying in minutes, you're losing jobs you already paid for. Losing plumbing leads to slow replies? Try } free: it creates a job-specific response for every Yelp and Thumbtack inquiry in under 2 seconds. Why Do Plumbers Lose So Many Yelp and Thumbtack Leads? Plumbers often reply to Yelp leads hours after they arrive. That's not a lack of effort. It's the nature of the work. You can't stop a soldering joint or pull your phone out of a crawl space to type a reply. Meanwhile, the plumber across town with an office manager replies in 15 minutes and books your lead. Not because they're better at plumbing. Because they answered first. Here's how response time breaks down for plumbing leads: | Response Time | What the Research Shows | What Happens | |---|---|---| | First minute | Replying instantly puts you first in line - the steepest decay is in the first minutes (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007) | Homeowner books you before contacting others | | 5 to 30 minutes | 21x less likely to qualify the lead (MIT, 2007) | You're one of several options they're comparing | | 1 hour or more | ~7x drop vs replying within the hour (HBR, 2011) | Many homeowners have already hired someone | | 3 to 5 hours | Lead has gone cold | Lead is gone, money wasted | Hiring a receptionist means paying a full-time salary. That's hard to justify for a 1 to 3 person plumbing shop. Auto-response gives you the same speed advantage without the overhead. How } Works for Plumbing Leads } connects to your Yelp and Thumbtack accounts and creates a job-specific response for every new lead in under 2 seconds. While you're snaking a drain, the AI writes replies that address what each homeowner asked about. These aren't canned "Thanks for reaching out" templates. The AI reads what the homeowner described and writes a response to that exact request. - Emergency leads (burst pipes, sewer backups, no hot water): the response acknowledges the urgency and asks for their address - Planned project leads (bathroom remodels, water heater replacements, repiping): the response confirms the work type and offers to schedule an estimate - Follow-ups are generated automatically if the homeowner doesn't reply, keeping you top of mind without any effort on your end The homeowner feels like they're talking to someone who understands the situation. You get a booked job waiting for you when you finish your current one. What Happens to Your Plumbing Revenue With Faster Replies? The math is straightforward. Say you get 30 Yelp and Thumbtack leads per month and currently book a handful of them because you're replying hours later. Those are leads you've already paid for. Cut your response time to instant and you reply before competitors do, so you book more of the same leads - every extra job is pure upside on spend you've already committed. Run the numbers on your own lead volume and average job value to see what faster replies are worth. On Yelp, faster responses also improve your Yelp response quality score. A better score means Yelp shows your profile more often in search results. More visibility from the same budget. This is the same instant-reply engine behind our Yelp auto responder and Thumbtack auto responder. Do Automated Follow-Ups Actually Recover Plumbing Leads? Yes. Automated follow-ups are where a lot of plumbers leave money on the table. A homeowner asks about a water heater replacement. You reply instantly. They read it, get distracted, and never respond. Without a follow-up, that lead dies. } creates timed follow-ups that bring the conversation back. A check-in the next morning. A direct booking link a few days later. For plumbers, this matters more than most trades because the average job value is high. A single recovered water heater install or repipe job can be worth thousands of dollars. One follow-up that works pays for months of the service. How Much Does } Cost for Plumbers? You pay per channel you activate, not a flat bundled fee. Yelp $99/month, Thumbtack $99/month, voice agent $10/month plus $1/minute talk time. Activate only what you run, no contracts, no setup fees, 7-day free trial. Compare that to other options: | Option | Monthly Cost | Response Time | |---|---|---| | Full-time receptionist | Full-time salary | 5 to 15 minutes | | Bundled enterprise suite | One flat bundled fee | 1 to 5 minutes | | } (Yelp + Thumbtack + voice) | $208/mo + $1/min talk time | Instant | | Doing it yourself | Free (but you lose leads) | 3 to 5 hours | There's a full breakdown of the pricing model in our per-channel pricing vs bundled suites post. Setup Takes Under 2 Minutes Connect your Yelp and Thumbtack accounts, tell } what services you offer, your service area, and your availability. That's it. No code, no complicated onboarding. You keep working. The AI writes a response for every lead. You book more jobs from the leads you're already paying for. Try } free and test whether faster, more consistent response workflows help you book more plumbing jobs. --- ### Receptionist vs AI Voice Agent: Which Captures More Leads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/receptionist-vs-ai-voice-agent/ AI voice agents beat receptionists on cost, coverage, and lead capture for most service businesses. See the full comparison. Receptionist vs AI Voice Agent This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. For most service businesses, an AI voice agent captures more leads at a fraction of the cost of a receptionist. The difference comes down to 24/7 coverage and zero missed calls. Losing leads to voicemail after hours? Try } free and capture every call instantly, day or night. AI Voice Agent Cost vs Receptionist An AI voice agent runs $10/month per number plus $1/minute of talk time, so the usage side of the bill tracks your actual call minutes. A full-time receptionist means a monthly salary plus benefits. Virtual receptionist services charge a monthly plan, often with per-minute overage fees. | | In-House Receptionist | Virtual Receptionist | AI Voice Agent | |---|---|---|---| | Monthly cost | Salary + benefits | Monthly plan + overages | $10/mo per number + $1/min | | Hours covered | 40/week | 40 to 60/week | 24/7/365 | | Answer speed | 5 to 15 seconds | 15 to 30 seconds | Instant | | After-hours | No | Limited (extra cost) | Always on | | Simultaneous calls | 1 | 1 to 3 | Unlimited | | Setup time | Weeks (hiring + training) | Days | Under 2 minutes | | Complex conversations | Strong | Moderate | Limited | Say you pay $50 per lead on Google or Yelp: missing just 5 calls a month to voicemail wastes $250 in lead spend. That alone would cover an AI voice agent number plus 240 minutes of talk time. Which Captures More Leads? The AI voice agent captures more leads in almost every scenario. The reason is simple: it answers every call instantly, including the large share of service calls that come outside business hours. Many callers won't leave a voicemail. They call the next contractor. A receptionist, even a virtual one, has gaps. Nights, weekends, holidays, lunch breaks, sick days. Every gap is a lost lead. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, 2007). An AI voice agent doesn't have five other calls in the queue slowing it down. Here's what the AI handles that a receptionist can't: 1. Answers every call instantly, 24/7/365. No breaks, no holidays. 2. Qualifies leads automatically. Asks trade-specific questions (job type, address, timeline, budget) and pushes details to your CRM. 3. Books appointments directly on your calendar without back-and-forth. 4. Handles volume spikes. Ten simultaneous calls get the same response as one. When a Receptionist Still Makes Sense A human receptionist handles emotional conversations better. A homeowner upset about a failed repair needs empathy that AI can't fully replicate yet. Hire a receptionist if: - Your average job value is over $10,000 and callers expect high-touch service - Callers frequently ask complex questions needing human judgment - Your customer base skews 55 and up and prefers a real person Many larger businesses run both. AI handles first-touch and after-hours calls. A receptionist manages complex follow-ups during the day. That gives you 24/7 coverage without round-the-clock staffing costs. If you decide to go the automated route, our guide on how to choose an AI answering service covers what to look for. How } Works as Your AI Voice Agent A lead comes in from Yelp at 9 PM on a Saturday. Your AI voice agent calls back instantly, qualifies the job, and books the appointment on your calendar. You wake up Monday with a confirmed booking instead of a missed opportunity. It works as a full AI answering service: it connects to your CRM, calls back your Yelp leads, responds to leads from Thumbtack, Google LSA, and Facebook, and handles after-hours calls without you lifting a finger. Set up a free trial at } and see how many more leads you capture when every lead gets an instant response. --- ### How to Respond to Leads While on a Job Site **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/respond-leads-while-on-job/ Handle Yelp, Thumbtack, and phone leads while you work. AI creates a job-specific response for every Yelp and Thumbtack inquiry in under 2 seconds and answers calls instantly. How to Respond to Leads While on a Job Site You can't reply to Yelp messages from a rooftop. You can't check Thumbtack with pipe sealant on your hands. Leads that come in while you're working don't wait. They contact several contractors, and the first reply wins. Stop losing leads to slow responses. Try } free and reply to every lead instantly, even while you're on the job. How Many Leads Do Contractors Lose During Work Hours Service businesses lose a lot of inbound leads between 8 AM and 5 PM, while everyone is on the job. Here's how a morning plays out: | Lead timing | What happens without automation | |---|---| | 8:00 AM Yelp message | You're driving. Seen at lunch. Customer already hired someone at 9 AM. | | 9:15 AM Thumbtack lead | Goes to 4 other contractors. First responder wins. You reply 3 hours late. | | 10:42 AM phone call | Missed. No voicemail. They called the next contractor. | | 11:30 AM Facebook lead | Customer filled out a form, forgot about it. Your 4 PM reply gets ignored. | Four leads. Zero booked. That's a typical morning for a contractor without automation. What Happens When AI Responds to Leads Instantly The same four leads, handled by }: - 8:00 AM Yelp message: AI creates a job-specific response with qualifying questions in under 2 seconds, then books a Tuesday appointment. - 9:15 AM Thumbtack lead gets a reply instantly. AI collects project details, proposes an estimate time. - 10:42 AM phone call answered by AI voice agent. Books a Wednesday appointment. Sends confirmation text. - 11:30 AM Facebook lead triggers an instant AI outbound call. Customer picks up. Estimate booked. Four leads. Four jobs booked. You were on the job the whole time. How Does AI Know What to Say Without Asking You } uses a business profile you set up once (in under 2 minutes). It includes your services, pricing ranges, service area, availability, and escalation rules. The AI figures out the rest in real time: - Which service the customer needs based on their message - What qualifying questions to ask - Which time slots to offer from your calendar - Whether to escalate (emergency keywords like "flooding" or "gas smell" trigger an immediate text to you) You don't get interrupted for routine leads. You get alerted only when it matters. Which Lead Sources Does This Work With | Platform | How } handles it | |---|---| | Yelp messages | Job-specific response created in under 2 seconds, qualifying questions, appointment booking | | Thumbtack inquiries | First-response advantage, project detail collection | | Inbound phone calls | AI voice agent answers, books appointments, sends confirmations | | Facebook/Instagram ads | Instant AI outbound call after form submission | | Google LSA | Automated response and follow-up | What Does Your End-of-Day Look Like With AI Lead Response Without automation, 5 PM means a pile of unread messages, missed calls, and dead leads you're scrambling to follow up on. With }, 5 PM means: - Appointments already in your calendar - AI conversation summaries for each lead - Escalation alerts you handled during breaks - Nothing left to chase Set Up Auto-Response in Under 2 Minutes 1. Create your } account 2. Connect your lead sources (Yelp, Thumbtack, phone, Facebook) 3. Fill in your business profile (services, pricing, area) 4. Connect your calendar 5. Set escalation rules 6. Go to work From that point, every lead gets an instant response. You focus on the job in front of you. Set up a free trial at } and see how many more leads you book when every lead gets an instant response. --- ### Roofing Lead Follow-Up: Why Storm Leads Go to the Fastest Responder **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/roofing-lead-follow-up/ Storm leads decay fast. Automate roofing lead follow-up: a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds, and instant contact for Facebook and Google LSA leads. Roofing Lead Follow-Up: Why Storm Leads Go to the Fastest Responder Storm damage roofing has one rule: the first company to make contact usually wins the job. Not the cheapest. Not the most experienced. The first. The research backs it up - contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than an hour later, and ~60x more likely than waiting a day (Harvard Business Review, 2011). Losing roofing leads to slow follow-up? Try } free and respond to every storm lead instantly, across every channel. How Fast Do Roofing Leads Go Cold After a Storm? Fast. Within 6 hours, engaged homeowners have already booked inspections with whoever called first. By 24 hours, early movers have locked up most of the work. After 72 hours, the storm cycle is basically closed. | Time After Storm | Lead Quality | What's Happening | |---|---|---| | 0-6 hours | Highest | Homeowners calling, messaging, wanting answers now | | 6-24 hours | High | Early movers already booking. Remaining leads still convertible | | 24-72 hours | Medium | Most homeowners have signed. Remaining ones are price-shopping | | 72+ hours | Low | Storm cycle closed. Stragglers only | Most roofing companies mobilize the next day and start calling in the 24-48 hour window. That's too late. } puts you in hours 0-6 by acting on every digital lead the instant it lands. What Channels Do Storm Roofing Leads Come From? All of them, at once. That's what makes storms hard to manage manually. - Yelp messages: Homeowners search "roofing near me" and message the top results. } creates a job-specific response in under 2 seconds. - Facebook Lead Ads: Post-storm ad campaigns generate a flood of form fills. } calls every one instantly. - Thumbtack requests: Job requests come in fast. } replies instantly. - Google LSA: Clicks on your Google Guaranteed listing trigger instant AI response. One platform handles every channel. Every lead gets contacted before your competitors know it exists. What Does an AI Roofing Lead Follow-Up Call Sound Like? The AI handles both storm and non-storm leads with context-aware scripts. Storm lead (outbound call, instant after form fill): > "Hi [Name], this is Alex from [Company] calling about your roof inspection request. The storm hit several neighborhoods pretty hard, and I want to make sure we assess your damage before it causes interior issues. Are you seeing visible shingles down, or is this a precautionary check? I have inspection slots available this afternoon and tomorrow morning." Standard replacement lead (inbound response): > "Thanks for reaching out. A lot of homeowners start thinking about replacement when their roof hits 15-20 years, smart to get ahead of it. What kind of roofing material do you have, and roughly what's the square footage? I can get you a ballpark before we schedule an in-person estimate." For insurance work, the AI mentions free inspections, photo documentation for claims, and that you work with major carriers. It never quotes pricing upfront, since insurance jobs are priced during the adjuster process. Can AI Re-Engage Past Roofing Customers for New Work? Yes. Every roof has a lifespan. Customers who got a roof 8-12 years ago are approaching replacement territory. } batch calling works like this: 1. Upload a CSV of past customers with job date and contact info 2. AI calls each one with a personalized check-in referencing their install year 3. Interested customers get booked automatically Customers whose roofs are approaching the end of their lifespan are some of the warmest prospects you have - they already know and trust you. A batch outreach surfaces the ones ready for an inspection without any manual dialing. That's revenue sitting in your existing customer list, reachable with one upload. Stop Losing Storm Leads to Slow Response Roofing lead follow-up is a speed problem. The companies that respond first close the most work. If you're still calling leads back the next morning, you're giving jobs away. Set up a free trial at } and see what happens when every lead gets a response instantly. --- ### AI Voice Agent for Roofing Contractors: Call Leads Instantly **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/roofing-voice-agent/ Roofing voice AI that calls storm damage leads instantly, qualifies homeowners, and books inspections 24/7. Built for Yelp and Thumbtack contractors. AI voice agent for roofing contractors: call leads instantly After a storm, the contractor who calls first books the inspection. Not the best-reviewed, not the cheapest. The fastest. Studies show waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007), and contacting within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour later (HBR, 2011). For roofing, where dozens of leads can flood in overnight, manual callbacks are a losing strategy. An AI voice agent calls every new roofing lead instantly. It qualifies the homeowner, asks about damage type, and books an inspection appointment before your competitors even check their inbox. Tired of losing storm leads to slower competitors? Try } free and start calling back every Yelp and Thumbtack lead instantly. How a Roofing AI Voice Agent Works A new lead comes in from Yelp, Thumbtack, or another connected lead source. The AI instantly places an outbound call to the homeowner. It introduces your company by name, references their specific inquiry, and runs through qualifying questions: - Is this storm damage or general wear? - Any active leaking inside? - Is there an insurance claim open? - What's the property address? If the homeowner is ready, the AI books a free inspection on the spot and syncs it to your calendar or CRM. Your crew wakes up to a schedule full of pre-qualified appointments. Storm Season: Manual Callbacks vs. AI Voice Response Here is the difference after a hypothetical hail event that generates 60 leads overnight: | Metric | Manual Callbacks | AI Voice Agent | |---|---|---| | Average response time | 2-6 hours | Instant | | Leads reached same day | A fraction of them | Every one | | When the lead is contacted | Hours later, often next day | The moment it lands | The difference comes down to timing. Thursday night storm leads that sit until Friday morning are already talking to another contractor by the time you call. Reaching all 60 instantly, instead of a handful hours later, is the difference between a full inspection calendar and a competitor's. What the AI Says on a Roofing Lead Call Here is a sample call flow for a Yelp storm damage lead submitted at 8:47 PM: > AI: "Hi Mike, this is Blake from Summit Roofing. You reached out on Yelp about roof damage after today's storm. Do you have a minute?" > > Mike: "Yeah, go ahead." > > AI: "We've been doing assessments all day. Can you tell if there's any active leaking inside, or is this more exterior concern?" > > Mike: "I haven't been up there to check." > > AI: "That's exactly what the free inspection covers. I can get someone out tomorrow morning. Does 9 AM or 11 AM work better?" > > Mike: "9 AM." > > AI: "You're on the schedule for 9 AM. What's the full address?" Inspection booked before Mike talked to any other contractor. Lead Sources the Roofing Voice Agent Handles The AI works across every platform roofing contractors use: - Yelp for high-intent comparison shoppers - Thumbtack for active quote seekers - Facebook Lead Ads for storm campaigns - Google Local Services Ads for premium leads - Custom call lists for storm-area neighborhood outreach After a storm, you can also upload a list of homeowners by zip code. The AI calls each one with a relevant storm damage message, turning a neighborhood hit by the same storm into booked inspections. CRM and Scheduling Integrations Every inspection the AI books flows directly into your existing tools: - AccuLynx (job and contact creation) - Most CRMs (pipeline and follow-up automation) - Field service platforms (customer and job records) - Google Calendar (appointment sync) - Zapier/webhooks for anything else No copy-pasting between systems. The appointment, homeowner details, and damage notes land in your CRM automatically. Roofing Voice Agent Pricing | Item | Cost | |---|---| | Voice agent phone number | $10/month per number | | Voice calls, inbound or outbound | $1/minute | | Example: a 4-minute inspection call | $4 | | Text auto-responder (Yelp or Thumbtack) | $99/month per channel | A single booked roof replacement can be worth far more than months of AI calling. There are no contracts or setup fees. Start Calling Roofing Leads Faster The math is simple. Faster response means more inspections, more inspections means more jobs. Try } free and see how many more leads you close when every call goes out instantly. Related: - Outbound AI Calling: Call New Leads the Moment They Arrive - AI Voice Agent for Service Businesses - AI Call List Dialer: Automatically Call Old Customers and Cold Leads --- ### Smart Auto Responder **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/smart-auto-responder/ A practical evaluation and launch checklist for an auto responder that uses approved business facts, handles exceptions, and supports staff handoff. Smart auto responder This guide is part of our lead response automation overview for service businesses. A smart auto responder does more than send the same greeting to every lead. It uses the facts the business approved, asks for missing details, respects the source's connection rules, and knows when to stop or hand the conversation to staff. The setup is only ready when those behaviors have been tested. A fast reply that invents a price or ignores an opt-out is not a good result. Five behaviors to test 1. Grounded first response Send a synthetic inquiry with a specific service, location, and time request. The response should use only the information supplied by the lead and the business's configured facts. Then remove one important detail. The responder should ask for it rather than guess. 2. Quote boundaries } can generate a quote from configured services, prices, ranges, and rules. Test a fixed-price service, a ranged service, and a request that needs inspection. The third case should produce a question or staff handoff, not an invented number. A preliminary quote should never be described as a guaranteed final price. 3. Follow-up stop rules Configure follow-up timing for the source and verify the events that stop it. At minimum, test a customer reply, an opt-out, a booking, and a staff takeover. Do not assume the same cadence is appropriate for Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook, Google LSA, and Instagram. The exact workflow depends on each source's connection method. 4. Voice disclosure and handoff } supports natural AI voice calls for inbound and outbound business conversations. Test both directions when both are enabled. Confirm the disclosure, business identity, routing, and staff handoff. The goal is a clear business conversation, not to make a caller believe the system is human. 5. CRM or webhook delivery } can connect to a CRM that provides the required API or webhook access. Custom setup depends on the interfaces that CRM makes available. Use synthetic data for the first check. Verify that the lead source, contact details, conversation summary, status, and staff owner arrive in the correct destination fields. A safe launch sequence 1. Load the current services, prices, hours, service area, and reply rules. 2. Define the requests that require staff. 3. Connect one supported lead source. 4. Test complete, incomplete, out-of-area, and out-of-scope inquiries. 5. Test follow-up stop conditions. 6. Test inbound and outbound calls separately when voice is enabled. 7. Verify CRM or webhook delivery if one is connected. 8. Review the first live conversations after activation. Add the next source only after the first one behaves correctly. This makes failures easier to trace and avoids applying the wrong workflow across several platforms. After-hours automation Configured automated responses and AI voice calls can operate 24/7. That does not mean a live representative is available around the clock. Define what the automation may handle after hours and what must wait for staff. Emergency language, safety issues, legal questions, unusual scope, and unconfigured prices are common handoff cases. What not to promise Avoid claims that the responder always books the first lead, guarantees a conversion lift, recovers every missed inquiry, or pays for itself after one job. Those outcomes depend on lead quality, customer decisions, business availability, pricing, and the configured workflow. Measure the actual account instead: - preparation and delivery timestamps; - customer reply rate; - staff correction rate; - valid handoffs; - CRM delivery success; - qualified outcomes and booked work. Frequently asked questions What makes an auto responder useful? It stays grounded in approved business facts, asks for missing information, follows the source workflow, and hands unusual requests to staff. Can it work after hours? Configured } message workflows and AI voice calls can operate 24/7. This is automation, not 24/7 live-representative support. Can it follow up with a lead? Follow-up should use configured timing and stop rules. It must stop when the customer replies, opts out, or reaches another defined stop condition. What happens when a request is too complex? The responder should collect the available context and hand the conversation to staff instead of inventing an answer, price, or commitment. Can it quote a price? It can generate a quote from configured services, prices, ranges, and rules. The quote should not be presented as a guaranteed final price. Launch with evidence, not assumptions Keep the test cases and results. They make future configuration changes easier to review and give staff a clear record of what the responder is allowed to do. Start the } trial when the facts, tests, and handoff rules are ready. --- ### Speed to Lead: Yelp and Thumbtack Response Time Data for 2026 **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/speed-to-lead-yelp-thumbtack/ Speed to lead for Yelp and Thumbtack. Why instant response wins marketplace leads and how to automate it. Setup takes under 2 minutes. Speed to Lead: Yelp and Thumbtack Response Time Data for 2026 The average service business takes 3+ hours to respond to a Yelp or Thumbtack lead. By then, your competitor already booked the job. Speed to lead is the single biggest factor in whether you win or lose marketplace leads. Losing leads to slow replies? Try } free and create a job-specific response for every Yelp and Thumbtack inquiry in under 2 seconds. What Is Speed to Lead for Yelp and Thumbtack? Speed to lead is the time between a lead submitting a request and your first response. For marketplace leads, this number directly controls your conversion rate. The published research shows how steeply conversion odds decay with delay. MIT (2007) found that waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to reach it. Harvard Business Review (2011) found a similar curve over a longer window: contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour longer, and roughly 60x more likely than waiting a full day. The drop-off is brutal, and on Yelp and Thumbtack it's the difference between booking the job and losing it. Yelp Speed to Lead: Why Instant Beats Waiting Yelp can send the same Request a Quote inquiry to multiple businesses. A slow reply gives the customer more time to continue comparing providers, but response order alone does not determine who books the job. Here's an example scenario: A homeowner requests a plumbing quote on Yelp at 8:47 PM. Three plumbers get the lead. 1. Plumber A uses }. A voice agent calls the homeowner back instantly, confirms availability, and offers a morning appointment. 2. Plumber B sees the notification at 9:15 PM and texts back. 3. Plumber C checks Yelp the next morning. Plumber A books the job. Plumber B gets a "thanks, already found someone." Plumber C gets no response at all. Thumbtack Speed to Lead: First Reply Wins Thumbtack's model is even more competitive. Leads compare quotes side by side. The pro who responds first sets the anchor. Everyone else is playing catch-up. The problem: most pros are on a job site, driving, or done for the day when the lead comes in. Manual response doesn't work at scale. Thumbtack also documents its own lead-management option, Front Desk. Its features and availability can change, so check Thumbtack's current documentation for what it covers on your account. Either way, it does not cover your Yelp leads. 5 Ways to Improve Your Speed to Lead on Yelp and Thumbtack 1. Set up an AI voice agent. } calls leads back instantly, 24/7. No app checking required. 2. Automate your text-back. Send a personalized text on every new lead. Even "Got your request, calling you now" keeps the lead warm. 3. Stop relying on push notifications. They're easy to miss on a job site. Automation misses none. 4. Cover after-hours leads. A large share of Yelp leads come in after 6 PM. If you're not responding until morning, you're giving away much of your volume. 5. Track your response time. You can't improve what you don't measure. Many businesses overestimate how fast they reply. How Much Revenue Does Slow Speed to Lead Cost? Say your business spends $2,000/month on Yelp or Thumbtack leads (use your own number). When slow response lets faster competitors book those leads first, a large share of that spend is wasted, you paid for the lead and never closed it. Here's an illustrative example (not measured data) showing how the same lead spend pays off differently at fast vs. slow response: | Metric | Slow Response (30+ min) | Fast Response (instant) | |---|---|---| | Leads per month | 50 | 50 | | Revenue per job | $500 | $500 | | Booked jobs | Fewer | More of the same leads | | Monthly revenue | Baseline | Meaningfully higher | The leads are identical. The only thing that changed is how fast you reached them, and that determines how many turn into booked jobs. How } Fixes Speed to Lead } connects to your Yelp and Thumbtack accounts. When a new lead comes in, an AI voice agent calls back instantly. The agent confirms your availability, answers basic questions, and books the appointment on your calendar. No apps to check. No notifications to catch. No leads lost while you're on a job site. If the lead doesn't pick up the first call, an automated follow-up text goes out instantly. Setup takes under 2 minutes. No contracts, no setup fees, and no per-lead fees. Frequently Asked Questions What is a good speed to lead time for Yelp and Thumbtack? Instant is ideal. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). On marketplaces where customers message several pros at once, the first useful response has a real edge. Why is speed to lead so important for marketplace leads? Yelp and Thumbtack can send the same request to multiple businesses at once. The first reply anchors the conversation, and many customers stop shopping once they hear back from a pro or two. How can I improve my Thumbtack response time? Automate the first reply. Push notifications are easy to miss, and manual response is unrealistic on a job site. An AI voice agent fires the instant the lead arrives, covers after-hours inquiries, and keeps speed to lead instant and consistent. How much revenue does slow lead response cost? It comes out of the leads you already pay for. Say your business spends $2,000 a month on Yelp and Thumbtack leads (use your own number): when slow response lets faster competitors book those leads first, part of that spend is wasted. Going from a 30+ minute response to instant lets you convert more of the same lead volume at no extra ad cost. Does responding instantly really lift my conversion rate? The research says yes. Contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour longer, and ~60x more likely than waiting a day (HBR, 2011). Marketplace leads often contact several businesses at once, and the first useful response has a real edge. What is the average response time on Yelp and Thumbtack? The average service business takes 3+ hours to respond. Most pros are on a job site, driving, or done for the day when leads arrive. A large share of Yelp leads come in after 6 PM, so businesses replying only in the morning miss much of their volume entirely. Does speed to lead affect my Yelp Responds Quickly badge? Yelp does not publish a guaranteed badge threshold or timeline. } creates a job-specific Yelp response in under 2 seconds for every inquiry, day or night. Can I automate speed to lead without changing my workflow? Yes. } connects to the Yelp and Thumbtack accounts you already use and creates a job-specific response for every new lead in under 2 seconds, built from your services, price ranges, and availability. An AI voice agent can also call leads back instantly. Try } free and see how your conversion rate changes when every lead gets an instant callback instead of waiting hours. --- ### Support Team Spotlight **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/support-team-spotlight/ Support team spotlight: same-day white-glove deploy. Hands-on setup call, same-day go-live, and free ongoing configuration help. Support Team Spotlight Most AI tools sell software and ship a help-doc link. White-glove support drives configuration during a setup call, takes you live during the call, and has your AI ready to book jobs the same day. Setup, training, config changes, and ongoing optimization are all free. White-glove deploy tonight. Try } free and book your setup call to go live the same day. Same-Day White-Glove Deploy Timeline | Step | Action | Result | |---|---|---| | 1 | Sign up + book setup call | Slot reserved | | 2 | Gather your services, prices, hours, calendar login | Prep complete | | 3 | Zoom setup call | Support drives configuration | | 4 | Live test call during the Zoom | First test books | | 5 | Go live during the call | Real calls hitting | | 6 | First real AI-handled call | Customer interaction logged | | 7 | First real AI-booked job | Job locked on the calendar | | 8 | AI live and booking jobs | Working around the clock | Setup help is free, with no setup fees and no contracts. What Happens During the Setup Call Support drives, you watch and approve. | Step | Activity | |---|---| | 1 | Business identity, greeting under 15 words, voice selection | | 2 | Service list with min and max prices, qualifying questions per service | | 3 | Calendar OAuth, business hours, buffers, last-appointment cutoff | | 4 | Phone forwarding setup, handoff protocol, missed-call recovery | | 5 | Live test call from second phone, verify pickup, qualifier, calendar lock | You leave the call with a fully working AI. Support Response Priorities | Tier | Use Case | Business Hours | After Hours | |---|---|---|---| | Urgent | Service down, billing dispute | Handled first | Handled first | | Standard | Config change, integration help | Fast chat turnaround | Next available | | Strategic | Call review, optimization | Same day | Next business day | Fast chat support - most config changes are handled in minutes, not days. Done-For-You Mode (No Zoom Required) If you do not want to be on a call. | Step | Action | Time | |---|---|---| | 1. Submit details | Services, prices, hours, calendar, phone | Quick | | 2. Support builds end-to-end | Service list, qualifiers, calendar, OAuths | Same day | | 3. Review on shared dashboard | Approve or request changes | Quick | | 4. Flip live | One click | Instant | | Total | | Live the same day | Done-for-you accounts go live same business day. Post-Launch Support Cadence | Window | Touchpoint | Format | |---|---|---| | Week 1 | Daily check-ins | Short in-app chat | | Month 1 | Weekly reviews | Zoom call review | | Month 2+ | As-needed config changes | On request | | Day 30 | Full performance review | Scheduled call | | Day 90 | Scoring calibration session | Scheduled call | Free Includes Everything | Support Service | Cost | |---|---| | Setup call (Zoom) | Free | | Done-for-you full configuration | Free | | Service list and pricing setup | Free | | Calendar and CRM integration help | Free | | Knowledge base and FAQ writing | Free | | Weekly call reviews | Free | | Unlimited config changes | Free | | Same-day troubleshooting | Free | | Strategy and optimization help | Free | You pay $10/month per number plus $1/minute for voice, and a flat monthly price per channel for marketplaces. Support is always $0. Missed-Call and Missed-Message Recovery: Built Into Deploy Support configures during the setup call. | Recovery Type | Configured Trigger | |---|---| | Missed phone call | Under-2-second SMS text-back, optional voice callback | | Unanswered marketplace conversation | Multi-touch follow-up that auto-stops on reply or booking | | Recent leads that went quiet | Optional batch call campaign | A batch call campaign re-engages recent leads that went quiet, giving leads that would otherwise have gone cold another chance to book. Supported vs Self-Serve | Metric | Self-Serve | White-Glove | |---|---|---| | Who configures it | You, in minutes, at your own pace | Support, live during the setup call | | Booking rate at day 30 | Whatever your default config produces | Higher - tuned by support week over week | | Likelihood of sticking with it | Lower when setup stalls | Higher - a working AI from day one | Hands-on setup and tuning is what white-glove support buys you: the same software, configured and optimized for you instead of left to figure out alone. How to Use White-Glove Support 1. Sign up and book your setup call. Pick an available time. 2. Gather your details before the call. Services, prices, hours, calendar login. 3. Run the Zoom setup call. Support drives, you approve. 4. Run a live test call before ending the Zoom. Verify pickup, qualifier, calendar. 5. Schedule weekly review for week 2 onward. A sample of recent calls per session. Frequently Asked Questions What is the same-day white-glove deploy timeline? Book the setup call, go live during the call, and have your AI answering the same day. What happens during the setup call? Support drives configuration: identity, services, calendar, phone, test call. How fast does support respond to issues after deploy? Fast chat support, most changes in minutes. Urgent issues are handled first. Is support actually free or are there hidden charges? Genuinely free. Voice at $10/month per number plus $1/minute, and flat per-channel marketplace pricing only. Can support handle the entire setup without me on the call? Yes. Done-for-you mode, live the same day. What does the post-launch support cadence look like? Daily week 1, weekly month 1, as-needed after. Day 30 + Day 90 reviews. How does the support team handle missed-call and missed-message recovery? Built into deploy: under-2-second SMS text-back, multi-touch follow-up that stops on reply or booking, and an optional batch call campaign for recent quiet leads. Does support help with the first 30 days of optimization? Yes. Hands-on tuning through the first 30 days, aimed at more booked jobs. Book Your White-Glove Setup Call Try } free and book your setup call to go live the same day. --- ### Thumbtack AI for Roofing Contractors **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/thumbtack-ai-roofing-contractors/ How roofing contractors can use AI to respond to supported Thumbtack leads, qualify requests, and measure inspection bookings without invented benchmarks. Thumbtack AI for Roofing Contractors Roofing leads can arrive while a crew is working, driving, or handling another customer. A consistent response process helps control delay, but the first reply does not guarantee the inspection. Need a more consistent Thumbtack response process? Try } free and test an under-2-second first reply for supported leads. Why Roofing Contractors Lose Thumbtack Leads There is no verified universal response-time average for Thumbtack roofers. Start with your own median first-response time, qualified-conversation rate, inspection-booking rate, and cost per booked inspection. No verified roofing cohort multiplier or Thumbtack ranking benefit is claimed. Measure first-response time, qualified conversations, impressions, lead cost, and booked inspections in the actual account. Here is what plays out every day for a roofer doing physical work: 1. Homeowner requests quotes for a leaking roof 2. Thumbtack pushes the lead to several roofers 3. Roofer A is mid-tear-off. Checks phone at lunch. 4. Roofer B has AI auto-respond. The lead gets a personalized text in under 2 seconds. 5. Roofer B is on the homeowner's calendar before Roofer A puts the hammer down. Use your own average job value and close rate when estimating the cost of delayed follow-up. Generic national roof values do not predict a specific contractor's result. How AI Auto-Responds to Thumbtack Roofing Leads } connects to your Thumbtack Pro account and watches for new leads. When one lands, three things happen at the same time: 1. Personalized text reply referencing roof type, damage, and your service area, sent in under 2 seconds. 2. AI voice agent callback that calls the lead, confirms details, captures insurance info, and books an inspection on your calendar. 3. Qualification of job scope, urgency, insurance status, and roof age before you spend time on the phone. The configured automation can operate around the clock like an AI answering service for supported roofing leads. Check your own lead timestamps before deciding how much after-hours coverage matters for the business. Storm Season: Where AI Roofing Auto-Response Pays Off Storms can create uneven inquiry volume. Build the workflow around the busiest day visible in your own account instead of an unverified industry multiplier. The AI can handle supported leads in parallel, detect storm-claim language, capture the configured insurance details, and offer available inspection times. Compare booked inspections before and after activation to determine whether it improves the real workflow. For voice-driven follow-up on the same leads, see the roofing voice agent guide. Thumbtack AI Cost: Roofing Companies | Pricing Model | Monthly Cost | What You Get | |---|---|---| | } Thumbtack workflow | $99 | 7-day free trial, no setup fee, no per-lead fee, no lead cap, and no contract. | | Optional voice callback | $10 per number plus $1 per outbound minute | Adds an outbound voice step when configured. | Compare the flat monthly price with your own Thumbtack lead volume and booked-inspection value. What the AI Qualifies Before You Drive Out The AI doesn't just reply fast. It asks the questions that decide whether a lead is worth a truck roll: - Roof type: Asphalt, metal, tile, flat, slate, shake - Damage type: Storm, leak, aging shingles, full replacement, gutter - Roof age and square footage: Sets expectation on quote range - Insurance claim status: Carrier, claim number, adjuster timing - Property type: Residential, multi-family, commercial - Timeline: Emergency tarp, scheduled within month, gathering quotes Qualified leads land on your calendar with the answers attached. Out-of-area or DIY questions get filtered out. For a deeper roofing-specific receptionist setup, see AI receptionist for roofing contractors. How to Set Up Thumbtack AI for a Roofing Business 1. Connect your Thumbtack Pro account to }. Takes under 2 minutes. 2. Set service area and roofing services - radius, roof types covered, accepted job categories. 3. Customize qualification questions for storm work, insurance claims, and roof age. 4. Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or a supported scheduling integration) so inspections book directly. 5. Activate and the next Thumbtack lead gets an instant reply. You can be live the same day. No coding, no two-week onboarding. For the broader Thumbtack auto-reply walkthrough, see the Thumbtack auto responder overview. Frequently Asked Questions How fast does Thumbtack AI respond to roofing leads? } sends the first reply to a supported Thumbtack roofing lead in under 2 seconds and can trigger an optional voice callback. Measure booked inspections in your own account; no roofing cohort multiplier is claimed. Does Thumbtack AI work for storm-damage roofing leads? Yes. The configured workflow can distinguish storm damage from routine repair, capture the insurance details the business requests, and offer available inspection times. Response speed does not guarantee the inspection. What does Thumbtack AI cost for a roofing company? Thumbtack auto-response costs $99 per month with a 7-day free trial, no setup fee, no per-lead fee, no lead cap, and no contract. Optional voice costs $10 per month per number plus $1 per outbound minute. Can the AI qualify roofing leads before I drive out to inspect? Yes. The AI asks about roof type, square footage, age, damage type (storm, leak, aging shingles, full replacement), insurance status, and timeline. Qualified leads land on your calendar with the answers attached. Tire-kickers and out-of-area requests get filtered out before you spend a tank of gas driving to a no-show. Does Thumbtack AI handle insurance-claim roofing jobs? Yes. The AI asks whether the job is an insurance claim, captures the carrier name, claim number if available, and adjuster timing. That detail routes the lead to whoever on your team handles insurance work. Jobs without a claim go to the standard estimate flow. No more guessing which lead is a $25k full replacement and which is a $400 patch. How long does it take to set up Thumbtack AI for my roofing business? You can be live the same day. You connect your Thumbtack Pro account, set service area and roofing services, customize the qualification questions for storm work and insurance jobs, and connect your calendar. The AI starts responding to the next lead that comes in. No coding, no installer, no two-week onboarding. --- Try } free and compare response time, qualified conversations, and booked inspections against your current Thumbtack baseline. --- ### How Much Does Thumbtack Charge for Leads in 2026? **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/thumbtack-cost-per-lead-2026/ Thumbtack lead prices are account-specific. Learn where to find current costs and how to calculate cost per qualified lead and booked job. How much does Thumbtack charge for leads in 2026? Thumbtack does not publish one dependable national price sheet by trade. Current lead prices vary by service, job details, market, available pros, and account settings. The only reliable current price for your business is the price shown inside your Thumbtack pro account. That makes a public table of supposed 2026 averages more likely to mislead than help. Use your Services settings and billing history, then calculate what each booked job costs your business. Where to find your current Thumbtack lead prices In your pro account, open the service you want to evaluate and review its max lead price, expected price range, targeting, and weekly budget. Thumbtack's official community guidance says pros can control spending through max lead prices and a weekly budget. Record the visible price and observation date. Recheck it before changing a budget because the number can change with the service and market. What Thumbtack charges for Thumbtack's current model charges a pro when a customer makes a qualifying connection under the platform's rules. The exact price and refund eligibility depend on the lead and current account terms. Review the charge detail and refund policy inside your account for the specific lead instead of relying on an old public estimate. Thumbtack staff also state that there is no fixed public price sheet across all categories and markets. Your account shows the relevant range for the services and locations you selected. Calculate the number that matters Track three separate costs: A simple example: if you spend $400, receive ten charged leads, and book two jobs, the cost per lead is $40 and the cost per booked job is $200. This is an example of the calculation, not a Thumbtack benchmark or expected result. Why cost per booked job can differ between accounts Two businesses can pay different effective costs even when they offer the same service. Common reasons include: - different max lead prices and weekly budgets; - different service areas and job preferences; - different shares of unserviceable inquiries; - different availability and response workflows; - different quote, follow-up, and booking rates; - different refund or credit outcomes. Compare accounts only when the service, area, date range, and definition of a booked job match. How to control Thumbtack lead spend Tighten service and location preferences Exclude jobs you do not perform and locations you cannot serve. Fewer irrelevant leads can improve qualified-lead economics even when the listed lead price does not change. Set a deliberate max lead price and weekly budget Choose limits that fit your contribution margin and capacity. Do not raise a limit simply to chase more volume. Record the change date so you can compare a complete before-and-after period. Improve the response workflow Prepare a specific reply that addresses the requested job, confirms service area, asks only necessary questions, and offers a next step. General lead-response research supports avoiding long delays, but it does not guarantee a conversion lift for Thumbtack or for your account. Track refunds and disputed charges separately A requested refund is not a granted refund. Reconcile the final account credit before changing your cost calculation. How } fits the workflow } replies to supported Thumbtack leads in under 2 seconds with a tailored response built from the services, prices, and rules you configured. The product does not change Thumbtack's lead price and does not guarantee that a lead will book. Use the Thumbtack auto responder guide to review the workflow, then compare median response time, qualified leads, booked jobs, and cost per booked job against your own baseline. Frequently asked questions How much does Thumbtack charge per lead in 2026? There is no single public price that applies across trades and locations. Check the current max lead price and expected range for each service inside your Thumbtack pro account. Does Thumbtack have a fixed monthly lead fee? Pros manage lead spending through account-level prices and budget controls. Check your current account and billing terms for any separate products or fees. Do lead prices differ by city and service? They can. Thumbtack says job size, available pros, market demand, and what pros are willing to pay can affect pricing. Use the range shown in your own service settings. Does Thumbtack refund every lead that does not book? No. A lead failing to book is not automatically refundable. Check the current refund rules and the specific charge detail in your account. How do I lower my cost per booked job? Tighten targeting, set budget and max-price limits, respond with useful job-specific information, track follow-up, and measure completed bookings. Change one meaningful variable at a time so you can tell what affected the result. Is Thumbtack worth it for contractors? It depends on your qualified-lead rate, booked-job rate, job value, and margin. Define an acceptable cost per booked job, run a measured test, and continue only if the channel stays within that limit. Try } free to test a faster, more consistent response workflow. Measure it against your own baseline; do not treat any booked-job outcome as guaranteed. --- ### Thumbtack CRM Integration: Auto-Sync Leads to Your CRM **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/thumbtack-crm-integration/ Connect Thumbtack leads to your CRM automatically. Auto-Respond syncs contacts, triggers follow-ups, and responds instantly so no lead gets lost. Thumbtack CRM integration: auto-sync leads to your CRM You pay for every Thumbtack lead. If that lead sits in your Thumbtack inbox and never makes it into your CRM, you're paying for data you can't use. No follow-up sequence, no revenue attribution, no way to track what Thumbtack actually returns on your spend - and given what Thumbtack leads actually cost per booked job, that's money lit on fire. } connects Thumbtack to your CRM so every lead gets an instant reply, a contact record, and an automated follow-up. No copy-paste. No Zapier workarounds. Wasting money on Thumbtack leads that never reach your CRM? Try } free and start syncing every lead automatically in under 2 minutes. How Thumbtack CRM Integration Works with } } detects new Thumbtack leads instantly. Here is what happens automatically: 1. Customer sends a Thumbtack message 2. } replies instantly 3. AI handles the conversation (text, chat, or voice call) 4. A contact record is created in your CRM with full lead details 5. Follow-up sequences trigger based on your CRM rules 6. Outcome is logged for ROI tracking Your only job is showing up to the appointment. Supported CRMs for Thumbtack Integration | CRM type | What gets synced | Extras | |-----|-----------------|--------| | Flat-rate all-in-one marketing CRM (SMS/email/pipeline bundled) | Contact, opportunity, tags, pipeline stage | Two-way sync, team routing, SMS/email nurture triggers | | Field service management platform (priced per tech) | Customer profile, lead record, job request | Full conversation history in notes | | Trade-specific dispatch CRM (flat monthly fee, estimate-focused) | Customer, job/estimate, lead notes | Technician assignment by service type | | Per-seat enterprise sales CRM (priced per seat) | Lead, contact data, communication log | Auto follow-up reminders | | Webhook/Zapier | Full payload (name, phone, email, service, message) | Connect to any CRM or database | Deep All-in-One CRM Integration (Native) The deepest integration is with all-in-one marketing CRMs. } creates a contact with name, phone, email, and job details, drops them into your pipeline at "New Lead" stage, and applies tags for Thumbtack, job category, and inquiry date. Lead routing assigns the right team member. Works with standalone accounts and agency sub-accounts. Why Not Just Use Zapier for Thumbtack Leads? Zapier moves data. That is all. It can route a Thumbtack notification to your CRM, but it does not reply to the lead. The difference matters. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead (MIT, 2007). Zapier gets the data to your CRM eventually. } gets a reply to the customer instantly and creates the CRM record at the same time. If you already have a Zapier workflow, keep it. } works alongside it and adds the instant response, AI chat, and voice layer on top. Thumbtack Webhook for Custom Setups If your CRM is not on the list above, the webhook integration sends a POST request for every new lead. The payload includes name, phone, email, service type, message content, and timestamp. Connect it to any enterprise CRM, sales pipeline tool, work management platform, Notion, Airtable, or anything that accepts webhooks. You can also build lead scoring on top of the webhook. Job type, location, and inquiry text get analyzed, a score is assigned, and high-value leads route to senior staff. Setup Takes Under 2 Minutes 1. Create your } account 2. Connect your Thumbtack account 3. Pick your CRM in the Integrations dashboard 4. Authenticate and map your fields 5. Test with a live Thumbtack message Field mapping is fully customizable. Support can walk you through it if needed. Stop Losing the Leads You Already Paid For Every Thumbtack lead that never makes it to your CRM is money wasted twice: once on the lead fee, again on the missed follow-up. } fixes both problems at once. Try } free and see how many more Thumbtack leads you actually close. Related guides: - Thumbtack Auto Responder: Reply to Leads Instantly --- ### Thumbtack Lead Cost in 2026: Why Slow Replies Waste Your Budget **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/thumbtack-lead-cost-wasted-slow-response/ Many jobs go to the first responder. See how slow replies waste your Thumbtack budget and what to do about it. Thumbtack lead cost: how slow responses waste your budget Thumbtack lead prices vary by trade, market, and job details. That money is gone the second a customer contacts you. If you don't reply fast, someone else books the job and you get nothing for it. The fix isn't buying more leads. It's responding to the ones you already pay for before your competitors do. Paying for Thumbtack leads you never convert? Try } free and reply to every lead instantly, not hours later. How much do Thumbtack leads cost by trade? Thumbtack does not publish one fixed national price sheet by trade. Prices vary by category, location, job details, and competition, and the current range for each of your services is shown inside your Thumbtack pro account. For where to find your numbers and how to calculate cost per booked job, see how much Thumbtack charges for leads in 2026. Thumbtack can send the same request to several competing pros. Each pro who gets charged pays for that lead, but only one of you books the job. Why response time decides who gets the job On pay-per-lead platforms, the first pro to respond often wins. Not the cheapest option. Not the highest-rated. The one that replies first. The dynamic is even more extreme on Thumbtack, where the same lead can go to multiple pros simultaneously. A Harvard Business Review study found that contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to have a meaningful conversation than waiting even an hour longer. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify the lead at all (MIT, 2007). On Thumbtack, a 3-hour response time means other pros may have already replied, quoted, and possibly booked the job before you even saw the notification. Slow replies vs. fast replies: the real cost difference Response time changes your actual cost per booked job. Here's a hypothetical example using a $35 lead price. Plug in your own lead price and booking rate: | Leads Booked (example) | Cost Per Booked Job | |---|---| | 1 in 4 leads | $140 | | 1 in 8 leads | $280 | Same leads. Same budget. If slow replies mean fewer of your leads turn into booked jobs, every job you do book costs more, and the leads you lost were already paid for. What a fast Thumbtack response actually looks like You don't need to sit next to your phone all day. The first reply just needs to do three things: 1. Acknowledge the request. Confirm you received it. 2. Reference their specific job. Not a generic template. Mention what they actually asked about. 3. Ask one follow-up question. Get the conversation moving so they don't contact the next pro. That first message doesn't need to be a full quote. It locks in the lead. You follow up with details when you're free. Thumbtack also documents its own lead-management option, Front Desk. Its features and availability can change, so check Thumbtack's current documentation to see which of these steps it covers for your account. } does this automatically. When a Thumbtack lead comes in, it reads the customer's message, sends a personalized reply instantly, and asks the right follow-up question for your trade. The customer thinks they're talking to someone who's paying attention. You pick up the conversation when you're ready and close the deal. How to lower your Thumbtack cost per job today Your cost per lead is fixed by Thumbtack. Your cost per booked job is something you control. Three steps: 1. Automate the first reply. Set up lead response automation so every lead gets an answer instantly, including nights and weekends. 2. Personalize each response. Generic "thanks for reaching out" messages don't convert. Reference the customer's actual job details. 3. Follow up within 24 hours. Leads that don't book on the first reply often convert on a second or third touch. Before you raise your Thumbtack budget or buy more leads, fix response time first. It's one of the highest-leverage changes you can make. Try } free and see what happens to your Thumbtack conversion rate when every lead gets an instant reply. If you want to compare options first, the best AI answering service guide covers pricing and what to look for. --- ### Thumbtack Voice Agent: Auto-Call Every Lead Instantly **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/thumbtack-voice-agent-call-leads/ Auto-Respond's Thumbtack voice agent calls new leads instantly. Faster speed-to-lead means more booked jobs for service pros. Thumbtack Voice Agent: Auto-Call Every Lead Instantly This is part of our complete AI Voice Agent guide for service businesses. Thumbtack leads go cold fast. The customer just searched for a pro, compared profiles, and sent you a message. They're on their phone, actively deciding. If you call them right now, you're the only pro who called. You get the conversation and the job. Most pros take 30-90 minutes to respond. By then, someone else already booked it. Losing Thumbtack jobs to slow callbacks? Try } free and call every new lead instantly, automatically. How Does the Thumbtack Voice Agent Work? } detects new Thumbtack leads the moment they arrive and places an outbound call to the customer's phone number instantly. The customer's phone rings while they're still browsing Thumbtack. Here's what happens on a typical call: 1. AI introduces itself with your business name and references the customer's Thumbtack request 2. Asks qualifying questions (job details, address, timeline, availability) 3. Gives a price range or schedules an estimate 4. Books the appointment on the spot 5. Sends you a full call summary via SMS and CRM If the customer doesn't answer, the AI leaves a voicemail and sends a text follow-up instantly. Three touchpoints from a single Thumbtack message. How Response Time Affects Your Odds The public speed-to-lead research is consistent: the faster you reach a lead, the more you win. | Response Time | Effect on Your Odds | Source | |---|---|---| | 5 to 30 minutes | 100x less likely to contact the lead | MIT, Oldroyd 2007 | | 5 to 30 minutes | 21x less likely to qualify the lead | MIT, Oldroyd 2007 | | Within an hour | ~7x more likely to qualify than waiting longer | HBR, 2011 | The difference between a $0 return and a booked job is often just timing. The voice agent calls instantly, so you're the pro who reached them first. Voice Agent vs. Manual Callback The real cost of slow response shows up every day. Here's a side-by-side comparison: | Scenario | Manual Callback | } Voice Agent | |---|---|---| | Lead arrives | 1:47 PM | 1:47 PM | | You respond | 4:45 PM (after job site) | 1:47 PM (instant) | | Customer status | Already booked another pro | Still browsing Thumbtack | | Result | Lead fee wasted | Appointment booked on the call | You paid for the Thumbtack lead either way. The voice agent makes sure you actually get the job from it. Which Thumbtack Industries Benefit Most? The voice agent works across all service categories, but a few stand out: - Home cleaning: High volume, fast decisions. AI locks in recurring bookings on the first call. - Landscaping and lawn care: Seasonal demand with heavy competition. First call usually means first quote, which usually means the job. - Painting: Customers often compare several quotes. Calling first establishes rapport before others even respond. - General contracting: Customers often decide quickly. The voice agent reserves your spot while you're on site. - Home inspections: Time-sensitive for real estate transactions. AI confirms availability instantly. How Much Does the Thumbtack Voice Agent Cost? The voice agent costs $10/month per phone number plus $1 per minute of talk time. For example, a 3-minute call costs $3. Multiply by your own call volume to estimate the monthly cost, then compare it with the value of a single Thumbtack job you would otherwise miss. The text Thumbtack auto-responder pairs well with the voice agent for full coverage. Call first, text if no answer, follow up automatically. Start Auto-Calling Thumbtack Leads Today Setup takes under 2 minutes. Connect your Thumbtack account, configure your voice agent with your business name, services, pricing, and availability, and leads start getting called automatically. Try } free and see how many more Thumbtack jobs you close when every lead gets an instant call. Related reading: - Thumbtack Auto Responder: Reply to Leads Instantly - Outbound AI Calling: Call New Leads the Moment They Arrive --- ### How to Improve Your Thumbtack Win Rate With Faster Lead Response **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/thumbtack-win-rate-improvement/ Slow replies cost you Thumbtack jobs. Responding instantly puts you first in line while the customer is still deciding. Here is how to fix your response time. How to Improve Your Thumbtack Win Rate With Faster Lead Response Many pros lose Thumbtack jobs to slow replies, not to reviews, pricing, or profile optimization. Customers on Thumbtack make decisions fast and message several pros at once, so the one who responds first while they are still deciding has a big edge. Tired of paying for Thumbtack leads you never close? Try } free and respond to every lead instantly. Why Response Time Drives Your Thumbtack Win Rate Customers on Thumbtack make decisions fast, and they message multiple pros at the same time. The independent research on speed-to-lead is consistent: waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead - and 100x less likely to reach it (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007), and contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting longer (HBR, 2011). The first business to respond gets the customer's attention while they are still actively looking. By the time the third or fourth response arrives, the customer has already started a conversation with someone else. How Faster Response Adds Revenue Here is an illustrative example, not measured results. Say you spend $500/month on Thumbtack leads at $25 per lead, so 20 leads. If responding instantly means you start a real conversation on, say, ten of those instead of four, that is six extra booked jobs at a $400 job value: | Jobs Booked | Revenue (at $400/job) | |---|---| | 4 | $1,600 | | 10 | $4,000 | Same budget. Same profile. The difference is how many of the leads you already paid for actually get a fast reply. Why Manual Thumbtack Responses Cost You Leads You are on a job. A lead comes in. You see the notification 45 minutes later, type a reply, and the customer has already hired someone. This happens multiple times a week for most service businesses. The problem is not effort. It is timing. You can't pull out your phone and craft a personalized response while you are on a roof or under a sink. Automated response tools fix this by replying instantly, 24/7, even when you are on a job, driving, or asleep. What Does an Effective Thumbtack First Response Look Like? Speed alone does not close the lead. The response needs to do three things: 1. Reference their specific request. "Saw your request for carpet cleaning, 3 bedrooms and a living room" beats "Thanks for reaching out." 2. Show competence in one sentence. "We typically use hot water extraction for pet households, gets deeper than steam alone." 3. Give a clear next step. "I can have an accurate quote to you in 30 minutes if you can share the square footage." Generic "we'd love to help" messages get ignored even when they arrive first. Why Thumbtack Follow-Ups Win More Jobs Many pros send one message and move on. That is a mistake. A large share of bookings come not from the first message but from follow-ups a few days later, after the customer has had time to compare options. Many of the jobs you win come from leads you would have abandoned after a single message. A multi-touch sequence (for example day 1, day 3, day 7) keeps you in front of the customer and auto-stops the moment they reply or book. Automated follow-up handles this without you thinking about it. How to Connect Thumbtack to } Setup takes under 2 minutes: 1. Create your } account 2. Connect your Thumbtack account 3. Set your business profile (services, pricing range, service area) 4. Turn on auto-response and follow-up sequences 5. Connect your CRM for lead tracking Once connected, every Thumbtack lead gets a personalized response instantly. Follow-ups run automatically on a schedule you control. Set up a free trial at } and see how many more Thumbtack leads you close when every lead gets an instant response. --- ### Conversion Rate Voice AI **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/triple-conversion-rate-voice-ai/ Voice AI for service businesses: same-day deploy, instant pickup, missed-call recovery. See why speed-to-lead drives more booked jobs. Conversion Rate Voice AI This is part of our complete AI voice agent guide for service businesses. Manual phone reply averages 47 minutes, and by then many leads have booked a competitor. Voice AI picks up instantly, on the same leads, same prices, same trade. You can be live the same day, and missed-call recovery wins back calls that would otherwise be lost. Live tonight. Try } free and go live the same day. Same-Day Deploy Timeline | Step | Action | Result | |---|---|---| | 1 | Sign up + book setup call | Slot reserved | | 2 | Zoom setup call | Voice AI configured | | 3 | Live test call during Zoom | Test books | | 4 | Go live during the call | Real calls hitting | | 5 | First AI-handled call | Customer interaction logged | | 6 | First AI-booked job | Real job locked on the calendar | | 7 | Live on every call | Coverage active around the clock | Instant pickup starts the first time the phone rings, with no ramp-up period. Manual vs Voice AI | Metric | Manual Phone | Voice AI | |---|---|---| | Reply time | 47 min | Instant | | Picks up every call | No | Yes | | Misses after-hours calls | Often | Never | | Books on the call | Sometimes | Yes | The difference is speed and coverage. Manual reply loses the leads that book a competitor while you're on a job or asleep. Voice AI answers every one instantly. Missed-Call Recovery: Where the Lift Hides The phone rings, you miss it. Here is what happens. | Step | Time | Action | |---|---|---| | 1. Missed call detected | 0:00 | Phone forward fires event | | 2. SMS text-back sent | Under 2 sec | "Sorry we missed you, what do you need?" | | 3. Customer replies | When they reply | "Water heater leaking, need someone today" | | 4. AI qualifies | Instantly | Asks unit age, location, urgency | | 5. Voice agent calls back | instantly | Picks up the conversation | | 6. Appointment booked | minutes later | Slot confirmed, calendar synced | Missed-call recovery books jobs from calls that would otherwise go to voicemail and disappear, recovering far more than a typical voicemail callback ever does. ROI Math: 30 Phone Calls/Month The return comes from booking more of the same calls. Here's an illustrative example (not measured data) at a $400 average job: | Metric | Manual | Voice AI | |---|---|---| | Reply time | 47 min | Instant | | Avg job value | $400 | $400 | | Calls answered | Whatever you catch | Every one | | Jobs booked | Fewer | More of the same calls | | Voice cost | $0 | ~$130 (4-minute calls) | In this example, voice cost runs about $130 for 30 four-minute calls, so a single recovered $400 job covers the whole month. After-Hours Voice Coverage A large share of phone calls arrive after 5pm or on weekends, exactly when manual reply collapses. | Time Window | Manual Reply | Voice AI Pickup | |---|---|---| | 8am to 5pm | 23 min | Instant | | 5pm to 9pm | 2h 14m | Instant | | 9pm to 6am | 9h 47m | Instant | | Saturday | 3h 22m | Instant | | Sunday | 6h 11m | Instant | Voice AI does not care what time the phone rings. The manual reply times are the contrast: every one of those gaps is a window where a competitor answers first. Back-Fill: Right After Deploy Once you forward your phone, you can upload recent missed callers (where the customer left a number) as a batch call campaign, and the voice agent calls each one back. Those are leads you'd already written off, calls that rang out while you were on a job or after hours. Re-engaging even one of them is a job you would otherwise never have seen. Voice AI Cost Breakdown | Item | Cost | |---|---| | Base subscription | $10/month per number | | Talk-time usage | $1/billable minute | | Example call duration | 4 minutes | | Example monthly cost (30 calls) | $130 | | Setup, transcript, calendar, CRM | Free | At roughly $130/month for 30 calls in this example, a single booked $400 job would cover the month about three times over. Which Trades Benefit Most Emergency trades win biggest, because customers want to talk now and book whoever picks up first: - Plumbing - burst pipes and leaks can't wait; the first answer usually gets the job. - HVAC - no-heat and no-cool calls are urgent, often after hours. - Electrical - sparking outlets and outages drive immediate, high-intent calls. - Roofing - high-ticket and often storm-driven, where one captured lead is worth a lot. - Cleaning and landscaping - higher volume, where instant pickup keeps more recurring clients. The more urgent the work, the more the instant-pickup advantage compounds. How to Deploy the Same Day 1. Sign up and book your white-glove setup call. Pick an available time. 2. Run the Zoom setup call with support. Voice AI live during the call. 3. Configure missed-call recovery flow. Under-2-second SMS, instant callback. 4. Run a live test call from a second phone. Verify pickup, qualifier, calendar. 5. Forward business phone line and go live. 24/7 coverage active. Frequently Asked Questions How fast does voice AI start lifting my conversion rate? Live the same day, with instant pickup from the first call. No ramp-up period. How does voice AI capture missed calls? Under-2-second SMS text-back, instant voice callback. Recovers calls that voicemail loses. What is the ROI math behind voice AI? It comes from booking more of the same calls. In the example, ~$130 voice cost covers 30 four-minute calls, so one recovered $400 job covers the month. Does voice AI work after hours and on weekends? 24/7/365. Instant pickup whenever the phone rings, including the windows where manual reply collapses. Can voice AI back-fill leads I already missed? Yes. Upload recent missed callers as a batch call campaign and the voice agent calls each one back. What if a voice AI call gets too complex to close? It ends in a structured handoff with full context texted to your tech. Straightforward calls can close with the AI directly. What does voice AI cost? $10/month per number + $1 per billable minute. ~$130/month for 30 four-minute calls. Get Started Tonight Try } free and your voice AI is live during your setup call. For chat-side data, see smart auto responder. --- ### Voice Agent Setup Mistakes That Delay Your Deploy **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/voice-agent-setup-mistakes/ The voice AI setup mistakes that turn a same-day deploy into a leaky one. Phone forwarding, missed-call recovery, calendar OAuth, service-list pricing. Voice Agent Setup Mistakes This is part of our complete AI voice agent guide for service businesses. Seven setup mistakes turn a same-day deploy into a leaky one. Each one is a small choice during configuration; together they quietly cost you booked jobs. Each fix takes minutes, self-serve or white-glove. Skip the mistakes. Try } free and our team ships all 7 fixes during your setup call. The 7 Deploy-Speed Mistakes | Mistake | Impact on Deploy Speed | Impact on Booking | |---|---|---| | 1. Skipping the setup call | Tuning left to you vs same-day with support | Untuned config costs bookings | | 2. Phone forwarding only after-hours | None on go-live | Misses business-hours calls | | 3. Skipping missed-call SMS recovery | None on go-live | Lost calls never recovered | | 4. Service list without prices | Slows first booking | Lower booking on pricing calls | | 5. Calendar connection not checked | Fails later, not at go-live | Same-day cancellations | | 6. Skipping edge-case test calls | Surfaces issues post-launch | Day-1 errors slip through | | 7. Bad handoff (no context) | None on go-live | Hot leads drop on handoff | Calendar connections can fail silently long after deploy. The damage shows up later. Mistake 1: Skipping the White-Glove Setup Call Self-serve vs supported deploy. | Metric | Self-Serve | White-Glove | |---|---|---| | Who configures it | You, on your own | Support, live during the call | | Likelihood of finishing setup | Lower (many stall) | Higher (live during the call) | | Day-1 configuration errors | More | Fewer | The setup call is free. Skipping it means tuning every setting yourself instead of having support get it right with you, live, the same day. Mistake 2: Phone Forwarding Only After-Hours Plenty of missed calls happen during business hours - you are on a job, in a basement, or already on another call. | Forwarding Setup | What It Captures | |---|---| | After-hours only | Misses every business-hours call you can't pick up | | All unanswered after 4 rings | Catches both after-hours and on-the-job misses | Forwarding every unanswered call captures the business-hours misses you'd otherwise lose to voicemail. Mistake 3: Skipping Missed-Call SMS Recovery | Setup | What Happens to a Missed Call | |---|---| | No SMS, voicemail only | Many callers hang up and dial the next business | | Under-2-second SMS text-back | Conversation stays alive; the lead replies instead of leaving | A missed call without text-back is usually a lost lead. The instant SMS recovers calls that would otherwise be gone - skipping it is the most expensive shortcut you will ever take. Mistake 4: Service List Without Prices | Service Listing | Effect on Pricing Calls | |---|---| | "Call for quote" | Forces a callback queue; customers move on | | Flat price ($199) | Reads as rigid; can undersell the job | | Min/max range ($150-$450) | Sets expectations and books the most | Customers want a range, not a precise number. Range = trust = booking. Mistake 5: Broken Calendar OAuth Connections can expire or be revoked without warning. AI keeps booking, calendar never syncs. | Failure Mode | How It Breaks | |---|---| | Token expired | Auth lapses with no warning | | Wrong scope | AI can read but not write events | | Revoked by IT | Access pulled without anyone noticing | Fix: check the calendar connection regularly and reconnect it the moment sync stops, so calendar sync never fails silently. Mistake 6: Skipping Edge-Case Test Calls | Test Coverage | What It Catches | |---|---| | Happy path only | Misses most real-world edge cases | | Happy path + out-of-zone | Catches a few more | | Happy path + 3 edge cases | Surfaces the day-1 issues before customers do | Edge cases: out-of-zone, after-hours, voicemail callback, complex handoff, calendar full. Mistake 7: Bad Handoff Without Context | Handoff Quality | Effect on Handed-Off Calls | |---|---| | No context (cold pickup) | Customer repeats everything; many give up | | Voicemail summary | Better, but still missing the live detail | | Full transcript + intent + urgency | Tech picks up warm and books the most | A short SMS summary. The tech picks up with everything pre-typed. Cumulative Cost: All 7 Mistakes | State | Booking Outcome | Deploy Speed | |---|---|---| | All 7 mistakes shipped | Leaks jobs at every step | Slow, leaky start | | Zero mistakes (white-glove) | Books the most from the same calls | Live the same day | The white-glove setup call is free. That one call is what closes the gap between the two rows above. To put it in your own terms: book even a couple of extra jobs a month at your average ticket and the call has paid for itself many times over - run the numbers on your own call volume. Same-Day Deploy With Zero Mistakes | Step | Action | |---|---| | 1 | Sign up + book setup call | | 2 | Zoom setup call, all 7 fixes shipped | | 3 | Live test call from friend phone | | 4 | Go live, all 7 fixes active | | 5 | First AI-booked job | | 6 | Answering every call 24/7, jobs landing on your calendar | How to Avoid the 7 Mistakes 1. Book the white-glove setup call (do not skip). Live the same day with support driving the configuration. 2. Forward all unanswered calls after 4 rings. Not just after-hours. 3. Enable under-2-second SMS missed-call recovery. Recovers calls that would otherwise go to voicemail and never come back. 4. Paste service list with min/max prices. Lifts booking on pricing calls. 5. Run 3 edge-case test calls before go-live. Out-of-zone, after-hours, voicemail. Frequently Asked Questions What setup mistake delays voice agent deploy the most? Skipping the setup call. White-glove gets you live the same day with support tuning every setting. What is the most common phone forwarding mistake? Forwarding only after-hours. Plenty of missed calls happen during business hours while you are on a job. Why does skipping the missed-call recovery setup cost the most? Many callers who hit voicemail never call back. An instant SMS text-back keeps the conversation alive and recovers calls that would otherwise be lost. What service-list mistakes delay first booking? Missing prices, no ranges, no emergency upcharge. Each one drops booking on pricing calls. How do calendar OAuth mistakes cause same-day cancellations? Silent connection failure. AI books, calendar misses, double-booking. Fix by checking the connection and reconnecting as soon as sync stops. What test-call mistakes hide setup problems before go-live? Testing only the happy path. A few edge-case calls surface the day-1 issues customers would otherwise hit first. What handoff setup mistake makes the AI lose hot leads? No context capture, so the customer repeats everything and many give up. Fix with a full-transcript SMS. What is the cumulative cost of all 7 setup mistakes? A leaky deploy that books fewer jobs than it should. Ship Zero Mistakes During Your Setup Call Try } free and our team ships all 7 fixes during your free setup call. For the supporting team detail, see support team spotlight. --- ### Voice Agent for Yelp and Thumbtack Leads: Auto-Call Every Lead Instantly **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/voice-agent-yelp-thumbtack-leads/ One AI voice agent handles both your Yelp and Thumbtack leads. Auto-call every inquiry instantly and book more jobs. Voice Agent for Yelp and Thumbtack Leads: Auto-Call Every Lead Instantly This is part of our complete AI Voice Agent guide for service businesses. Most service businesses run leads from both Yelp and Thumbtack. Two platforms, two inboxes, two sets of notifications to watch. Miss one and you've paid for a lead that went to your competitor. A voice agent for Yelp leads and Thumbtack leads solves this by calling every new inquiry the moment it comes in. One system, both platforms, zero delays. Tired of juggling Yelp and Thumbtack leads manually? Try } free and auto-call every lead from both platforms instantly. Why Yelp and Thumbtack Leads Need a Voice Agent Yelp and Thumbtack leads behave the same way. The customer searches for a service, picks several businesses, and sends a message to all of them. Then they wait with their phone in hand. The first business to call usually wins that job. Not the cheapest. Not the highest rated. The fastest. Here's the problem: the average service business takes 45 minutes to respond to a new lead. By then, two other pros already called and one of them booked the job. A voice agent for Yelp and Thumbtack leads puts you first in line every time. The AI calls your lead instantly when their inquiry hits your inbox. How It Works Across Both Platforms } connects to your Yelp and Thumbtack accounts and monitors for new leads. When one comes in, the system triggers an AI voice call to the customer instantly. The voice agent: - Greets the customer by name and references their specific request - Qualifies the job by asking about scope, timeline, and location - Books an appointment directly on your calendar if the lead is a fit - Sends a summary to you with all the details, so you're ready when you show up This happens whether the lead comes from Yelp at 2pm or Thumbtack at 9pm. The voice agent works 24/7. One Voice Agent vs. Two Separate Systems Some businesses try to set up separate automations for each platform. That creates more problems than it solves. | | Separate Automations | } Voice Agent | |---|---|---| | Setup | Configure each platform individually | One setup covers both | | Consistency | Different response styles per platform | Same professional voice everywhere | | Reporting | Check two dashboards | All leads in one view | | After-hours | Often misconfigured for one platform | Always on, both platforms | | Cost | Pay for two tools | One per-channel plan: $99/mo Yelp + $99/mo Thumbtack + voice ($10/mo per number + $1/min) | Running one voice agent across both platforms means every lead gets the same fast, professional response. No gaps, no platform you forgot to configure. The Numbers That Matter Speed-to-lead research is consistent on why calling first wins: - Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify the lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). - Contacting within 1 hour makes you ~7x more likely to have a meaningful conversation than an hour later, and ~60x more likely than waiting a day (Harvard Business Review, 2011). - A large share of Yelp and Thumbtack inquiries arrive evenings and weekends, and each one typically goes to several pros at once. Whatever you pay per Yelp or Thumbtack lead, losing those leads to slow response times is expensive. A voice agent costs $10/month per number plus $1/minute, which is small next to the value of a single booked job. What the Voice Agent Sounds Like The AI doesn't sound like a robot reading a script. It has a natural conversation, handles interruptions, and adjusts based on what the customer says. If the customer asks a question about pricing, the agent gives your standard ranges. If they want to schedule, it checks your availability. If they need something outside your service area, it politely lets them know. You set the rules. The voice agent follows them on every call, whether it's a Yelp lead on a Monday morning or a Thumbtack lead at 11pm on Saturday. Stop Losing Leads From Either Platform Every hour you spend manually checking Yelp and Thumbtack notifications is an hour a voice agent could be handling automatically. The leads are already coming in. The question is whether you call them first or your competitor does. Try } free and let one AI voice agent cover both your Yelp and Thumbtack leads from day one. --- ### Voice AI vs Text Autoresponder for Service Business Leads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/voice-ai-vs-text-autoresponder/ Voice AI vs text auto-response: when each wins, and why running both converts more leads. Pick the right setup for your business. Voice AI vs Text Autoresponder: Which Wins More Jobs? This is part of our complete AI Voice Agent guide for service businesses. The short answer: voice and text each win in different situations, and running both covers more leads than either alone. The right setup depends on where your leads come from and how they prefer to be reached. Want to stop choosing and just convert more leads? Try } free and run both voice and text from one platform. Voice AI vs Text Auto-Response: How They Compare Both beat the slow manual baseline for one reason - speed. The public research is consistent: waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007), and contacting within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour later (HBR, 2011). Whether you reply by text or by call, replying instantly is what wins the job. | Approach | Best for | Why | |---|---|---| | Text auto-response only | Yelp and Thumbtack messages, late-night leads, comparison shoppers | The lead chose messaging; an instant text feels helpful, not aggressive | | Voice AI only (outbound) | Google LSA and Facebook Lead Ads leads with a phone number | A live call while they're still deciding closes the gap a text can't | | Combined text + voice | Mixed lead sources across multiple platforms | Each lead gets reached the way it prefers, on every channel | | Manual response (no AI) | Nothing - it's the slow baseline both AI approaches beat | Manual replies average 47 minutes; the lead has usually moved on | Running both channels covers the widest range of leads. Either one alone leaves some leads reached the wrong way - or not at all. When Does Text Auto-Response Work Better Than Voice AI? Text wins when the customer initiated via messaging. If someone sent a Yelp or Thumbtack message, they chose text. Calling them feels aggressive. Text also works better for: - Late-night leads. A 10pm call is intrusive. A 10pm text reply feels helpful. - Comparison shoppers. People messaging several contractors want to read responses side by side. - Routine jobs. Simple requests like "need a quote for gutter cleaning" don't need a phone call. - Detail collection. Addresses, photos, and job specs are easier to share over text. Text struggles with older demographics, complex jobs needing real conversation, and emergencies where the customer wants reassurance fast. When Does Voice AI Convert Better Than Text? Voice AI wins when the lead submitted a phone number and expects a callback. Google LSA and Facebook Lead Ads leads convert better with an instant call. Voice also works better for: - Emergency jobs. A burst pipe or roof leak needs a real-time conversation, not a text thread. - Higher-value jobs. Customers spending $5,000+ feel more confident after hearing a voice. - Older homeowners. Many prefer a call over texting with a bot. - Stalled text threads. When a text conversation goes quiet, a call often re-engages the lead. Voice struggles when the customer is at work and can't talk, the call hits voicemail, or the timing is off (Sunday morning, late evening). How to Combine Voice AI and Text for Maximum Bookings The most bookings come from running both channels in the right sequence. Yelp or Thumbtack lead: An instant, job-specific text response (they chose messaging). If they share a phone number, offer a call. If the thread stalls, a Day 1, Day 3, and Day 7 follow-up cadence keeps you in front of them and stops the moment they reply or book. Facebook Lead Ads or Google LSA lead: Instant AI voice call (they submitted a phone number). If it goes to voicemail, drop a personalized message plus an immediate text. Continue via text if they prefer. Follow-up texts on Day 3 and Day 7. Inbound phone call: An AI answering service answers instantly. No voicemail, no missed ring. Full qualification and booking by voice. Text confirmation after. What Does Voice AI + Text Auto-Response Cost? | Item | Monthly Cost | |---|---| | Text auto-response (Yelp or Thumbtack) | $99/month per platform | | Voice agent phone number | $10/month | | Voice talk time (inbound or outbound) | $1/minute | | Example stack (Yelp + Thumbtack + one number + 100 three-minute calls) | ~$508/month | For comparison, a full-time receptionist or a live answering service can cost far more each month. And the real cost of slow manual response is the leads you never convert. Should You Start With Voice AI or Text Auto-Response? Start with text if your leads come mainly from Yelp or Thumbtack, you're new to automation, or budget is tight. Text is the lowest-cost place to start. Add voice when you run paid ads (Facebook, Google, LSA), you miss calls because you're on the job, or you've seen the text results and want to build on them. One way to roll it out: 1. Month 1: Text auto-response on Yelp. A job-specific response for every inquiry in under 2 seconds. 2. Month 2: Add Thumbtack. More leads covered. 3. Month 3: Add inbound voice AI. Never miss a call. 4. Month 4: Add outbound voice AI. Call every lead instantly. By month 4, you're reaching every lead on every channel instantly, which helps you win more of the jobs you already pay for, from the same ad spend. FAQ: Voice AI vs Text Autoresponder Can I run text-only without voice? Yes. Many businesses use text auto-response for months before adding voice. Both work independently. Do customers get annoyed by an AI call? When the call happens instantly and references their specific request, the response is positive. Customers care that you responded while they were still thinking about the problem. They don't care if it's AI. What if the customer wants to switch from voice to text? The AI handles it: "I can text you the details too." The conversation moves to text and continues there. Set up a free trial at } and see how much your booking rate improves when every lead gets a response instantly. --- ### Yelp Advertising ROI: Calculate It from Collected Revenue **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-advertising-roi/ Calculate Yelp advertising ROI from lead cost, response time, booked jobs, and collected revenue without assuming a guaranteed conversion lift. Yelp Advertising ROI: Calculate It from Collected Revenue Many service businesses track Yelp spend and leads without tying the same period to booked jobs and collected revenue. Response time is one useful diagnostic, but reviews, service area, price, availability, lead quality, and sales follow-through also affect the result. Want a cleaner Yelp response-time test? Try } free, record your baseline first, and compare the next lead sample using the same attribution rules. How to Calculate Your Real Yelp Advertising ROI Your true Yelp cost is higher than your ad bill. Add up all of it: | Cost Type | Example (HVAC business) | |-----------|------------------------| | Monthly Yelp ad spend | $500 | | Enhanced profile fee | $0-$100 | | Time responding manually (4+ hrs/mo at $75/hr) | $300 | | True monthly investment | $800 | Now count only real leads, not profile views or page clicks. Leads are messages received, quote requests, and tracked calls. Multiply jobs booked by your average job value. Divide revenue by total investment. Formula: (Jobs booked x avg job value) / total monthly investment = ROI For example, a hypothetical HVAC company booking 7 jobs at $650 from 28 Yelp leads gets about a 5.7x return on $800 invested ($4,550 / $800). That can look fine until you check how many of those 28 leads never got a response or went cold while waiting 2+ hours for a reply. Model the Effect of Faster Yelp Response Faster response may improve contact opportunities, but it does not supply a universal conversion multiplier. Build a scenario from your own lead volume, job value, and close rate before deciding whether the workflow pays for itself: | Metric | Manual Responses | With } | |--------|-----------------|---------------| | Monthly investment | Your Yelp spend | Yelp spend plus $99 | | Yelp leads | Baseline lead count | Same comparison window | | Median first-response time | Baseline value | Measured trial value | | Customer reply rate | Baseline value | Measured trial value | | Jobs booked | Baseline value | Measured trial value | | Collected revenue | Baseline value | Measured trial value | | ROI | Calculate from collected revenue | Calculate from collected revenue | Keep the lead sample and attribution rules consistent. The incremental result is the measured difference, not a number borrowed from another business. Does Yelp Response Time Affect Your Ranking Yelp displays response-related signals, but it does not publish a formula that guarantees an organic ranking change. Track the visible account metrics that Yelp provides: 1. Response rate - percentage of messages you reply to 2. Response time - how fast you reply on average 3. Visible response indicators - labels and thresholds can change, so verify the current account display Treat any ranking or lead-volume change as an observation, not proof that a response metric caused it. Reviews, profile relevance, location, competition, ad delivery, and customer behavior can move at the same time. } creates a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds, around the clock. It does not guarantee a response badge, ranking change, reply, or booking. When Yelp Advertising Genuinely Isn't Worth It Yelp doesn't work for every business. Three warning signs: - Low star rating and a thin review history. Yelp traffic may not convert well regardless of response speed. Improve the service experience before adding ad spend. - Purely price-driven category. If customers only pick the cheapest option, faster replies won't change the math. - Very small service area. Some trades in small markets don't have enough Yelp search volume to justify the spend. If none of those apply, slow response time is almost certainly why your Yelp ROI looks bad. Ads are only one way to fill the pipe. The broader playbook for generating leads on Yelp covers the organic levers - photos, review velocity, and Request a Quote - that lower your blended cost per lead so the ad math has less work to do. How to Track Yelp ROI Without Spreadsheets Three approaches, ranked by accuracy: 1. CRM tagging - Tag every lead as "Yelp" in your CRM. When a job closes, revenue ties back automatically. 2. Ask at booking - "How did you find us?" is directionally useful, not perfect. 3. A consistent lead log - Export or record the lead source, first-response time, customer reply, booked-job status, and collected revenue using the systems you already trust. Stop guessing whether Yelp is worth it. Measure it, then fix the one thing that actually moves the number: response time. Try } free and see how your Yelp ROI changes when a job-specific response is created for every lead in under 2 seconds. --- ### Yelp AI Voice Agent: Instant Callbacks for New Leads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-ai-voice-agent/ A Yelp AI voice agent calls eligible new leads instantly, qualifies the request, and offers an appointment. See the workflow and the exact price. Yelp AI Voice Agent This is part of our complete AI Voice Agent guide for service businesses. A Yelp AI voice agent adds an instant phone callback to your normal Yelp response. When a new inquiry includes a callable number, the agent can introduce your business, ask the questions you configured, and offer an available appointment without waiting for someone in the office to notice the message. The callback is optional. You can use text only, voice only, or both: the under-2-second text reply first, then an immediate dial. How a Yelp voice agent works Here is the complete flow: 1. A new Yelp inquiry reaches }. 2. The AI creates a job-specific response in under 2 seconds. 3. If the inquiry has a callable number and voice is enabled, the voice agent dials instantly. 4. The agent identifies your business and references the requested service. 5. It asks the qualifying questions in your configuration, such as location, urgency, equipment type, or project scope. 6. It can quote a configured price range and check your connected calendar. 7. It records the outcome and conversation summary in the dashboard. If the question falls outside the configured information or the customer asks for a person, the workflow can hand the conversation back to your team. Yelp voice callback vs text auto reply | | Text Auto-Reply | AI Voice Agent | |---|---|---| | First contact | Under-2-second written reply | Instant outbound dial | | Best for | Written quotes, links, and customers who prefer messaging | Urgent or complex requests that benefit from a conversation | | Qualification | One question at a time in the message thread | Several questions in one live conversation | | Booking | Includes available times or a booking link | Can offer a calendar slot during the call | | Availability | 24/7 | 24/7 | | Price | Included with the $99/month Yelp connector | $10/month per number plus $1/minute | Neither channel is automatically better for every inquiry. Text gives the customer a written record and does not interrupt them. Voice can move a detailed or urgent request forward in one conversation. Running both lets the customer continue in the channel they prefer. Where an instant Yelp callback helps Voice is useful when the first few questions determine what happens next: - HVAC: equipment type, system age, symptoms, and preferred service window. - Plumbing: active leak versus planned work, affected fixture, and urgency. - Electrical: current panel size, project scope, and whether an on-site assessment is needed. - Cleaning: property size, bedrooms, condition, and optional add-ons. The agent should use your real service definitions and configured price ranges. It should not invent a quote when the required information is missing. Yelp AI voice agent pricing The voice add-on costs $10 per month per phone number plus $1 per minute of outbound call time. The underlying Yelp text auto responder is $99 per month, with no contract, per-lead fee, or lead cap. You can start with text and add voice later. Set up text and voice together The full Yelp connection takes under 2 minutes: connect the business account and turn the source on. Loading service definitions, connecting a calendar, and enabling the voice add-on are optional refinements. See the complete Yelp auto responder setup, examples, and pricing, or start a 7-day free trial. --- ### Yelp Business Automation Tools in 2026: The 3-Tool Stack That Goes Live in Minutes **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-business-automation-tools/ The 3-tool Yelp automation stack that goes live in minutes: Yelp source connection, missed-Yelp recovery, and calendar booking. Setup, cost, and the speed-to-lead research. Yelp Business Automation Tools This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. The minimum setup is a Yelp source connection, missed-Yelp recovery flow, and calendar OAuth. } creates a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds, built from your services, price ranges, and availability. Live tonight. Try } free and start the back-fill sweep on your dormant Yelp leads the day you connect. The Minimum-Viable Yelp Stack | Tool | Cost | Setup | What It Does | |---|---|---|---| | 1. Yelp source + AI inbox | $99/month | Part of setup | Creates a job-specific Yelp response in under 2 seconds | | 2. Missed-Yelp recovery flow | Bundled | Part of setup | Re-engages leads that go quiet | | 3. Calendar OAuth (Google/Cal.com) | Bundled | Part of setup | Books real open slots live | | Total minimum-viable | $99/month | Under 2 minutes | Under-2-second Yelp responses, recovery, and booking | Optional add-ons: voice agent ($10/month per number + $1/min) for callback completion, Thumbtack ($99) for cross-channel coverage. Deploy Timeline (Under 2 Minutes) | Step | Action | Result | |---|---|---| | 1 | Sign up | Account live | | 2 | Connect Yelp via OAuth | Inbox monitored | | 3 | Paste service list with prices | LLM ready to quote | | 4 | Test Yelp inquiry | Job-specific response created in under 2 seconds | | 5 | Go live | Real Yelp leads hitting | | On connect | Back-fill recovery sweeps last 7 days | Recovery messages created for dormant leads | The Missed-Yelp Recovery Flow Tuesday 8pm. Customer messages your Yelp profile alongside 4 competitors. | Touch | Time | AI Action | |---|---|---| | 1. AI response | Under 2 seconds | "Got your message about your water heater. What is the unit age and is it leaking now?" | | 2. Silent nudge | 4:00:00 | "Are you still looking? I have a 6pm slot open tonight." | | 3. Close-out | 24:00:00 | "If you still need help just reply, otherwise we will check back in 30 days." | This can re-engage Yelp customers who would otherwise have ghosted a slow manual reply. ROI Math: 30 Yelp Leads/Month (Illustrative) This is a worked illustration, not measured data. The point is the shape of the math, not the exact figures, so plug in your own reply rate, booking rate, and job value. | Metric | Manual | Min-Viable Stack | |---|---|---| | Reply time | Stretches to hours | Under 2 seconds | | Reply coverage | Misses leads when you're on a job | Every lead, every time | | Avg job value | $400 | $400 | | Stack cost | $0 | $99 | The return comes from converting more of the same Yelp leads. Even one or two extra booked jobs a month covers the $99 cost several times over. After-Hours Yelp Coverage | Time Window | Manual Yelp Reply | Min-Viable Stack | |---|---|---| | 8am to 5pm | When someone is free | <2 sec | | 5pm to 9pm | Often hours | <2 sec | | 9pm to 6am | Next morning | <2 sec | | Saturday | Often hours | <2 sec | | Sunday | Often next business day | <2 sec | The AI does not care what time the Yelp lead lands. It creates the same job-specific response in under 2 seconds for a 2am Yelp lead as for a midday one. Back-Fill: Right After You Connect The moment you connect Yelp, the AI sweeps the last 7 days of unanswered messages and creates a recovery message for each one: "Sorry for the slow reply, are you still looking for help with X?" Some of those dormant leads were never going to hear back otherwise. The ones that re-engage and book are revenue recovered before a single new lead arrives, and at a $400 average job a single recovered booking covers the $99 monthly cost. When to Add Layers Start minimum-viable. Add layers when these triggers hit. | Trigger | Add Layer | Cost | |---|---|---| | 30+ Yelp leads/month | Voice agent for callbacks | $10 + $1/min | | Cross-channel customers | Thumbtack source | $99 | | Lead volume spike | Facebook Messenger | $49 | | Calendar full | Buffer + lunch blocks | Free | | Out-of-zone leads | Service zone gate | Free | Add one layer at a time and measure the change before adding the next. What the Yelp Automation Tools Cost | Item | Monthly Cost | |---|---| | Yelp source + AI inbox | $99 | | Missed-Yelp recovery flow | Bundled | | Calendar OAuth + booking | Bundled | | Voice agent (optional callback) | $10 + $1/min | | Setup, support, transcripts, CRM sync | Free | Minimum-viable Yelp stack: $99/month. With voice callback (one number plus 20 call minutes, as an example): ~$129/month. How to Deploy in Under 2 Minutes 1. Sign up and connect Yelp via OAuth. Paste URL, approve handshake. 2. Paste your service list with min and max price ranges. Top 10 services. 3. Configure the 3-touch missed-Yelp recovery flow. Under 2s, 4hr, 24hr. 4. Sync Google Calendar for live Yelp booking. OAuth handshake. 5. Run a test Yelp inquiry and go live. Flip the source to live. Frequently Asked Questions What is the minimum-viable Yelp automation stack? Yelp source + recovery flow + calendar OAuth. $99/month. The AI creates a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds. How fast can I deploy Yelp automation tools? Under 2 minutes for the software setup. Once connected, the AI creates a job-specific response for every new Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds. What is the missed-Yelp recovery automation? 3-touch: under 2s instant, 4h nudge, 24h close. Re-engages leads that would have ghosted a slow reply. What is the ROI on Yelp automation tools? The return comes from converting more of the same Yelp leads. Even one or two extra booked jobs covers the $99 cost many times over. Do Yelp automation tools work after hours and on weekends? 24/7/365. The AI generates the same tailored Yelp reply in under 2 seconds after hours as it does at midday. Can Yelp automation tools back-fill leads I already missed? Yes. Sweeps the last 7 days and creates recovery messages for dormant Yelp threads, which can recover jobs before any new lead arrives. What if Yelp automation tools get a complex lead they cannot handle? Leads that need a person end in a structured handoff with full Yelp context. Other leads can continue with the AI directly. What does the Yelp automation tool stack cost? $99/month minimum. About $129 with voice callback at 20 call minutes. No contracts or setup fees. Live on Yelp Tonight Try } free. For setup details and example callback scripts, see the full Yelp auto responder guide. --- ### Yelp Business Messaging Strategy That Actually Books Jobs **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-business-messaging-strategy/ Service businesses lose many Yelp conversations before booking. Fix your messaging strategy and convert more Yelp inquiries into confirmed appointments. Yelp Business Messaging Strategy That Actually Books Jobs Many Yelp message inquiries never turn into booked jobs, and price and reviews are not the only levers. How you handle the conversation matters: replying first, qualifying fast, and following up. Speed alone is a huge lever - contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than an hour later (Harvard Business Review, 2011). Stop losing Yelp leads to slow, sloppy replies. Try } free and create a job-specific response for every inquiry in under 2 seconds. Why Most Yelp Messages Never Become Booked Jobs Customers who don't get a quick response often move on to the next business. That's a common reason Yelp messaging fails for service companies. Here are the four mistakes that kill conversions: | Mistake | What It Looks Like | Fix | |---|---|---| | Telling them to call | "Please call us at 555-0192" | Handle it through messages. They messaged you because they didn't want to call. | | Leading with price | "$0.25/sq ft, minimum $150" | Ask a qualifying question first. Give pricing in context, not as a raw number. | | Open-ended scheduling | "Let us know when you're free" | Offer two specific times: "Wednesday 9 AM or Thursday 2 PM?" | | No follow-up | One message, then silence | Automated follow-ups on day 2, 5, and 10. Silence means "not right now," not "no." | How to Convert Yelp Messages Into Appointments in 5 Steps Every successful Yelp booking follows the same five stages. Skip one and the conversation dies. 1. Respond instantly. Send a helpful first reply that acknowledges their specific issue. This determines whether steps 2-5 even happen. 2. Qualify in 1-5 minutes. Ask 2-3 questions about job scope, urgency, and location. This gathers info AND shows you know what you're doing. 3. Show expertise. Share one relevant detail that separates you from the ten businesses that just said "we can do that." 4. Propose a specific time. Not "when are you available?" but "I have Thursday at 10 AM or Friday at 2 PM. Which works?" A specific choice is easier to answer than an open question. 5. Confirm and prevent no-shows. Recap the details, send a reminder, make them feel good about the decision. Yelp Follow-Up Sequence That Recovers Lost Leads The biggest revenue opportunity isn't leads who respond right away. It's the ones who don't. A structured multi-touch follow-up sequence can recover jobs that would otherwise have been lost, and auto-stops the moment the customer replies or books. - Day 1: Immediate helpful response + qualifying question - Day 1 (45 min later, no reply): Check-in with availability - Day 3: "Still looking for [service]?" with a relevant tip - Day 7: Mention a seasonal benefit or specific value - Day 14: Final follow-up. Short, low-pressure. Running this manually is unrealistic. } automates the entire sequence, starting with a job-specific response created in under 2 seconds. You don't track who's been contacted or remember to follow up. What Good Yelp Messaging Metrics Look Like Track four numbers to know if your messaging is working: | Metric | What to aim for | Why It Matters | |---|---|---| | Response rate | As high as possible | Percentage of customers who reply to your first message | | Stage reach | As high as possible | Percentage of conversations that make it to the booking ask | | Conversion rate | Trending up over time | Percentage of total inquiries that book an appointment | | Messages to book | As few as possible | Fewer messages means less friction and faster bookings | If your response rate is low, the problem is your first message. If stage reach is low, you're losing people during qualification or scheduling. These numbers tell you exactly where to fix. Yelp Messaging Script Example for Service Businesses First reply (instant): > "Hi [Name], thanks for reaching out about [specific issue]. We handle this regularly in [area]. Quick question: is it a complete failure or just running rough? That helps me figure out what we're dealing with before we come out." After they respond: > "Based on what you described, this sounds like [likely issue]. We typically resolve it same-day. I have [Day] at [Time] and [Day] at [Time] open. Which works better?" If no response after 45 minutes: > "Just following up. We're available [Day] and [Day] this week. Happy to answer any questions first." Short, specific, and always moving toward a booked time slot. --- If you want to see what AI-generated Yelp responses look like for your business, set up a free trial at } and test it yourself. --- ### Yelp Conversion Rate: Baseline, Funnel, and Measurement **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-conversion-rate/ Measure Yelp conversion rate with a consistent 90-day baseline, clear funnel definitions, and no borrowed category benchmarks or guaranteed lift. Yelp Conversion Rate: Baseline, Funnel, and Measurement Yelp conversion rate is only useful when the numerator, denominator, and attribution window stay consistent. Track impressions, inquiries, customer replies, qualified leads, booked jobs, and collected revenue as separate layers so one metric does not hide the others. This guide shows how to build a 90-day baseline, compare paid and organic traffic, test response-time changes, and avoid borrowing unsupported category benchmarks. Need a consistent response-time test? Try } free, record the baseline first, and compare the next sample under the same definitions. What Counts as a Yelp Conversion Rate Before benchmarks make sense, the term needs a definition. Yelp conversion rate is not one number. There are three layered conversion rates that compound, and many businesses only track the last one: 1. Page-to-message rate - what percent of Yelp profile visitors send a message or call. Yelp shows this inside Yelp for Business as "leads from your page." 2. Message-to-reply rate - what percent of leads who message you actually reply back to your first response. This is where ad budgets often leak. 3. Reply-to-job rate - what percent of replying leads turn into a booked, paid job. Multiply all three to get an impression-to-job rate. Keep each layer separate so a change in profile traffic is not mistaken for a change in sales performance. Build a Yelp Conversion Baseline by Category Conversion rates vary by trade, market, job size, season, review profile, lead type, and how a business defines a booked job. A single category table cannot be treated as a reliable benchmark without a named dataset and methodology. Use your own last 90 days as the baseline, then compare the next period using the same definitions. | Layer | Numerator | Denominator | Keep constant | |-------|-----------|-------------|---------------| | Page-to-message | New Yelp inquiries | Profile or ad visits | Market, service area, ad mix | | Message-to-reply | Customers who reply | New Yelp inquiries | Reply definition and window | | Reply-to-job | Collected or booked jobs | Customers who replied | Job definition and attribution window | Urgent and planned-purchase services behave differently, so segment the data before comparing periods. A plumbing emergency should not be mixed with a roofing estimate that may take weeks to close. Yelp Ads Conversion Rate: What Changes When You Pay Yelp ads conversion rate gets confused with organic Yelp conversion rate, but paid and organic traffic can behave differently because the audience and placement differ. Measure them separately rather than importing an unsupported percentage. That is not a reason to skip Yelp ads. It is a reason to be ruthless about the message-to-reply layer. If your ad-driven page-to-message rate is half of organic, your reply rate has to do twice the work to keep ROI sane. Businesses who treat ad-driven inquiries the same as organic - slow reply, generic template - quietly destroy their Yelp ads conversion rate and blame the platform. For more on the economics, see our Yelp advertising ROI breakdown. Why Yelp Conversion Rates Fall Short Yelp may surface a response-rate symptom without proving its cause. Check four common causes before drawing a conclusion: 1. Reply speed measured in minutes, not seconds Yelp shoppers may contact several businesses at once. Long delays give the customer more time to continue comparing providers. Use your own account data to test whether slower responses correlate with fewer customer replies or bookings. 2. Generic acknowledgments instead of real replies "Thanks for your message, we will get back to you shortly." That kind of reply technically counts as a response, but it does not move the conversation. The customer asked something specific - a price, an availability window, a question about whether you handle their issue - and your reply ignored it. Conversion rate craters. 3. No follow-up sequence Some leads need more than one touch, while others do not want another message. Stop on reply or opt-out, and compare a documented follow-up policy with your prior baseline. 4. After-hours blackout A meaningful share of Yelp inquiries arrive after 6pm and on weekends. Businesses without after-hours coverage lose those leads to competitors that reply through the night. See our Yelp and Thumbtack after-hours guide for the breakdown. A Practical Response-Time Test Response time is measurable, but there is no universal five-second conversion rule. Set a target, then measure median response time alongside customer replies and booked jobs. } creates a job-specific Yelp response in under 2 seconds at any hour, including nights and weekends. Speed alone is not enough. The reply has to address what the customer asked, so } writes each response from your services, price ranges, and availability. For a deeper look at the data, see speed-to-lead on Yelp and Thumbtack. How } Lifts Each Layer A good Yelp workflow is not a faster template. It reads the inquiry and creates a job-specific response in under 2 seconds. From there, the conversation can qualify and book within the thread. - Message-to-reply can be tested after the first reply becomes faster and more specific. - Reply-to-job should be measured separately because qualification, price, availability, reviews, and sales follow-through also matter. - Ads conversion rate needs its own paid-traffic baseline and consistent attribution. Per-channel pricing at $99/month flat for Yelp means slow months and busy months cost the same - no per-reply meter to watch, no bundled-suite minimum hiding features you don't use. How to Audit Your Own Yelp Conversion Rate Before changing anything, get baseline numbers. Inside Yelp for Business, pull the last 90 days of leads and replies. Calculate: - Total leads received - Leads where the customer replied to your first message - Leads that became paid jobs Divide the second by the first to get message-to-reply rate. Divide the third by the second for reply-to-job. Compare each period with the same definitions and attribution window. The layer that changes most is the first one to investigate. What "Good" Looks Like "Good" means profitable for your service mix after lead cost, labor, refunds, and collected revenue are counted. Use your own baseline and target a material improvement without assuming another category's rate applies to you. If you want to see how speed-and-substance plays out on your actual Yelp inbox, try } free for 7 days and watch your reply rate over the next 20 leads. Frequently Asked Questions What is a good Yelp conversion rate? A good Yelp conversion rate is one that produces profitable collected jobs for your service mix. Use a consistent lead-to-job definition and compare against your own 90-day baseline; category urgency, market, reviews, price, and attribution all affect the result. What is the average Yelp ads conversion rate? The average Yelp ads conversion rate is harder to benchmark because it depends heavily on category and competition. The fix is not necessarily abandoning ads. It is making the first reply to every paid inquiry fast and specific. How do I increase my Yelp conversion rate? Reduce avoidable response delay and make each reply specific. Test one documented follow-up policy, stop on reply or opt-out, and compare the result with your prior baseline. Why is my Yelp conversion rate so low? Start by separating profile traffic, new inquiries, customer replies, qualified leads, booked jobs, and collected revenue. Then check response time, reply substance, availability, reviews, price, service area, and follow-up policy before assigning a cause. Does response time really affect Yelp conversion rate? Response time can affect whether a customer is still comparing providers when you reply, but it is not the only variable. Measure it alongside reply quality, qualification, price, availability, reviews, and booked jobs using your own account history. If you want to test job-specific Yelp responses created in under 2 seconds, try } free for 7 days. Record a baseline first, keep your definitions consistent, and judge the result from your own customer replies and booked jobs. --- ### Yelp Follow-Ups: AI vs Manual Workflows **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-follow-ups-ai-vs-manual/ Compare AI-created Yelp follow-ups with manual follow-up, including timing, stop rules, consistency, and a practical measurement plan. Yelp follow-ups: AI vs manual workflows This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Most Yelp leads don't book on the first message. They ask a question, get a quote, then go quiet. The businesses that win those jobs are the ones that follow up. But manual yelp follow ups are slow, inconsistent, and easy to forget when you're on a job site. Losing track of Yelp follow-up? Try } free and get a consistent, job-specific response for every Yelp lead in under 2 seconds. Yelp Follow Up Response Time: Why Minutes Matter The faster you reach a Yelp lead, the better your odds. The public research is consistent across windows: | Follow-Up Timing | Effect on Your Odds | Source | |---|---|---| | 5 to 30 minutes | 100x less likely to contact the lead | MIT, Oldroyd 2007 | | 5 to 30 minutes | 21x less likely to qualify the lead | MIT, Oldroyd 2007 | | Within an hour | ~7x more likely to qualify than an hour later | HBR, 2011 | | 24+ hours | ~60x less likely to qualify than within the hour | HBR, 2011 | The problem is obvious. A plumber knee-deep in a water heater install isn't checking Yelp messages every five minutes. By the time they respond, the lead already booked someone else. AI vs Manual: Yelp Lead Follow Up Compared The difference between manual and automated follow-up isn't subtle. It comes down to speed and consistency: | Factor | Manual Follow-Up | AI Follow-Up | |---|---|---| | First response time | Measure in your own account | Job-specific response created in under 2 seconds | | Follow-ups per lead | Depends on the team's process | Follows the configured sequence and stop rules | | Follow-up consistency | Hit or miss when you're on a job | Every lead, every time | Manual follow-up breaks down when ownership is unclear. A configured sequence keeps every follow-up consistent and on schedule, and it stops when the lead replies or books. Why Manual Yelp Follow Ups Fall Apart Three things kill manual follow-up for service businesses: 1. You forget. A lead comes in at 2pm, you're on a job until 5pm, and by then you've got three more messages to deal with. The 2pm lead never gets a second touch. 2. You stop too early. Many contractors send one reply. Maybe two. But many converted leads aren't reached on the first attempt - a lead who didn't commit immediately usually needs several touches, and almost nobody keeps that up manually. 3. Your tone gets worse. Copy-pasting the same follow-up at 9pm after a 12-hour day doesn't produce great messages. AI keeps the same quality on message 50 as message 1. What AI Yelp Follow-Up Automation Actually Does AI Yelp follow-up works like this: a lead messages your listing, and the system creates a job-specific response in under 2 seconds. Later follow-ups are created on the configured schedule and stop when the lead replies or books. One example sequence is: 1. A first response that answers the request and gives the customer a clear next step 2. A later availability check if there is still no reply 3. A next-day follow-up that references the original request 4. A final low-pressure close, if your configured sequence includes one If the lead replies or books, the follow-up sequence stops. What This Means for Your Yelp ROI Yelp lead costs vary by account, market, and campaign. Use the amount shown in your own account rather than a generic price range. Measure the workflow with your own data: lead spend, first-response time, reply rate, qualified conversations, and booked jobs. A fast response is worth keeping when the message is accurate and the downstream conversion metrics improve. Set up a free trial at } and run a measured test of AI-created Yelp follow-up. --- ### Yelp Lead Qualification AI: Filter Bad Leads Before They Waste Your Time **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-lead-qualification-ai/ AI qualifies your Yelp leads instantly, routing emergencies to your calendar and filtering out tire kickers. See how it works. Yelp Lead Qualification AI: Filter Bad Leads Before They Waste Your Time Many of the Yelp messages you reply to won't turn into jobs. Some are tire kickers. Some are out of your service area. You spend the same 5 minutes on each one, whether it's a burst pipe or someone "just curious about pricing." AI lead qualification reads every Yelp inquiry, scores it by intent and urgency, and routes it accordingly. Emergencies go straight to your calendar. The AI creates a short, polite response for low-intent messages. You only touch leads worth your time. Tired of wasting hours on Yelp leads that never convert? Try } free and let AI qualify every inquiry before it reaches you. How Does AI Qualify Yelp Leads? AI scans each Yelp message for four signal types before it creates a response: | Signal | What AI looks for | Example | |--------|------------------|---------| | Urgency | "broken," "flooding," "no heat," "emergency" | "AC stopped working, 98 degrees in the house" | | Timeline | "tomorrow," "ASAP," "this week," "next month" | "Need gutters cleaned before the rain Friday" | | Scope | Square footage, room count, "full replacement" vs. "repair" | "Looking at replacing all windows, 2400 sq ft home" | | Decision stage | "ready to book," "getting quotes," "already have one bid" | "Have two quotes, want one more before deciding" | Based on these signals, the AI classifies every lead into one of four categories and adjusts both the response and the follow-up sequence automatically. What Are the 4 Yelp Lead Types? Not every inquiry deserves the same effort. Here's how each type breaks down: | Lead type | Intent | Best response | Follow-up | |-----------|----------------|---------------|-----------| | Emergency | Highest, needs help now | Immediate, offer same-day service | Call within 2 hours | | Scheduled service | High, has a timeline | Pricing range + 2-3 time slots | 3-day and 7-day reminders | | Quote/planning | Medium, decides over weeks | Qualification questions + estimate offer | 7, 14, 21-day nurture | | Low intent | Low | Short re-qualifying response | 1 follow-up, then close out | AI handles all four types simultaneously. You only get pulled in for emergencies and booked appointments. How Much Time Does Yelp Lead Qualification Save? Take a hypothetical plumbing company that gets 50 Yelp messages per month and spends 14 hours replying manually. Here's how that time could break down: - 8 emergency leads: 2 hours (high ROI, worth every minute) - 15 scheduled service: 3 hours (warm leads, good close rate) - 18 quote/planning: 6 hours (need weeks of nurture, hard to close manually) - 9 low-intent: 3 hours (mostly wasted) With AI qualification, much of that manual writing time goes away. The AI captures emergencies instantly, starts nurture sequences for quote-stage leads, and creates a tailored response for low-intent messages. Track your own hours before and after to see the difference. What Happens When AI Finds a High-Intent Yelp Lead? When the AI identifies an emergency or ready-to-book lead, the handoff is automatic: 1. AI detects urgency and intent signals in the message 2. Creates a calibrated, job-specific response that proposes an appointment 3. Books the appointment on your connected calendar 4. Notifies you with the customer name, job type, time, address, and conversation summary 5. Syncs everything to your connected CRM You show up to a booked job knowing exactly what the customer needs. No phone tag. No back-and-forth. How Long Does Yelp AI Lead Qualification Take to Set Up? In minutes. Connect your Yelp account, define what counts as an emergency vs. routine for your trade, check the AI's qualification questions, and set your routing rules. Follow-up sequences for quote-stage leads activate automatically. The AI starts qualifying your next incoming Yelp message as soon as setup is done. --- Stop spending hours every month on Yelp messages that mostly go nowhere. Set up a free trial at } and let AI sort your leads before they hit your inbox. --- ### Yelp Leads in 2026: Where They Come From and How to Convert More **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-leads/ Yelp leads go cold fast. Here is where they come from, why they stall, and how to convert more with speed and AI. Yelp Leads in 2026: Where They Come From and How to Convert More Yelp leads are some of the highest-intent leads a service business can get. The customer is already typing "plumber near me" or "house cleaner Saturday," they've picked your listing out of a dozen others, and they're messaging you because they want the job done. The problem isn't getting Yelp leads. The problem is converting them before the customer messages four other businesses and forgets you exist. Losing Yelp leads to slow replies? Try } free: it creates a job-specific response for every Yelp lead in under 2 seconds, with AI that books appointments while you work. Where Yelp Leads Actually Come From Yelp leads land in your inbox through a few different paths, and the path matters because intent and urgency vary across them. | Lead Source | What It Looks Like | Intent Level | |-------------|--------------------|--------------| | Organic Yelp search | Customer searches a category, finds your listing, messages you | High | | Yelp Ads (paid placement) | Your business shows up at the top of category results | High | | Request a Quote | Customer fills out a project form, Yelp sends it to multiple pros | Medium-high | | Yelp Connect / sponsored content | Customer clicks through from a promoted post or article | Medium | | Direct profile visit | Customer lands on your page from a search engine or referral | Highest | | Repeat / referral | Past customer or someone they referred messages you again | Highest | Many paying Yelp businesses get much of their volume from a mix of organic search and Yelp Ads. Request a Quote leads tend to be the trickiest because the customer just messaged several of you at once. The first pro to reply with something useful often has the edge. If filling the top of that funnel is your harder problem, the 11 tactics to generate leads on Yelp covers the profile, photo, review, and Request a Quote moves that raise volume before you ever get to the conversion side below. Why Most Yelp Leads Go Cold There's a hard truth most service business owners learn the expensive way: getting Yelp leads is the easy part. Converting them is where the money is made or lost. The most common reasons Yelp leads die: - Slow first reply. Most Yelp leads are messaging multiple businesses simultaneously. Reply right away and you're often the first response in their inbox. Reply in an hour and you're competing with whoever already booked them. - Generic auto-reply. A canned "Thanks, we'll get back to you" template gets sent to every lead and customers know what that looks like. They tune it out. - No follow-up. A large share of Yelp leads don't reply to the first message. If you don't follow up over the next several days, they're gone. - Phone tag. Some leads want a phone call, not a message. If you only respond by message, you lose the ones who prefer to talk. - Out-of-scope work. Some Yelp leads aren't right for your business - wrong service, wrong location, wrong budget. If you don't qualify quickly, you spend time on jobs you'll never book. The speed-to-lead breakdown for Yelp and Thumbtack digs deeper into the response-time math and why every minute matters. Yelp Leads vs. Thumbtack Leads If you're running on both platforms, Yelp leads behave a little differently than Thumbtack ones: - Yelp leads tend to come from searchers actively looking for a business right now. Thumbtack leads more often come from project-oriented forms. - Yelp Request a Quote sends your reply to the lead directly. Thumbtack's flow puts you in a competitive lane with other pros bidding too. - Yelp leads more often expect a phone call. Thumbtack leads more often expect a message-first conversation. For a fuller comparison, the Yelp vs. Thumbtack leads guide has the full side-by-side. Conversion Patterns for Yelp Leads Numbers vary by trade, but a few directional patterns are worth testing against your own account data: - Businesses that reply right away tend to book more Yelp leads than businesses that reply an hour later. - Personalized first replies convert noticeably better than generic "we'll be in touch" templates. - Multi-touch follow-up sequences over 3-7 days can recover leads who didn't reply to the first message. - Adding a phone call to the message-only flow lifts conversion further, especially on higher-ticket jobs. If your Yelp lead-to-booking rate is lower than you want, check response speed and reply quality before blaming volume. You don't need more Yelp leads. You need to convert the ones already coming in. How to Convert More Yelp Leads Five things move the needle, in priority order: 1. Create a Useful Response Immediately Speed alone does not close the deal, but a useful response created the moment the lead arrives removes the writing delay. A Yelp auto responder creates a job-specific response in under 2 seconds, built from your services, price ranges, and availability. 2. Reply to What the Customer Actually Asked A reply that says "Yes, we handle kitchen faucet repairs and have Saturday morning availability" beats "Thanks, we'll be in touch" by a wide margin. The customer feels heard, not processed. AI tools that read the message can do this at scale; static templates can't. 3. Follow Up Multiple Times Many leads who don't reply to your first message will reply to a later one. Set up a sequence over 3-7 days. Skip the "just checking in" tone - reference their original request and offer something concrete (a time slot, a price range, an in-home estimate). 4. Add a Phone Call For higher-urgency or higher-ticket leads, a phone call can close faster than messaging. An AI voice agent can call leads who haven't replied to messages, qualify the job, and book the appointment - without taking your day apart. 5. Qualify Out the Wrong Leads Early Not every Yelp lead is a good fit. Asking the right qualifying questions up front saves time on jobs that were never going to book. Done well, this also raises your effective conversion rate because you're no longer counting bad-fit leads in the denominator. What an AI Yelp Lead Tool Looks Like A modern AI Yelp lead converter does five things at once: 1. Reads each new Yelp lead in full and creates a context-specific response in under 2 seconds. 2. Asks qualifying questions to filter good fits from bad ones. 3. Books the appointment directly when the lead is ready. 4. Calls the lead with an AI voice agent if messages stall. 5. Runs a multi-touch follow-up sequence over the next several days for any lead that goes quiet. For a deeper look at how AI handles Yelp specifically, see the Yelp auto responder guide. Pricing: Per-Channel vs. Bundled Suite Yelp lead tools come in two pricing flavors: bundled enterprise suites (flat monthly bundles, often with annual contracts) that lump in review management, webchat, and payments whether you use them or not, or per-channel pricing where you pay only for the channels you actually run. } uses per-channel: $99/month flat for unlimited Yelp message handling, $99/month for Thumbtack, $19/month for Facebook Lead Ads, $49/month for Facebook Messenger. Add a voice agent only if you want phone callbacks ($10/month phone number plus $1/minute talk time). 7-day free trial, no contracts. Common Mistakes Handling Yelp Leads - Treating all Yelp leads the same. A tile regrout job and a full bathroom remodel are different conversations. Generic replies kill both. - Not tracking which leads converted. If you don't know your lead-to-booking rate, you can't fix it. - Skipping follow-up. This is where the easiest wins are. Many owners stop after one message. - Ignoring after-hours leads. A lot of Yelp messages come in evenings and weekends. If you don't reply until morning, you've lost them. Yelp Leads Are Worth Fighting For Yelp leads often carry high intent. The customer is actively shopping, often within a few hours of needing the service done. The pros who win on Yelp aren't the ones with the lowest ad spend or the prettiest listing. They're the ones who reply first, reply well, and follow up. Test Your Yelp Response Workflow This Week If you want to evaluate an AI-assisted Yelp response workflow, start with a baseline from your own inbox. Record response time, customer replies, qualified leads, and booked jobs, then compare the next sample on the same definitions. Start a free trial of } and test the job-specific responses it creates for your Yelp leads in under 2 seconds. Results depend on your market, offer, and lead quality, so treat the trial as a measurement period rather than a promised booking lift. --- ### Yelp Request a Quote Auto-Reply: Job-Specific Responses in Under 2 Seconds **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-request-a-quote-auto-reply/ Create a job-specific Yelp Request a Quote response in under 2 seconds, built from your services and price ranges, and measure response quality and booking results. Yelp Request a Quote auto-reply: job-specific responses in under 2 seconds This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Yelp sends a "Request a Quote" notification to your business. You're on a job. You reply 3 hours later. By then, the customer already booked someone who responded in 4 minutes. That scenario is why response time deserves measurement, but speed does not automatically beat price, reviews, availability, or fit. A frequently cited Harvard Business Review study found that faster contact was associated with better lead qualification, but it did not measure Yelp bookings. Losing Yelp leads to slow replies? Try } free and get a job-specific response for every Request a Quote in under 2 seconds. How Yelp Request a Quote Works A customer finds your Yelp listing, clicks "Request a Quote," and fills out what they need. Yelp sends you the request via the app, email, and sometimes SMS. Here's the problem: Yelp sends the same request to multiple businesses in your area. You're competing against several other contractors who got the same lead at the same time. A prompt, useful reply can start the conversation sooner. Yelp does not publish a rule that guarantees a booking or higher organic placement from response speed, so track those outcomes separately. What the Research Says About Response Time The public research on lead response time is consistent, and it all points the same way: - 5 to 30 minutes: you become 100x less likely to contact the lead and 21x less likely to qualify it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007). - Within an hour vs later: responding within an hour keeps you ~7x more likely to qualify the lead, and ~60x more likely than waiting 24+ hours (HBR, 2011). The research supports testing a faster workflow. It does not show that waiting an hour automatically hands a Yelp job to the first respondent. What } Does With Yelp Quotes } monitors your Yelp Request a Quote inbox. When a new request comes in: 1. AI reads the quote details (service type, timing, location) 2. Creates a personalized, job-specific response in under 2 seconds 3. Builds it from your services, price ranges, and availability, with a clear qualifying question The result is a relevant response instead of a generic "Thanks for reaching out." Why Generic Auto-Replies Don't Work on Yelp Some businesses set up a canned response: "Thanks for your interest. We'll get back to you soon." That's better than nothing. But customers can tell it's automated, and "soon" doesn't tell them when. They keep searching. } creates contextual responses based on the request and the facts the business configured. A plumbing request can use different service details from a drain-cleaning request. Does Yelp Response Time Affect Your Ranking? Yelp may display response-related information, but it does not publish a guaranteed organic-ranking formula or promise more quote requests for a specific response time. Track the business outcomes you can verify: first-response time, reply rate, qualified conversations, and bookings. } creates job-specific responses around the clock, in under 2 seconds for every Yelp inquiry. After-Hours Yelp Quotes A large share of Yelp quote requests come in after 6pm or on weekends. Without automation, those sit until the next morning. The customer may have booked someone else by then. } generates a tailored Yelp reply in under 2 seconds at any hour, built from your services, price ranges, and availability. Try } free and test whether job-specific responses created in under 2 seconds improve your own Yelp response and booking metrics. --- ### Yelp Response Quality Score in 2026: What an 'Excellent' Reply Looks Like **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-response-quality-score/ Yelp uses AI to evaluate how well businesses reply to project requests. See what an 'Excellent' reply includes, the score factors, and how to automate job-specific responses. Yelp response quality score: what an "Excellent" reply looks like This is part of our complete Lead Response Automation guide for service businesses. Yelp uses AI to evaluate how well service businesses reply to project requests. Businesses that consistently give helpful, informative replies can earn a response quality badge such as "Excellent", shown on eligible business pages and in Yelp search results. Yelp does not publish a formula that ties the badge to ranking or to which business a customer contacts first. Many businesses reply with "Thanks, give us a call." That kind of reply is unlikely to score well. Yelp's system wants specific, personalized answers. Writing those by hand for every lead is slow. Automating them is not. Losing Yelp leads to generic replies? Try } free and create a job-specific response for every inquiry in under 2 seconds. What Does Yelp's Response Quality Score Measure? Yelp says its models consider factors such as whether you provide a quote or availability, acknowledge project details, ask relevant follow-up questions, and go beyond a generic "call us" reply. Here's how a strong response compares with a poor one: | Factor | Excellent Score | Poor Score | |--------|----------------|------------| | Personalization | References the customer's specific request | Generic template reply | | Pricing info | Includes realistic ranges for the project | "Call us for a quote" | | Availability | Mentions specific dates or timeframes | No scheduling info | | Follow-up questions | Asks relevant technical details | No engagement | | Response length | Detailed but focused | One or two sentences | | Response speed | Within minutes | Hours or next day | Where available, the badges show up on eligible business pages and in Yelp search results, so customers can see them before they message you. Excellent vs. Poor Response: Real Example A poor-scoring response looks like this: > "Thanks for your interest. Please call us to discuss." An "Excellent" response looks like this: > "Thanks for reaching out about your kitchen renovation. Based on the 12x10 space you described, a complete remodel typically runs $35,000-55,000 and takes 3-4 weeks. I have availability starting March 15th. Could you tell me: Are you planning to move electrical or plumbing? What's your preferred countertop material?" The second response takes 5-10 minutes to write manually. Multiply that by 8-10 inquiries a day and you can spend an hour or more just writing first replies. That's where a Yelp auto responder pays off - it generates the same level of detail in under 2 seconds, on every inquiry. How } Builds Detailed Responses Automatically } generates every reply around the factors above. Each response includes: - Realistic pricing ranges based on the project scope the customer described - Availability windows pulled from your schedule - Timeline estimates for the specific service requested - Follow-up questions that show expertise (access requirements, material preferences, technical details that affect cost) - Personalized references to whatever the customer mentioned in their inquiry The system detects urgency, adjusts tone accordingly, and asks the kind of follow-up questions that signal you know what you're doing. This happens on every inquiry, automatically, instantly. You don't need to write each detailed reply by hand. } creates it for you. Why Response Quality Matters to Customers When a customer is choosing between three plumbers on Yelp, the one with an "Excellent" response badge may stand out. The badge signals that this business has a record of thorough, helpful replies. Treat any change in inquiries or bookings as something to measure against your own baseline, not a guaranteed effect of the badge. How to Set Up } for Yelp Getting started takes under 2 minutes: 1. Connect your Yelp business account 2. Configure your services, pricing ranges, and availability 3. } starts generating job-specific replies immediately Every response is built from your services, price ranges, and availability from day one. No training period, no tweaking templates. Yelp alone decides which badge, if any, appears. Try } free and track your Yelp response quality score against your own baseline. Related articles - Yelp Auto Responder: Job-Specific Replies in Under 2 Seconds - Yelp Business Automation Tools in 2026: The 3-Tool Stack That Goes Live in Minutes --- ### Yelp Response Speed Guide: Benchmarks, Data, and Automation Playbook **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-response-speed-guide/ Yelp response speed guide: what the lead-response research supports, how an AI auto responder creates a job-specific reply in under 2 seconds, and how to measure your own results. Yelp Response Speed Guide Response time is one part of a Yelp lead workflow. The widely cited MIT and HBR studies measured broader web leads, not Yelp bookings, so they support testing a faster process but do not prove that the first Yelp reply wins the job. Yelp replies too slow? Try } free and get a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds. How Response Speed Affects Conversion The named research maps how sharply conversion odds fall as reply time stretches out: | Reply Time | Effect on Your Odds | Source | |---|---|---| | 5 to 30 minutes | 100x less likely to contact the lead | MIT, Oldroyd 2007 | | 5 to 30 minutes | 21x less likely to qualify the lead | MIT, Oldroyd 2007 | | Within an hour | ~7x more likely to qualify than an hour later | HBR, 2011 | | 24+ hours | ~60x less likely to qualify than within the hour | HBR, 2011 | The studies show a relationship between delay and lead qualification. They are useful background for a response-time test, but your Yelp booking result still depends on the service, market, request, reply quality, availability, and staff follow-through. Why Yelp Response Time Matters More Than Other Channels Yelp customers may compare several businesses. A prompt, specific reply gives you a better chance to reach the customer while the request is fresh, but speed does not override price, reviews, availability, or fit. Do not borrow a generic response-time average. Record your own median response time for at least two weeks, separate business hours from after hours, and compare qualified conversations and bookings before and after a workflow change. Which Trades Lose the Most From Slow Replies Emergency-heavy trades lose the most from slow replies, because the customer needs help now and will call the next pro on the list within minutes. - Plumbing and HVAC leads are often urgent (a burst pipe, no AC in July), so a slow reply often means a lost job. - Roofing storm-damage leads can go cold within hours, and the homeowner is often calling several contractors at once. - Electrical splits between emergencies and scheduled upgrades, but the emergency side punishes slow response just as hard. - Cleaning and landscaping are less time-critical, but the first responder still has the edge. The Yelp auto responder guide breaks down the seasonal and trade-specific patterns further. How to create Yelp replies in under 2 seconds Four steps. Under 2 minutes total: 1. Connect your Yelp business account. Click Add Source, pick Yelp, authorize. 2. Add your service list with price ranges. "Drain cleaning $180-$320." The AI quotes from these, not generic templates. 3. Connect your calendar. Google Calendar or Cal.com so the AI books from real availability. 4. Go live. Every new Yelp message gets a job-specific response created in under 2 seconds. The full Yelp auto responder setup covers voice callbacks, follow-up sequences, and advanced configuration. Yelp Responds Quickly Badge and What Yelp Publishes Yelp calculates your response time as the median time you took to reply to new messages over the last 30 days, excluding its 6pm-8am after-hours window, and your response rate as the share of new messages you replied to in that period. Yelp does not publish a guaranteed threshold or timeline. Creating a useful, job-specific response in under 2 seconds removes the time spent writing each reply from scratch. For how Yelp scores the quality (not just speed) of your replies, see Yelp response quality score. ROI of Fixing Yelp Response Speed (Illustrative) The potential return comes from covering more of the same Yelp leads with a specific response instead of writing every message from scratch. The figures below are a worked illustration, not measured data, so plug in your own booking rate and ticket size. | Metric | Manual Reply | AI Auto Responder | |---|---|---| | Yelp leads/month | 40 | 40 | | Time to a written reply | Stretches to hours | Under 2 seconds | | Avg ticket | $450 | $450 | | Automation cost | $0 | $99/mo | At a $99 monthly cost and a $450 average ticket, one additional booked job would cover the software cost in this illustration. That is a break-even calculation, not a promise that the workflow will create the booking. Frequently Asked Questions What is a good Yelp response time for service businesses? The faster the better, and the first minutes matter most. Waiting from 5 to 30 minutes makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT, Oldroyd 2007), and contacting within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than waiting an hour later (HBR, 2011). How does Yelp response speed affect the Responds Quickly badge? Yelp does not publish a guaranteed badge threshold. A job-specific response created in under 2 seconds removes the time spent writing each reply, and Yelp alone decides when the badge appears. What is the average Yelp response time for service businesses? There is no single verified average that applies to every Yelp service category. Use your account's own response-time history and split it by business hours and after hours. Does Yelp response time affect search ranking? Yelp does not publish a rule that guarantees search-position gains from faster replies. Measure response time for customer experience and conversion, not as a promised ranking tactic. Can I automate my Yelp response workflow? Yes. } creates a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds, built from your services, price ranges, and availability, and the follow-up workflow runs on the schedule you configure. How fast does an AI auto responder create a Yelp reply? } generates a tailored Yelp reply in under 2 seconds, using your services, price ranges, and availability. --- Try } free and get a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds, built from your services, price ranges, and availability. --- ### Yelp Room to Improve Score: A Practical Response Audit **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-room-to-improve-score/ A practical audit for Yelp's Room to improve response label, with job-specific replies, measurement, and no unsupported ranking or badge promises. Yelp "Room to Improve" Score: A Practical Response Audit Your Yelp response display says "Room to improve." Treat that label as a prompt to inspect your response workflow, not proof that Yelp lowered your ranking or that another business took a lead because of the label. Start with the basics: make each reply relevant to the actual request, reply promptly, and keep the same measurement definitions for at least one comparison window. Auditing slow or generic Yelp replies? Try } free to test job-specific responses created in under 2 seconds against your own baseline. What Does "Room to Improve" Mean on Yelp? Yelp can display response-related feedback, but it does not publish a complete scoring formula or a guaranteed threshold for every label. Review reply timing, relevance, unanswered inquiries, and the current guidance visible in your Yelp for Business account. Do not infer an organic ranking change from the label alone. Reviews, relevance, location, competition, profile completeness, ads, and customer behavior can move at the same time. How "Room to Improve" Costs You Leads Use the label to organize an account-level audit: | Check | Evidence to collect | Safe conclusion | |-------|---------------------|-----------------| | First-response time | Median and 90th percentile | Whether delays are consistent | | Reply relevance | Sample of recent replies | Whether messages address the request | | Customer replies | Replies divided by new inquiries | Change against your own baseline | | Booked jobs | Consistent attribution window | Outcome, not a guaranteed effect of the label | The label does not prove a lost lead. Use customer replies and booked jobs to measure the actual outcome. Why Most Responses Get Poor Scores The typical response that gets flagged looks like this: "Thanks for your interest. Please call us." That reply ignores what the customer asked, gives zero useful info, and could be sent to anyone. Yelp's system knows the difference. Useful responses generally do the opposite: - Reference the specific service the customer asked about - Include real details like pricing ranges or timelines - Ask follow-up questions that show you understand the project - Offer a clear next step Most business owners know this. The problem is doing it for every single lead, especially after hours or during a busy day. How } Writes Job-Specific Yelp Responses } reads each incoming Yelp message and writes a response matched to what the customer actually said. Here's a comparison: Generic reply: "Thanks for reaching out. Call us to discuss." Job-specific response: "Thanks for reaching out about your bathroom renovation. We can help with that type of project. Before we confirm a range or schedule, are you relocating plumbing, and what is your preferred tile style? A team member will review the details and confirm the next step." The second response addresses the request and asks only the questions needed for the next step. } creates a response like this in under 2 seconds around the clock, and quote wording comes from the business's configured services, prices, and rules. How Fast Does the Score Improve? Yelp does not publish a guaranteed timeline, and } does not promise a particular label. Check the account after a consistent sample of new replies, then record whether response time, customer replies, or booked jobs changed. Fix Your Yelp Response Score Today Treat the label as a workflow checkpoint. Make every reply relevant to the request, cover nights and weekends, and compare results with your own baseline. } creates a job-specific Yelp response in under 2 seconds at any hour, built from your services, price ranges, and availability. Try } free and run a measured test without assuming a badge, ranking, or conversion result. Related Reading - Yelp Response Quality Score: What an "Excellent" Reply Looks Like - Yelp Auto Responder: Job-Specific Replies in Under 2 Seconds - Yelp Business Automation Tools in 2026: The 3-Tool Stack That Goes Live in Minutes --- ### Yelp and Thumbtack After-Hours Response Workflow **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-thumbtack-after-hours-auto-response/ Plan an after-hours response workflow for Yelp and Thumbtack, with job-specific Yelp responses created in under 2 seconds, instant Thumbtack replies, and measurable stop rules. Yelp and Thumbtack after-hours response workflow This is part of our complete AI Receptionist guide for service businesses. After-hours inquiries can wait longer when nobody owns the queue. Check your account timestamps first, then decide whether evening and weekend coverage is a material gap. Need a clearer after-hours process? Try } free and get job-specific responses for Yelp and Thumbtack leads in under 2 seconds. How many Yelp and Thumbtack leads come in after hours? The answer depends on the service, market, season, and ad schedule. Export at least four weeks of lead timestamps and group them into business hours, evenings, overnight, and weekends. Record median first-response time and qualified conversations for each group. The commonly cited MIT lead-response study was not specific to Yelp or Thumbtack. It is a reason to test delay, not a substitute for your own channel data. Why after-hours response time kills your conversion rate Lead costs vary by account and market. Use the spend shown in your own Yelp and Thumbtack accounts, then calculate cost per qualified conversation and cost per booked job. Here's what happens when a lead sends a message at 9 PM: 1. A request arrives outside the staffed window 2. The system creates a job-specific Yelp response in under 2 seconds, or replies instantly on Thumbtack 3. Your team picks up any conversation that needs a handoff 4. The team records whether the lead replied, qualified, or booked This isn't a peak-season problem. It happens every single night. How } handles Yelp and Thumbtack leads 24/7 } works around the clock on each connected lead source: - Yelp: creates a job-specific response in under 2 seconds, built from your services, price ranges, and availability - Thumbtack: replies instantly to new leads and continues the configured follow-up sequence - Qualification: uses the services, hours, service area, prices, and rules the business configured - CRM connection: can connect when the CRM provides the required API or webhook access The Yelp auto responder and Thumbtack auto responder pages cover each channel in more detail. After-hours auto-response vs other options | Option | After-Hours Coverage | Response Time | Monthly Cost | Lead Quality | |---|---|---|---|---| | } | Configured automation runs 24/7 | Job-specific response in under 2 seconds on Yelp and Thumbtack | $99/mo per channel; voice $10/mo per number + $1/min | Uses configured business facts and rules | | Yelp quick responses | Template only | Instant but generic | Free | No conversation, no follow-up | | Virtual assistant | Depends on timezone | Depends on availability | Varies by provider | Varies by person | | Doing nothing | None | Next morning | Free | Cold leads, low conversion | The useful comparison is not a promised booking outcome. It is whether a specific, accurate response moves more of your own inquiries into qualified conversations than the current process. What this looks like for your Yelp and Thumbtack numbers Track these measures before and after activation: - Booked jobs from evening and weekend inquiries - First-response time by channel - Customer reply rate on leads that arrive after 5 PM, compared with your baseline - Cost per qualified conversation and booked job using actual channel spend You're not spending more on ads or lead generation. You're just stopping the leak on leads you're already buying. Set up after-hours auto-response in under 2 minutes Connect your Yelp or Thumbtack account, add your services, price ranges, and operating hours, then test the first lead before going live. Try } free and compare the after-hours results with your measured baseline. --- ### Yelp vs Thumbtack Cost Per Lead: How to Calculate What You Actually Pay **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-thumbtack-cost-analysis/ How Yelp and Thumbtack charge for leads, how to calculate your real cost per booked job, and how faster response can lower it on the same ad spend. Yelp vs Thumbtack cost per lead: how to calculate what you actually pay Yelp ads charge per click. Thumbtack charges per lead. But neither price tells you what matters: your cost per booked job. That depends on how fast you respond and how many leads you actually convert. Paying for leads you never close? Try } free and test whether instant auto-responses lower your true cost per booked job. How Much Does Yelp Advertising Cost? Yelp uses a cost-per-click model. You pay when someone clicks your ad, not when they contact you. | Yelp cost type | Where to find your number | |---|---| | CPC ads | Cost per click in your Yelp ads dashboard | | Enhanced profile | Current fee in your Yelp for Business billing | | Request-a-Quote | Varies by market | The problem: you pay for clicks that never turn into messages. For example, a 10% click-to-contact rate means your real cost per lead is 10x your CPC. At $15/click, that's $150 per actual inquiry. Yelp works best for trades where customers research and compare (HVAC, roofing, remodeling) and in markets with strong Yelp adoption, mostly West Coast and urban areas. Thumbtack Cost Per Lead by Trade Thumbtack charges per lead. You pay for every customer who submits a quote request, whether they respond to you or not. Lead prices vary by trade, location, job details, and your own settings, so skip generic price lists. Check the current lead price for each service in your Thumbtack account and use that number in the math below. For example, at a 20% win rate you're paying 5x the lead price for each job you book, so a $35 HVAC lead becomes a $175 customer acquisition cost. Thumbtack works better for shorter sales cycles (cleaning, handyman, painting) and for newer businesses building a customer base. Real Cost Per Job: Slow Response vs. Fast Response The gap between what you pay per lead and what you pay per job comes down to conversion rate. Response speed is a major factor - waiting from 5 to 30 minutes to respond makes you 21x less likely to qualify a lead - and 100x less likely to contact it (MIT - Dr. James Oldroyd, 2007), while contacting a lead within an hour makes you about 7x more likely to qualify it than an hour later (HBR, 2011). Here's how that plays out on an HVAC example (illustrative math, not measured data): | Metric | Manual response | With } | |---|---|---| | Lead cost (HVAC example) | $35/lead | $35/lead | | Monthly leads (25) | $875 | $875 | | Response time | 2-4 hours | Instant | Same leads. Same ad spend. The lead cost doesn't change - but the share you convert does. Every lead you win at the same ad spend lowers your real cost per booked job. The only difference is response speed and automated follow-ups. Why Businesses Overpay for Yelp and Thumbtack Leads Four things burn through your ad budget without producing jobs: 1. Slow replies. Leads that don't hear back in 5 minutes often move on. That's a paid lead, wasted. 2. No follow-up sequence. Day-3 and day-7 follow-ups can recover leads that went cold, because many leads don't reply to the first attempt. Many businesses never send them. 3. Missed after-hours leads. Yelp and Thumbtack run 24/7. If you only respond during business hours, evenings and weekends are dead money. 4. No CRM sync. Manual data entry means leads slip through cracks. That's pure waste on those specific leads. } Break-Even: Less Than One Extra Job At $99/month per channel, } breaks even on a fraction of one booked job. Here's how little extra work it takes to break even at different job values (simple arithmetic on the $99 monthly cost): | Average job value | Extra jobs needed to break even | |---|---| | $200 (cleaning) | 0.5 | | $500 (plumbing) | 0.2 | | $800 (HVAC) | 0.12 | | $2,000 (roofing) | 0.05 | In other words, a single recovered booking covers the month at every job value in this table. Every job above break-even - won by replying instantly instead of hours later - is added revenue on the ad spend you're already paying. Stop Overpaying for Leads You Already Buy You're already spending money on Yelp and Thumbtack. The question is whether you're converting those leads or letting them go to your competitors. Set up a free trial at } and see what happens when every lead gets a response instantly. --- ### Yelp vs Thumbtack Leads: Compare Cost, Intent, and Conversion **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/blog/yelp-vs-thumbtack-leads/ Compare Yelp and Thumbtack leads using your own cost per booked job, customer intent, response workflow, and channel-level conversion data. Yelp vs Thumbtack leads: compare the channels with your own numbers There is no honest universal answer to whether Yelp or Thumbtack produces cheaper or better leads. Pricing, customer intent, competition, and close rates vary by service, location, account settings, and season. The useful comparison is cost per booked job from your own account data. This guide shows what to measure and how the two workflows differ without relying on unsupported industry averages. How Yelp and Thumbtack leads differ | Question | Yelp | Thumbtack | |---|---|---| | How does a customer start? | A customer finds a business page or uses a Yelp inquiry flow | A customer searches for a service and chooses one or more pros | | Where do you see current pricing? | In your Yelp for Business advertising and billing tools | In your Thumbtack Services settings, max lead prices, and budget controls | | What should you measure? | Spend, qualified inquiries, booked jobs, and revenue | Lead spend, qualified leads, booked jobs, and revenue | | What does AI change? | } creates a job-specific response for every Yelp inquiry in under 2 seconds | } replies instantly with a message built from your services and prices | Do not assume that one platform is cheaper because of a public price estimate. Neither your market nor your account is represented by a generic range. Calculate cost per booked job Use the same reporting window for both channels, then calculate: Also record: - qualified inquiries, not just all inquiries; - median first-response time; - jobs booked and completed; - revenue from completed jobs; - refunds or credits; - lead reasons that your team rejected. For example, if a channel costs $400 and produces four booked jobs, its cost per booked job is $100. That is arithmetic, not a performance prediction. Your result must come from your own spend and bookings. Compare lead intent without guessing Read a sample of recent conversations from each channel. Tag each one as serviceable, outside your area, wrong service, low information, price-shopping, or ready to schedule. Then compare the percentage that reached a quote or booking. This removes two common distortions: judging a channel from its cheapest lead and judging every inquiry as equally valuable. Response speed matters, but it is not the only factor General lead-response studies suggest that long delays can reduce the chance of making contact. Those studies are not Yelp- or Thumbtack-specific, and they do not prove a fixed lift for your business. A useful first reply still needs to address the requested service, confirm the area, ask only necessary questions, and offer a clear next step. Speed cannot rescue an irrelevant or generic response. The Yelp auto responder writes a response built from your services, price ranges, and availability, in under 2 seconds for every Yelp inquiry. The Thumbtack auto responder replies instantly using the same business details. Decide where to put the next dollar Run the comparison for at least one complete billing period, then choose one of three actions: 1. Keep both channels when each produces acceptable cost per booked job and job quality. 2. Tighten targeting or budget on the weaker channel when unserviceable leads drive the gap. 3. Pause the weaker channel when its booked-job economics remain outside your limit after one defined test. Write the stop rule before the test. For example: continue if cost per booked job stays below your contribution margin limit; pause if it exceeds that limit for two complete review periods. A practical response workflow for both platforms 1. Capture the inquiry and source. 2. Create a job-specific reply from the services, areas, prices, and rules you configured. 3. Stop follow-up when the customer replies, books, or opts out. 4. Attribute the final booking and revenue to the original source. Try } free to test whether a faster, more consistent workflow improves your own channel numbers. Treat the result as an account-level experiment, not a guaranteed conversion lift. --- ## Documentation ### Activity Log **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/activity-log/ A timeline of recent changes to your sources' active state and subscription events in Auto-Respond. The Activity Log is a chronological record of recent changes to your sources' active/inactive state and your subscription. Use it to see what changed, when, and - for each event - which sources were affected. Getting here In }, open Activity Log from the Settings section of the sidebar. What the page shows Each entry on the page is one event. From top to bottom, entries are sorted newest first. A card per event shows: - Event label - a colored label with an icon describing what happened (see the list below). - Time - the exact date and time the event occurred, plus a relative "time ago" label (for example, 5 minutes ago, 2 days ago). - Affected sources - the list of sources involved in that event, each with its platform icon, name, and address if available. If there's nothing to show yet, the page displays "No Activity Yet" with a note that recent source activity changes will appear there. Event types The Activity Log tracks the following event types: Manually Turned ON A source was activated - either newly added and turned on, or switched from inactive back to active. Shown in green with a toggle-on icon. Manually Turned OFF A source was switched from active to inactive. Shown in red with a toggle-off icon. The source stops receiving new inquiries until it's turned back on. Subscription Activated Your subscription was activated - for example, when you completed signup, finished your trial conversion, or resumed a cancelled subscription. Shown in green. Subscription Cancelled Your subscription ended. Shown in red. Subscription Cancelled by User You (or someone with access to your account) cancelled the subscription from the Billing dialog. Shown in red. Subscription Cancelled (Payment Failure) The subscription was cancelled automatically because a payment failed and could not be recovered. Shown in red. Update your payment method in Billing to resume. Sources Turned Off This event appears alongside a Subscription Cancelled by User event and lists the sources that were turned off as a consequence. Shown in red. Scope - The Activity Log shows events for sources in the current business. If you manage multiple businesses, switch the business in the top bar to see a different business's log. - The log captures changes to active state and subscription events - it is not a full audit trail of every setting change. If you're trying to understand why a source stopped receiving inquiries, the Activity Log is usually the fastest place to look - it tells you whether the source was turned off manually or whether a billing/subscription event caused the change. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Advanced features **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/analytics-reporting/advanced-features/ Period comparison, clickable chart-to-table filtering, CSV export, and how filters combine on the Analytics page. The Analytics page goes beyond basic charts. This page covers the interactive features - comparing to a previous period, drilling from charts into the table, exporting to CSV, and how multiple filters combine. Getting here In }, open Analytics from the Auto Responder section of the sidebar. The controls covered on this page sit at the top of the page and above the drillable table. Compare to previous period A checkbox at the top of the page that overlays the matching earlier period on every chart. How it works - The checkbox is labeled Compare to previous period. - When on, the system calculates the "previous period" by shifting the current date range back by the same number of days. For example, Last 30 Days is compared to the 30 days before that. Last Month is compared to the month before. - Every chart updates: line charts show the previous period in a lighter or dashed line, pies and doughnuts show previous-period values in a faded style. - Turn the checkbox off at any time to return to a single-period view. When to use it - Week-over-week or month-over-month reviews. - Measuring the impact of a messaging change - run a period before and after the change with comparison on. - Spotting whether lead volume is genuinely up, or whether last period was a dip. Clickable chart-to-table filtering Most of the Analytics charts are clickable. Clicking applies a filter to the Source Data table below the charts. Which charts are clickable | Chart | Clickable? | What clicking does | | --- | --- | --- | | Hours/Weekday | No | - | | Leads by Status | Yes | Filters the table to that status | | Leads Over Time | No | - | | Leads by Title | Yes | Filters the table to that service/job title | | Phone Collection Rate | Yes | Filters the table by phone state | | Leads by Source Type | Yes | Filters the table to that platform | Active-filter chips Every active filter appears as a chip above the table - for example, Source: Yelp, Status: Answered, Title: Kitchen remodel, or Phone: Has phone. Each chip has an × button to clear just that filter. How filters combine Multiple chips combine as an AND. For example, clicking Yelp on the Source Type pie, then Answered on the Status pie, then Phones Collected on the Phone Collection doughnut shows only Yelp leads that got a reply and have a real phone number. Filters always apply to the selected date range and source selection at the top of the page, so those act as outer constraints on every chart and on the table. The Source Data table Below the charts is a Source Data summary table with one row per source. It respects all the same filters as the charts. Columns - Source - the source icon and name. - Leads - total leads in range matching all active filters. - Customer Answered - count and percentage of leads where the customer's last message arrived after the first business reply. - Phones - count and percentage of leads with a real phone number. - Temp Phones - count of leads where only a temporary/masked phone was captured. - Follow-ups - business messages sent after the first greeting. - Welcome Messages - first-contact greetings sent. - Sent - total business messages sent. Click any column header to sort by that column. The "All Sources" summary row When more than one source is selected at the top of the page, an All Sources row is added to the top of the table with the combined totals: - Counts are summed across all selected sources. - Percentages are recomputed on the combined totals - so the "Customer Answered" percentage on the All Sources row is combined answered leads divided by combined total leads, not an average of per-source percentages. Export CSV The Export CSV button at the top of the page downloads every lead in the selected date range and source selection. What's in the file The file contains one row per lead with these columns: - Source Type - Lead Name - Email - Phone - Status - Date Created - Memos - Extra Info - Address (Zip Code) File name Exports are named with the date range in the file name: For example, . What's included - The respects the date range and source selection at the top of the page. - Chart-click filter chips do not narrow the - if you need a narrower list, adjust the date range or source selection first. The CSV opens directly in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers, and any standard spreadsheet tool. There is no PDF or saved-report feature - re-run the whenever you need a refreshed file. Putting it together Pick a date range and sources Set a date range preset (or a custom range) and pick the sources you want to include at the top of the page. Turn on comparison if needed Check Compare to previous period to overlay the matching earlier period on the charts. Click into a slice Click a pie slice or doughnut segment to drill the table into a subset - by status, phone state, title, or source type. Stack filters Click slices on multiple charts to combine filters (AND). Use the active-filter chips to see what's applied, and × on a chip to remove just that one. Export what you see Click Export CSV to save the lead list (respecting your date range and source selection) as a spreadsheet. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Charts guide **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/analytics-reporting/charts-guide/ How to read each of the six charts on the Analytics page - what they show, what clicking does, and what patterns to look for. The Analytics page has six interactive charts. Each one visualizes a different slice of your lead data for the selected date range and source selection. Four of the six are clickable - clicking a slice or segment applies a filter to the table below. Getting here In }, open Analytics from the Auto Responder section of the sidebar. Pick a date range and one or more sources at the top of the page. The charts update automatically. When the Compare to previous period toggle is on, each chart overlays the matching earlier period in lighter or dashed styling so you can compare at a glance. 1. Hours/Weekday Type: scatter plot. What it shows: when leads arrive, plotted by: - Horizontal axis (x): day of week. - Vertical axis (y): hour of day. - Color: green dots are leads with a phone number, red dots are leads without. - Size: larger dots mean more leads in that hour/day bucket. How to read it: - Dense clusters identify your peak inquiry windows. - Lots of green dots in a window means that's when leads are most willing to share contact info - a good time to be available. - Lots of red dots in a window may mean messaging or timing isn't working as well at that hour. Click behavior: this chart is not clickable. 2. Leads by Status Type: pie chart. What it shows: how your leads are distributed across their statuses - Answered, No Answer, Follow-up, Bot Follow-up, Scheduled Messages, Meeting, and Done. See Lead Statuses for what each one means. How to read it: - A large Answered slice means most leads are actively engaging. - A large No Answer slice means many leads aren't replying to your first message - worth reviewing messaging and timing. - Bot Follow-up and Scheduled Messages slices reflect leads the system is still working on - they will resolve into other statuses over time. Click behavior: click a slice to filter the table below to just leads in that status. An active-filter chip appears above the table. 3. Leads Over Time Type: line chart. What it shows: daily lead volume over the selected date range, split into two series: - No Answer (red) - leads where the customer did not reply after the first business message. - Answered (green) - leads where the customer did reply. How to read it: - The height of each day's point represents total leads that day. - The split shows what share of those leads turned into two-way conversations. - Trending up means more inquiries; trending up on green specifically means better engagement. With comparison on: the previous period is drawn in lighter or dashed lines behind the current period, so you can compare day-for-day. Click behavior: this chart is not clickable. 4. Leads by Title Type: pie chart. What it shows: the top 10 service or job titles your customers mentioned - the categories pulled from each inquiry. Use it to see what jobs you're getting asked about most. How to read it: the largest slices are your most-requested titles. Smaller long-tail slices show the variety of asks. Click behavior: click a slice to filter the table below to just leads for that title. 5. Phone Collection Rate Type: doughnut chart. What it shows: how often a phone number was captured for the leads in the selected period, split into: - Phones Collected - a real phone number is on file. - No Phone - no phone number at all. - Temporary Phone - only a platform-issued temporary/masked number was captured (for example, Yelp's temp phones). How to read it: a larger Phones Collected slice means your messaging is successfully asking for and capturing direct contact info. Click behavior: click a segment to filter the table below. For example, clicking Temporary Phone shows only leads where you still only have a temp number. 6. Leads by Source Type Type: pie chart. What it shows: lead distribution across platform types - Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lead Ads, Instagram, and Google Local Ads. How to read it: tells you which platforms are generating the most inquiries. Combine with the table below to compare not just volume but also answer rate and phone collection by platform. Click behavior: click a slice to filter the table below to just leads from that platform. Using multiple charts together You can click slices on several charts at once. Filters combine as an AND - for example, clicking Yelp on the Source Type pie and Answered on the Status pie shows the table filtered to Yelp leads that got a reply. Every active filter appears as a chip above the table; click the × on a chip to clear just that one. See Advanced features for period comparison and CSV export. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Analytics & Reporting **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/analytics-reporting/ Track lead volume, response performance, phone collection, and source-level results across every connected platform in Auto-Respond. } gives you one reporting surface: the Analytics page. It's an interactive dashboard with six charts and a drillable summary table that respects every filter you apply at the top of the page or by clicking into a chart. Getting here In }, open Analytics from the Auto Responder section of the sidebar. What the Analytics page shows Top controls - Source selector - pick a single source, a group, or All to include every source you have access to. Your selection is remembered in your browser between visits. - Date range preset - Today, Yesterday, This Week, Last Week, This Month, Last Month, Last 30 Days, Last 90 Days, or Custom. - Date range picker - when you pick Custom, use the calendar to choose exact start and end dates. - Compare to previous period - when on, every chart overlays the matching earlier period for side-by-side comparison. - Export CSV - downloads every lead matching your current filters as a CSV. The six charts 1. Hours/Weekday - a scatter plot showing when leads arrive. Day of week on the horizontal axis, hour of day on the vertical axis. Green dots are leads with a phone number, red dots are leads without. Larger dots mean more leads in that hour/day bucket. 2. Leads by Status - a pie chart of how your leads are distributed across their statuses. Click a slice to filter the table below. 3. Leads Over Time - a line chart of daily lead volume over the selected date range, split into Answered (green) and No Answer (red) series. 4. Leads by Title - a pie chart of the top 10 service or job titles your customers mentioned. Click a slice to filter. 5. Phone Collection Rate - a doughnut chart of Phones Collected, No Phone, and Temporary Phone. Click a segment to filter. 6. Leads by Source Type - a pie chart of Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lead Ads, Instagram, and Google Local Ads. Click a slice to filter. See the Charts guide for a per-chart reading guide. The Source Data table Below the charts is a Source Data table that breaks down performance by source. - Columns include Source, Leads, Customer Answered, Phones, Temp Phones, Follow-ups, Welcome Messages, and Sent. - When more than one source is included, an All Sources summary row appears at the top with combined totals. - Click a column header to sort. Active-filter chips When you click a chart slice, a filter chip appears above the table - for example Status: Answered, Title: Kitchen remodel, Source: Yelp, or Phone: Has phone. Multiple chips combine as an AND. Click the × on a chip to remove just that filter. Export CSV Click Export CSV above the controls to download every lead that matches your current filters. The file is named and opens in any spreadsheet tool. See Advanced features for details and how filters affect the exported rows. What's being measured The Analytics page tracks: - Total leads - Leads Answered and Leads No Answer - Phones Collected, No Phone, and Temporary Phone - Welcome Messages Sent - Follow-ups Sent - Total Messages Sent - Breakdowns by status, service title, and source type - Weekday / hour distribution Your browser remembers the source selection so the next time you open the page the same sources are already selected. The date range resets to the default on each visit. Troubleshooting - "Please select a source and time range to view statistics" - pick a source (or All) and a date range to populate the page. - Numbers look low - check that the date range covers the period you expect and that the right sources are selected. - A chart says "No data" - either no leads match the current date range plus filters, or an active filter chip is excluding everything. Remove the chip(s) and try again. - CSV download didn't start - make sure your browser isn't blocking downloads for }. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Calendar setup **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/crm/calendars/ Configure built-in Calendar hours, appointment length, timezone, color, and required booking fields. Calendars define when your business can accept appointments. A Calendar can be used by your team when scheduling manually and by the text or voice AI when Built-in Booking is selected. Calendars are configured inside the unified Jobs workspace; there is no separate Calendars page in the app. Getting here In }, open CRM → Jobs. - To create one, click Create new calendar. - To edit one, open the Calendar selector and click the edit icon beside its name. Click Save calendar or Cancel to return to Jobs. What a Calendar controls Each Calendar belongs to one business and stores: - A name and display color. - The timezone used to calculate availability and booking slots. - Weekly working hours, including multiple time ranges on the same day. - Appointment length: 30, 60, 90, or a custom whole number of at least 5 minutes. - The customer information the AI must collect before it can book. Create separate Calendars when teams, services, or locations have different working hours or appointment lengths. Creating a Calendar Click Create new calendar, then complete the three sections. Basic information - Business - required; determines where the Calendar and its Jobs belong. - Name - required; use a recognizable name such as Estimates or Standard service hours. - Timezone - required and used to calculate working hours and available slots. - Calendar color - identifies the Calendar's Jobs in the combined view. - Appointment length - sets the duration of every available slot. Availability Under Weekly hours, enable the days you accept appointments and add one or more time ranges to each day. For example, set 8:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00 PM–5:00 PM to leave a lunch break. A new Calendar starts on Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM, with the weekend closed. Adjust it to your real hours before pointing a source or agent at it. Only complete slots that fit inside these hours are offered. Past times and times occupied by active Jobs are excluded automatically. Information to collect This section controls what the AI asks for before making a Built-in Booking. - Name is always collected and cannot be turned off. - At least one of Phone or Email must be required. - Address can be required when the appointment happens at the customer's location. - Add custom fields for information such as service type, gate code, or property size. Each custom field needs a unique name and description. Unchecked fields are not requested as part of the booking. How available slots are calculated } combines: - The Calendar's timezone. - Its weekly working hours. - Its appointment length. - Scheduled, in-progress, and on-hold Jobs already using the Calendar. Only future slots that fit the full appointment length are offered. } checks availability again when saving, which prevents two people from reserving the same slot at the same time. Using a Calendar with Built-in Booking After creating the Calendar, select it in the scheduling settings that should use it. Text AI Assistant Go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Conversation Setup → AI Assistant → Appointment Scheduling. Enable scheduling, choose Built-in Booking, and select the Calendar. Voice Agent Open an Agent → Scheduling → enable Appointment Scheduling → choose Built-in Booking → select the Calendar. The AI checks the Calendar's open slots, collects its required information, and creates a scheduled Job after the customer agrees to a time. A built-in Calendar lives inside }. It is different from choosing a connected third-party calendar as the scheduling service. Editing or deleting a Calendar In the Jobs workspace, open the Calendar selector and click the edit icon beside a Calendar. Saving changes updates future availability calculations. Deleting a Calendar requires confirmation. Existing Jobs are not deleted, but the Calendar is disconnected from any Sources and Voice Agents that use it. Their Built-in Booking configuration is disabled until you select another Calendar. Scheduled Jobs that retain their dates remain available under All calendars with the neutral Unassigned style. Before deleting a Calendar, update every Source and Voice Agent that should keep booking appointments. Related topics --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Contacts **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/crm/contacts/ Keep one customer profile for contact details, linked lead conversations, sources, tags, notes, and addresses. Contacts are reusable customer profiles. A Contact brings together the person's phone numbers, email addresses, linked lead conversations, sources, notes, tags, and addresses so your team does not have to rebuild the customer's history for every new inquiry. Getting here In }, open CRM → Contacts. How Contacts are created Created automatically from a lead When a lead shares a real phone number or email address, } looks for a matching Contact in the same business. - If no match exists, a new Contact is created. - If a match exists, the new lead and source are linked to that Contact. - New phone numbers, email addresses, and source-provided addresses can be added to the existing profile without removing the details already there. - Temporary platform email addresses are not used to create or match Contacts. This keeps repeat inquiries from the same customer together. Matching is scoped to a business, so the same phone or email may belong to separate Contacts in separate businesses. Created manually Click New contact in the upper-right corner. A manual Contact requires: - Business - First name - Last name - At least one valid phone number or email address If the phone or email already belongs to another Contact in that business, } asks you to use the existing record instead of creating a duplicate. Finding a Contact The Contacts page shows the total number of matching Contacts and loads more records as you scroll. Search and filters - Search - find a Contact by name, company, phone, email, or Contact ID. - Source - show Contacts linked to one or more selected lead sources. - Custom tags - find Contacts whose tags contain the text you enter. - Clear filters - return to the full list. The current business selection controls which Contacts you see. Switch businesses from the top bar when you need a different location's customer list. Contact details Click a row or choose Details from its actions menu to open the Contact. Profile - Business - the business that owns the Contact. - First name, last name, and company - the customer's identity. - Sources - the connected source locations associated with this customer. - Record state - Active, Inactive, Blocked, or Archived. - Preferred contact method - the channel the customer prefers. - Score - an optional number your team can use for its own qualification process. - Timezone - useful when contacting customers across regions. - Tags - flexible labels for grouping and filtering Contacts. Record state, preferred contact method, score, and tags are organizational fields. Changing them does not by itself start, stop, or reschedule lead messaging. Contact info A Contact can store multiple phone numbers and email addresses. Click the star next to an entry to make it the primary value shown in the Contacts list. Phone numbers must be valid 10-digit North American numbers, and email addresses must use a valid email format. Notes and addresses - Notes are internal CRM notes. Each saved note needs both a title and a description. - Addresses can include street lines, city, state, postal code, and country. Add more than one when the customer has multiple service locations. Linked Leads The Leads section at the top of an existing Contact lists every lead conversation linked to that customer. Click a Lead to open the conversation without leaving the Contact workflow. If no lead is linked, the section shows No leads linked to this contact yet. This is normal for a Contact your team created manually. Creating a Job for a Contact Open a saved Contact and click Create job. The new Job is prefilled with the same business and linked Contact. Save any unsaved Contact changes before starting the Job. Full reference: Jobs. Removing Contacts Use the row actions menu to remove one Contact, or select several Contacts with the checkboxes and click Remove. Removal is irreversible and requires confirmation. Removing a Contact removes the CRM profile. The original lead conversations are separate records and remain available in Leads. Related topics --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Jobs **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/crm/jobs/ Manage customer work in one workspace with calendar and list views, shared filters, scheduling, statuses, and related CRM records. A Job is the work or appointment your team plans to complete for a customer. Jobs turn a qualified lead or booking into an operational record with a title, status, priority, schedule, service address, notes, and links back to the customer. Getting here In }, open CRM → Jobs. How Jobs are created - Click New job in the Jobs workspace to create one manually. - Open a saved Contact and click Create job to start with that customer already linked. - Click a date in Month view or an empty area in Week view to start a Job with that date prefilled. If one Calendar is selected, its Calendar and business are also prefilled. - An appointment booked through a supported AI scheduling flow can create a Job automatically. Built-in Booking places it on the selected built-in Calendar. The Created via field shows whether a Job was entered manually or created from a lead conversion. The Jobs workspace Calendar view The Calendar tab shows scheduled Jobs in three views: - Month - a compact six-week overview. - Week - seven days on an hourly grid. - Day - one day's hourly agenda. Use the left and right arrows to move between months, weeks, or days. Calendar colors identify which Calendar owns each Job. Jobs that have a scheduled time but no available Calendar use the neutral Unassigned color in All calendars. Click a Job to open its details. In Month view, clicking a date starts a Job for that date. In Week view, clicking an empty grid area does the same. To create a Job while using Day view, click New job. List view Each row shows: - Job - title and description. - Status - the current stage of the work. - Schedule - the scheduled start date and time, or a dash when unscheduled. - Priority - Low, Normal, High, or Urgent. Click a row to open and edit the Job. Shared search and filters - Search - matches Job title, service address, or status text. - Status - filters Jobs by status. - Priority - filters Jobs by priority. - Calendar - shows All calendars or one built-in Calendar. - Clear filters - clears the search and returns status, priority, and Calendar to their all-inclusive values. The business switcher also controls both tabs. Choose a specific business to focus on its Jobs and Calendars, or All businesses to work across every business you can access. If the selected Calendar does not belong to the new business scope, the selector returns to All calendars. Creating and editing Calendars Click Create new calendar to configure new booking hours. To edit an existing Calendar, open the Calendar selector and click the edit icon beside its name. See Calendar setup for availability, appointment length, information collection, and deletion details. Job details Main fields - Business - required; controls which Contacts and Calendars are available. - Contact - optional for a manually created Job. Search by name, phone, email, or Contact ID. - Title - required. - Description - the work requested or other context. - Status - where the Job is in its lifecycle. - Priority - Low, Normal, High, or Urgent. - Created via - Manual or Lead conversion. - Tags - flexible labels for internal organization. - Notes - internal Job notes; each note requires a description. - Service address - the location where the work or appointment happens. Related records When available, the Job shows links to its Contact and Original lead. Use these links to move from the operational record back to the customer or conversation that produced the booking. Job statuses - Unscheduled - work exists, but no time is reserved. - Scheduled - a start time is set. A scheduled Job must have a date and time. - In progress - work has started. - Completed - work is finished. - On hold - work is paused but still active. - Canceled - the Job will not proceed. Changing a Job to Unscheduled, Completed, or Canceled clears its scheduled start and end time, so it no longer appears on the Calendar. If you only need to pause active work while keeping its slot, use On hold. Jobs cannot currently be deleted from the app. Use Canceled when you need to close a Job that will not happen. Scheduling a Job You can schedule with or without a built-in Calendar. With a built-in Calendar 1. Set the Job's status to Scheduled. 2. Choose a Calendar. 3. Pick a start date. 4. Choose one of the Calendar's available slots. The Calendar supplies the start and end time based on its timezone, weekly hours, and appointment length. Slots already reserved by scheduled, in-progress, or on-hold Jobs are not offered. Without a Calendar Leave Calendar empty and enter the start date/time and end date/time manually. The end cannot be earlier than the start. A manually timed Job appears when All calendars is selected, but it is not tied to one Calendar's availability rules or color. Related topics --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Built-in CRM **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/crm/ Keep customer records, jobs, calendar views, and booking rules together in Auto-Respond without connecting a separate CRM. The built-in CRM turns new inquiries into customer records and scheduled work without requiring a separate CRM account. It has three connected concepts organized across two app destinations: - Contacts - one reusable customer profile with contact details, linked leads, notes, tags, and addresses. - Jobs - the work or appointment you plan to complete for a customer, including its status, priority, schedule, and service address. - Calendars - booking hours, appointment length, information to collect, and color-coded schedules managed from the Jobs workspace. The Leads inbox remains the place for conversations. The CRM keeps the customer and the work around those conversations organized. Getting here In }, open the CRM section in the main navigation: - Choose Contacts for customer profiles and linked conversations. - Choose Jobs for the unified Calendar/List workspace and Calendar setup. How the pieces work together A customer starts as a lead Every inquiry from a connected source appears in Leads, where you or the AI Assistant can continue the conversation. Contact details become a contact When the lead shares a real phone number or email address, } creates a Contact or matches the lead to an existing Contact in the same business. Leads that belong to the same customer can therefore appear together on one profile. Track work as a Job Create a Job manually, start one from a Contact, or have a supported scheduling flow create it when an appointment is booked. Each Job can remain linked to its Contact and, when available, the original Lead conversation. Scheduled work appears in the Jobs workspace Assign a Job to a built-in Calendar and choose an available slot. The Job appears in both Calendar and List views when it matches the current filters. The Calendar view places it on the schedule, while the List view shows it as a Job record with its scheduled time. The Calendar's working hours and existing active Jobs determine which slots are available. What happens automatically - A Contact is created or updated after a lead provides a real phone number or email address. - Matching is done within the same business, using phone numbers and email addresses to avoid separate profiles for the same customer. - The new lead and its source are linked to the matching Contact. - Appointments made with Built-in Booking become scheduled Jobs on the selected Calendar. - Scheduled, in-progress, and on-hold Jobs reserve their time so the same Calendar slot cannot be booked twice. If a lead has not shared a phone number or real email address, it stays available in Leads but does not become an automatic Contact yet. You can still create a Contact manually. Built-in CRM vs. CRM integrations The built-in CRM is part of } and works without an external account. CRM integrations are optional connections that send lead or booking data to another system your team already uses. You can use the built-in CRM by itself, connect an external CRM, or use both. See CRM Systems for external integrations. Business scope Contacts, Jobs, and Calendars belong to a business. Use the business switcher in the top bar to focus the CRM on one business and its child locations. Select All businesses to work across every business you can access. CRM guides --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Add Your First Source **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/get-started/add-first-source/ Step-by-step guide to connect your first lead source and start receiving automated responses Connect your first source to start receiving automated responses. This takes under 2 minutes - you'll link a platform account (Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook / Instagram, or Google Local Ads) and start getting instant replies to every new inquiry. Account Required: This guide assumes you have an } account. Create your free account first ↗ if needed. How source connections work Every source in } is connected through the platform's own sign-in (OAuth): 1. You open Add Source from the Sources page. 2. You're redirected to the platform and sign in with your existing account. 3. You grant } permission to read inquiries and send replies. 4. You're redirected back, and the platform profile appears on your Sources page. Your passwords are never shared with } - only a secure access token is returned after you approve. Connect your first source Open the Sources page After logging in, open Sources from the Auto Responder section of the sidebar. If you haven't added a source yet you'll be directed there automatically. Click Add Source Click the Add Source button on the Sources page. A single dialog opens listing every platform you can connect. Pick the business (multi-business accounts only) If you have more than one business, pick which business the new source should belong to using the selector at the top of the dialog. Single-business accounts skip this step. Pick the platform The dialog shows one card per platform: - Yelp - Thumbtack - Facebook / Instagram - one Meta authorization can expose Facebook Messenger pages and linked Instagram accounts. Each source you activate is billed separately at its displayed source price. - Google Local Ads - Voice Agent - create an AI voice agent instead of connecting a platform. Each card has a Connect (or Create for Voice Agent) button that starts the flow for that platform. Strategy: Start with your busiest lead source first for immediate impact and testing. You can add more sources later. Authorize the connection Clicking Connect takes you to the platform: 1. You're redirected to the platform's website. 2. Sign in with your existing business account. 3. Grant } the message / lead access it asks for. 4. You're redirected back automatically. Pick which profiles or locations to activate Some platforms (Yelp, Facebook, Instagram) have more than one profile attached to one login. You'll see a list and can pick which ones to activate. Each one becomes its own source with its own settings and billing. Verify the connection A confirmation page appears and the new source shows up on the Sources page with a green Active status. Review connected sources The Sources page lists every connected source with a status badge, the platform icon and account name, and buttons for Permissions and Messaging Settings. Per-platform setup Each platform has its own connection flow, its own data, and a few of its own quirks. Follow the page for the platform you're connecting: More Options - invite link for agencies If you're a marketing agency or account manager connecting a platform on a customer's behalf, the Add Source dialog has a More Options section at the bottom. Expand it to generate a copy-paste Invite Link for the chosen platform (Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook, or Google Local Ads) that lets the customer complete the authorization themselves. What happens next Once a source is Active, new inquiries are picked up automatically. They get an instant response based on your Messaging Settings, follow-up sequences run on your schedule, integrations push the lead to your CRM, and your team gets notified. When your first lead arrives, you'll see the platform it came from, the customer's name and inquiry details, the full conversation thread, and options to message them directly. Testing your setup Have a friend send a test inquiry from the platform. Check that the response arrives quickly, reads well, and the lead shows up in your dashboard. If something isn't working: - Authorization problems - try re-authenticating the connection from the Source Tokens page. - Message delays - check your business hours and timing settings. - Missing leads - make sure the source is set to Active. Next Steps 1. Configure conversation flow - Set up AI or predefined responses 2. Create follow-up sequences - Automated nurturing messages 3. Add team notifications - SMS, Slack, or Telegram alerts 4. Monitor performance - Track response rates and conversion --- Questions about source connection? Email } or use in-app chat. --- ### Key concepts **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/get-started/key-concepts/ The core terminology you'll see across Auto-Respond - source, business, lead, status, voice agent, integration, and inheritance. These are the terms used throughout } and this documentation. Skim this page once and the rest of the product will feel familiar. Source A source is one connected account or profile on an external platform that sends you customer inquiries. Examples: - One Yelp location = one source. - One Thumbtack Pro account = one source. - One Facebook Page (Messenger) = one source. - One Facebook Lead Ads form campaign = one source. - One Instagram Business account = one source. - One Google Local Services account = one source. Every source has its own Messaging Settings, its own Integrations, its own row in Analytics, and its own price on your monthly bill. See Lead Sources for the full list of supported platforms. Business A business is a group that owns one or more sources. For a single-location company this is just "your business". For a multi-location or multi-brand organization, each business can hold its own set of sources so messaging, branding, and reporting stay separate. Switching between businesses If your account has access to more than one business, a business switcher button sits at the top of the app next to the logo. It shows the current business's name with a location-city icon. - Click the button to open a picker dialog listing every business you can access. - Pick a business to switch to it - the sidebar, sources, leads, and analytics all update to that business's data. - If payment is an issue on the current business, the button shows a Payment Issue tooltip as a reminder. Single-business accounts don't need this - the switcher is only shown when you have more than one business to choose from. Lead A lead is a single customer inquiry, bound to exactly one source. Each lead has: - A conversation thread - every message between your business and the customer. - A status - see below. - Memos - private notes your team can add (the customer never sees them). - Customer info - name, phone, email, address, and any structured details the source extracted from the inquiry. All leads across all sources live together in the Leads inbox. Status A status is a label on a lead that tells you where it is in your pipeline. The seven statuses are: - Answered (green) - a business reply has been sent. - No Answer (red) - no business reply yet. - Follow-up (orange) - you've flagged this lead for a follow-up. - Bot Follow-up (yellow) - the system has queued an automatic follow-up. - Scheduled Messages (purple) - a scheduled message is queued for this lead. - Meeting (blue) - a meeting/appointment is booked. - Done (white/gray) - the lead is closed (won, lost, or not a fit). Full details: Lead Statuses. Contact A Contact is a reusable customer profile in the built-in CRM. It can hold multiple phone numbers and email addresses, plus linked Leads, sources, notes, tags, and addresses. When a Lead shares a real phone number or email address, } creates a Contact or links the Lead to a matching Contact in the same business. See Contacts. Job A Job is a record of work or an appointment for a customer. It has a status, priority, optional schedule and Calendar, service address, tags, notes, and links to related Contacts or Leads when available. Jobs can be created manually or by a supported AI scheduling flow. The Jobs workspace provides shared Calendar and List views. See Jobs. Calendar A Calendar defines booking hours, timezone, appointment length, color, and the customer information an AI must collect before booking. When Built-in Booking is enabled, the text or voice AI uses the selected Calendar's open slots. See Calendar setup. Voice Agent A Voice Agent is an AI phone agent that: - Answers inbound calls to a phone number you assign it. - Calls new leads outbound when a qualifying lead arrives. - Runs batch call campaigns on a list of contacts. The agent uses a knowledge base you configure to answer questions, qualify callers, and book appointments. See Voice Agent. Integration An integration is a per-source connection to an external tool. Integrations fall into two categories: - CRM integrations - push new leads and conversations into HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, GoHighLevel, Workiz, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, AccuLynx, SmartMoving, Monday.com, and similar systems. - Notification / messenger integrations - send alerts about new leads or new messages to Slack, Telegram, SMS, or custom webhooks. Each source has its own integrations panel in Messaging Settings. See Integrations. Override and inherit In Messaging Settings, a source that belongs to a multi-location business can either inherit a setting from its parent business or override it with its own value. - Inherit means the source uses the same value as the business. Change the business and the source picks up the change automatically. - Override means the source has its own value that does not change when the business changes. This lets you set a default at the business level and override only the sources that need to be different. Most small single-location accounts will never touch override/inherit - the default is to use business-level settings and every source inherits. Putting it together A typical account looks like this: - One business (your company). - Several sources under it - one per Yelp location, one per Thumbtack Pro account, one per Facebook Page, and so on. - Each source has its own Messaging Settings, Integrations, and billing line. - Every inquiry on any source becomes a lead in the shared Leads inbox. - Leads that share real contact information are organized into Contacts in the built-in CRM. - Booked or manually entered work becomes a Job, which can reserve a slot on a Calendar. - Your team triages leads by status and lets automation handle follow-ups until a customer replies. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Get Started **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/get-started/ Set up your Auto-Respond account, connect your first source, and configure messaging in under 2 minutes. This is the starting point for new } accounts. Follow the steps below to get from sign-up to an auto-responding source you can test with a real inquiry. Setup steps Create your account Start with a 7-day free trial if your order summary shows one. Sign up or sign in here. Connect your first source Connect one of your platform accounts so } can start receiving inquiries. Every source is connected with the platform's own sign-in (OAuth) - your password is never shared. See Add your first source for platform-by-platform steps, or Lead Sources for the full overview. Configure messaging Open Messaging Settings on the new source and set up the conversation flow (AI or predefined), follow-up timing, and contact-info collection. See Messaging Settings. (Optional) Add integrations Connect a CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, GoHighLevel, Workiz, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, AccuLynx, SmartMoving, or Monday.com) or a notification channel (Slack, SMS, Telegram) so your team and tools stay in sync. See Integrations. (Optional) Set up a voice agent Add a Voice Agent that answers incoming calls, calls new leads, or runs batch call campaigns. See Voice Agent. (Optional) Invite your team Invite teammates to share the inbox. See Team Management. Learn the basics What happens next Once your first source is connected and messaging is configured: - Every new inquiry on that source gets an automatic first reply. - If the customer doesn't respond, follow-ups run according to your schedule. - Every conversation lands in the Leads inbox where you, and any teammate, can take over or add memos. - Results show up on the Analytics page after a day or two of traffic. Start with your busiest platform to see immediate impact. You can add more sources any time - billing adjusts automatically. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Pages overview **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/get-started/pages-overview/ A short tour of every page and section in the Auto-Respond main navigation - what it does and when you'll use it. This is a one-paragraph-per-page tour of the } main navigation. Use it to orient yourself on day one. The sidebar is grouped into sections. Regular users see the items below; the order and grouping match the app. Auto Responder Leads The filterable inbox of every customer inquiry across every connected source. Click any row to open the full conversation, send a reply, add a memo, or change the lead's status. This is where you and your team will spend most of the day. Full reference: Leads. Sources The list of every source you've connected - Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lead Ads, Instagram, and Google Local Ads. Each card shows the source's status (Active, Paused, or a billing warning) and links into its Messaging Settings and Access and Permissions. This is also where you add new sources. Full reference: Lead Sources. Source Tokens The list of platform authorizations (tokens) powering your sources - one entry per sign-in you've done with Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook, Instagram, or Google. Each entry shows which sources it covers and when the token expires, and gives you a way to refresh or edit it. You only need this page occasionally - when a source asks you to reconnect or when you want to check token health. Full reference: Source Tokens. Analytics The analytics dashboard - six interactive charts plus a drillable summary table. Pick a date range and sources, optionally turn on period comparison, and click chart slices to filter the table underneath. Export the matching leads to CSV for a spreadsheet. Full reference: Analytics & Reporting. Voice Agents Agents The list of AI voice agents you've created. From here you configure the agent's knowledge base, greeting, behavior, and which phone number and sources it's wired to. Phone Numbers The list of phone numbers assigned to your voice agents. Buy a new number, release a number, or change which agent a number routes to. Call Logs Every inbound and outbound call your voice agents have handled, with recordings, transcripts, and outcomes. The header badge shows the count of unread calls. Batch Calls Upload a list of contacts and run an outbound calling campaign with a voice agent. You pick the agent, the script context, and the schedule. Full reference for everything in this group: Voice Agent. CRM Contacts One customer profile for phone numbers, email addresses, linked lead conversations, sources, notes, tags, and addresses. Contacts are created automatically when a lead shares real contact information, or you can add one manually. Open a Contact to review its history or create a Job for that customer. Full reference: Contacts. Jobs The shared Calendar and List workspace for work and appointments. Create a Job manually, start one from a Contact, or let a supported AI scheduling flow create it. Track status, priority, schedule, service address, notes, and related records; switch to Calendar view to see scheduled Jobs by month, week, or day. Calendars are also created and edited here. Each Calendar has its own timezone, weekly hours, appointment length, color, and information to collect for Built-in Booking. Full references: Jobs and Calendar setup. Settings Billing Opens the Billing dialog - your subscriptions (one line per source), payment method, invoices, and plan details. Update your card, download invoices, and see what's billed this month. This is a modal that overlays the current page, not a standalone page you navigate to. Full reference: Pricing. Activity Log A timeline of recent changes to your sources' active/inactive state and subscription events - source turned on, source turned off, subscription activated, subscription cancelled. Use it to see who changed what and when. Full reference: Activity Log. Documentation Opens this documentation site in a new tab. Contact Us Opens the in-app support / contact widget so you can send us a message directly. Top-bar items (always visible) - Business switcher - the button next to the logo showing the current business name and a location icon. Click it to switch between businesses or locations in multi-business accounts. See Key concepts. - Call Logs badge - a phone icon with a count of unread calls. Clicking it jumps straight to Call Logs. - Leads badge - a message icon with a count of unread leads. Clicking it jumps straight to the Leads inbox. - User menu - your initials in a circle on the right. Click it to sign out. On mobile the sidebar collapses behind a menu button, but every item listed here is reachable the same way. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Source tokens **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/get-started/source-tokens/ The Source Tokens page - view platform authorizations powering your sources, check expiry, refresh tokens, and reconnect when needed. Every source in } is connected through the platform's own sign-in (OAuth) - Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook, Instagram, or Google. Your password is never shared with }. Instead, the platform issues an access token that } uses to read inquiries and reply on your behalf. The Source Tokens page is where those tokens live. Getting here In }, open Source Tokens from the Auto Responder section of the sidebar. What the Source Tokens page shows The page lists every token you've authorized, one card per token. A single token can power one source or many - for example, a single Yelp sign-in can unlock multiple Yelp locations under the same account. Each card shows: - Platform icon and account name - which platform the token is for and the name on the account. - Expiry date and countdown - the exact date/time the token expires and a relative ("in 14 days" / "2 days ago") label. If the token is near expiry or already expired, a red Token expires soon! or Token expired! warning appears. - Parent business - which } business this token belongs to. - Sources - the list of sources (locations, pages, or profiles) covered by this token. Each row includes the source name, address where applicable, and the business it belongs to, with an Edit button to open that source directly. If you have many tokens, a Search box appears at the top so you can filter by name. What you can do from a token card At the bottom of each card: - Refresh Token - appears when the token is near expiry or already expired. Re-runs the OAuth sign-in to issue a fresh token without losing any of the sources or history. - Update List - refetches the list of sources (locations / pages / profiles) available under this token. Use this after you've added a new location on the platform itself so it shows up in }. - Edit - edit the metadata on the token (for example, the friendly name). How the OAuth connection works Your password stays with the platform. } only receives the access token the platform issues after you approve the connection - there is no way for us to see or use your password. When you add a source, you're redirected to the platform's sign-in screen: 1. You sign in on the platform with your normal credentials. 2. The platform shows a consent screen describing what } is asking to access (for example, read and reply to business messages). 3. You approve, and the platform redirects you back to } with an access token. 4. } uses that token to receive new inquiries and send replies. The same flow is used for every platform, with each platform's own branding on the consent screen. Reconnecting a source Tokens occasionally need to be refreshed - for example, when a platform requires you to re-authorize after a password change, when the person who originally connected the source changes their access, or when the platform expires the token on its own schedule. When that happens, the source card on the Sources page shows a Reconnect prompt and the token card on the Source Tokens page shows a red expiry warning and a Refresh Token button. How to reconnect 1. Open Source Tokens (or the Sources page - either works). 2. Find the token or source showing the expiry warning / Reconnect prompt. 3. Click Refresh Token (or Reconnect on the source card) and sign in on the platform again. 4. Approve the same consent screen you saw when you first connected. 5. The sources powered by that token return to Active and resume receiving inquiries. Conversation history and memos are preserved through a reconnect - nothing is lost. Revoking access You can disconnect at any time, in two ways: - From } - open the source card on the Sources page and remove or disable the source. This stops } from using the access token for that source. - From the source platform - every platform has a "connected apps" or "authorized apps" page in its account settings where you can revoke access to } directly. This stops } from using the token immediately, even if you don't touch anything inside }. Either method works - use whichever is more convenient. Common situations The person who connected the source left the company Click Refresh Token on the Source Tokens page and sign in with a current team member's account on the platform. The sources stay in place with all their history; only the authorizing identity changes. The source was disconnected on the platform side If someone revoked } from the platform's connected-apps page, the token will show expired/expiring in Source Tokens. Click Refresh Token and re-authorize. A permission changed on the platform If the platform adds a new permission (or you changed what you approved), use Refresh Token to re-run the consent screen with the latest permissions. A new location was added on the platform Open the token on the Source Tokens page and click Update List to pull in the newly available sources. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### AccuLynx Integration **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/acculynx/ Connect Auto-Respond to AccuLynx and create roofing contacts and jobs from new leads, including contact details, address, notes, and conversation context. The AccuLynx integration turns a new } lead into an AccuLynx contact and job. It is designed for roofing teams that want every inquiry, customer detail, and conversation reference available in AccuLynx without manual data entry. What gets created For each eligible lead, } creates: - An AccuLynx contact with first and last name - Phone number and email address, when available - Mailing and billing address, when address details are available - A related AccuLynx job - Notes containing lead details, the first inquiry, the conversation link, and team memos - A cross-reference back to the } lead If a phone number is captured after the contact and job already exist, } can add that phone number to the existing AccuLynx contact. Phone numbers that cannot be normalized to 10 digits are preserved in the notes instead of being discarded. Connect AccuLynx Get an AccuLynx API key Ask your AccuLynx account administrator for an API key that can create contacts and jobs. Open the integration In }, open a source and go to Messaging Settings > Integrations > CRM > AccuLynx. Save the API key Paste the key into API key and click Save. } validates the key before storing the connection. Choose the lead filters Turn on Create lead in CRM only when contact info is received if AccuLynx should only receive leads with a phone number or email. Turn on Create only new leads if existing leads should be skipped. Enable the integration Turn Enabled on. The connection can be saved while disabled, so this final step is required before leads begin syncing. Duplicate protection After creating the AccuLynx contact and job, } stores both AccuLynx IDs on the lead. Later integration events reuse the saved contact and do not create a second job for the same } lead. Validate or disconnect Expand the saved AccuLynx connection and click Validate API key to test it again. To disconnect, click the delete button and confirm. Disconnecting removes the API key and disables the integration for that source. Troubleshooting - API key fails validation: copy the key again and confirm it belongs to an AccuLynx account with contact and job access. - Connected but no job is created: confirm Enabled is on and check whether the contact-info or new-lead filters are excluding the lead. - Phone number appears only in notes: AccuLynx receives a structured phone only when it can be normalized to 10 digits. - Address is incomplete: only the address fields captured on the lead can be sent. - A duplicate job was skipped: the integration creates one AccuLynx job per } lead by design. The latest integration error is shown on the integration card. Use it together with Validate API key when diagnosing a failed connection. --- Questions about the AccuLynx integration? Email }. --- ### Call Bridge **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/call-bridge/ When a lead shares a phone number, Auto-Respond calls you first, then calls the lead and joins both calls on the same line. Call Bridge turns a captured phone number into a live phone call. The moment a lead shares their phone number in the conversation, } rings your phone, waits for you to pick up, and then dials the lead and drops both of you on the same call. No dialing, no tab-switching, no "let me call you back." The Call Bridge card lives on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Other sub-tab. When to enable Call Bridge Turn Call Bridge on when: - Your leads are more likely to book when you reach them right away. - You're a solo operator or small team who can pick up a call during business hours. - You already answer new-lead calls on the spot - Call Bridge just removes the manual dial step. Leave it off (or use SMS or Slack instead) when: - You want a written notification you can act on later, not a live ringing phone. - You have specific hours during which your team takes calls and the source runs 24/7. What happens, step by step 1. A lead messages the source and shares a phone number. 2. } places an outbound call from the calling phone number you picked → to your phone number. 3. You answer. } waits until your line is actually picked up. 4. } then dials the lead's phone number and joins both calls on one conference line. 5. You speak with the lead directly. When either side hangs up, the call ends. If you don't answer, the call does not proceed to the lead - they aren't called by a silent line. Setup Call Bridge needs two phone numbers to be set up before it can run: 1. Your phone number - the number } will ring when a lead shares their phone. Verified by SMS so only you control it. 2. Calling phone number - the number the outbound call comes from. You choose this number from a search in the integration UI; pick by area code. Optionally, you can also verify a Caller ID so the lead sees your number when the bridge dials them (instead of the calling phone number from step 2). Open the Call Bridge card Go to Sources → pick the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Other sub-tab → Call Bridge card. Add your phone number If you don't already have a phone number on the card, you'll see Add Your Phone Number. 1. Enter your phone number in international format (e.g., ). 2. Click Send code. } sends a one-time code to that number by SMS. 3. Enter the code and click Verify. The number is now saved on the card. Add the calling phone number Next, set the number calls will come from. 1. Scroll to Add Calling Phone Number. 2. Enter a 3-digit US area code (e.g., ) and click Search Numbers. 3. A list of available numbers in that area code is shown. Click Select next to the one you want. That number is now reserved for Call Bridge on this source. (Optional) Verify your Caller ID By default, the lead sees the calling phone number you just picked. If you want the lead to see your personal number instead, verify it as a Caller ID. 1. Under Caller ID for Lead Calls, follow the verification steps to confirm you own that number. 2. Once verified, the checkbox Show my number to leads when calling (recommended) becomes available. Turn it on. Turn on Enable Flip the Enabled toggle at the top of the card. Call Bridge will now fire whenever a lead shares a phone number. Options Enable Turns Call Bridge on or off for this source. Default: off. The toggle is disabled until both your phone number and a calling phone number are set - Call Bridge won't run without both. Your Phone Number The verified number that } rings when a lead shares a phone. Click Remove on the card to detach it. Removing your phone number also turns Enable off. Calling Phone Number The outbound caller number used to place the call. This is what the lead sees by default when they pick up (unless you've turned on Show my number to leads when calling). Click Remove to detach it. Removing the calling phone number also turns Enable off. Caller ID Verified A small check badge on your phone number that shows up once you've verified the number as a Caller ID. When the badge is present, the Show my number to leads when calling checkbox becomes usable. Show my number to leads when calling Label: Show my number to leads when calling (recommended). Default: on when Caller ID is verified, off otherwise. - When on - When } dials the lead, the call appears to come from your verified number. Callbacks from the lead go straight to you. - When off - When } dials the lead, the call appears to come from the calling phone number on the card. Callbacks go there. Turn this on if you want leads to save your real number. Turn it off if you want all return calls to go through the source's assigned number instead. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's Call Bridge phone numbers and Caller ID. When off, this location has its own. What triggers a bridge call Only one event: the lead shares a phone number in the conversation. No other event (new lead, new message, email, etc.) fires Call Bridge. If the lead never shares a phone number, Call Bridge never runs. What doesn't happen - Call Bridge doesn't ring you on generic new-lead events - only when a phone number is captured. - It doesn't keep trying if you don't answer. The lead isn't dialed if your leg of the call wasn't answered. - It doesn't replace the automated reply - } still sends the normal conversation response. Call Bridge runs alongside. Troubleshooting - The Enable toggle is greyed out - You're missing one of the two required numbers. Add your personal number (verified by SMS) and pick a calling phone number from the search. - The SMS code never arrives - Confirm the number is in international format (e.g., for US), and that the carrier isn't blocking short-code messages. - I answered but the lead was never called - Check the error log on the card. This usually means the lead's number was invalid or the outbound call failed; the timestamp and reason are shown inline. - Lead sees the wrong number - Check Show my number to leads when calling. If on but your Caller ID isn't verified, the call falls back to the calling phone number. Re-verify your Caller ID. - Call Bridge never fires - Confirm Enable is on, both numbers are set, and the lead has actually shared a phone number (check the conversation). --- Questions about Call Bridge? Email }. --- ### Communication Tools **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/communication-tools/ Alert your team or hand data off to another system every time Auto-Respond gets a new lead - Slack, SMS, Telegram, LeadConnector Messaging Sync, REST Webhook, Lead Reply API, and Call Bridge. Communication integrations do one of two things: they alert your team the moment a new lead comes in, or they hand the lead off to another system so your own software can take over. These integrations are split across two sub-tabs of the source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab: - Messengers sub-tab - Slack, SMS, Telegram, and LeadConnector Messaging Sync (GoHighLevel Messenger). - Other sub-tab - Call Bridge, REST Webhook, and Lead Reply API. These sit under Other because they do more than push a single alert. Communication integrations are configured per source. Open a source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab, then pick the sub-tab (Messengers or Other). Each integration has its own card with an Enable toggle, its settings, and a Validate Connection button. Supported integrations Which should I pick? - Solo operator or on-call rotation → SMS. Nothing beats a text for reliability and speed. - Office or hybrid team with multiple departments → Slack. A dedicated channel keeps threads organized and searchable. - Team that coordinates on Telegram → Telegram. - You already handle replies inside GoHighLevel → LeadConnector Messaging Sync (card is labeled LeadConnector Messaging Sync in the UI). - You want to be patched straight onto the phone with the lead when they share a number → Call Bridge. - You run your own software and want the raw event → REST Webhook. - You have an external system that needs to post replies back into } → Lead Reply API. You can enable more than one at the same time. It's common to run Slack for the office plus SMS for whoever is on-call after hours. Shared options on every card These options appear on every communication integration. The per-integration pages only mention them when they behave differently for that integration. Enable A simple on/off toggle for this integration on this source. When off, nothing is sent. Default: off - the integration only runs once you turn it on. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location that has a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent business's configuration for this integration - same credentials, same options. When off, the location has its own settings that override the parent. Turn it off only on a specific location that needs to behave differently. Create customer only when contact info is captured Label: Create customer only when contact info is captured. Default: off. - When on - } waits to fire the alert until it has collected either a phone number or an email from the conversation. Leads that never share contact info never trigger an alert. - When off - The alert fires the moment the lead first reaches out, even before their phone or email is known. Use this when you only want to be alerted about real, reachable leads. Create only for new leads Label: Create only for new leads. Default: off. - When on - } skips leads it recognizes as returning or already in the system. Only brand-new leads trigger an alert. - When off - Every lead triggers an alert, including returning ones. Include source name Label: Include source name. Default: off. - When on - The source name (e.g., "Yelp – Downtown") is appended to the alert so you can see at a glance where the lead came from. - When off - The source name is not included. Use this when you run multiple sources and want to tell them apart from the alert itself. Validate Connection A button on every card that tests the integration right now. On success, you see a green confirmation. On failure, the error is shown inline so you can fix it. Disconnect Removes the connection for this integration on this source. You'll be asked to confirm. After disconnecting, no more alerts are sent until you reconnect. Error log If the integration hits a problem while processing a real lead, the most recent error and its timestamp are shown right on the card. --- Questions about communication integrations? Email }. --- ### CRM Systems **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/crm-systems/ Send Auto-Respond leads to HubSpot, Pipedrive, Workiz, GoHighLevel, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, AccuLynx, SmartMoving, Salesforce, Monday.com, or Zapier. A CRM integration pushes every inquiry } handles into your CRM as a new contact (or lead). You stop doing manual entry, and your team has every lead and every conversation in one place. CRM integrations live on the CRM sub-tab of a source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. Each CRM has its own card you can enable, configure, and validate. Looking for GoHighLevel? In the UI its card is labeled "LeadConnector" - the product has been renamed. The setup and behavior are unchanged. See LeadConnector (GoHighLevel). Supported CRMs } has direct, purpose-built connectors for ten CRMs, plus Zapier for no-code routing. If your CRM is not one of them, use REST Webhook (Custom CRM Integration) if you can host a JSON endpoint. Which one should I pick? If you're not sure which CRM fits, use this as a rough guide: - Field service (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, cleaning, etc.): Workiz, Housecall Pro, or ServiceTitan. - Roofing companies: AccuLynx creates both the contact and related job. - Moving companies: SmartMoving - it captures move-specific fields no other CRM does. - Marketing agencies and everything-in-one operators: LeadConnector (GoHighLevel). - Sales-driven teams with a pipeline: HubSpot, Pipedrive, or Salesforce. - Project-managed teams tracking work on a board: Monday.com. - A CRM not on this list and you can host an endpoint: REST Webhook (Custom CRM). - A CRM not on this list and you want a no-code route: Zapier. Common CRM options The available controls vary by connector. Every CRM can be enabled or disconnected, while lead filters and source-name options appear only where the connector supports them. The dedicated page for each CRM documents its actual controls. Enable A simple on/off toggle for this integration on this source. When off, nothing is sent to the CRM from this source. Default: off (the integration only runs after you turn it on). Inherit from parent Only shown on a location that has a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent business's settings for this integration - same credentials, same options. When off, the location has its own settings that override the parent. Use Inherit from parent when all your locations should behave identically, and turn it off only on a specific location if it needs to be different. Create customer only when contact info is captured Label: Create customer only when contact info is captured (in some places: "Create in CRM only after phone/email is collected"). Default: off. - When on - } waits to push the lead into your CRM until it has captured either a phone number or an email from the conversation. Leads that never share contact info are never written to your CRM. - When off - A CRM record is created the moment the lead reaches out, even if you don't have their phone or email yet. Contact info is added later when it's collected. Use this when you want your CRM to only contain real, reachable leads - not every inbound ping. Create only for new leads Label: Create only for new leads. Default: off. - When on - } checks your CRM first. If a contact with the same phone or email already exists, it is not touched - no new record is created and no updates are pushed. Only brand-new leads are added. - When off - Existing records are found and updated (where the CRM supports it - e.g., HubSpot matches by email, LeadConnector by phone). New data is added to the existing record. Use this when you don't want } overwriting CRM records you're curating manually. Include source name Label: Include source name in payload. Default: off. - When on - } adds the source name (e.g., "Yelp – Main Location") to what it pushes into your CRM. Depending on the CRM this shows up in the note, in a tag, or in a custom field. - When off - The source name is not included. Use this when you run multiple sources and want to see in your CRM where a lead came from. Validate Connection A button on every card that tests your credentials right now. On success, you see a green confirmation. On failure, the error from the CRM is shown inline so you can fix it. Disconnect Removes your credentials for that CRM on that source. You'll be asked to confirm. After disconnecting, no more leads are sent to the CRM until you reconnect. Error log If the integration runs into a problem while processing a real lead, the most recent error and its timestamp are shown right on the card. --- Questions about CRM integrations? Email }. --- ### LeadConnector Messaging Sync (GoHighLevel) **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/ghl-messenger/ Push Auto-Respond conversations into GoHighLevel's Conversations inbox so your team replies from inside GHL. Card is labeled LeadConnector Messaging Sync. The LeadConnector Messaging Sync integration (formerly named "GoHighLevel Messenger") sends the conversation itself into GoHighLevel's Conversations inbox. Inbound lead messages appear in GHL as new conversations, and replies you send from inside GHL are delivered back to the lead. Use this when your team already handles customer replies from inside GoHighLevel and you want } conversations to show up alongside everything else. In } this integration's card is labeled LeadConnector Messaging Sync - the product was renamed. If you're looking for "GoHighLevel Messenger" and don't see it, that's the same card. The LeadConnector Messaging Sync card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Messengers sub-tab. Not the same as the LeadConnector CRM integration } has two separate GoHighLevel integrations, and both are labeled with the new "LeadConnector" brand name in the UI: - LeadConnector (CRM) - on the CRM sub-tab. Creates and updates contacts in GHL. Good if you use GHL as your system of record but reply to leads somewhere else. - LeadConnector Messaging Sync (this page) - on the Messengers sub-tab. Pushes the conversation into GHL's Conversations inbox so your team replies from inside GHL. You can use one, the other, or both. They each have their own OAuth connection. What you'll get - Every new lead creates a new conversation in your GoHighLevel Conversations inbox. - Inbound messages from the lead land in that conversation. - Replies your team sends from inside GHL Conversations are delivered back to the lead. - The conversation history lives in GHL, not in }, so your inbox workflow doesn't change. Connecting GoHighLevel Messenger Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Messengers sub-tab → LeadConnector Messaging Sync card. Click Connect You'll be redirected to GoHighLevel to authorize the connection. Sign in if needed and approve access. Choose Company or Location scope At the end of the OAuth flow, GoHighLevel (and }) will ask whether this connection should be at the Company level or a specific Location. - Choose Company if you're an agency and want the messenger connection to work across multiple sub-accounts under one OAuth connection. - Choose Location if this } source should only route conversations into a single GoHighLevel location. You're returned to } After authorizing, you land back on the integration card. The connection is now set. Validate and save Click Validate Connection. If the OAuth token is healthy, you'll see a green confirmation. Turn on the Enable toggle Nothing is pushed to GHL Conversations until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's LeadConnector Messaging Sync connection. When off, it has its own. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The GHL conversation is only created once the lead has shared a phone number or email. - When off - The GHL conversation is created as soon as the lead reaches out. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - Returning leads don't open a fresh conversation in GHL. - When off - Every lead opens a conversation in GHL (or updates an existing one when the lead is matched). Include source name Default: off. When on, the source name is included on the conversation in GHL so your team can see where the lead came from without leaving GHL. Validate Connection Tests the OAuth token against GoHighLevel. If the token was revoked on GHL's side, the error shows here and you'll need to reconnect. Disconnect Removes the OAuth connection. Confirmation required. You should also revoke the connection on the GoHighLevel side from your GoHighLevel settings if you want it fully removed there too. What the conversation contains Each conversation in GHL includes: - The lead's name (if shared) - Phone number and email (if shared) - The original inquiry as the first inbound message - All follow-up messages from the lead, as they come in - Replies your team sends back through GHL Conversations Who handles replies? When this integration is enabled, you're telling } that replies will be handled from inside GoHighLevel. Configure your own reply workflow inside GHL (team members, routing rules, automations) - that's where the conversation lives now. Disconnecting Open the LeadConnector Messaging Sync card → click Disconnect → confirm. The OAuth connection is removed from }. Existing conversations in GHL are not deleted; they just stop receiving new inbound messages from this source. Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" / token expired - Click Connect again and re-authorize. OAuth tokens can be revoked on GHL's side at any time. - Conversations not appearing in GHL - Confirm Enable is on. Check whether the connection was made at Company or Location level; at Company level, make sure } is writing into the location you expect. - Replies from GHL aren't reaching the lead - Confirm the connection is still healthy (use Validate Connection). If the token was revoked, reconnect. - I wanted the CRM sync, not the messenger - Use the separate LeadConnector (CRM) integration on the CRM sub-tab. --- Questions about the GoHighLevel Messenger integration? Email }. --- ### GoHighLevel **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/gohighlevel/ Push every Auto-Respond lead into GoHighLevel as a contact, with tags, notes, and phone-based deduplication. The GoHighLevel integration creates and updates contacts in your GoHighLevel account automatically. The connection is OAuth-based - you click Connect, approve on GoHighLevel, and at the end you choose whether the connection should be at the company level (for agencies managing many sub-accounts) or at a specific location level. In } this integration's card is labeled LeadConnector - the product was renamed. If you're looking for "GoHighLevel" on the CRM sub-tab and don't see it, pick the LeadConnector card. The LeadConnector card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → CRM sub-tab. Recommended vs Legacy } offers two versions of this integration: - LeadConnector (Recommended) - the current, up-to-date connection. New customers should use this one. - LeadConnector (Legacy) - the older connection, kept only for existing customers who haven't migrated. To avoid conflicts, only one of these is shown on a given source at a time. If you're setting up GoHighLevel for the first time, you'll see LeadConnector (Recommended). If you already had the Legacy connection set up, you'll continue to see Legacy until you migrate. If you're a new user, always use LeadConnector (Recommended). Not the same as LeadConnector Messaging Sync There is also a separate LeadConnector Messaging Sync integration (formerly called "GoHighLevel Messenger") on the Messengers sub-tab. It handles inbound and outbound messaging through GoHighLevel's Conversations inbox. That is a different integration and is not covered on this page - this page is about syncing leads into GoHighLevel as contacts. See LeadConnector Messaging Sync. What gets synced Every lead pushed into GoHighLevel includes: - First name - Last name - Phone number - Email - Postal code - Tags - A note with the source and the original inquiry Connecting GoHighLevel Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → CRM sub-tab → LeadConnector (Recommended) card. Click Connect You'll be redirected to GoHighLevel to authorize the connection. Sign in if needed and approve access. Choose Company or Location At the end of the OAuth flow, GoHighLevel (and }) will ask whether this connection should be at the Company level or a specific Location. - Choose Company if you're an agency and want } to place leads across multiple sub-accounts under one connection. - Choose Location if this } source should only write into a single GoHighLevel location. You're returned to } After authorizing, you land back on the integration card. The connection is now set. Turn on the Enable toggle Nothing is sent to GoHighLevel until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's GoHighLevel connection and settings. When off, it overrides them. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The GoHighLevel contact is only created after the lead shares a phone number or email. - When off - A contact is created at first contact, even without phone or email. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - If a GoHighLevel contact already matches on phone, the integration leaves it alone. - When off - The existing contact is updated, tags are added, and a new note is appended. Include source name Default: off. - When on - The source name is added to the note (and often as a tag) on the GoHighLevel contact. - When off - Source isn't included. Validate Connection Tests the OAuth token against GoHighLevel. If the token has been revoked on GoHighLevel's side, the error is shown here and you'll need to reconnect. Disconnect Removes the OAuth connection. Confirmation required. Matching and deduplication GoHighLevel contacts are matched by phone number. This is how duplicate contacts are avoided even if the name or email differs slightly. One important detail: if a contact in GoHighLevel already has a real email, } will not overwrite it with a temporary placeholder email (such as the anonymized address Yelp returns before contact info is shared). The real email wins. Disconnecting Open the LeadConnector card → click Disconnect → confirm. The OAuth connection is removed from }. You should also revoke the connection on the GoHighLevel side from your GoHighLevel settings if you want it fully removed there too. Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" / token expired - Reconnect via OAuth. Click Connect again and re-authorize. - No contacts appearing - Confirm Enable is on. Check whether the connection was made at Company or Location level; if it's Company-level, check the location routing in GoHighLevel. - Duplicate contacts - Matching is by phone. If leads are reaching out without sharing a phone number, you may see new contacts that later "catch up" to the real one. Turning on Create customer only when contact info is captured helps. - My real email got replaced by a temporary one - This shouldn't happen. Real emails are preserved over temporary ones. If you see this, contact support. - I meant to set up the messenger sync, not the CRM sync - That's a different card named LeadConnector Messaging Sync on the Messengers sub-tab. See LeadConnector Messaging Sync. --- Questions about the GoHighLevel integration? Email }. --- ### Housecall Pro **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/housecallpro/ Push every Auto-Respond lead into Housecall Pro as a customer, with optional job creation and estimate line items. The Housecall Pro integration creates customers in your Housecall Pro account for every lead } handles. When enough detail is collected, it can also create a job for the customer with notes and estimate line items, so your team has everything they need to dispatch. The Housecall Pro card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. What gets synced Every customer pushed into Housecall Pro includes: - First name - Last name - Email - Mobile number - Company (when provided) - Notes (includes the inquiry details) - Address When a job is created, it can also include estimate line items based on what the lead asked about. Connecting Housecall Pro Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Housecall Pro card. Paste your Housecall Pro API token Click Connect and paste your Housecall Pro API token into the field. You can generate an API token in Housecall Pro under your company settings. Save and validate Click Save, then click Validate Connection. If the token is correct, you'll see a success message. If not, Housecall Pro's error is shown inline. Turn on the Enable toggle Nothing is sent to Housecall Pro until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's Housecall Pro settings. When off, it overrides them. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The Housecall Pro customer is only created after a phone or email is collected. - When off - The customer is created at first contact, even before contact info is shared. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - If a matching customer already exists in Housecall Pro, they aren't touched. - When off - Existing customers are updated with any new info } has. Include source name Default: off. - When on - The source name is included in the customer notes so your dispatchers can see where the lead came from. - When off - Source isn't included. Validate Connection Re-tests your API token. Disconnect Removes the API token. Confirmation required. Matching and deduplication Housecall Pro customers are matched by phone and email. With Create only for new leads on, existing customers are left untouched. A note on appointment booking Housecall Pro also powers appointment scheduling inside }'s AI Assistant and Voice Agent. If your voice agent or AI text flow books an appointment, Housecall Pro is the calendar being read and written. That is configured separately under the AI Assistant and Voice Agent settings, not on this Integrations card. This page only covers customer and job creation for inbound leads. Disconnecting Open the Housecall Pro card → click Disconnect → confirm. The API token is cleared. Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" / invalid token - The API token is wrong or was revoked. Generate a new one in Housecall Pro. - No customers appearing - Confirm Enable is on and check your Create customer only when contact info is captured setting. - Jobs not being created - Jobs are only created when enough info (service, address) is collected. If the conversation doesn't capture those, only the customer record is created. - Duplicate customers - Usually caused by leads reaching out without contact info. Turning on Create customer only when contact info is captured prevents this. --- Questions about the Housecall Pro integration? Email }. --- ### HubSpot **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/hubspot/ Push every Auto-Respond lead into HubSpot as a contact, matched by email, with a note of the original inquiry. The HubSpot integration creates and updates HubSpot contacts automatically. Every lead } talks to is sent to HubSpot with their name, phone, email, and zip code, plus a note describing where the lead came from and what they asked about. Existing contacts are matched by email so you don't get duplicates. The HubSpot card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. What gets synced Every lead pushed into HubSpot includes: - First name - Last name - Phone number - Email - Zip code - Lifecycle stage - A note attached to the contact with the source name and the original inquiry Connecting HubSpot Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → HubSpot card. Paste your HubSpot access token Click Connect and paste your HubSpot access token into the field. You can create a token in HubSpot under your account settings → Integrations → Private Apps. Make sure the token has permissions to read and write contacts. Save and validate Click Save, then click Validate Connection. If the token is correct, you'll see a green confirmation. If not, HubSpot's error message is shown right on the card so you can fix it. Turn on the Enable toggle The integration doesn't send anything until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, this location uses the parent's HubSpot settings. When off, it has its own credentials and options. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The HubSpot contact is only created once the lead shares a phone number or email. - When off - A HubSpot contact is created as soon as the lead first reaches out, even before you have their contact info. Use this if you only want HubSpot contacts you can actually reach. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - If an existing HubSpot contact already has the same email, } leaves it alone. No update is sent. - When off - Existing contacts are updated with any new info } has collected. Include source name Default: off. - When on - The source name (e.g., "Yelp – Downtown") is added to the note on the contact, so you can see where each lead came from inside HubSpot. - When off - The note only contains the inquiry. Validate Connection Tests your access token immediately. Disconnect Removes the access token and turns off the integration. Confirmation required. Matching and deduplication HubSpot contacts are matched by email. If a contact with the same email already exists: - With Create only for new leads off, } updates the existing contact with new fields and appends a new note. - With Create only for new leads on, the existing contact is skipped entirely. If the lead doesn't have an email yet, HubSpot can't dedupe on email - in that case, a new contact may be created until the email is collected. Disconnecting Open the HubSpot card → click Disconnect → confirm. Your token is removed and no more leads are pushed to HubSpot until you reconnect. Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" / invalid token - The access token is wrong or was revoked. Regenerate the token in HubSpot and paste the new one. - No contacts appearing in HubSpot - Check that Enable is on. If Create customer only when contact info is captured is on, the lead hasn't shared a phone or email yet. If Create only for new leads is on, the lead may already exist. - Duplicate contacts - Usually means leads are reaching out without an email, and HubSpot can't dedupe. Consider turning on Create customer only when contact info is captured so records are only created once an email is collected. - Missing notes or fields - Confirm your HubSpot token has permissions for contacts and notes. --- Questions about the HubSpot integration? Email }. --- ### Lead Reply API **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/lead-reply-api/ A lightweight API for posting replies back into Auto-Respond from an external system, authenticated with a per-source secret key. The Lead Reply API lets an external system send replies back into } so they're delivered to the lead as if your team sent them from inside the app. This is the pair of the REST Webhook integration: the webhook sends lead data out, the Lead Reply API posts replies back in. Together they let a developer-owned workflow fully own the conversation. The Lead Reply API card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. Use it alongside the REST Webhook if you want a full outbound-plus-inbound integration. What you'll get - A Secret key for this source that your external system uses to authenticate when sending replies. - The ability to post outbound messages back to the lead from your own software. - Inbound activity from the lead still shows up in } (and in your webhook receiver if you have one wired up). Connecting the Lead Reply API Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Lead Reply API card. Copy the Secret key } generates a Secret key when the card is set up. Copy it and store it as a credential in your external system. Your system will include this key on every call it makes to the Lead Reply API so } can confirm the call really came from you. You can Regenerate the secret at any time. Regenerating invalidates the old key immediately - update your caller before regenerating in production. Validate and save Click Validate Connection to confirm the secret is active. Turn on the Enable toggle The API won't accept replies for this source until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. When off, calls to the Lead Reply API for this source are rejected. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's secret key. When off, it has its own. Secret key The credential your external system uses to authenticate. Keep it secret and rotate it (via Regenerate) if it's ever exposed. The old key stops working the moment a new one is generated. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The lead is only considered "ready" for external reply flows once phone or email has been collected. - When off - The lead is available to reply to from the moment it reaches out. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - Returning leads are not surfaced to your external reply flow as new. - When off - All leads are surfaced. Include source name Default: off. When on, the source name is included in the data your external system sees alongside each lead. Validate Connection Confirms the current secret is active. Disconnect Clears the secret and turns the integration off. Confirmation required. Typical setup Most customers use the Lead Reply API together with the REST Webhook: 1. Wire up the REST Webhook so your system gets notified of new leads and messages. 2. Enable the Lead Reply API on the same source and copy its secret. 3. In your system, when you want to reply to a lead, call the Lead Reply API with the secret and the reply text. The reply is delivered to the lead. If you're taking over the conversation entirely, turn on Skip welcome and follow-ups on the REST Webhook card so }'s automated messages don't interfere with yours. Disconnecting Open the Lead Reply API card → click Disconnect → confirm. The secret is cleared. Any external system still calling with the old secret will get rejected. Troubleshooting - Calls being rejected - Confirm Enable is on and that your caller is sending the current secret. If you regenerated it, old callers need to be updated. - Replies aren't reaching the lead - Make sure you're identifying the correct lead in your call, and that the lead's conversation is still open on the source. - I want the reverse direction too - Enable the REST Webhook on the same source so your system also gets notified of inbound activity. --- Questions about the Lead Reply API? Email }. --- ### Monday.com **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/monday/ Push every Auto-Respond lead into Monday.com as an item on a board you choose, in the group you choose, with customizable column mapping. The Monday.com integration creates an item on a Monday.com board every time a new lead comes through }. You choose which board to use, which group within the board to drop new items into, and how each } field maps to a Monday column - so your team's board stays organized exactly how you already use it. The Monday.com card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. What gets synced Every lead pushed into Monday.com creates a new item with: - First name / last name (usually combined into the item name) - Phone number - Email - Postal code - The inquiry / notes - Source (when Include source name is on) Exactly which columns these land in depends on your field mapping (see below). Connecting Monday.com Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Monday.com card. Paste your Monday.com API token Click Connect and paste your Monday.com API token. You can generate a token in Monday.com under your profile → Developers → My access tokens. Save and validate Click Save, then click Validate Connection. If the token is wrong, Monday's error is shown inline. Pick a Board Once connected, a Board dropdown appears with the boards available to the connected user. Pick the board where new leads should appear. Default: Auto Respond | Leads (if you have a board with that name, it's picked automatically). Pick a Group Then pick a Group on that board - groups are the colored sections you already have on your Monday board (e.g., "New Leads", "To Qualify"). New items from } will be created in this group. Map your fields On the card you'll see the list of } fields and a dropdown next to each one to map it to one of your board's columns. For example, map Phone to your phone column, Email to your email column, Postal code to a text column, and so on. Save when you're done. Turn on the Enable toggle Nothing is sent to Monday.com until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's Monday settings (token, board, group, mapping). When off, it overrides them per location. Board Which Monday.com board new items are created on. Default: Auto Respond | Leads if that board exists on your account; otherwise pick any board. Group Which group within the selected board new items land in. You can reorganize the items on Monday after they're created - changes to the group after the fact don't affect }. Field mapping Customize which Monday column each } field writes to. If you don't map a field, that field simply isn't written to Monday - nothing else on the item is affected. Updating the mapping only affects new items going forward; existing items aren't rewritten. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - An item is only created after a phone number or email is collected. - When off - An item is created at first contact, even without contact info. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - Matching items in Monday (by phone/email in your mapped columns) are skipped. - When off - Existing matches are updated. Include source name Default: off. - When on - The source name is added to the Monday item (typically in the notes/description column). - When off - Source isn't included. Validate Connection Re-tests your API token. Disconnect Removes the API token, the board selection, the group, and the field mapping. Confirmation required. Matching and deduplication Matching depends on which Monday columns you've mapped to phone and email. If those columns aren't mapped, duplicate items can be created on repeat inquiries. Disconnecting Open the Monday.com card → click Disconnect → confirm. The token, board choice, group choice, and mapping are all cleared. Items already on your Monday board are untouched. Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" / invalid token - The API token is wrong or was revoked. Generate a new one in Monday.com. - Board dropdown is empty - The connected user has no boards, or the token doesn't have permission to list boards. Generate a token scoped to a user who can see the board. - Items going to the wrong place - Check your Board and Group selections. - Fields not populating on the item - That field isn't mapped. Go to the field mapping section of the card and map it to a column. - Duplicates - Map Monday's phone and email columns in the field mapping and turn on Create only for new leads. --- Questions about the Monday.com integration? Email }. --- ### Integrations **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/ Connect Auto-Respond to your CRM, communication tools, and automation platforms } can push every inquiry it handles into the tools you already use - your CRM, your team chat, or any other app connected through Zapier. Once an integration is turned on, lead data flows over automatically as conversations happen. No copy-paste, no missed records. Integrations are configured per source. Open any source (Yelp, Thumbtack, etc.) → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. Each integration appears as its own card with an enable toggle, its settings, and a Validate Connection button. How the Integrations tab is organized The Integrations tab splits every integration across three sub-tabs. The sub-tab an integration lives on tells you what it's for: - Messengers - integrations that alert your team or hand the live conversation off to another inbox. This is where Slack, SMS, Telegram, and LeadConnector Messaging Sync (GoHighLevel Messenger) live. - CRM - integrations that create or update contact and job records in your CRM. This is where HubSpot, Pipedrive, Workiz, LeadConnector (GoHighLevel), Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, AccuLynx, SmartMoving, Salesforce, Monday.com, and Zapier live. - Other - integrations that do something more specialized than a simple alert or a CRM push. This is where Call Bridge, Voice Agent, REST Webhook, and Lead Reply API live. Each sub-tab shows one card per integration. You can enable any combination across the three sub-tabs on the same source. Jump to a category How integrations work in } - Each integration lives on the Integrations tab of a source. - Every card has an Enable toggle that turns the integration on or off just for that source. - If the source belongs to a parent business, you'll also see an Inherit from parent toggle so you can fall back to the parent's settings or override them. - Most integrations have a Validate Connection button that checks your credentials immediately. If something is wrong, the error is shown right on the card. - If the integration ever hits an error while processing a lead, the last error and its timestamp are shown on the card so you can see what happened. - To remove an integration, click Disconnect. You'll be asked to confirm. Credentials are cleared and no more data is sent until you reconnect. Common options on CRM cards Many CRM integrations offer these filters. The exact options depend on the connector, so use each integration's dedicated page for the final behavior: - Create customer only when contact info is captured - only push the lead once you've collected a phone number or email. - Create only for new leads - skip leads that already exist in the CRM. - Include source name - add the } source/location name to the CRM record. Which CRMs are supported? } has direct connectors for HubSpot, Pipedrive, Workiz, LeadConnector (GoHighLevel), Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, AccuLynx, SmartMoving, Salesforce, and Monday.com. It also supports Zapier for no-code routing. If your CRM is not on that list, use REST Webhook (Custom CRM) to have } POST lead events to a URL you control. Which communication tools are supported? For team notifications, } supports SMS, Slack, Telegram, and email. See Communication Tools for setup. --- Questions about integrations? Email }. --- ### Pipedrive **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/pipedrive/ Push every Auto-Respond lead into Pipedrive as a person, with name, email, phone, and postal code. The Pipedrive integration creates persons (Pipedrive's name for contacts) in your Pipedrive account for every lead } handles. Their name, email, phone, and postal code are written through automatically, so your pipeline always reflects what's come in. The Pipedrive card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. What gets synced Every lead sent to Pipedrive includes: - Name - Email - Phone number - Postal code (written into a custom field on the person) Connecting Pipedrive Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Pipedrive card. Paste your Pipedrive API token Click Connect and paste your Pipedrive API token. You can find your token in Pipedrive under your user profile → Personal preferences → API. Save and validate Click Save. The token is validated automatically when you save - if it's wrong, Pipedrive's error is shown right on the card. You can also click Validate Connection later to re-check. Turn on the Enable toggle Nothing is sent to Pipedrive until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's Pipedrive settings. When off, the location overrides them. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The Pipedrive person is only created once the lead has shared a phone number or email. - When off - The person is created at first contact, even if you don't have their phone or email yet. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - If a Pipedrive person already matches on phone or email, } skips the lead and doesn't touch the existing record. - When off - Existing persons are matched and updated with any new info } has. Include source name Default: off. - When on - The source name (e.g., "Thumbtack – Main") is added to the person in Pipedrive. - When off - The source name isn't included. Validate Connection Re-tests your API token against Pipedrive. Disconnect Removes the token and turns the integration off. Confirmation required. Matching and deduplication Pipedrive persons are matched by phone or email. With Create only for new leads off, an existing person is updated. With it on, the existing person is left alone. Disconnecting Open the Pipedrive card → click Disconnect → confirm. The API token is cleared. Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" / invalid token - The Pipedrive token is wrong, expired, or was deleted. Generate a new token in Pipedrive and paste it. - No persons appearing in Pipedrive - Check Enable is on, check your Create customer only when contact info is captured setting, and confirm your Pipedrive user has permission to create persons. - Duplicates - Turn on Create only for new leads if you're seeing duplicates from leads that were created manually in Pipedrive. - Postal code missing - Pipedrive stores postal code on a custom field. Check that your Pipedrive account has the postal-code custom field available on the Person entity. --- Questions about the Pipedrive integration? Email }. --- ### REST Webhook (Custom CRM) **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/rest-webhook/ Connect any CRM or custom system to Auto-Respond by having it POST lead events to a URL you control. Use this when your CRM isn't in the supported list. The REST Webhook (Custom CRM Integration) is how you connect } to a CRM or internal system that isn't one of the directly-supported CRMs. } sends an HTTP POST request to an endpoint you control every time a lead event happens on this source - a new lead, new contact info, a new message. The payload is a JSON document containing the lead's details, and every request carries a secret header so your endpoint can verify the request really came from }. This integration requires a developer or someone who can host an endpoint that receives JSON. If you need a no-code route to a custom tool, use Zapier instead. If you just want a team alert, use Slack, SMS, or Telegram. What you'll get - An HTTP POST to your endpoint for every lead event on this source. - A JSON body with the lead's identity, contact info, tags, and the conversation history so far. - An header on every request so you can verify the sender. - Optional handoff mode: } can stop sending its own welcome message and follow-ups and let your receiver drive the conversation. Connecting the Webhook Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → REST Webhook card. Paste your Webhook URL Enter the public HTTPS URL of the endpoint you want } to POST to. Your endpoint should accept JSON, respond with a status on success, and be reachable from the public internet. Copy the Secret key } generates a Secret key for you when the card is set up. This key is sent on every request in the HTTP header. Copy it into your receiver code and compare it against the incoming header on every request - reject any request where it doesn't match. You can Regenerate the secret key at any time. Regenerating invalidates the old key immediately - update your receiver before regenerating in production. Test webhook Click Test webhook to send a sample POST to your URL right now. Check your endpoint's logs to confirm it arrived, and confirm your signature check passes on the test request. Turn on the Enable toggle The integration doesn't POST anything until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's webhook URL and secret. When off, it has its own. Webhook URL The HTTPS endpoint that receives the POST. Required. Secret key Auto-generated by }. Sent on every request as the HTTP header. Your receiver should reject any request whose header doesn't match the key you configured. Click Regenerate to issue a new one - the old key stops working immediately. Skip welcome and follow-ups Label: Skip welcome and follow-ups. Default: off. - When on - } will not send its usual welcome message or follow-up sequence for leads on this source. The webhook receiver is expected to handle the conversation. - When off - } sends its normal welcome and follow-ups in addition to firing the webhook. Use this when your own system is taking over the conversation flow and you don't want }'s automated messages to interfere. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The webhook only fires once the lead has shared a phone number or email. - When off - The webhook fires the moment the lead reaches out. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - Returning leads don't trigger the webhook. - When off - Every lead triggers the webhook. Include source name Default: off. When on, the source name is included in the payload so your receiver knows which source the lead came from. Validate Connection / Test webhook Fires a sample POST to the URL right now so you can confirm your endpoint receives it and your signature check works. Payload preview The card has an expandable sample JSON block showing the shape of data } will POST to your endpoint. Disconnect Clears the webhook URL and secret and turns the integration off. Confirmation required. Sample payload The request is an HTTP POST with . The header is set to your secret key. The body looks like: Fields included on every payload: - - stable identifier for the lead. - , , , - present when collected; omitted or otherwise. - - tags attached to the lead. - - included when Include source name is on. - - the conversation transcript so far, in chronological order. - - a summary of what } has done with this lead in other integrations. What your endpoint should do - Accept at the configured URL. - Read the header and compare it to the secret you copied out of the card. Reject any request where it doesn't match. - Return a status code on success. Any other status is treated as a delivery failure. - Be idempotent - the same may arrive more than once as a lead updates. Disconnecting Open the REST Webhook card → click Disconnect → confirm. The webhook URL and secret are cleared. Regenerating or disconnecting invalidates the old secret immediately. Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" / test webhook fails - The endpoint didn't return a response in time. Check the URL, that the endpoint is publicly reachable over HTTPS, and that it responds quickly. - Signature check failing on my side - Make sure you're comparing against the current secret on the card. If you regenerated the secret, the old one stops working immediately. - Not receiving anything - Confirm Enable is on. If Create customer only when contact info is captured is on, the lead hasn't shared phone or email yet. If Create only for new leads is on, the lead may already be known. - } is still sending welcome messages after my webhook fires - Turn on Skip welcome and follow-ups if you want to fully hand the conversation over to your receiver. - I want duplicate protection - Use the field in the payload as an idempotency key. --- Questions about the REST Webhook integration? Email }. --- ### Salesforce **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/salesforce/ Push every Auto-Respond lead into Salesforce as a Lead or Contact, with address, description, and lead source populated. The Salesforce integration creates records in your Salesforce org for every lead } handles. The connection uses OAuth - click Connect, authorize on Salesforce, and you're done. You then choose whether } should create records as Leads or Contacts depending on how your org is set up. The Salesforce card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. What gets synced Every record pushed into Salesforce includes: - First name - Last name - Company - Email - Phone number - Street, city, state, postal code - Description (the inquiry details, when the job-description option is on) - Lead source - Status Connecting Salesforce Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Salesforce card. Click Connect You'll be redirected to Salesforce to authorize the connection. Sign in with the Salesforce user that should own the records being created, then approve the permissions. You're returned to } After authorizing, you land back on the Salesforce integration card. The connection is now set. Choose record type - Lead or Contact On the card, pick whether } should create Salesforce Leads or Contacts for each inquiry. - Leads - The standard choice for most sales orgs. Every inquiry becomes a new Salesforce Lead that your team can qualify and convert. - Contacts - Use this if your Salesforce setup skips the Lead object and goes straight to Contacts/Accounts. Validate Click Validate Connection to confirm everything is wired up. Turn on the Enable toggle Nothing is sent to Salesforce until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's Salesforce connection and settings. When off, it overrides them. Record type: Leads or Contacts Default: Leads. Choose whether new Salesforce records are created as Leads or as Contacts. Switching this only affects new records - records already pushed to Salesforce aren't moved or duplicated. Include job description Label: Include job description (setting: ). Default: off. - When on - The description of the inquiry (what the customer is asking about, the job details captured in the conversation) is written into the Salesforce record's Description field. - When off - The Description field is left alone. Only contact info and standard fields are populated. Turn this on when your sales reps need the context of the inquiry directly on the record. Turn it off if your Salesforce workflow fills the Description field from somewhere else. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The Salesforce record is only created after a phone number or email is collected. - When off - The record is created at first contact, even before contact info is shared. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - If a matching Salesforce record already exists (on email or phone), it's left alone. - When off - Existing records are updated with any new info } has. Include source name Default: off. - When on - The source name is added to the Salesforce record. It typically shows up on the Lead Source or within the Description. - When off - Source isn't included. Validate Connection Tests the OAuth token against Salesforce. If the user's session has been revoked, you'll see the error and need to reconnect. Disconnect Removes the OAuth connection. Confirmation required. Matching and deduplication Salesforce records are matched on email and phone. With Create only for new leads on, existing matches are skipped. Disconnecting Open the Salesforce card → click Disconnect → confirm. The OAuth connection is removed from }. If you want to revoke the access on Salesforce's side too, do that from your Salesforce user's connected-apps settings. Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" / token expired - The OAuth token is no longer valid. Click Connect again and re-authorize. - No records appearing - Confirm Enable is on. Check your Create customer only when contact info is captured setting. Also confirm the Salesforce user you connected with has permission to create the chosen record type (Leads or Contacts). - Records created as the wrong type - Check the record-type setting on the card. Changing it only affects new records. - Description empty - Turn on Include job description if you want the inquiry to populate the Description field. - Duplicates - Enable Create only for new leads to skip matches. --- Questions about the Salesforce integration? Email }. --- ### ServiceTitan Integration **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/servicetitan/ Connect Auto-Respond to ServiceTitan CRM and create lead forms with contact, address, source, project, and conversation details. The ServiceTitan integration sends new } leads into ServiceTitan CRM as lead forms. It carries the customer details and job context your team needs, while preventing the same } lead from being submitted twice. This page covers CRM lead sync. If you also use ServiceTitan for voice-agent scheduling, configure that separately under Voice Agent Scheduling Integrations. What the integration sends When the available information is present, the ServiceTitan lead form includes: - Customer name - Email address and phone number - Full project address, when street, city, state, and ZIP code are all available - The } source or location name - Lead description and project details - Requested job names and additional information - Team memos from the lead record The address is only attached when all required address fields are available. This avoids submitting a partial address that ServiceTitan cannot use reliably. Connect ServiceTitan Get the Tenant ID Ask a ServiceTitan admin to open Settings > Integrations > API Application Access and copy the Tenant ID. Get the application credentials In the ServiceTitan Developer Portal, open the API application for this integration. Copy the Application Key into the App Key field, copy the Client ID, and generate a Client Secret. Allow CRM Leads access Ask your ServiceTitan admin or support contact to give the application CRM Leads read and write access. The required scopes are and . Open the integration in } Open a source, then go to Messaging Settings > Integrations > CRM > ServiceTitan. Save and enable Enter the Client ID, Client Secret, App Key, and Tenant ID, then click Save credentials. } validates the credentials before saving them. After the connection succeeds, turn Enabled on for the source. The ServiceTitan API application must have access to CRM Leads. This connector submits a lead form and does not create a ServiceTitan contact directly. When a lead is submitted The connector can run when a new lead arrives, when contact information is captured, or when an AI call finishes, based on the source's integration triggers. The first successful submission stores the ServiceTitan lead ID on the } lead. Later events skip another submission, preventing duplicate ServiceTitan lead forms. Updating or disconnecting credentials Open the ServiceTitan card to update its credentials. The Client Secret is not displayed again, so enter it whenever you save an updated connection. To disconnect, expand the saved connection, click the delete button, and confirm. Disconnecting clears the credentials and disables the integration for that source. Troubleshooting - Credentials fail to save: confirm all four fields are present and belong to the same ServiceTitan API application and tenant. - Permission or authorization error: ask the ServiceTitan admin to confirm the application has and . - Integration is connected but no lead appears: confirm Enabled is on for the source and review the latest integration error on the card. - Address is missing in ServiceTitan: } only sends the address when street, city, state, and ZIP code are all available. - A later phone number did not create another lead: the integration intentionally creates one ServiceTitan lead form per } lead. --- Questions about the ServiceTitan integration? Email }. --- ### Slack **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/slack/ Post Auto-Respond lead alerts into a channel in your Slack workspace via OAuth. The Slack integration posts a message into a channel in your Slack workspace every time a new lead reaches out. Your team sees the lead's name, contact info, and inquiry right in the channel they already live in, and updates to the lead land as replies in the same thread so the conversation stays in one place. The Slack card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. What you'll get - A new message in your chosen Slack channel for each incoming lead. - Follow-up updates on that lead (new messages, contact info, status changes) posted as replies in the same thread. - Lead details included in the message - name, phone, email, zip code, and the original inquiry. - Optionally, the source name ("Yelp – Downtown") tagged on the message. Connecting Slack Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Slack card. Click Connect You'll be redirected to Slack to authorize the connection. Sign in to the workspace you want alerts to land in if you're not already signed in. Approve the scopes Slack will ask you to approve these permissions: - - post messages into channels. - - list your public channels so you can pick one. - - join the channel you pick so messages can be posted there. - - list your private channels if you want to use one. Approve and you'll be sent back to }. Pick a channel Once you're back on the Slack card, pick a Channel from the dropdown. The list is your workspace's public channels, plus any private channels you have access to. This is the channel every lead alert for this source will land in. Validate and save Click Validate Connection to post a test message into the channel. If you see the test message in Slack, you're done. Turn on the Enable toggle The integration doesn't post anything until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's Slack connection and channel. When off, it has its own. Channel Dropdown of channels in the connected Slack workspace. This is where the alerts will post. Change it at any time - new leads will go to the new channel. If a channel you want isn't showing up, make sure the Slack app has been invited to it (for private channels) or that it's a public channel in the connected workspace. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. See Communication Tools for the full explanation. - When on - Slack alert fires only after the lead has shared a phone number or email. - When off - Slack alert fires the moment the lead reaches out. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - Returning leads don't trigger a Slack alert. - When off - Every lead triggers an alert. Include source name Default: off. When on, the source name is added to the Slack message so you can tell sources apart. Validate Connection Posts a test message into the selected channel right now. Disconnect Removes the Slack OAuth connection. Confirmation required. You should also remove the } app from your Slack workspace via Slack's App Management page if you want it fully cleaned up there. What the notification contains Each Slack message includes: - Lead's name (if shared) - Phone number (if shared) - Email (if shared) - Zip / postal code (if shared) - The original inquiry text - The source the lead came from (if Include source name is on) Follow-up activity on the same lead (new messages, captured contact info) posts as a threaded reply on the original message so the full history stays together. Disconnecting Open the Slack card → click Disconnect → confirm. The Slack connection is removed from }. Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" - The OAuth connection was revoked in Slack, or the Slack app was removed from the workspace. Click Connect again and re-authorize. - No messages arriving - Check that Enable is on. Make sure you've selected a Channel. If the channel is private, make sure the } Slack app is a member of the channel. - Messages going to the wrong channel - Switch the Channel dropdown on the card. - Can't see a private channel in the list - Invite the } Slack app to that channel from Slack, then reopen the dropdown. --- Questions about the Slack integration? Email }. --- ### SmartMoving **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/smartmoving/ Push every Auto-Respond lead into SmartMoving with move-specific details - origin, destination, move date, and referral source. The SmartMoving integration is purpose-built for moving companies. On top of standard contact info, it captures move-specific details - origin address, destination address, move date, and how the lead heard about you - so your SmartMoving pipeline contains everything a mover needs to quote the job. The SmartMoving card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. What gets synced Every lead pushed into SmartMoving includes: Contact information - First name - Last name - Phone number - Email - Postal code Move-specific details (when captured during the conversation) - Origin address info (moving from) - Destination address info (moving to) - Move date - Referral source Connecting SmartMoving Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → SmartMoving card. Paste your SmartMoving provider API key Click Connect and paste your SmartMoving provider API key. You can find or generate this key in your SmartMoving account settings. Save and validate Click Save, then click Validate Connection. If the key is wrong, SmartMoving's error is shown inline. Turn on the Enable toggle Nothing is sent to SmartMoving until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's SmartMoving settings. When off, it overrides them. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The SmartMoving lead is only created once the customer has shared a phone number or email. - When off - The lead is created at first contact, even before contact info is shared. Moving dispatchers typically want a phone number before quoting - turning this on is the common setup. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - Matching customers already in SmartMoving are skipped. - When off - Existing records are updated with new info } collects. Include source name Default: off. - When on - The source name is attached to the SmartMoving lead so your team can see where it came from. - When off - Source isn't included. Validate Connection Re-tests your API key. Disconnect Removes the API key. Confirmation required. Matching and deduplication Matching is done on phone and email. With Create only for new leads on, existing customers are never modified. About the move-specific fields The origin, destination, move date, and referral source are only written to SmartMoving if they were actually captured during the } conversation. If the lead didn't mention their destination, for example, that field is left blank on the SmartMoving record - it is never fabricated. Disconnecting Open the SmartMoving card → click Disconnect → confirm. The API key is cleared. Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" / invalid key - The provider API key is wrong or was revoked. Generate a new one in SmartMoving. - No leads appearing - Confirm Enable is on, check Create customer only when contact info is captured, and confirm the provider key has permission to create leads. - Move details missing from the SmartMoving lead - Those fields are only filled in when the conversation captured them. Check the inquiry - if the lead never shared a move date, it will be blank on SmartMoving too. - Duplicates - Enable Create only for new leads if duplicates are showing up. --- Questions about the SmartMoving integration? Email }. --- ### SMS **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/sms/ Send a text message alert to one or more phone numbers every time a new Auto-Respond lead comes in. The SMS integration texts one or more phone numbers the moment a new lead reaches out. You don't need to bring your own phone service - } sends the text for you. Add the numbers that should get alerts, turn the integration on, and you're done. This is an alert to your team, not a conversation with the lead. It texts you when a lead arrives. To text the lead and carry on a two-way SMS conversation (with its own welcome, AI, and follow-ups), use SMS Messaging instead - that's a separate feature with its own registration. The SMS card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. SMS delivery is currently US-focused; numbers outside the US may not reliably receive alerts. What you'll get - A text message to every number on the list whenever a new lead reaches out. - Lead's name, phone number, and a snippet of the original inquiry in the message. - Optionally, the source name so the recipient can tell where the lead came from. Connecting SMS Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → SMS card. Add a phone number Click Add number and enter the phone number that should receive alerts. Use the full number including country code (e.g., ). Repeat to add more numbers - each one gets its own text for every lead. Remove numbers you don't want Any number on the list can be removed individually with the remove button next to it. Removed numbers stop getting alerts immediately. Validate and save Click Validate Connection to send a test SMS to every number on the list. Check the phone(s) - if the test text arrived, you're set. Turn on the Enable toggle The integration doesn't send anything until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's list of phone numbers. When off, this location has its own list. Phone numbers The list of numbers that will receive an SMS for every lead. Add as many as you need - each number on the list receives its own text every time. Use this to route alerts to multiple on-call people at once. For an on-call rotation, keep the list short and update it when the rotation changes. Everyone on the list gets every alert, so adding your whole team usually isn't ideal. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The text is sent only once the lead has shared a phone number or email. - When off - The text is sent the moment the lead reaches out. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - Returning leads don't trigger a text. - When off - Every lead triggers a text. Include source name Default: off. When on, the source name is added to the text so the recipient can tell which source the lead came from. Validate Connection Sends a test SMS to every number currently on the list. Disconnect Clears the list and turns the integration off. Confirmation required. What the notification contains Each SMS includes: - Lead's name (if shared) - A short preview of the inquiry - The source name (if Include source name is on) SMS is a short format, so the message is kept short on purpose - open } to see the full conversation and history. Disconnecting Open the SMS card → click Disconnect → confirm. The list of numbers is cleared and no more alerts will be sent. Troubleshooting - No texts arriving - Check that Enable is on and that the number is on the list with the country code. If Create customer only when contact info is captured is on, the lead hasn't shared a phone or email yet. - "Validation failed" - At least one number on the list couldn't receive a test SMS. Check the format (full international format with and country code), and make sure the phone can receive texts from unknown senders. - Texts are delayed - Rare, but carriers can introduce delivery delays during high-volume periods. If it's a consistent issue, contact support. - Non-US number not getting alerts - SMS delivery is US-focused. For teams outside the US, use Telegram or Slack instead. --- Questions about the SMS integration? Email }. --- ### Telegram **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/telegram/ Send Auto-Respond lead alerts into a Telegram chat or group that's been linked to your account. The Telegram integration drops a message into a Telegram chat or group every time a new lead reaches out. This is a good fit for teams that already coordinate on Telegram - the alert lands in whichever chat the team lives in. The Telegram card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. How Telegram chats get linked You don't connect your personal Telegram through this card. Instead, } provisions a Telegram chat (or group) for your account and assigns it to you. When you open the Telegram card, you'll see a list of the chats your account has available, and you pick the one this source should post into. If you don't see any chats available on the card, contact } and we'll provision one for your account. What you'll get - A Telegram message in the chat or group you pick for each incoming lead. - Lead's name, contact info (if shared), and the original inquiry. - Optionally, the source name so everyone knows where the lead came from. Connecting Telegram Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Telegram card. Pick a chat The card shows a list of Telegram chats linked to your account, each one labeled with its chat name and chat code. Pick the one you want lead alerts to post into. Validate and save Click Validate Connection. A test message is sent into the selected chat. Open Telegram - if the test message is there, you're set. Turn on the Enable toggle The integration doesn't send anything until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's selected Telegram chat. When off, it has its own. Chat The Telegram chat or group messages will be sent to. The card shows the chat name and the chat code so you can tell them apart if you have more than one chat linked to your account. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The Telegram alert is sent only once the lead has shared a phone number or email. - When off - The alert is sent the moment the lead reaches out. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - Returning leads don't trigger a Telegram alert. - When off - Every lead triggers an alert. Include source name Default: off. When on, the source name is added to the Telegram message. Validate Connection Sends a test message into the selected chat. Disconnect Unlinks this source from the chat. Confirmation required. The chat itself stays linked to your account and can be picked again later. What the notification contains Each Telegram message includes: - Lead's name (if shared) - Phone number (if shared) - Email (if shared) - The original inquiry text - The source the lead came from (if Include source name is on) Disconnecting Open the Telegram card → click Disconnect → confirm. The source stops posting into the chat. Troubleshooting - No chats available to pick - Your account hasn't been provisioned a Telegram chat yet. Email } and we'll set one up. - "Validation failed" - The chat is no longer reachable. Pick a different chat, or contact support. - No messages arriving - Check that Enable is on and you've picked a chat. If Create customer only when contact info is captured is on, the lead hasn't shared phone or email yet. - Too many messages in the group - Turn on Create customer only when contact info is captured or Create only for new leads to cut down noise. --- Questions about the Telegram integration? Email }. --- ### Workiz **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/workiz/ Push every Auto-Respond lead into Workiz as a lead record, with full contact info and postal code. The Workiz integration creates leads in your Workiz account for every inquiry } handles. It's built for field service businesses - so contact info, postal code, and enough context for a dispatcher to pick up and run with the job are all sent over. If a lead drops off, you can also mark it as lost from the } side. The Workiz card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. What gets synced Every lead pushed into Workiz includes: - First name - Last name - Phone number - Email - Postal code Connecting Workiz Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Workiz card. Get your API token and API secret from Workiz Workiz uses two credentials together: an API token and an API secret. You can generate both in your Workiz account. Make sure you copy them in the correct fields - they are not interchangeable. Paste both into } On the Workiz card, paste the API token into the API Token field and the API secret into the API Secret field. Save and validate Click Save, then click Validate Connection. If either credential is wrong, Workiz's error is shown inline. Turn on the Enable toggle Nothing is sent to Workiz until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's Workiz credentials and settings. When off, they can be overridden per location. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The Workiz lead is only created once the customer has shared a phone number or email. - When off - The lead is created at first contact, even before you have their phone or email. Field service dispatchers usually want a phone number before a lead is worth creating - turning this on keeps your Workiz inbox focused. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - Matching existing customers in Workiz are skipped. - When off - Existing records are updated with new info } collects. Include source name Default: off. - When on - The source name (e.g., "Yelp – West Side") is included on the Workiz lead so your team can see where it came from. - When off - Source isn't included. Validate Connection Re-tests both credentials. Disconnect Removes both the API token and the API secret. Confirmation required. Marking leads as lost If a conversation in } ends without booking - for example, the lead goes cold or explicitly declines - the matching Workiz lead can be marked as lost so your Workiz pipeline doesn't stay clogged with stale leads. This happens automatically as part of the integration when } determines the lead is no longer viable. Matching and deduplication Workiz records are matched on phone number and email. With Create only for new leads on, existing records are never modified. Disconnecting Open the Workiz card → click Disconnect → confirm. Both credentials are cleared. Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" / invalid credentials - One of the two fields is wrong, or you pasted them into the wrong spots. Double-check the API Token vs API Secret. - No leads appearing in Workiz - Confirm Enable is on, check your Create customer only when contact info is captured setting, and make sure the Workiz API user has permission to create leads. - Leads missing postal code - Postal code is only sent when the lead shares it in the conversation. - Old leads still open in Workiz - Mark-as-lost only fires after } determines the lead is dead; manually closing leads in Workiz doesn't sync back. --- Questions about the Workiz integration? Email }. --- ### Yelp Temp Phone via Zapier (recipe) **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/yelp-temp-phone-zapier/ A Zapier recipe (not a standalone integration): listen for Yelp's Phone Availability event in Zapier and push the temp phone number into Auto-Respond so it lands on the right lead. This page is a Zapier how-to, not a separate integration card. There is no "Yelp Temp Phone" card on the Integrations tab. This page explains how to build a Zap that takes Yelp's temporary (masked) phone number and pushes it into } using the existing Zapier integration on the CRM sub-tab. When a customer on Yelp chooses to share their phone number, Yelp returns a temporary masked number that routes calls through Yelp before reaching the business. That masked number only appears in Yelp's Phone Availability event - if nothing is listening for it, you miss it. The recipe on this page listens for that event in Zapier and forwards the masked number into } so it gets attached to the correct lead automatically. In short: use Zapier to capture the Yelp temp phone and push the real number back to }. If you already have a Zap that triggers on incoming Yelp SMS, this recipe is the companion - it keeps the masked-phone context attached to the lead so it shows up in your } conversation. What you'll need - A Zapier account. - Access approved for Yelp's Leads API on Zapier (see Before you begin, below). - The Zapier integration enabled on the source in } - you'll copy its API key during setup. Before you begin Yelp's Leads API (the one this Zap uses) requires approval from Yelp first. Submit the Yelp API access form Fill out the Yelp "Leads API on Zapier" Access Request Form to request access. Wait for Yelp approval Yelp will review and send a confirmation email once your access is approved. This can take several business days. Proceed with the setup below Only continue once you've received Yelp's approval email. Video walkthrough A step-by-step video is available on YouTube: How to get the Yelp Temp Phone number into } through Zapier. Phase 1 - Set up the Yelp trigger Create a new Zap In Zapier, click + Create and select Zap. Choose the trigger app Search for Yelp Leads in the trigger app search and select it. Select the event Under Trigger Event, choose Phone Availability (it's near the bottom of the list). Choose your Yelp account Pick your connected Yelp account and click Continue. Test the trigger Click Test trigger. Once Zapier finds a sample record (e.g., "Phone Availability A"), click Continue with selected record. Phase 2 - Connect } as the action Choose the action app In the action step, search for } and select it. Select the event Under Action Event, choose Send Lead. Connect your account Click Sign In to connect }. A pop-up will ask for an API key. Phase 3 - Get the API key from } Open Sources In }, go to the Sources screen. Open Messaging Settings Find the source (Yelp business) you're setting this up for and click Messaging Settings. Open the Integrations tab Click the Integrations tab, then switch to the CRM sub-tab. Find the Zapier card Find the Zapier card on the CRM sub-tab and click Connect. Copy the API key shown. Paste into Zapier Back in the Zapier pop-up, paste the key and confirm the connection. Phase 4 - Map the fields Map the payload In the Zap's action configuration, map the fields from the Yelp trigger to the } action: | } field | Yelp trigger field | |---|---| | Yelp Lead ID | Yelp Lead ID | | Yelp Business ID | Yelp Business ID | | Temporary Phone Number | Temporary Phone Number | Test the step Click Continue, then Test step. You're looking for . Publish Click Publish. The Zap is now live. Every time Yelp fires a phone availability event for that business, the masked number is forwarded to } and attached to the matching lead. Troubleshooting - Test trigger finds no records - Your Yelp account needs at least one lead that has shared a phone number. Also make sure your Yelp Leads API access has been approved. - API key not working - Double-check you copied the full key, and that you copied it from the Zapier card on the source's Integrations tab → CRM sub-tab. - Test step fails - Re-check field mapping and confirm your } subscription is active. - Masked number not showing up on the lead - Confirm the Zap is turned on in Zapier and that the Yelp Lead ID is being passed correctly in the mapping. --- Questions about this integration? Email }. --- ### Zapier **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/integrations/zapier/ Make Auto-Respond leads available to Zapier for routing into any of 6000+ apps. The Zapier integration lets you route } leads into any of Zapier's 6000+ connected apps. Use it when your CRM isn't one of the directly supported ones, or when you need to fan a single lead out to multiple tools at once (for example, CRM + Google Sheets + Slack + a custom database). The Zapier card is on any source's Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. How this integration is different Unlike the other CRM integrations, which push leads directly into the destination, Zapier works by polling. } makes new leads available; a Zap running on your Zapier account checks for new leads on a schedule and retrieves them. Your Zap then does whatever you want with each lead - create a row, send an email, fire a webhook, etc. The practical difference is that leads appear in your downstream apps as often as your Zap polls. This is how Zapier works for most polling-style triggers. This page is about the generic Zapier routing integration. There is a separate page for the specific Yelp-temp-phone-via-Zapier flow - see Yelp Temp Phone via Zapier. What gets made available to Zapier Each new lead is surfaced to Zapier with: - First name / last name - Phone number - Email - Postal code - Source name - The inquiry / message - Timestamp From there, your Zap decides which fields map to the destination app. Connecting Zapier Open the integration In }, open the source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab → Zapier card. Paste your Zapier API key Click Connect and paste your Zapier API key. This is the key your Zap will use to authenticate when it pulls leads. Save and validate Click Save, then click Validate Connection. If the key is wrong, the error is shown inline. Build your Zap on Zapier.com Over on Zapier, create a Zap that uses } as its trigger. Use the same API key there to authenticate. Then add whatever action steps you want - push to a CRM we don't support directly, append a row to a Google Sheet, post to a Slack channel, etc. Turn on the Enable toggle Nothing is made available to your Zap until Enable is on. Options Enable Turns the integration on or off for this source. Default: off. Inherit from parent Only shown on a location with a parent business. When on, the location uses the parent's Zapier API key and settings. When off, it overrides them. Create customer only when contact info is captured Default: off. - When on - The lead is only made available to Zapier once a phone number or email is captured. - When off - The lead is made available from first contact, even without contact info. Create only for new leads Default: off. - When on - Leads matching an existing entry (by phone or email) are not re-surfaced. - When off - Updates to existing leads can be picked up by your Zap. Include source name Default: off. - When on - The source name is included in the data your Zap receives. - When off - The source name isn't included. Validate Connection Re-tests your Zapier API key. Disconnect Removes the API key. Confirmation required. When to use Zapier instead of a direct CRM integration - Your CRM is not one of the ten directly supported ones. - You want to route the same lead into multiple apps at once. - You need custom logic between } and the destination (filters, formatters, branches). - You're already a Zapier shop and want all your integrations in one place. If you are using one of the directly supported CRMs (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Workiz, GoHighLevel, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, AccuLynx, SmartMoving, Salesforce, or Monday.com), use the direct integration. It is faster and more reliable than polling. Disconnecting Open the Zapier card → click Disconnect → confirm. The API key is cleared. Your Zaps on zapier.com will start failing until you reconnect with a valid key (or turn off the Zap). Troubleshooting - "Validation failed" / invalid key - The Zapier API key is wrong. Re-copy it and paste again. - My Zap says there are no new leads - Confirm Enable is on. Check that the Zap is turned on in Zapier and that the polling interval isn't set so long that you just haven't hit it yet. - Leads show up on Zapier but I didn't want certain ones - Use a Filter step in Zapier. For example, only continue if the phone number is present. - Duplicates in my downstream app - Add a Zapier deduplication step on your Zap, or turn on Create only for new leads in }. --- Questions about the Zapier integration? Email }. --- ### Facebook Lead Ads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/lead-sources/facebook-lead-ads/ Connect your Facebook Pages so every Lead Ads form submission is captured in Auto-Respond and pushed to your CRM. Facebook Lead Ads is a separate source type from Facebook Messenger. Where Messenger is a two-way chat, Lead Ads is a one-time form submission - a prospect clicks your Facebook ad, fills out a lead form, and submits it. } captures that submission and can send a confirmation, push the lead to your CRM, and notify your team. There is no chat on a Lead Ads source. Because Lead Ads aren't conversational, the usual messaging tabs (Conversation Setup, Follow-ups, Timing) are hidden. Only Integrations and Contact Info are shown. What gets captured from Facebook Lead Ads Whatever the Lead Ads form collected is passed through to }, typically including: - Customer name - Phone number - Email - Any custom fields the form asked about (service needed, budget, timing, etc.) The exact fields depend on how you built the Lead Ads form in Facebook Ads Manager. Connecting a Facebook Lead Ads source Open Sources In }, go to Sources and click Add Facebook Lead Ads. Sign in to Facebook and authorize You'll be redirected to Facebook. Sign in with the Facebook account that manages the Page running the Lead Ads and grant } permission to receive Lead Ads submissions for that Page. Your Facebook password is never shared with } - only a secure access token is returned after you approve. Pick which Pages to activate After authorizing, you'll see a list of the Pages your Facebook account manages. Activate each Page whose Lead Ads submissions you want } to capture. Each activated Page becomes its own Lead Ads source with its own Integrations, Contact Info settings, and billing line. Review activation The Sources page now shows each activated Lead Ads source as a separate card with a green Active status, the Page name, and a link to its configuration. What's different about this source - No two-way conversation. Lead Ads are form fills, not chats. Nothing is "replied to" in Messenger when a Lead Ads submission comes in. - Only Integrations and Contact Info tabs are shown. Conversation Setup, Follow-ups, and Timing are hidden because there's no chat to configure. - Confirmation is optional. If you want to acknowledge the submission, configure the Contact Info tab to send an automated confirmation by phone, email, or SMS when a submission comes in with those details. - One source per Page. Each Facebook Page running Lead Ads is a separate source. - The form determines the data. If a field isn't on your Lead Ads form, it won't arrive in }. Add fields to the form in Facebook Ads Manager if you need more data. What you can configure A Lead Ads source has a narrower configuration than other sources: - Integrations - push each submission to your CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Workiz, GoHighLevel, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, AccuLynx, SmartMoving, Salesforce, Monday.com, or Zapier) and notify your team via SMS, Slack, Telegram, or email. See Integrations for the full list. - Contact Info - configure an optional confirmation message (phone, email, or SMS) that goes out when a submission is received with those details. See Contact Info. Pricing A Facebook Lead Ads source is $19/month. See Pricing for the full table. Troubleshooting - Authorization failed - Make sure you're signed into the Facebook account that runs the ad campaign and approved the Lead Ads access permission. - A Page is missing after connecting - Only Pages your Facebook account has Lead Ads permission for will appear. Check your Page role on Facebook and reconnect. - Submissions aren't arriving - Confirm the source is Active, that the Lead Ads campaign is live on Facebook, and that your Facebook authorization hasn't expired. Also check that your Lead Ads form is attached to an active ad. - Lead is missing fields - Only fields present on the Lead Ads form are captured. Add the missing field to the form in Facebook Ads Manager, then re-test. - CRM isn't receiving the lead - Open the source's Integrations tab and confirm your CRM integration is enabled and its connection validates. - Billing warning on the card - Open Billing and resolve the payment issue. The source won't capture new submissions until billing is current. --- Questions about connecting Facebook Lead Ads? Email }. --- ### Facebook Messenger **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/lead-sources/facebook-messenger/ Connect your Facebook Pages so Messenger conversations are answered automatically and every lead lands in Auto-Respond. Connecting Facebook Messenger turns each of your Facebook Pages into a source in }. When someone messages your Page on Messenger, the inquiry is picked up automatically, answered according to your Messaging Settings, and shown on your Leads page with the full conversation. Facebook Messenger is a two-way messaging source - both inbound messages and outbound replies go through }. What gets captured from Facebook Messenger Every Messenger conversation brings over: - Customer name (from their Facebook profile) - The full Messenger conversation thread - Phone number and email - only when the customer shares them during the conversation (Facebook itself does not provide contact info) - Any text the customer sent to your Page Facebook does not share the customer's phone number or email address with }. Those details are collected through conversation, the same way they are on Yelp or Thumbtack. Connecting a Facebook Messenger source Open Sources In }, go to Sources and click Add Facebook Messenger. Sign in to Facebook and authorize You'll be redirected to Facebook. Sign in with the Facebook account that manages your Pages and grant } permission to read and send messages for those Pages. Your Facebook password is never shared with } - only a secure access token is returned after you approve. Pick which Pages to activate After authorizing, you'll see a list of the Pages your Facebook account manages. Activate the Pages you want } to handle. Each activated Page becomes its own source with its own Messaging Settings, Integrations, and billing line. Review activation The Sources page now shows each activated Page as a separate card with a green Active status, the Page name, and a link to Messaging Settings. What's different about this source - One source per Page. If you manage multiple Facebook Pages, each becomes its own source. - Contact info is collected in conversation. Facebook doesn't give out phone numbers or emails. The AI assistant (or your predefined messages) needs to ask the customer for them. - You must be an admin of the Page. If the Page doesn't appear after authorizing, your Facebook account may not have message-management permission on that Page. Messaging Settings for this source A Facebook Messenger source supports the full set of Messaging Settings: - Conversation Setup - AI assistant or predefined messages - Follow-ups - nurturing sequences - Timing - business hours and delays - Integrations - CRM and team notifications - Contact Info - what happens when the customer shares a phone number or email See Messaging Settings for details on each tab. Pricing A Facebook Messenger source is $49/month. See Pricing for the full table. Troubleshooting - Authorization failed - Make sure you're signed into the Facebook account that manages the Page, and that you approved the message-access permission on the Facebook prompt. Try again if you skipped any step. - A Page is missing after connecting - Only Pages your Facebook account has message permission for will appear. Add yourself as a Page admin or editor with messaging rights on Facebook first, then reconnect. - Messages aren't arriving - Confirm the source is Active, check that your Facebook authorization is still valid (Facebook expires tokens periodically), and re-authenticate if needed. - Replies aren't being sent - Check your Messaging Settings. Facebook also has its own messaging rules that may hold replies if the conversation has been inactive for too long. - Billing warning on the card - Open Billing and resolve the payment issue. The source won't receive new messages until billing is current. --- Questions about connecting Facebook Messenger? Email }. --- ### Google Local Ads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/lead-sources/google-local-ads/ Connect your Google Local Services Ads account so every lead and message is captured in Auto-Respond automatically. Connecting Google Local Ads turns your Google Local Services Ads account into a source in }. Messages and leads coming from your Local Services Ads are picked up automatically, answered according to your Messaging Settings, and shown on your Leads page. Google Local Ads is a two-way messaging source - inbound messages and outbound replies both go through }. What gets captured from Google Local Ads Every Local Services Ads lead brings over: - Customer name - Phone number (Google Local Services provides phone numbers on most leads) - Postal code - Service the customer requested - Any message text the customer sent through Google Connecting a Google Local Ads source Open Sources In }, go to Sources and click Add Google Local Ads. Sign in with Google and authorize You'll be redirected to Google. Sign in with the Google account that manages your Local Services Ads profile and grant } permission to read leads and send replies on your behalf. Your Google password is never shared with } - only a secure access token is returned after you approve. Review activation After authorizing, you're redirected back to }. Your Google Local Services account appears as a new source on the Sources page with a green Active status and a link to Messaging Settings. What's different about this source - Phone numbers usually arrive with the lead. Unlike Facebook Messenger or Instagram, Google Local Services typically provides the customer's phone number on the lead itself - you don't have to ask for it in conversation. - Service category is included. Google tells you which service the customer requested, which the AI assistant can use in its reply. - You must be the account owner or manager. If authorization fails, confirm the Google account you're signing in with has access to the Local Services Ads profile. Messaging Settings for this source A Google Local Ads source supports the full set of Messaging Settings: - Conversation Setup - AI assistant or predefined messages - Follow-ups - nurturing sequences - Timing - business hours and delays - Integrations - CRM and team notifications - Contact Info - what happens when the customer shares a phone number or email See Messaging Settings for details on each tab. Pricing See the Pricing page for the current Google Local Ads source price. Troubleshooting - Authorization failed - Make sure you're signed into the Google account that owns or manages the Local Services Ads profile, then try again. - No account appears after connecting - Confirm your Google account has access to a Local Services Ads profile. If you manage the profile through a separate email, sign in with that one. - Messages or leads aren't arriving - Confirm the source is Active, check that the Google authorization is still valid, and re-authenticate if needed. - Replies aren't being sent - Check your Messaging Settings. Google Local Services has its own messaging rules that may hold replies outside certain windows. - Billing warning on the card - Open Billing and resolve the payment issue. The source won't receive new leads until billing is current. --- Questions about connecting Google Local Ads? Email }. --- ### Instagram **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/lead-sources/instagram/ Connect your Instagram Business account so DMs are answered automatically and every lead lands in Auto-Respond. Connecting Instagram turns your Instagram Business account into a source in }. Direct messages sent to your account are picked up automatically, answered according to your Messaging Settings, and shown on your Leads page with the full conversation. Instagram is a two-way messaging source - both inbound DMs and outbound replies go through }. Business or Creator account required. Instagram only lets third-party tools manage DMs on Business or Creator accounts that are linked to a Facebook Page. If your account is still Personal, convert it in the Instagram app first. What gets captured from Instagram Every Instagram DM conversation brings over: - Customer name (their Instagram handle / display name) - The full DM thread - Phone number and email - only when the customer shares them during the conversation (Instagram itself does not provide contact info) - Any text the customer sent Connecting an Instagram source Open Sources In }, go to Sources and click Add Instagram. Sign in through Facebook and authorize Because Instagram Business accounts are managed through Facebook, you'll be redirected to Facebook. Sign in with the account that manages the Facebook Page your Instagram account is linked to, and grant } permission to read and send Instagram DMs. Your password is never shared with } - only a secure access token is returned after you approve. Pick which Instagram account to activate After authorizing, you'll see the Instagram Business account(s) linked to your Facebook Pages. Activate the one(s) you want } to handle. Each activated account becomes its own source with its own Messaging Settings, Integrations, and billing line. Review activation The Sources page now shows your Instagram source as a card with a green Active status, the Instagram handle, and a link to Messaging Settings. What's different about this source - Business or Creator account required. Personal Instagram accounts can't be connected. - Linked to a Facebook Page. Instagram Business accounts must be linked to a Facebook Page before Instagram allows third-party tools to manage DMs. If authorization doesn't show your account, link it in the Instagram app (Settings → Account → Linked Accounts) first. - Contact info is collected in conversation. Instagram doesn't give out phone numbers or emails. The AI assistant (or your predefined messages) needs to ask the customer for them. - Customer name is the Instagram handle. Unlike Yelp or Thumbtack, you don't get a real name up front - just the handle. Messaging Settings for this source An Instagram source supports the full set of Messaging Settings: - Conversation Setup - AI assistant or predefined messages - Follow-ups - nurturing sequences - Timing - business hours and delays - Integrations - CRM and team notifications - Contact Info - what happens when the customer shares a phone number or email See Messaging Settings for details on each tab. Pricing Each connected Instagram account is a separate source billed at $49/month per connected source or location. Facebook Messenger is a separate billable source even when both accounts are authorized through the same Meta connection. See the Pricing page for the full pricing table. Troubleshooting - Authorization failed - Make sure you're signed into the Facebook account that manages the Page your Instagram is linked to. Try again if you skipped any permission prompt. - Instagram account isn't listed - Confirm your Instagram account is set to Business or Creator and is linked to a Facebook Page. Then disconnect and reconnect. - DMs aren't arriving - Confirm the source is Active, check that the Facebook/Instagram authorization is still valid, and re-authenticate if needed. Instagram expires tokens periodically. - Replies aren't being sent - Check your Messaging Settings. Instagram also enforces its own rules about replying outside a 24-hour window after the customer's last message. - Billing warning on the card - Open Billing and resolve the payment issue. The source won't receive new DMs until billing is current. --- Questions about connecting Instagram? Email }. --- ### Lead Sources **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/lead-sources/ Connect the platforms that send you customer inquiries A source in } is one connected account or profile on an external platform that sends you customer inquiries - a single Yelp location, a Thumbtack Pro account, a Facebook Page, an Instagram Business account, a Google Local Services account, and so on. Each source has its own Messaging Settings, its own Integrations, its own Analytics, and its own monthly price. A single business in } can have many sources. For example, three Yelp locations plus one Thumbtack Pro account plus one Facebook Page is five separate sources, each billed on its own line. All sources are connected through the platform's own sign-in (OAuth). You sign in on the platform, approve access, and get redirected back. Your password is never shared with } - only a secure access token. Supported platforms Adding and managing sources Every source is added and managed the same way: 1. Go to the Sources page in }. 2. Click Add <Platform> for the platform you want to connect. 3. Sign in on the platform and approve the access request. 4. Pick which profiles or locations you want to activate (when the platform has more than one). 5. The new source appears on the Sources page and starts receiving inquiries. Each source card on the Sources page shows: - Status badge - Active, Paused, or a billing warning. - Platform icon and the location/profile name pulled from the platform. - Messaging Settings - opens the source's configuration (Conversation Setup, Follow-ups, Timing, Integrations, Contact Info). - Pause / Resume - temporarily stop the source without disconnecting it. - Remove - disconnect the source completely. - Billing indicator - a warning shows up if there's a payment issue that needs attention. Pricing Different source types have different monthly prices per source. See the Pricing page for the full table. You can add or remove sources at any time and billing adjusts automatically. Troubleshooting shared issues - Authorization failed during connection - Try again and make sure you're signed into the correct platform account. If the platform still rejects the request, check that the account has permission to manage messages/leads for the profile you want to connect. - Source shows a billing warning - Open Billing and resolve the payment method. Sources with billing issues stop receiving new inquiries until the problem is fixed. - Messages aren't arriving - Confirm the source is Active (not Paused), that the platform account still has the access you originally granted, and that your Messaging Settings are configured. - Duplicate source - Remove the older one. A source can be re-added later if needed; conversations on the removed source will no longer sync. --- Questions about connecting a source? Email }. --- ### Thumbtack **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/lead-sources/thumbtack/ Connect your Thumbtack Pro account so every inquiry is answered instantly and every lead lands in Auto-Respond. } is an independent service. The Thumbtack name is used only to identify a compatible third-party platform connection. Connecting requires the account holder's authorization through the supported API flow. Connecting Thumbtack turns your Thumbtack Pro account into a source in }. Every inquiry that comes in through Thumbtack is picked up automatically, answered according to your Messaging Settings, and shown on your Leads page with the full conversation. Thumbtack is a two-way messaging source - both inbound messages and outbound replies go through }. What gets captured from Thumbtack Every Thumbtack inquiry brings over whatever the customer shared on Thumbtack, including: - Customer name - Project details (service category, job description) - Postal code or service location - Availability the customer selected - Phone number and email when the customer shares them in the conversation - File attachments (documents or images) when the customer uploads them Connecting a Thumbtack source Open Sources In }, go to Sources and click Add Thumbtack. Sign in and authorize You'll be redirected to Thumbtack. Sign in with your Thumbtack Pro credentials and grant } permission to read inquiries and send replies on behalf of your Pro account. Your password is never shared with } - only a secure access token is returned after you approve. Review activation After authorizing, you're redirected back to }. Your Thumbtack Pro account appears as a new source on the Sources page with a green Active status and a link to Messaging Settings. What's different about this source - One source per Pro account. Unlike Yelp, Thumbtack isn't organized by location - one Thumbtack Pro account is one source. - Service categories come through. The service category the customer picked on Thumbtack is included in the inquiry, which helps the AI assistant tailor its reply. - Attachments are preserved. If the customer uploaded documents or images on Thumbtack, those are visible on the lead in }. Messaging Settings for this source A Thumbtack source supports the full set of Messaging Settings: - Conversation Setup - AI assistant or predefined messages - Follow-ups - nurturing sequences - Timing - business hours and delays - Integrations - CRM and team notifications - Contact Info - what happens when the customer shares a phone number or email See Messaging Settings for details on each tab. Pricing A Thumbtack source is $99/month. See Pricing for the full table. Troubleshooting - Authorization failed - Make sure you're signed into the correct Thumbtack Pro account, then try again. If you recently changed your Thumbtack password, re-authenticate. - Messages aren't arriving - Confirm the source is Active, open Thumbtack to confirm new inquiries are landing in your Thumbtack inbox, and re-authenticate if needed. - Replies aren't being sent - Check that your Messaging Settings have a Conversation Setup configured and that business hours / timing aren't holding messages. - Billing warning on the card - Open Billing and resolve the payment issue. The source won't receive new messages until billing is current. --- Questions about connecting Thumbtack? Email }. --- ### Yelp **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/lead-sources/yelp/ Connect your Yelp Business locations so the AI creates a job-specific response for every new message and every lead lands in Auto-Respond. Connecting Yelp turns each of your Yelp Business locations into a source in }. Every new inquiry is picked up automatically, handled according to your Messaging Settings, and shown on your Leads page with the full conversation. Yelp is a two-way messaging source - both inbound messages and outbound replies go through }. Each Yelp location is billed separately and can be configured independently. What gets captured from Yelp Every Yelp inquiry brings over whatever the customer shared on Yelp, including: - Customer name - Phone number (when shared) - see the note below about temporary phone numbers - Project or job name (for example "Kitchen remodel" or "Move 2-bedroom apartment") - Availability status and dates - Postal code or service location - Survey answers the customer filled out on Yelp - Any additional customer description or notes - Project attachments such as photos Yelp temporary phone numbers. For privacy, Yelp sometimes assigns a masked, temporary phone number to a conversation instead of the customer's real number. } shows both - the real phone (once collected) and the temporary phone labeled "temp" - so you always know which number you're looking at. Connecting a Yelp source Open Sources In }, go to Sources and click Add Yelp. Sign in and authorize You'll be redirected to Yelp. Sign in with the Yelp account that manages your business locations and grant } access to your Yelp inbox. Your Yelp password is never shared with } - only a secure access token is returned after you approve. Pick which locations to activate After authorizing, you'll see a list of every Yelp business location your account manages. Activate the locations you want } to handle. Each activated location becomes its own source with its own Messaging Settings, Integrations, and billing line. Review activation The Sources page now shows each activated Yelp location as a separate card with a green Active status, the location name, and a link to Messaging Settings. What's different about this source - One source per location. If your Yelp account has multiple locations, each is a separate source. This lets you use different messaging, pricing, and integrations per location. - Temporary phone numbers. Yelp may mask the customer's real number. } clearly labels the temporary number so you don't mistake it for the real one. See the Yelp Temp Phone via Zapier integration if you want to capture the real phone when Yelp reveals it. - Rich inquiry data. Yelp provides more structured data than most platforms - project names, survey answers, availability, postal code, and attachments - which the AI assistant can use in its replies. Messaging Settings for this source A Yelp source supports the full set of Messaging Settings: - Conversation Setup - AI assistant or predefined messages - Follow-ups - nurturing sequences - Timing - business hours and delays - Integrations - CRM and team notifications - Contact Info - what happens when the customer shares a phone number or email See Messaging Settings for details on each tab. Pricing Each Yelp location is $99/month. See Pricing for the full table. Troubleshooting - Authorization failed - Make sure you're signed into the Yelp account that manages the location, then try again. If you recently changed your Yelp password, re-authenticate. - A location is missing after connecting - Only locations your Yelp account manages will appear. Add your user to the location in Yelp first, then reconnect. - Messages aren't arriving - Confirm the source is Active, check that your Yelp account still has } authorized, and open the location in Yelp to confirm new messages are appearing there too. - Real phone number isn't showing - Some Yelp conversations stay on the temp number until the customer shares their real one. See the Yelp Temp Phone via Zapier integration for ways to capture the real number. - Billing warning on the card - Open Billing and resolve the payment issue. The source won't receive new messages until billing is current. --- Questions about connecting Yelp? Email }. --- ### Customer info **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/leads/customer-info/ The editable contact sidebar in the Lead Details dialog and the structured details each source extracts automatically. The Customer info sidebar is pinned to the right side of the Lead Details dialog on desktop. It combines editable contact fields (phone, email) with display-only details that the source platform extracted from the customer's original inquiry - things like the service they asked about, their availability, their postal code, and any files they attached. Getting here In }, go to Leads and click a row. The customer info sidebar is shown on the right side of the Lead Details dialog. On narrower screens it's available via a toggle or panel in the dialog. Editable fields Contact information - phone and email - is edited through an inline form. Click the pencil edit icon next to the Contact information heading to switch the section into edit mode. - Phone - the customer's real phone number. Also click-to-call from view mode. - Temp phone - a masked, temporary phone number assigned by the source platform for privacy (most common on Yelp). Labeled temp so you can tell it apart from the real number at a glance. Displayed in view mode; it is set by the source and not edited directly. - Email - the customer's email address. Also click-to-email from view mode. Edit mode Clicking the edit icon swaps the contact rows for a small form with a phone input and an email input, plus Save and Cancel buttons at the bottom. - Phone validation - the phone input must match a valid North American phone format (10-digit, + 10-digit, or + 10-digit; spaces, dashes, parentheses, and dots are allowed and stripped). If the value doesn't validate, the Save button is disabled until you correct it. - Email validation - the email input must be a valid email address. Leave it blank to clear the email. - Save - writes both fields at once and exits edit mode. - Cancel - discards your edits and exits edit mode without saving. Real phone vs. temp phone. Some platforms (notably Yelp) route calls through a masked number until the customer shares their real one. } shows both when they exist - update the real phone field in edit mode as soon as the customer shares their actual number. Masked-phone banner (Yelp) Yelp sometimes routes calls through a temp phone but the real number is extractable from the conversation. When that's the case, a small banner appears in the contact section reading "Temp Phone number available" along with a "Call or text the lead directly" prompt and an "Open in Yelp" link that takes you to the original Yelp conversation where the number can be used. This banner only shows on Yelp leads where the masked number situation applies. Display-only fields These are pulled from the source's inquiry and shown as-is. They help you answer without having to scroll the conversation. - Lead created - the timestamp of the original inquiry (when the lead first came in). Shown at the top of the sidebar. - Service details - the job or service names the customer asked about (for example "Kitchen remodel" or "Long-distance move"). - Availability - the customer's availability window: ASAP, Flexible, or Specific dates if they picked them on the source. - Location / postal code - where the customer is based or where the job is. - Additional info / description - the customer's original inquiry text. - Survey answers - structured question-and-answer responses the customer filled out on the source (common on Yelp and Thumbtack). - Project files / attachments - any photos or files the customer sent with the inquiry. Not every field is available for every source - platforms provide different data. On narrow screens When the window is too narrow to fit the sidebar alongside the conversation, the sidebar is replaced by a compact summary strip at the top of the conversation with a "See details" button. Clicking it opens the full customer info in a modal so you can read everything without losing the chat view. Close the modal to return to the conversation. What each source extracts Yelp - Customer name - Real phone (when shared) - Temporary phone, labeled temp, for Yelp's privacy numbers - Temporary email (when Yelp supplies one) - Project / job names - Availability status and dates - Postal code - Additional info and customer description - Survey answers - Project attachments (photos and files) Thumbtack - Customer name - Project details - Postal code - Availability - Attachments Facebook Messenger - Customer name (from their profile) Phone and email are not provided - you collect them in the conversation. Facebook Lead Ads Whatever fields the ad's lead form collected. Typically: - Customer name - Phone - Email - Any custom fields on the form Instagram - Customer name or handle Phone and email are not provided - you collect them in the conversation. Google Local Ads - Customer name - Phone - Postal code - Service requested Editing phone or email Editing phone or email only changes the value stored in } - it does not edit the customer's record on the source platform. The source-provided values (for example a Yelp temp phone) remain what the platform sent. Once you click Save, the new values are available everywhere the lead appears (the Leads table, integrations, etc.). --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Filters and search **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/leads/filters-and-search/ Narrow the Leads table using the toolbar filters, customer-name search, and the reset button. The toolbar above the Leads table lets you narrow the list to the leads you care about right now - one platform, one location, one status, or a specific customer. All filters combine (they're AND'd together), and your choices stick in your browser across refreshes. Getting here In }, go to Leads. The filter toolbar sits above the table. On mobile, tap the hamburger icon to open the filters panel. The filters Source type A multi-select chip row with every platform } supports: - Yelp - Thumbtack - Facebook Messenger - Facebook Lead Ads - Instagram - Google Local Ads Pick one chip to see only that platform, or pick several to see a combined view. Leave all chips off to include every platform. Location / Source A multi-select of your connected sources. If you have three Yelp locations and one Thumbtack Pro account, each one appears here. Use it to focus on a single location or group of locations. Customer name search A text box that matches on the customer's name. The search is a prefix match - typing "Ja" finds "Jamie", "Jason", "Javier", etc., but not "Rajan". The search runs about a second after you stop typing so it doesn't fire on every keystroke. Contact info A three-state toggle: - Has contact info - show only leads where the customer has shared a phone number or email. - No contact info - show only leads with no phone or email yet. - Any - include both (the default). Useful for spotting leads that are ready for a call versus leads you still need to collect contact details from. Lead status A multi-select of the seven statuses. Pick any combination to filter by status - for example, Follow-up + Meeting to see what needs your attention today, or No Answer to find leads still waiting for a first reply. See Lead Statuses for what each status means. AI status Filter by whether the AI assistant is currently handling the conversation: - AI enabled - conversations where the AI is active on this lead. - AI disabled - conversations where the AI has been turned off for this lead. - Any - both (the default). This filter is only meaningful on sources where the AI is configured to send more than one message - the AI Conversation toggle in the lead dialog controls this per-lead. Reset all filters A button in the toolbar that clears every filter back to default in one click. Filters persist. Your current filter selections are saved in your browser. If you refresh the page or come back tomorrow, the Leads table opens with the same filters applied. Click Reset all filters to start fresh. How filters combine All filters are applied together. For example, if you pick Source type: Yelp, Location: Downtown Studio, Lead status: No Answer, and type "Sam" in the search box, you'll see only Yelp leads from the Downtown Studio location whose customer name starts with "Sam" and who haven't been answered yet. Mark all as read and filtering The Mark all as read button above the table applies to every lead that matches the current filters. If you want to mark only one platform's leads as read, filter to that platform first, then click Mark all as read. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Memos **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/leads/memos/ Private internal notes you and your team can add to any lead - customers never see them. Memos are short internal notes you attach to a lead. They're visible to every teammate with access to the source, but they're never sent to the customer and never visible on the source platform. Use them to capture budget, quirks, scheduling preferences, handoff notes - anything that helps the next person (including future-you) pick up the conversation. Getting here In }, go to Leads and open a lead. Click the Memos tab inside the Lead Details dialog. You can also click the memo preview in the Last Memo column of the Leads table - that opens the lead directly on the Memos tab. The memo composer The composer on the Memos tab is intentionally minimal - a textarea plus a single Add button. It does not have Send, Send scheduled, Save as Quick Reply, or Open Quick Replies - those are only on the Messages tab composer. Memos are internal-only, so there's nothing to schedule and no customer-facing reuse. Adding a memo Open the Memos tab Inside the Lead Details dialog, click Memos. Type your note Memos must be at least two characters long. Click Add The memo is saved immediately and appears in the list with your email and the current timestamp. What a memo shows Each memo in the list shows: - Author email - who wrote it. - Timestamp - when it was added. - Body - the note itself. - 3-dot menu - available on memos you wrote, with a Delete option. The most recent memo's text also appears as a preview in the Last Memo column of the Leads table. Deleting a memo Only the author of a memo can delete it. Open the 3-dot menu next to your memo and choose Delete. The memo is removed for everyone. There is no edit - if you need to change something, delete the old memo and add a new one. No edit, only add and delete. Memos are intentionally append-only. If you need to correct something, delete the old memo and write a new one. What memos are good for - Budget and pricing context - "Asked for under $2,500", "Shopping multiple quotes". - Scheduling notes - "Only available weekends", "Don't call after 6pm". - Qualification - "Decision maker confirmed", "Researching only". - Project specifics - "Needs finished before June 1", "Wants finish samples". - Handoffs - "Alex picked this up - expecting callback Tuesday", "Needs a site visit". - Watch-outs - "Has disputed a charge before, handle carefully". Who can see memos Every teammate on your business who has access to the source can read every memo on that source's leads. The customer cannot - memos never appear in the thread on the source platform and are never sent in a message. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Messages **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/leads/messages/ Reading conversations, sending replies, scheduling messages, and using the composer in the Lead Details dialog. The Conversation view inside the Lead Details dialog is where you read the full message thread with a customer and send replies. It shows every inbound and outbound message in order, with indicators for who or what sent each message, plus a composer at the bottom with sending, scheduling, and quick-reply tools. Getting here In }, go to Leads and click any row to open the Lead Details dialog. The Conversation view is the main tab. Reading the thread Messages appear as bubbles in chronological order. Each message shows: - Speaker - whether it came from the customer, your business, or the system. - Timestamp - when the message was sent or received. - Attachments - inline previews for images (Yelp) or file links (Thumbtack). Message-type indicators Some outbound messages have a small icon next to them that tells you how they were sent: - Purple brain icon - the message was generated by the AI assistant. - Gray robot icon - the message came from a predefined template. Messages sent by a teammate manually don't carry an icon. Scheduled messages in the thread A message that's been scheduled to send later shows up inline at its planned send time with a timer icon and a Cancel button. Clicking Cancel removes it from the queue before it sends. Once the scheduled time passes and the message is sent, the timer icon goes away and it displays like any other sent message. Attachments by platform - Yelp - image attachments preview inline in the thread. - Thumbtack - file attachments appear as downloadable links. - Facebook / Instagram / Google Local Ads - text conversations; attachment support depends on what each platform allows. The composer The composer sits at the bottom of the Conversation view. Type your reply in the textarea - messages must be at least three characters long to send. The Messages-tab composer has four tools: Send, Send scheduled, Save as Quick Reply, and Open Quick Replies. This is different from the Memos tab, which has a simple Add button only - no sending, scheduling, or quick replies. Send The primary button. Clicking Send delivers the message to the customer immediately on the source platform. While the message is on its way, a brief "sending…" state is shown until the message reflects back in the thread. Send scheduled Opens a dialog where you pick a delay - minutes, hours, or days - before the message goes out. Useful for replying to a late-night inquiry at a more natural time, or for spacing out a follow-up. When you schedule a message this way, it appears in the thread with a timer icon and a Cancel button until it sends. Pick a scheduled-message template A shortcut to apply one of your saved Scheduled Messages - templates you've set up in your user settings with both the text and a timing rule. Applying a template sets the lead's status to Scheduled Messages and queues the text to send per the template's timing. See Scheduled Messages for managing the library. Save as Quick Reply Saves whatever you've typed in the textarea to your personal Quick Replies library so you can reuse it on other leads. See Quick Replies for managing the library. Open Quick Replies Opens your Quick Replies library in a picker. Click a reply and its text populates the textarea so you can edit before sending. Quick replies support the placeholder , which is replaced with the lead's customer name when the message sends. Header actions At the top of the Lead Details dialog: - Lead status - the same status dropdown as on the table row. Change the lead's status without leaving the dialog. See Lead Statuses. - AI Conversation toggle - appears on sources where the AI is configured to send more than one message. Turn it off to stop the AI from replying on this specific lead while keeping it on for everyone else. When the AI has already reached its configured message limit on this conversation, the toggle is disabled - the AI won't send any more messages on this lead regardless of the toggle, and you'll need to take the conversation over manually. Footer actions Underneath the conversation: - Mark as Unread - flags the lead as unread for you so you come back to it. Read/unread is tracked per teammate. - Show in <Source> - opens the original thread on the source platform (for example, a Yelp lead opens the conversation on Yelp.com). - Fetch New Messages - available on Thumbtack leads. Manually pulls the latest messages from Thumbtack to refresh the conversation. New messages also arrive in real time on their own, so you only need this if you want to force a refresh. - Close - closes the dialog and returns to the Leads table. What each platform supports for outbound replies - Yelp - text only. - Thumbtack - text and file attachments. - Facebook Messenger - text. - Instagram - text. - Google Local Ads - text. - Facebook Lead Ads - this source is one-way (form submissions only) - use the contact info on the lead to follow up by phone or email. Sending a reply Open the lead Click the row in the Leads table to open the Lead Details dialog. Type your message Write your reply in the composer textarea. Minimum three characters. Send or schedule Click Send to deliver immediately, or Send scheduled to pick a delay in minutes, hours, or days. Confirm delivery The message appears in the thread. While it's sending, a short "sending…" state is shown; once the source platform confirms, the message becomes a normal sent message. When a send fails If the source platform rejects the outbound message - for example, because the connection has expired or the conversation has been closed on the platform side - an inline error appears on the lead explaining the reason. Re-authorize the source or address the specific error, then try the send again. Expired authorization. If you see repeated send errors on leads from the same source, the source's connection to the platform probably needs to be refreshed. Open the Sources page, find the affected source, and reconnect it. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Leads **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/leads/ Your inbox for every customer inquiry across every connected source - message, filter, triage, and track every lead in one place. The Leads page (also called the Inbox) is the main workspace in }. It's a single filterable table of every customer inquiry across every source you've connected - Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lead Ads, Instagram, and Google Local Ads. From here you can read conversations, reply, add internal memos, change a lead's status, and track each prospect to a resolution. New messages appear in real time - no refresh needed. Click any row to open the full Lead Details dialog. Getting here In }, go to Leads in the main navigation. The Leads table Each row is one lead. On desktop, the table shows these columns: - Actions - a 3-dot menu with per-lead actions. - Source - the platform icon for Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lead Ads, Instagram, or Google Local Ads. - Location / Source Name - which of your connected sources this lead came from. - Customer Name - the name the platform or customer provided. - Phone Number - the customer's real phone, a temporary/masked phone labeled temp, or both. - Last Message - a preview of the most recent message in the thread. Small indicator icons appear in this column to flag conversation state at a glance: - Blue timer icon - a delayed welcome message is pending and will go out shortly. - Orange block icon - the AI assistant is currently off-hours and won't reply until its next on-hours window. - Purple brain icon - the last message was sent by the AI assistant. - Gray robot icon - the last message came from a predefined template. - Last Memo - a preview of the most recent internal note on this lead. Click it to jump straight to the Memos tab of the lead. - Last Interaction - the timestamp of the most recent activity on the lead. - AI Conversation - an icon that indicates whether the AI assistant is currently handling this conversation (only relevant on sources configured to let the AI send more than one message). - Lead Status - a color-coded dropdown you can use to change the status inline. See Lead Statuses. - Address - the customer's address or postal code. Click to open it on a map. On mobile, the table shows fewer columns and the filter toolbar collapses into a menu. How the table behaves - Real-time updates. New incoming messages update the matching row without a refresh, and new leads appear at the top as they arrive. - Pagination. Rows load 25 at a time with infinite scroll - scroll to the bottom and the next page loads automatically. - Sort. Click a column header to sort by that column. - Click to open. Clicking anywhere on a row opens the Lead Details dialog for that lead. - Click-to-call. Click a phone number to dial it using your device's default phone app. - Click-to-email. Click an email address to compose a message in your default mail client. - Map. Click an address to open a map dialog with the customer's location. - Memo shortcut. Click a memo preview in the Last Memo column to open the lead on its Memos tab. Bulk actions Above the table, Mark all as read clears the unread indicator on every lead that matches the current filters. Read/unread is tracked per user, so marking as read only affects your view. } does not currently support bulk status changes, bulk archive, or bulk delete. Status changes are made one lead at a time from the dropdown. Filters and search The toolbar above the table lets you narrow the list. Filters persist in your browser across refreshes. - Source type - multi-select chips for Yelp, Thumbtack, Facebook Messenger, Facebook Lead Ads, Instagram, and Google Local Ads. - Location / Source - multi-select of your connected sources. - Customer name search - type the start of a customer's name (prefix match). The search waits about a second after you stop typing before running. - Contact info - tri-state filter: show leads with contact info, without contact info, or all. - Lead status - multi-select of the statuses listed on Lead Statuses. - AI status - filter by whether the AI assistant is currently handling the conversation. Relevant where the AI is configured to send more than one message. - Reset all filters - clears every filter back to default. Full reference: Filters and search. The Lead Details dialog Clicking a row opens a full-screen dialog with three areas: - Conversation - the complete message thread in chronological order, plus the composer at the bottom. - Memos - a separate tab for internal team notes that the customer never sees. - Customer info - a pinned sidebar (right side on desktop) with editable contact fields and the structured information the source extracted from the inquiry. The dialog header also shows the lead's Status dropdown and, where available, an AI Conversation toggle to disable the AI for this lead mid-conversation. Conversation Messages are shown as bubbles with the speaker (customer, business, or system), a timestamp, and any attachments. A purple brain icon next to a message means the AI assistant generated it; a gray robot icon means the message came from a predefined template. Scheduled (queued) outbound messages appear inline with a timer icon and a Cancel button until they're sent. The composer supports sending now, scheduling for later, picking a scheduled-message template, saving the current text as a quick reply, and opening your quick reply library. Full reference: Messages. Memos Internal notes on the lead. Every teammate with access to the source can read memos, but the customer cannot. The latest memo preview shows up in the Last Memo column of the table. Full reference: Memos. Customer info The sidebar combines editable contact fields (phone, temp phone, email) with display-only details extracted from the source (service, availability, postal code, customer description, survey answers, project files). Full reference: Customer info. Related topics --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Quick Replies **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/leads/quick-replies/ Your personal library of reusable message templates, with a name placeholder that auto-fills the customer's name. Quick Replies are reusable message templates saved to your user account. Any time you're about to type the same thing for the fifth time - "Thanks for reaching out, what's the best number to reach you?" - save it as a quick reply and pick it from a menu instead. Quick Replies are per-user - each teammate has their own library. They're different from Scheduled Messages, which pair a template with a timing rule. Getting here In }, go to Leads and open any lead. Both the Save as Quick Reply and Open Quick Replies controls are on the composer at the bottom of the Conversation view. You can also manage your library from your user settings. Saving a quick reply The easiest way to build your library is to save what you're already writing. Open any lead In the Leads table, click a row to open the Lead Details dialog. Type the message you want to save Write it in the composer exactly the way you want to reuse it. If you want the customer's name to auto-fill later, include wherever the name should go. Click Save as Quick Reply The text is added to your Quick Replies library. It's available immediately on every lead you open. Using a quick reply Open a lead Click the row in the Leads table. Open the Quick Replies picker Click Open Quick Replies in the composer. Pick a reply The template's text populates the composer. The placeholder is replaced with this lead's customer name. Edit if needed and send Tweak anything you want, then click Send or Send scheduled. See Messages for sending options. The customer-name placeholder Include anywhere in a quick reply and it will be replaced with the lead's customer name when you apply the template. For example: > Hi , thanks for reaching out! What's the best phone number to reach you at? …becomes: > Hi Jamie, thanks for reaching out! What's the best phone number to reach you at? Only one placeholder is supported. is the only placeholder in Quick Replies. Everything else in the template is inserted verbatim - so keep anything that should vary per customer (like specific dates or prices) out of the template. Good templates to save - A first-response greeting that asks for phone and best time to call. - A price-range reply you give to general pricing questions. - A link to your portfolio or past work. - An "out of service area, but we can refer" response. - A standard intake question list ("What's the address? What's the square footage?"). Keep templates short and add the personal specifics manually before you send. Managing the library Open your quick replies from Open Quick Replies on any lead, or from your user settings. From there you can remove templates you no longer use. Because the library is per-user, your edits don't affect other teammates' libraries. Share wording between teammates the old-fashioned way - paste it into a chat. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Scheduled Messages **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/leads/scheduled-messages/ Saved message templates paired with timing rules - apply one to a lead to queue the text for a future send. Scheduled Messages are message templates that come with a timing rule built in - for example, "24 hours after the customer first messaged", or "3 days after arrival". You set them up once in your user settings, then apply them to any lead to queue the text for a future send. They're different from Quick Replies: a quick reply is just text you can reuse now, while a scheduled message is text plus when to send it. Getting here - Manage the library - your user settings. - Apply one to a lead - open a lead in the Leads table and use the Pick a scheduled-message template option in the composer at the bottom of the Conversation view. See Messages. - One-off delayed send - for a one-off scheduled send that doesn't come from a template, use Send scheduled in the composer and pick a delay in minutes, hours, or days. Applying a scheduled message to a lead Open the lead Click the row in the Leads table to open the Lead Details dialog. Pick a scheduled-message template In the composer, click Pick a scheduled-message template and choose the one you want. Confirm The template's text is queued per its timing rule. When you apply a scheduled message: - The lead's status is set to Scheduled Messages (purple). See Lead Statuses. - The queued message appears inline in the conversation thread at its planned send time, shown with a timer icon and a Cancel button. Cancelling a queued scheduled message Find the queued message in the conversation thread (it has a timer icon next to it) and click Cancel. The message is removed from the queue before it sends. If it was the only scheduled message on the lead, the lead's status will no longer be Scheduled Messages - change it to whatever fits the next action. You can only cancel before the send. Once the scheduled time passes and the message has been delivered to the customer on the source platform, the timer icon disappears and the message is just a normal sent message in the thread. Managing your library Scheduled Messages are per-user. You manage your own library in your user settings - add new templates, update timing rules, or remove templates you no longer use. Other teammates have their own libraries. A template typically consists of: - The message text to send. - A timing rule - how long to wait before sending, relative to a trigger point. Scheduled calls (not the same thing) You may also see scheduled calls inline in the conversation - these are outbound phone calls queued for a future time, not scheduled text messages. A scheduled call shows the planned date and time with a timer icon and a Cancel Scheduled Call button as long as the time is still in the future. Click the button and confirm to cancel the queued call. Scheduled calls are distinct from scheduled messages: - A scheduled message is queued text that will be sent on the source platform at its planned send time. - A scheduled call is a queued phone call, not a text message. Cancelling one doesn't affect any scheduled messages on the lead, and vice versa. If both exist on the same lead, each appears inline at its planned time with its own timer icon and its own Cancel control. Scheduled messages vs. quick replies vs. send scheduled There are three related ways to delay or reuse a reply; pick whichever fits: - Quick Replies - reusable text you paste into the composer and send now (or schedule manually). No timing built in. See Quick Replies. - Scheduled Messages (this page) - text plus timing. Applying one queues the send automatically. - Send scheduled in the composer - a one-off delayed send. Pick a delay in minutes, hours, or days. No template is saved. See Messages. What happens to the lead afterwards - If the scheduled message sends successfully, it appears as a normal sent message in the thread. You should manually update the lead's status from Scheduled Messages to whatever's appropriate (often Answered). - If the customer replies before the scheduled send, the queued message still goes out unless you cancel it - check the thread and cancel if the reply is no longer appropriate. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Lead Statuses **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/leads/statuses/ The seven lead statuses in Auto-Respond, what each one means, and when each is set. Every lead in } has a status. The status is shown as a color-coded dropdown in the Lead Status column of the Leads table and in the header of the Lead Details dialog. Statuses give you a consistent way to triage leads, filter the inbox, and track a prospect from first contact to a closed outcome. Getting here In }, go to Leads. The Lead Status column on each row shows the current status. Click the dropdown to change it, or open the lead and use the status dropdown in the dialog header. The seven statuses Answered (green) A business reply has been sent to this customer - either manually by a teammate or automatically by the AI assistant. Use this as the default "we've responded, waiting on the customer" state. No Answer (red) No business reply has been sent yet. New leads where nothing has gone out typically sit here until someone (or the AI) replies. Follow-up (orange) You've manually flagged this lead for follow-up. Set this yourself when a lead needs a check-in, a callback, or a next action from your team. Scheduled Messages (purple) A scheduled message is queued to go out for this lead at a future time. This status is set automatically when you apply a scheduled-message template to a lead. It clears to a different status once the scheduled message sends or you cancel it. Meeting (blue) A meeting, call, or appointment has been scheduled with this customer. Set this manually when you've booked something on the calendar so the lead shows up clearly in your pipeline. Done (white / gray) The lead is closed. Use this for any end state - won the job, lost the job, not a fit, spam, duplicate, or otherwise resolved. Keeping active leads out of Done makes the rest of your inbox easier to work. Bot Follow-up (yellow) The system has queued an automatic follow-up to go out for this lead. This status is set automatically - you do not normally pick it yourself. It appears while an automatic follow-up is pending and clears once the follow-up has been sent or the customer replies. Who sets what. You set Answered, No Answer, Follow-up, Meeting, and Done manually from the dropdown. Scheduled Messages is set for you when you apply a scheduled message. Bot Follow-up is set for you when the system queues an automatic follow-up. Changing a lead's status You can change status in two places: - From the Leads table - click the Lead Status dropdown on the row and pick a new value. - From the Lead Details dialog - open the lead and use the status dropdown in the dialog header. The change saves immediately and the row updates for every teammate who has the inbox open. Filtering by status The Lead status filter in the toolbar is a multi-select - pick any combination to narrow the list. For example, filter to Follow-up + Meeting to see only the leads you need to act on today, or filter to No Answer to find leads that still need a first response. See Filters and search for the full filter toolbar. Quick reference | Status | Color | Set by | | --- | --- | --- | | Answered | Green | Manual | | No Answer | Red | Manual | | Follow-up | Orange | Manual | | Scheduled Messages | Purple | Automatic (when a scheduled message is queued) | | Meeting | Blue | Manual | | Done | White / gray | Manual | | Bot Follow-up | Yellow | Automatic (when an auto follow-up is queued) | --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Contact Info **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/contact-info/ Control what happens when a lead shares a phone number, email, or (Yelp only) a temp phone The Contact Info tab controls what happens the moment a lead hands over a phone number, email, or (on Yelp) a masked temp phone. You can send an acknowledgment message to the lead, fire your CRM integrations, and fire your messenger/alert integrations - independently, per contact type. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Contact Info tab. Phone section - "When a phone number is received" Send confirmation message to the customer (phone) - Label: "Send confirmation message to the customer" - Default: off - When on: a confirmation message is sent to the lead as soon as their phone number is captured. - When off: no acknowledgment message is sent. - Use this when: you want the lead to know their number was received and what to expect next. Trigger CRM integrations (phone) - Label: "Trigger CRM integrations" - Default: off - When on: all CRM integrations configured on this source fire when the phone is captured (create/update contact, add note, etc.). - When off: CRM integrations don't fire at this event. They may still fire at other events (email received, new lead, etc.) depending on each integration's own setup. - Use this when: phone capture is the milestone that qualifies a lead for your CRM. Trigger messenger integrations (phone) - Label: "Trigger messenger integrations" - Default: off - When on: all messenger/alert integrations (SMS, Slack, Telegram, email alerts, etc.) fire when the phone is captured. - When off: messenger integrations don't fire at this event. - Use this when: you want your team notified the moment a phone number comes in so someone can call right away. Email section - "When an email is received" The email section mirrors the phone section - three independent toggles for the same three actions. Send confirmation message to the customer (email) - Label: "Send confirmation message to the customer" - Default: off - When on: a confirmation message is sent to the lead as soon as their email is captured. - When off: no acknowledgment message is sent. Trigger CRM integrations (email) - Label: "Trigger CRM integrations" - Default: off - When on: CRM integrations fire when the email is captured. - When off: CRM integrations don't fire at this event. Trigger messenger integrations (email) - Label: "Trigger messenger integrations" - Default: off - When on: messenger/alert integrations fire when the email is captured. - When off: messenger integrations don't fire at this event. Temp phone section (Yelp only) - "When a temp phone is received" This section only appears on Yelp sources. Yelp sometimes provides a masked/temp phone number to protect the lead's real number in the early conversation. Send confirmation message to the customer (temp phone) - Label: "Send confirmation message to the customer" - Default: off - When on: a confirmation message is sent when a Yelp temp phone is captured. - When off: no acknowledgment message is sent. Trigger CRM integrations (temp phone) - Label: "Trigger CRM integrations" - Default: off - When on: CRM integrations fire when the temp phone is captured. Trigger messenger integrations (temp phone) - Label: "Trigger messenger integrations" - Default: off - When on: messenger/alert integrations fire when the temp phone is captured. Confirmation message settings (shared across phone / email / temp phone) These settings apply to whichever "Send confirmation message" toggles you've turned on. Always send (even mid-conversation) - Label: "Always send (even mid-conversation)" - Default: off - Availability: only editable if at least one "Send confirmation message" toggle above is on. - When on: the confirmation is always sent when contact info is received, even if you've already been replying to the lead manually. - When off: the confirmation is only sent if no one from your business has messaged the lead yet in that thread. Once you've replied manually, no automatic confirmation is sent. - Use this when: turn on if you want the confirmation to go out every time contact info arrives regardless of conversation state. Leave off if you'd rather your manual replies replace it. - Important: the confirmation is never sent while an AI Assistant conversation is still in progress - the AI handles the thread itself. Message to send during business hours - Label: "Message to send during business hours" (rich-text editor) - Availability: only editable if at least one "Send confirmation message" toggle is on. - Default: (empty) - What it is: the confirmation message used when contact info is captured during your business hours. - Use this when: always fill this in once you've enabled any confirmation toggle. Message to send during business OFF hours - Label: "Message to send during business OFF hours" (rich-text editor) - Availability: only editable if at least one "Send confirmation message" toggle is on. - Default: (empty) - What it is: the confirmation message used when contact info is captured outside business hours. - When blank: the business-hours message is used for both. - Use this when: set a separate message if your expected response time changes off-hours (e.g., business hours: "I'll call in the next hour"; off hours: "I'll call first thing tomorrow"). How it behaves - CRM vs messenger toggles are independent. You can fire one, both, or neither for each of phone / email / temp phone. - Order of events: when contact info arrives, the confirmation message (if enabled) and the integration triggers (if enabled) fire together. - Duplicate events: if the same lead shares their phone more than once, integrations fire again each time - most CRMs handle this as an update, not a duplicate create. - Confirmation vs AI: while the AI is still conversing, the AI is in control of what the lead sees - no auto-confirmation goes out. Once the AI hands off, the next contact-info event follows the normal confirmation rules. Troubleshooting - Confirmation message isn't sending: confirm the relevant "Send confirmation message" toggle is on and a message body is filled in. If the confirmation was supposed to fire mid-conversation, turn Always send (even mid-conversation) on. - CRM didn't receive the lead when phone arrived: confirm Trigger CRM integrations is on in the phone section, and that the CRM integration itself is active on this source in the Integrations tab. - Team got double-alerted: you may have messenger integrations firing both on new-lead and on phone-received events. Pick one milestone per notification channel. - The off-hours message isn't sending when I expect: "off hours" is determined by the Timing tab schedule. Make sure your timezone and schedule there are correct. - Temp phone section is missing: that section only appears on Yelp sources. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### AI Assistant **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/conversation-setup/ai-assistant/ Let an AI write the welcome reply and, optionally, continue the conversation with the lead In AI Assistant mode, an AI writes the welcome reply based on the business description, pricing, and exclusions you provide. Depending on the conversation mode, it can also continue the conversation for several messages. AI identity is not a persona option. AI Instructions may customize the assistant's name, tone, style, and business knowledge. They must not tell the assistant to claim it is human, present itself as the owner or a human employee, deny being AI, or hide its artificial identity. If a customer asks whether it is AI, a bot, virtual, or automated, it must answer honestly and directly. Customer instructions cannot override this rule. For outbound voice calls, the separate account-level AI identification in greeting setting is enabled by default. When enabled, the platform requires the first spoken sentence to follow: Disabling that setting removes only the first-sentence requirement. It never permits the voice agent to claim it is human or deny that it is AI. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Conversation Setup tab. AI Assistant is turned on per channel: each panel - the primary channel (named after the source, e.g. Yelp) and the optional SMS channel - has its own Predefined Messages / AI Assistant toggle. Switch a panel to AI Assistant to use AI on that channel. How the AI settings are organized Conversation Setup runs per channel - the primary channel (named after the source, e.g. Yelp) and an optional SMS channel. Each channel turns AI Assistant on or off independently, so the AI settings fall into two groups: - Per-channel settings - chosen separately for each channel, inside that channel's panel: AI Conversation Mode, Answer Size (primary channel only), Delay conversation messages, Enable AI Follow-ups, and Max AI Follow-ups. - Shared AI knowledge - one set of fields below the channel panels that every channel in AI mode draws on: AI Instructions, Pricing, Services not Providing, Reference Library, and Appointment Scheduling. The shared AI knowledge section stays greyed out until at least one channel is in AI mode. The hint reads "Enable AI Assistant on [source] or SMS to configure these settings." You write this knowledge once and both the primary channel and SMS use it. Per-channel settings These are set inside each channel's panel and can differ between the primary channel and SMS. AI Conversation Mode - Label: "AI Conversation Mode" (dropdown) - Default: Only welcome message - Options: - Only welcome message - the AI sends the first reply and stops. The follow-up sequence takes over from there. - Short conversation (up to five messages) - the AI can send up to 5 replies back and forth with the lead. - Long conversation (up to ten messages) - the AI can send up to 10 replies back and forth. - Use this when: pick Only welcome message if you want the AI to hand off to you quickly. Pick Short or Long when you want the AI to qualify the lead, answer common questions, or (with scheduling enabled) book an appointment before you get involved. Answer Size - Label: "Answer Size" (dropdown) - Availability: primary channel only - the SMS channel keeps replies short automatically (one text segment) and has no Answer Size control. - Default: Short (30 words) - Options: - Short (30 words) - quick, to-the-point replies. - Long (50 words) - standard length with a bit more detail. - Detailed (80 words) - longer replies with more information. - Behavior: this is a guideline the AI aims for, not a strict cap. A reply may run slightly over or under depending on the question. - Use this when: match the answer size to your industry norm. Home services and emergency work usually do well on Short; detailed consultative services often prefer Long or Detailed. Delay conversation messages - Label: "Delay conversation messages" (checkbox) - Visible when: AI Conversation Mode is Short or Long conversation. Hidden when mode is "Only welcome message". - Default: off - When on: a natural pause is added before each AI reply in the back-and-forth (not just the welcome). - When off: each AI reply is sent as soon as it's ready. - Use this when: you want more natural pacing between clearly AI-generated messages. Don't enable if you're in a "first response wins" industry like emergency services. This is separate from the Welcome Message Delay - the Delay sending of welcome message checkbox in each channel's panel, just below that channel's mode toggle. The welcome-message delay controls the first reply only; this setting controls the pauses between AI replies after the welcome. Enable AI Follow-ups - Label: "Enable AI Follow-ups" (checkbox) - Visible when: AI Conversation Mode is Short or Long conversation. Not available in "Only welcome message" mode. - Default: off - When on: if a lead has replied to the AI at least once and then goes quiet, the AI writes its own follow-up to re-engage them - in your tone, referencing the actual conversation. This replaces the standard predefined follow-up sequence for that lead. - When off: the standard follow-up sequence configured on the Follow-ups tab is used instead. - Use this when: the AI is already in an active conversation with the lead. An AI-generated follow-up that knows the context usually outperforms a generic templated one. Max AI Follow-ups - Label: "Max AI Follow-ups" (number input) - Visible when: Enable AI Follow-ups is on. - Range: 1–3 - Default: 1 - Use this when: start at 1. Raise to 2 or 3 only if you've confirmed the AI's follow-ups are landing well and leads aren't getting irritated. Shared AI knowledge One set of fields, used by the primary channel and SMS whenever either is in AI mode. Set these once. AI Instructions / Business Description - Label: "AI Instructions" - Type: free-text, up to 7,000 characters - Default: empty - Purpose: the AI's main reference for who you are, what you do, and how you want to sound. Include your services, typical turnaround, years in business, tone (formal vs. casual), sign-off, phone number, and any rules you want it to follow. - Use this when: always. Leaving this empty will produce generic replies. Example: Pricing - Label: "Pricing" - Type: free-text, up to 2,000 characters - Default: empty - Purpose: pricing facts the AI can reference when a lead asks "how much?". Provide ranges, starting-at numbers, or per-unit pricing - whatever you're comfortable sharing upfront. - When empty: the AI won't quote specific prices and will deflect pricing questions. - When filled: the AI can share the numbers you've listed verbatim. - Use this when: you're willing to share pricing early to pre-qualify leads. Leave blank if you prefer pricing only happens on the phone. Services not Providing - Label: "Services not Providing" - Type: free-text, up to 2,000 characters - Default: empty - What happens: when the AI detects the lead is asking for one of the services listed here, it politely declines and marks the lead so no follow-ups are sent. This prevents chasing leads you can't help. - Use this when: you want to filter out jobs below a minimum, outside your service area, or outside your specialty. Example: Reference Library (Knowledge Base) Upload up to 3 files (PDF, Word, text, CSV, Excel) that the AI can pull facts from - service menus, FAQ sheets, pricing tables, warranty terms. Set up the Knowledge Base → Appointment Scheduling Let the AI check availability and book appointments on your calendar. Supports Cal.com, FieldPulse, GoHighLevel, HousecallPro, or a free-form "Open Schedule" mode that doesn't connect to any real calendar. Set up Appointment Scheduling → How it behaves - Shared knowledge, per-channel behavior: the AI Instructions, Pricing, Services not Providing, Reference Library, and Scheduling apply to every channel in AI mode. The conversation mode, answer size, delays, and follow-up limits are read from whichever channel the lead is on. - Manual takeover: if you or a teammate reply manually in the thread, the AI conversation stops immediately. AI follow-ups (if enabled) also stop. - Customer goes silent mid-conversation: either AI Follow-ups kick in (if enabled), or the standard follow-up sequence takes over. - AI hits its message limit: the follow-up sequence takes over. - Confirmation messages: the contact-info confirmation message does not send while the AI conversation is still active - it only sends once the AI hands off. Troubleshooting - AI sounds generic or off-brand: expand the AI Instructions. Include tone, sign-off, phone number, and anything unique about your business. Give examples of how you'd normally reply. - Can AI Instructions make the assistant appear human?: no. Customize an AI persona's name and tone, but do not instruct it to claim it is a person, the owner, or an employee, or to deny being AI. - AI is quoting the wrong price: check the Pricing field. If the number isn't there, the AI shouldn't be quoting it - review the AI Instructions for any pricing slipped into the description. - AI is taking leads you can't service: use the Services not Providing field to list them explicitly. - Too many AI follow-ups: lower Max AI Follow-ups, or turn AI Follow-ups off and use the standard Follow-ups tab instead. - AI Follow-ups checkbox is missing: change AI Conversation Mode to Short or Long conversation - the setting doesn't apply in "Only welcome message" mode. - The AI knowledge fields are greyed out: turn on AI Assistant for at least one channel (the primary channel or SMS). The shared fields unlock as soon as one channel is in AI mode. - No Answer Size option on SMS: that's expected - Answer Size is a primary-channel control. SMS replies are automatically kept to one text segment. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### AI Knowledge Base **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/conversation-setup/ai-knowledge-base/ Upload reference files so the AI can answer detailed questions about your services, pricing, or policies The Knowledge Base (also called the Reference Library) lets you upload files the AI Assistant can pull facts from when answering a lead. Use it for anything you'd otherwise paste into the AI Instructions field that's too long or changes too often - service menus, price sheets, FAQs, warranty terms, or policy documents. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Conversation Setup tab → click AI Assistant at the top → scroll to the Knowledge Base / Reference Library section. Only applies when the source is in AI Assistant mode. In Predefined Messages mode there's no AI to read the files. What you can upload - File types: , , , , , , - How many: up to 3 files per source - Operations available: upload, download, delete Options Upload file - Label: upload button in the Knowledge Base panel - Default: no files uploaded - When in use: the AI can reference the contents of your uploaded files while generating replies. Facts in the files are treated as authoritative context alongside the AI Instructions field. - When empty: the AI relies only on the AI Instructions, Pricing, and Services Not Providing fields. - Use this when: the information is too long to fit in the AI Instructions (5,000 chars) or changes often enough that a single file is easier to keep current than re-editing a text field. Download file - Label: download button on each uploaded file - What it does: re-downloads the original file you uploaded. Useful if you lost the source document and want to edit and re-upload it. Delete file - Label: delete button on each uploaded file - What it does: removes the file from the Knowledge Base. The AI stops referencing it on the next conversation. Does not affect conversations that have already been sent. What to upload Good candidates: - Service catalogue - every service you offer with a short description of what's included. - Price sheet - full per-service pricing if you want the AI to quote line-items beyond the short Pricing field. - FAQ document - common lead questions and your preferred answers. - Warranty / policy / terms - so the AI can quote policy accurately when a lead asks about cancellations, guarantees, or service windows. - Service-area list - cities, neighbourhoods, or ZIP codes you cover. - Team bios / credentials - experience, certifications, licenses. Less good: - Marketing PDFs full of images - the AI reads text, not graphics. - Giant multi-hundred-page documents - shorter, focused files work better. - Internal pricing or commissions that the AI should never quote. How it behaves - Welcome message: the AI can pull from the Knowledge Base as early as the first reply if the lead's question needs it. - During a conversation: the AI keeps referencing the files across every reply. - Priority: if information in a file conflicts with the AI Instructions or Pricing fields, the AI generally leans on the structured fields you've filled in (they're treated as your most explicit guidance). If you want the file to win, make sure the AI Instructions don't contradict it. - Updates: when you upload a new version of a file, the AI starts using the new version on subsequent conversations. Keep files focused and under a few pages each. One clean price sheet plus one FAQ document is more useful than one giant PDF containing everything. Troubleshooting - The AI isn't using information from my file: confirm the file was actually uploaded (it should appear in the list), that the content is text (not scanned images), and that nothing in the AI Instructions contradicts the file. Try asking a test lead question that specifically requires the file to answer. - Upload button is greyed out: you're already at the 3-file limit. Delete one first. - File upload fails: check the extension - only , , , , , , are accepted. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Appointment Scheduling **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/conversation-setup/appointment-scheduling/ Let the AI check availability and book appointments with Cal.com, FieldPulse, GoHighLevel, HousecallPro, or a free-form Open Schedule With Appointment Scheduling enabled, the AI Assistant can check your availability and book appointments during the conversation - no manual hand-off. You can also use the free-form Open Schedule option, which lets the AI talk about timing in conversation without actually connecting to a calendar. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Conversation Setup tab → click AI Assistant at the top → expand the Appointment Scheduling panel. Appointment Scheduling only applies when the source is in AI Assistant mode. Options Enable scheduling - Label: "Enable scheduling" (toggle) - Default: off - When on: the scheduling service dropdown and its fields appear. The AI can discuss availability and (for calendar integrations) book on your behalf. - When off: the AI will not bring up scheduling or attempt to book. - Use this when: you want the AI to carry the conversation through to an actual booking, rather than handing off once the lead is qualified. Scheduling service - Label: "Scheduling service" (dropdown) - Default: Built-in Booking - }'s own CRM scheduling. Pick a different option only if your bookings live in another calendar. - Options: - Built-in Booking - use a Calendar configured in } and create a scheduled CRM Job. - Open Schedule - no calendar connection. Free-form. - Cal.com - FieldPulse - GoHighLevel - HousecallPro Each option and its required fields are detailed below. Built-in Booking Built-in Booking is }'s own scheduling system. Set up a CRM Calendar, then select Built-in Booking as a standalone booking option without connecting an external provider. - Required field: Calendar. - What happens: the AI checks the Calendar's working hours and existing active Jobs, offers open slots, collects the fields configured on the Calendar, and creates a scheduled Job after the customer confirms. - Use this when: you want booking and Job tracking to stay inside }. If the business has no Calendar yet, click Create Calendar in the scheduling panel or go to CRM → Jobs → Create new calendar. See Calendar setup for the full configuration guide. Open Schedule (no calendar connection) Open Schedule is the lightweight option. There's no actual calendar booking - you write plain-language instructions for how the AI should talk about scheduling, and it follows them in the conversation. - Required field: a free-text instructions field describing how you handle scheduling. - What happens: when a lead asks to book, the AI uses the instructions you provided to reply. Nothing is placed on a calendar - you'll confirm the exact slot with the lead yourself later. - Cost: free to use; no external account required. - Use this when: you don't use an online calendar, your scheduling is too custom for a calendar tool, or you just want the AI to set expectations about timing without committing to a slot. Example instructions: Cal.com - Required fields: - API Key - Event Type ID - Timezone - What happens: the AI checks live availability for the event type you connect, proposes open slots to the lead, and creates the booking on your Cal.com calendar once the lead confirms. - Use this when: you already use Cal.com and want the AI to book directly against a specific event type (consultation, site visit, etc.). FieldPulse - Required fields: - API Key - Company ID - Timezone - What happens: the AI checks availability in FieldPulse and creates the appointment there. - Use this when: you run your jobs out of FieldPulse and want new leads booked into the same system your crew already works from. GoHighLevel - Required fields: - API Key - Calendar ID - Location ID - What happens: the AI checks availability on the specified GHL calendar under the specified location and creates the appointment there. - Use this when: GoHighLevel is your CRM and you want new bookings on an existing GHL calendar. HousecallPro - Required fields: - API Key - Timezone - What happens: the AI checks HousecallPro availability and creates the appointment in HousecallPro. - Use this when: you dispatch jobs through HousecallPro and want new appointments on the same schedule. Validate Connection - Label: "Validate Connection" button (appears below the fields for any calendar integration) - What it does: tests your credentials against the selected service. On success, confirms the connection is working. On failure, it shows the exact error returned so you can fix it. - Use this when: always run this once after entering or changing credentials. Don't assume saved credentials are still valid - keys expire, IDs get deleted. Built-in Booking does not use external credentials, so there is no connection to validate for that option. Error log - Below the Validate Connection button, the most recent validation error is shown inline with a timestamp. - Use this when: scheduling stops working mid-campaign. The error log is the fastest way to spot an expired key, a deleted calendar, or a revoked API token. Which option should I pick? - Keep appointments and Jobs inside }: Built-in Booking. - No online calendar / handled manually: Open Schedule. - Already using Cal.com for bookings: Cal.com. - Field-service business running on FieldPulse or HousecallPro: match your existing dispatch tool. - GoHighLevel is your CRM: GoHighLevel. If you use a different calendar system, stick with Open Schedule - the AI will still handle the timing conversation gracefully even without a real calendar connection. How it behaves - Credentials are per source. Different sources can connect to different calendars if needed. - Built-in CRM: Built-in Booking creates a Job linked to the original Lead and places it on the selected CRM Calendar. - Confirmation to the lead: the AI reads back the chosen time once booked, so the lead knows the appointment is locked in. - Cancellations / reschedules: the AI can handle these mid-conversation for calendar integrations that support them - it will check availability again and update the booking. Troubleshooting - No Calendar is available for Built-in Booking: open CRM → Jobs and create one for the same business as the source. - A Built-in Booking slot disappeared: another active Job may have reserved it, or the time may now be in the past. Choose another open slot. - "Validate Connection" fails: check the exact error in the log. Common causes: wrong API key (typo, expired, or from the wrong environment), wrong Event Type / Calendar / Location / Company ID, or the calendar was deleted. - AI books into the wrong calendar: confirm the IDs (Event Type ID, Calendar ID, Location ID) match the target calendar. IDs are the most common source of misdirected bookings. - AI never offers to book: confirm the Enable scheduling toggle is on and that AI Conversation Mode is Short or Long (the AI needs more than one message to collect scheduling info). - Wrong timezone on the booking: the Timezone field must match the calendar's own timezone settings. Mismatched timezones cause "booked at 3 PM, shows on calendar at 11 AM" type bugs. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Welcome Message Delay **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/conversation-setup/delay/ Hold the welcome reply for 1–30 minutes so it feels less instant Add a short delay before the welcome message is sent. Useful when an instant reply feels obviously automated and you'd rather it land a minute or two later, like a human picking up the phone. This option is available in both Predefined Messages mode and AI Assistant mode. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Conversation Setup tab. The delay controls sit below the mode toggle. Options Delay sending the welcome message - Label: "Delay sending the welcome message" (checkbox) - Default: off - When on: the welcome is held for the number of minutes you specify, then sent. - When off: the welcome is sent as soon as the lead's inquiry is received. - Use this when: you want the reply to feel like a person just noticed the message rather than a bot firing off instantly. Delay length - Label: delay-length input (appears when the checkbox above is on) - Range: 1–30 minutes (whole numbers only) - Default: (not applicable - only shown when delay is enabled) - Use this when: 1–2 minutes usually hits the sweet spot for "felt like a real reply" without losing the speed-to-lead advantage. Longer delays (5+ minutes) fit higher-end services where a thoughtful reply is expected. How it behaves - The delay only affects the welcome message. It does not push back the follow-up sequence - follow-ups still count from when the welcome is sent. - If AI Assistant mode is on and the AI is having a back-and-forth with the lead, separate Delay conversation messages setting applies to the follow-up AI replies (see the AI Assistant page). - The delay is in clock minutes - it doesn't skip over off-hours. If you need to hold messages to business hours, use the Timing tab for follow-ups. (The welcome itself will still send during the delay window regardless of business hours.) In fast-moving, first-response-wins markets (emergency plumbing, lockouts, tow), keep the delay off. In professional services where a considered reply is expected, try 2–5 minutes. Troubleshooting - I set the delay but the welcome sends instantly: confirm the "Delay sending the welcome message" checkbox is actually on, and that the delay length shows 1 or more. Also check that the source isn't inheriting from a parent with the delay off - if so, turn Override Default Settings on at this level. - Delay is longer than I expected: the delay value is in minutes, not seconds. Valid range is 1–30. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Conversation Setup **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/conversation-setup/ Choose how the first reply is generated - AI assistant or predefined messages - and whether a delay is added before sending The Conversation Setup tab controls the first reply every lead gets and, depending on the mode, may also control a full back-and-forth conversation before the follow-up sequence begins. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Conversation Setup tab. Two channels: primary and SMS Conversation Setup has two panels, each configured independently: - The primary channel panel - named after the source (e.g. Yelp, Thumbtack) - controls replies on the platform the lead came in on. Everything below (the mode toggle, AI Assistant, Predefined Messages, delay) applies to this channel. - The SMS panel - an optional two-way text-message conversation on a number } provides, with its own welcome, AI, and follow-ups, and a one-time registration. See SMS Messaging. Each channel picks its own mode - the primary channel can run AI while SMS runs predefined, or any combination. The mode toggle At the top of the tab you'll see two buttons: - Predefined Messages (default) - AI Assistant These two modes are mutually exclusive - pick one. Switching changes which configuration appears below. Predefined Messages You write a list of messages ahead of time. Each message has a set of trigger keywords; when a lead's incoming message matches, that message is sent as the welcome. The last message in the list is a catch-all that covers anything that doesn't match a specific keyword. Best when you want complete control over the exact wording customers see and your inquiries fall into predictable patterns. Configure Predefined Messages → AI Assistant An AI writes the welcome reply (and, optionally, continues the conversation for several messages). You give it a business description, pricing information, and what services you don't offer - it uses those to respond in a way tailored to each lead's specific question. Best when every lead's question is a little different and you want the reply to actually address what they asked. Configure AI Assistant → Welcome Message Delay (available in both modes) Regardless of which mode you pick, you can add a small delay before the welcome message is sent. - Label: "Delay sending the welcome message" (checkbox), with a delay-length input that appears when the checkbox is on. - Default: off (welcome is sent instantly). - When on: the welcome is held for the specified number of minutes before being sent. Range: 1–30 minutes (whole numbers only). - When off: the welcome is sent as soon as the lead's inquiry is received. - Use this when: you want the reply to feel a little more human ("just saw your message") rather than landing the instant the lead hits send. Configure Welcome Message Delay → Sub-pages Switching mode doesn't delete the other mode's configuration - your Predefined Messages list stays saved if you try AI Assistant, and vice versa. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Predefined Messages **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/conversation-setup/predefined-messages/ Write keyword-triggered replies ahead of time - you control the exact wording every lead sees In Predefined Messages mode, you write a list of messages ahead of time. Each message has a set of trigger keywords; when a lead's first message contains one, that message is sent as the welcome. The last message in the list is always a catch-all for anything that doesn't match a specific keyword. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Conversation Setup tab → click Predefined Messages at the top. How matching works - The lead's incoming message is scanned for each message's trigger keywords, in list order. - The first message whose keyword list matches wins. No further messages are checked for that lead. - If no specific message matches, the catch-all at the bottom is used. - Keyword matching is case-insensitive. The message list Each entry in the list has the following fields. Message body - Label: rich-text editor showing the message content - Default: (empty on a new entry) - What it is: what the lead actually receives when this message triggers. Supports basic formatting (bold, italics, links, line breaks). - Use this when: write it the way you'd normally write it - friendly, personal, with a clear next step. Trigger keywords - Label: chip input for keywords (below the message body) - Default: (empty) - Rules: - Add words or short phrases. Each keyword must be at least 1 character. - Matching is case-insensitive. - You can combine keywords with to require multiple words in the same message. Example: triggers only when the lead mentions both "screen replacement" and "apple". - Use this when: think about the words your leads actually use - "price", "cost", "quote", "how much", "emergency", "urgent", "repair", etc. Prevent follow-ups - Label: "Prevent Follow-ups" (checkbox) - Default: off - When on: if this message triggers, no follow-ups are sent for that lead. The conversation is considered handled by this single message. - When off: the normal follow-up sequence still runs after this message. - Use this when: the message itself is the final answer (pricing deflection, "we don't do that", "please call us directly") - you don't want automated follow-ups chasing someone you've already fully responded to. Reorder - Label: drag handle on each row - What it does: drag and drop to change the order of messages. The list is checked top-down, so put your most specific / highest-priority messages at the top. The catch-all (last message) - The last message in the list is always a catch-all. Its keyword is fixed as and cannot be edited. - The catch-all message body is editable. - The catch-all cannot be deleted or reordered - it must sit at the bottom so that every lead gets a reply. - Use this when: always. It's your safety net for anything that doesn't match a specific keyword. Make it friendly and promise a follow-up. The catch-all is what most leads will actually see - specific keyword triggers handle edge cases, the catch-all handles the rest. Spend time making the catch-all message feel human and helpful. Example configuration A typical setup: 1. Emergency - keywords: → fast-response message with your direct phone number. Prevent follow-ups: on (you'll call them yourself). 2. Pricing - keywords: → message explaining you'll send a quote after a quick call. 3. Catch-all - "Thanks for reaching out! I'll review your message and reply within a couple hours…" How it behaves - Variables: if your message includes a customer-name placeholder, it's filled in automatically when the message sends. - With AI Assistant mode: Predefined Messages and AI Assistant are mutually exclusive. Switching to AI Assistant disables the predefined list for this source (but doesn't delete it - switching back restores it). - Welcome Message Delay: if delay is enabled, it applies equally to all predefined messages - they're all "the welcome" in the eyes of the delay setting. Troubleshooting - The wrong message is triggering: remember list order decides the winner. Move the more specific message above the more general one. - Keyword doesn't seem to match: confirm there are no typos, and that you're not relying on punctuation - matching looks at words, not exact strings. - Can't delete the last message: that's the catch-all. Delete a message above it, or edit its body instead. - A specific-keyword message is getting follow-ups when it shouldn't: turn on Prevent Follow-ups on that entry. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### SMS Messaging **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/conversation-setup/sms-messaging/ Reply to leads over text - a two-way SMS conversation channel with its own welcome, AI, and follow-ups, on a phone number Auto-Respond provides SMS Messaging lets } hold a real two-way text conversation with your lead on a dedicated phone number. The lead gets a welcome text, can reply, and - if you turn on AI - the assistant keeps the conversation going over SMS, with its own follow-up sequence. It runs alongside the lead's original channel (Yelp, Thumbtack, etc.), not instead of it. SMS Messaging is not the same as the SMS integration. The SMS integration texts you (the business) a heads-up when a new lead arrives. SMS Messaging texts the lead and carries on the conversation. This page is about the second one. Before texts actually go out, you complete a one-time SMS Messaging registration (carrier-required for business texting in the US). There's a registration fee and a small monthly fee - see Pricing and registration below. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Conversation Setup tab. The Conversation Setup tab has two panels: - The primary channel panel - named after the source (e.g. Yelp, Thumbtack) - controls replies on the original channel. - The SMS panel - controls the text-message channel described here. Open the SMS panel to configure everything below. Turning it on Enable SMS messaging Flip the Enable SMS messaging toggle (default: off). The rest of the SMS options appear once it's on. Pick a sender phone number Under Sender Phone Number, click Select Phone Number. This is the number SMS welcome messages and follow-ups are sent from - recipients see it as the sender and can reply to it. Use Change Phone Number later to swap it. Complete SMS Messaging registration Click the SMS Messaging button to open registration and submit your business for carrier review. SMS won't actually send until registration is approved - until then you'll see the notice "SMS messages will start sending once your SMS Messaging registration is approved." See Pricing and registration. Choose how SMS replies are written Use the Predefined Messages / AI Assistant toggle to pick the mode (details below). Predefined vs AI mode Just like the primary channel, the SMS channel runs in one of two modes. They're chosen independently - the primary channel can be on AI while SMS is on predefined, or any combination. Predefined Messages (SMS) You write a single SMS welcome message that's sent when the lead's conversation starts. Unlike the primary channel's predefined list, the SMS welcome is one message (no keyword triggers). - Text only, ASCII characters only, maximum 160 characters (one SMS segment). - An optional welcome message delay is available (same control as the primary channel). AI Assistant (SMS) The AI writes the SMS welcome and, depending on the conversation mode, keeps replying to the lead over text. These are the same per-channel controls described on the AI Assistant page - here they apply to the SMS channel. When the AI is on for SMS you can set: - AI Conversation Mode - how far the AI takes the SMS conversation: - Only welcome message - AI writes the first text and stops. - Short conversation (up to five messages) - Long conversation (up to ten messages) - Delay conversation messages (only when the mode isn't "Only welcome message") - adds a short, human-like pause before each reply. - Enable AI Follow-ups (same condition) - the AI automatically texts leads who haven't responded. - Max AI Follow-ups (shown when AI Follow-ups is on) - how many AI follow-up texts to send, 1–3. Two separate SMS delays. Delay sending of welcome message (in the SMS panel, available in both predefined and AI mode) holds only the first text. Delay conversation messages (AI Short/Long only) adds a pause before each of the AI's later replies. They're independent. The AI's instructions, pricing, and exclusions aren't set here - they come from the shared AI knowledge on the AI Assistant page. You write those once and both the primary channel and SMS use them. The SMS AI channel keeps its own conversation and its own limits, separate from the primary channel. A lead can use up the primary channel's AI allowance and still get AI replies over SMS, and vice versa. SMS replies are kept short to fit the text format. Consent and opt-outs - Outbound SMS is checked against the business's phone suppression list before every send. - A reply consisting of , , , , , , or suppresses the number immediately for that business. - An opted-out number is blocked from both outbound SMS and outbound voice calls for the same business. - Each send attempt and opt-out is stored with its lead-source snapshot and suppression state for phone-number audit queries. SMS follow-ups SMS has its own follow-up sequence, configured on the Follow-ups tab under the SMS Follow-ups sub-tab - separate from the primary channel's follow-ups. SMS follow-ups only send while SMS Messaging is enabled here. See Follow-ups. Pricing and registration US carriers require every business that sends application-to-person texts to register first. } walks you through it in the SMS Messaging dialog (titled "Setup SMS Messaging"). What it costs The dialog shows a "SMS Messaging registration pricing" panel - "Review and approve charges before submitting for compliance review" - with: | Charge | Amount | When | | --- | --- | --- | | One-time setup | $20.00 | Charged only when a new registration or review fee is required - i.e. the initial submission, or renewing after a cancellation. Resubmitting after a rejection is free; the fee was already paid at submission. | | Every month | $2 / month | Charged after approval, while SMS Messaging is active. Usage-based SMS carrier fees on the texts you actually send may also apply. | These charges are on top of your normal per-source subscription. The "no setup fees" note on the Pricing page refers to source subscriptions - SMS Messaging registration is its own opt-in cost. What you submit Registration collects two groups of details: 1. Business profile - legal business name, business type and industry, registration ID type and number, regions of operation, website, physical address, and an authorized representative (name, email, phone, job position). 2. SMS compliance - company type, Privacy Policy URL, Terms & Conditions URL, a campaign description, how customers agree to receive SMS (opt-in flow), and message samples. Sensible defaults are pre-filled; edit them to match your business. The Privacy Policy URL and Terms & Conditions URL must be two different pages, and each one must actually open. Before the submission is accepted we load both links: a link that returns "page not found", or two links that lead to the same document, is rejected in the form. Carrier reviewers open these pages by hand, so a wrong link costs a rejection plus a new review fee. After you submit, the business profile, SMS compliance product, brand, and campaign all go through carrier review, and approval is not instant (typically a few business days). Registration status | Status | What it means | What to do | | --- | --- | --- | | Not started | Nothing submitted yet. | Click Submit for Review. | | In review | Under carrier review. | Wait - fields are locked during review. | | Approved | Passed review; SMS can send. | Nothing - texts now go out. | | Rejected | Review failed; specific reasons are shown. | Fix the flagged details and click Save & Resubmit. | | Cancelled | SMS delivery is paused. | Click Renew SMS Messaging to resubmit (may incur a new review fee). | You can pause an approved registration with Cancel SMS Messaging; the monthly fee stops after cancellation is processed. Troubleshooting - No texts are going out - Confirm Enable SMS messaging is on, a Sender Phone Number is selected, and the SMS Messaging registration shows approved (a pending or error state on the button means it isn't sending yet). - The SMS Messaging button shows an error - Registration isn't in place (not submitted, rejected, or cancelled). Open it and submit / Save & Resubmit / Renew. - SMS follow-ups aren't firing - They require SMS Messaging to be enabled on this source. The SMS Follow-ups tab warns "SMS is not enabled. Enable SMS in Conversation Setup before SMS follow-ups can be sent." - My welcome text was cut off - SMS welcomes are capped at 160 ASCII characters (one segment). Shorten the message or remove non-ASCII characters. --- Questions about SMS Messaging? Email }. --- ### Follow-ups **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/follow-ups/ Configure the automatic follow-up sequence sent when a lead doesn't reply The Follow-ups tab controls the messages sent to a lead who doesn't reply after the welcome. You build an ordered sequence; each message has its own content and its own delay relative to the previous message. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Follow-ups tab. The tab has two sub-tabs: - "[Source] Follow-ups" (e.g. Yelp Follow-ups) - the follow-up sequence on the primary channel, described below. - "SMS Follow-ups" - a separate sequence sent over text. See SMS follow-ups. Follow-ups don't apply to Facebook Lead Ads sources (no two-way conversation). Options Continue follow-ups after you send a manual message - Label: "Continue follow-ups after business sends a manual message" (checkbox) - Default: on - When on: if you or a teammate send a manual reply in the thread, scheduled follow-ups still go out until the lead replies or you change the lead's status. - When off: a manual reply from your side stops all future follow-ups for that lead. - Use this when: leave it on if your team only replies to say "got it, will call you" and you want the nurture sequence to keep running. Turn it off if a manual reply always means "I've got this handled, stop messaging." - Note: this setting does not apply to Facebook Lead Ads sources. Follow-up sequence The ordered list of follow-up messages. Each entry has the following fields. Predefined or AI (per message) - Label: a Predefined / AI toggle at the top of each follow-up entry. - Default: Predefined. - Predefined: a fixed message you write (the Message body below). - AI: instead of a fixed message, the AI writes the follow-up when its scheduled time arrives, using the Conversation Setup AI instructions and the current lead conversation. - When AI isn't available: the AI option is greyed out and the entry shows "Turn on AI Assistant in Conversation Setup to use AI follow-ups." - turn on AI Assistant in Conversation Setup first. - Cap: a sequence can hold only so many AI follow-ups. Past the limit you'll see "You reached the limit of N AI follow-ups. Use a predefined follow-up or change an existing AI follow-up to predefined." Message body - Label: rich-text editor for the message content (predefined messages only) - Default: (empty on a new entry) - What it is: what the lead receives. Supports basic formatting (bold, italics, links, line breaks). - Use this when: write something that genuinely adds value - a new question, a photo, a testimonial, a reminder. Don't send filler. Delay - Label: delay value (number) + unit (dropdown) - Units: Minutes, Hours, or Days - Default: (depends on the system default) - What it means: the delay is counted from the previous message, not from when the lead first arrived. For example, if follow-up 1 has a 1-hour delay and follow-up 2 has a 2-day delay, follow-up 2 fires 2 days after follow-up 1 was sent, which is roughly 2 days and 1 hour after the lead arrived. - Use this when: match the tempo to your sales cycle. Urgent services (emergencies, lockouts) use minutes to hours; project-based services use hours to days; long-cycle professional services can go multiple days between messages. "AI determines when this follow-up is sent" (AI messages only) - Label: "AI determines when this follow-up is sent" (toggle, shown only on AI follow-up entries) - Default: off - When on: the AI chooses the timing of the follow-up instead of using the fixed delay above; the delay you set is kept as a fallback. - When off: the AI follow-up fires on the fixed delay like a predefined one. Reorder / Add / Remove - Reorder: drag the row's handle to change order. Messages fire in the order shown. - Add: click the add button to insert a new message at the end of the list. - Remove: delete any message. The remaining messages keep their own delays (counted from the new previous message). SMS follow-ups The SMS Follow-ups sub-tab is a follow-up sequence sent over text, separate from the primary-channel sequence above. It has its own message list and its own timer, so a lead can be mid-sequence on both channels at the same time. SMS follow-ups only send when SMS Messaging is enabled for the source in Conversation Setup. If it isn't, the tab shows: "SMS is not enabled. Enable SMS in Conversation Setup before SMS follow-ups can be sent." You build an ordered list the same way as the primary sequence (add, remove, drag to reorder), with the same per-message controls - the only differences are the SMS text constraints and that AI entries draw on the SMS AI settings: - Predefined or AI (per message): each entry can be a fixed message you write, or an AI-generated one. AI SMS follow-ups use the SMS AI settings from Conversation Setup, and there's a cap on how many AI follow-ups a sequence can hold - past the limit you'll see "You reached the limit of N AI SMS follow-ups." (If SMS AI isn't on, the entry shows "Turn on SMS AI in Conversation Setup to use AI SMS follow-ups.") - Message text (predefined): ASCII only, maximum 160 characters - one SMS segment. - Delay: how long after the previous SMS this one sends. - "AI determines when this SMS follow-up is sent" (AI messages only): let the AI choose the timing instead of the fixed delay; the delay you set is kept as a fallback. When the lead replies on either channel - SMS or the primary channel - follow-ups stop on both. A customer reply ends the lead's automated follow-ups everywhere, not just on the channel they replied on. How it behaves - Start: the follow-up clock starts when the welcome message is sent. - Stopping automatically: - The lead replies. - The AI conversation (if used) ends with the lead resolved. - You change the lead's status in a way that ends automation. - A predefined message with Prevent follow-ups was the one that triggered - no follow-ups are scheduled in the first place. - Stopping on manual reply: depends on the Continue follow-ups after business sends a manual message setting above. - Respecting the schedule: follow-ups fire only during the hours configured on the Timing tab. If a follow-up's scheduled time falls outside allowed hours, it's held until the next allowed window. - Grace period exception: the Timing tab's grace period lets follow-ups go out shortly after a lead's initial message even outside the operating schedule - that's the only exception to the schedule. - Edits to the sequence: timing and content changes apply to new leads only. Leads already mid-sequence keep the timing they started with. - AI Follow-ups override: if AI Assistant mode has Enable AI Follow-ups turned on, the AI writes its own follow-ups instead of running this sequence. Troubleshooting - Follow-up 2's delay is measured from the wrong point: delays are from the previous message, not from the lead's start. To schedule "fire 2 days after the lead arrives," set follow-up 1 at 2 days (from the welcome, which is effectively the lead's start). - Follow-ups aren't sending at all: - Check the Timing tab - the schedule may be blocking them. - Check the lead didn't already reply. - If AI Assistant is on with AI Follow-ups enabled, the standard sequence is replaced by AI-generated follow-ups. - Confirm Override Default Settings is configured as you expect at this level. - A manual reply stopped follow-ups and you didn't want it to: turn on Continue follow-ups after business sends a manual message. - Follow-ups went out at 2 AM: review your Timing schedule and grace period - a long grace period can push messages into the middle of the night. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Integrations **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/integrations/ Choose which CRMs and notification channels run for this source The Integrations tab on a source decides which of your configured CRMs and messenger or notification channels run for leads from that source. The integrations themselves - HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, LeadConnector (GoHighLevel), Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, AccuLynx, SmartMoving, Workiz, Monday.com, Slack, SMS, Telegram, Zapier, Call Bridge, webhooks, and the rest - are set up once in the Integrations catalogue and then selected here per source. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Integrations tab. Three sub-tabs The Integrations tab is split into three sub-tabs. Each integration appears on exactly one of them: - Messengers - integrations that alert your team or hand the live conversation off to another inbox. Slack, SMS, Telegram, and LeadConnector Messaging Sync (formerly GoHighLevel Messenger) live here. - CRM - integrations that create or update CRM records. HubSpot, Pipedrive, Workiz, LeadConnector (GoHighLevel), Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, AccuLynx, SmartMoving, Salesforce, Monday.com, and Zapier live here. - Other - specialized integrations that don't fit the other two. Call Bridge, REST Webhook, and Lead Reply API live here. Each sub-tab shows one card per integration. You can enable any combination across the three sub-tabs for the same source. Setting up a specific integration (auth, field mapping, connection details) lives in the Integrations catalogue - one page per tool. This tab is only about which integrations apply to this source. What you do here - See which CRM and messenger integrations are available based on your account setup. - Toggle each integration on or off for this specific source. A source can use any combination, including none. - Override inheritance: if the source is inheriting from a parent business, you'll see the parent's integration selection in read-only form. Turn on Override Default Settings at the top to pick a different selection for this source. When each integration fires Which events fire which integrations depends on how you've configured the other tabs - especially Contact Info: - New lead arrives - integrations that listen for new leads fire. - Phone number captured - fires CRM and/or messenger integrations if those toggles are on in the Contact Info tab's phone section. - Email captured - fires CRM and/or messenger integrations if those toggles are on in the Contact Info tab's email section. - Temp phone captured (Yelp only) - same pattern, controlled by the temp phone toggles in Contact Info. - Other events - some integrations have their own per-integration triggers (specific keywords, status changes, etc.). See each integration's page in the catalogue. Available integrations This is a quick reference - full setup instructions live in the catalogue: CRM sub-tab - HubSpot - Pipedrive - Salesforce - LeadConnector (GoHighLevel) - card labeled LeadConnector - Housecall Pro - ServiceTitan - AccuLynx - Workiz - monday.com - SmartMoving - Zapier Messengers sub-tab - SMS - Slack - Telegram - LeadConnector Messaging Sync - card labeled LeadConnector Messaging Sync (formerly GoHighLevel Messenger) Other sub-tab - Call Bridge - REST Webhook - Lead Reply API Zapier recipes (not cards) - Yelp Temp Phone via Zapier - uses the Zapier card on the CRM sub-tab; not a separate integration For the full catalogue with setup steps, see Integrations. How it behaves - Per-source scope. Turning an integration on for one source has no effect on other sources. If you run two Yelp locations into two different CRMs, this is where you split them. - Inheritance. Like the other Messaging Settings tabs, Integrations inherit from business → location unless you turn on Override Default Settings. - No double-sends across sources. Each event fires the integrations selected on its source, not on every source. - Disabling an integration here does not delete its setup. It stops firing for this source only; re-enable any time without reconfiguring. Troubleshooting - Integration I set up isn't showing here: confirm it's been added to your account in the Integrations catalogue. An integration must exist there before it can be toggled per source. - Integration is on but nothing is happening: check the Contact Info tab - the CRM- and messenger-trigger toggles there decide whether contact-info events fire integrations. Also verify the integration's own credentials aren't expired in the catalogue page. - Wrong CRM receiving the lead: you probably have the wrong integration toggled on this source. Override Default Settings on this source and pick the right one. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Messaging Settings **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/ Configure how Auto-Respond replies, follows up, and syncs leads for each source Messaging Settings control how } talks to your leads: the first reply they receive, the follow-ups that go out if they go quiet, what happens when they share a phone number or email, and which CRM or notification tools get triggered. Settings are configured per source (per Yelp business, Thumbtack profile, Facebook page, etc.), and they inherit down a hierarchy so you can set things once and override only where needed. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings. Tabs Override and inheritance Messaging Settings follow a three-level hierarchy: 1. System default - the baseline set by }. 2. Business - your account-wide defaults (for multi-location accounts, this is the parent business). 3. Location / Source - the individual source. Each child level has an Override Default Settings toggle at the top of the panel: - On a Location: the toggle is labeled "Override Default Settings from Business" (or from the parent business). - On a Business: the toggle is labeled "Override System Settings". When the toggle is OFF (default) - The child inherits everything from the parent. - All controls are visible but read-only (greyed out) so you can see exactly what's in effect. - Any change you make at the parent level flows through automatically. When the toggle is ON - The child uses its own values. - Controls are editable and what you set here applies only to this source (or this business and its locations). Keep override off wherever possible. Set things once at the business level and only override on a location when that location genuinely needs different behavior. Source-specific differences Not every tab is available for every source type: - Facebook Lead Ads sources show only Contact Info and Integrations. Because Facebook Lead Ads don't support two-way messaging, Conversation Setup, Follow-ups, and Timing don't apply. - Yelp sources are the only ones where Contact Info includes a temp phone (masked phone) section. What each tab controls in one line - Conversation Setup - what the lead sees in the very first reply, and whether a small delay is added before sending it. - Follow-ups - the sequence of messages sent if the lead goes quiet. - Contact Info - the confirmation message and integrations triggered when a phone/email is captured. - Timing - timezone, grace period, and the weekly schedule that restricts when follow-ups are allowed to send. - Integrations - which CRMs and messenger/notification tools run for this source (see the full Integrations catalogue for each tool's setup). --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Timing **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/messaging-settings/timing/ Timezone, grace period, and the weekly schedule that controls when follow-ups are allowed to send The Timing tab controls when follow-ups are allowed to send. It does not affect the welcome message - only follow-ups honor the schedule. You configure three things: the timezone used to interpret everything, a grace period for immediate replies, and the weekly operating schedule for follow-ups. Getting here In }, go to Sources → select a source → Messaging Settings → Timing tab. Timing doesn't apply to Facebook Lead Ads sources (no follow-ups). Options Timezone - Label: "Timezone" (autocomplete selector) - Default: (set at the business level; locations typically inherit) - What it is: the IANA timezone used to interpret everything on this tab - schedule hours, timestamps, grace period boundaries. - Use this when: set this to wherever the business operates, not where any individual team member lives. All schedule hours are read in this timezone. Grace Period (minutes) - Label: "Grace Period (minutes)" (number input) - Range: 0–1440 minutes (0 to 24 hours) - Default: 30 - What it does: lets follow-ups go out within X minutes of the lead's initial message, even if that time falls outside the operating schedule. The intent is: always reply promptly to a fresh inquiry - even if it's off-hours - but once the grace window closes, respect the schedule. - When set to 0: no grace - follow-ups are never sent outside the operating schedule, full stop. - When set high (e.g., 120): follow-ups can continue landing outside scheduled hours for up to that many minutes after the lead first messaged. - Use this when: 30–60 minutes works for most businesses. Go higher (60–120) if your customers routinely message late evening and you want to catch them before they move on. Keep at 0 if you strictly don't message outside hours. The grace period starts from the lead's initial message, not from when you read it. A long grace period plus a late-night inquiry can push follow-ups into the middle of the night. Watch the math. Follow-up Operating Schedule - Label: day-by-day weekly picker - Default: "Any day" 00:00–24:00 (follow-ups allowed at any time, any day) - What it is: a week-at-a-glance picker (Monday–Sunday, plus an "Any day" shortcut) where you set time periods during which follow-ups are allowed to send. A follow-up scheduled outside these windows is held until the next allowed period. - Per-day options: - Off - no follow-ups on that day (e.g., Sundays). - Full 24 hours - send any time that day (e.g., 24/7 weekdays). - Custom hours - one or more time periods, like 08:00–18:00. - Multiple time periods per day: supported - set a morning block and an afternoon block if you have a lunch break or split shift. - Use this when: match it to when someone is genuinely available to handle replies. Schedules that promise coverage you can't deliver hurt your conversion more than they help. How it behaves - Welcome messages are not gated by this schedule. The welcome sends as soon as it's ready (subject to the Welcome Message Delay on the Conversation Setup tab). Only follow-ups respect the schedule. - A scheduled follow-up outside allowed hours is held, not skipped. It moves to the next allowed window. - Grace period overrides the schedule - but only for the window starting at the lead's initial message. - Timezone applies to everything on this tab. If a follow-up is set for "09:00" and your timezone is , that's 9 AM Pacific regardless of where your team or leads are located. Examples A service business open Mon–Fri 8 AM – 6 PM, Saturday 9 AM – 2 PM, closed Sunday: - Timezone: your local timezone. - Grace period: 60 minutes (lets late-evening inquiries get one quick follow-up). - Schedule: - Monday–Friday: 08:00–18:00 - Saturday: 09:00–14:00 - Sunday: Off 24/7 emergency service: - Timezone: your local timezone. - Grace period: 120 minutes (doesn't matter much when always-on anyway). - Schedule: Any day, 00:00–24:00. Professional services, weekdays only: - Timezone: your local timezone. - Grace period: 30 minutes. - Schedule: - Monday–Friday: 09:00–17:00 - Saturday & Sunday: Off. Troubleshooting - Follow-ups are going out after hours: check the grace period. A long grace can legitimately push messages into evening. Lower it if that's not what you want. - Follow-ups never send on a particular day: that day is likely set to Off. Check the per-day settings. - Wrong hour: double-check the timezone. Schedule hours are interpreted in the timezone set on this tab, not the reader's timezone. - Lead messaged at noon, first follow-up didn't send until the next morning: the scheduled delay probably pushed it outside allowed hours. Shorten the first follow-up's delay, or widen the schedule. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Pricing **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/pricing/ Per-source monthly pricing for Auto-Respond, with trial eligibility, recurring charges, usage fees, and cancellation terms explained before purchase. } is priced per source, per month. A source is one connected account or profile on a platform - a single Yelp location, one Thumbtack Pro account, one Facebook Page, and so on. Each active source is a separate recurring subscription item. Before you confirm a paid source activation, the order summary shows the amount due immediately and the recurring monthly price. Activating a source during a billing period may create an immediate prorated charge for the remaining time in that period. Source pricing | Source type | Price | | --- | --- | | Yelp | $99 / month per location | | Thumbtack | $99 / month per Pro account | | Facebook Lead Ads | $19 / month | | Facebook Messenger | $49 / month | | Instagram | $49 / month per connected source or location | | Google Local Ads | $49 / month | Voice Agent add-ons The Voice Agent is optional and billed separately from sources. | Item | Price | | --- | --- | | Voice Agent phone number | $10 / month per number | | New phone-number purchase or provisioning | $10 one-time per number, when applicable | | Voice Agent usage | $1 / billable minute | Voice usage can include inbound and outbound calls. Completed non-batch calls with at least 10 seconds of recorded duration are rounded up to the next whole minute per call. Eligible completed batch-call durations are aggregated within each immutable usage report and that aggregate is rounded up to the next whole minute. Trial calls are not metered as paid usage but remain subject to trial limits. See the Billing, Cancellation & Refund Policy for the controlling usage and billing terms. See Voice Agent for what the voice agent does and how to set one up. SMS Messaging add-on SMS Messaging - texting your leads on a number } provides - is optional and requires a carrier-mandated registration, billed separately from your source subscription. | Item | Price | | --- | --- | | Registration (one-time setup) | $20.00 - charged only when a new registration or review fee is required | | Monthly fee | $2 / month while SMS Messaging is active | | SMS carrier fees | Usage-based, per message sent | This is separate from the SMS integration (team alerts about new leads), which is included on every plan at no extra cost. What's included on every plan Every source you connect includes all the core features - there are no feature tiers: - AI assistant for first replies - AI voice callback and phone answering when Voice Agent is enabled - Lead qualification, appointment booking, and connected CRM handoff - Automatic follow-ups - Lead inbox with filtering, memos, and scheduled messages - Analytics and CSV - Team access with no per-seat charge - CRM and notification integrations (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Salesforce, GoHighLevel, Workiz, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, AccuLynx, SmartMoving, Monday.com, Slack, Telegram, SMS, Zapier, and more) - Email and in-app support Trial eligibility - A 7-day trial applies only to eligible first-time customers and locations when the exact signup or checkout order summary shows it. - The order summary controls: if it does not show a trial, the paid subscription begins under the pricing displayed there. - Reconnecting, transferring, or reactivating a previously subscribed location or business does not restart a trial unless the order summary explicitly says otherwise. A different login or email does not create new eligibility for the same location or business. - Payment-method requirements and the amount due today are shown before you confirm. - While an offered trial is active, Voice Agent limits are 1 phone number, 10 call minutes, and 5 recipients per batch campaign. Billing model - Billed monthly, per active source. Voice Agent numbers are monthly; a newly purchased number may carry a separate $10 one-time purchase fee; Voice Agent minutes are usage-based. - Core source subscriptions have no fixed-term contract or setup fee. Optional SMS registration, phone numbers, usage, and other add-ons have their separately disclosed charges. - Adding a paid source mid-cycle may charge the prorated amount shown in the confirmation immediately. The source's recurring monthly price is also shown before activation. - Cancel online from the Billing dialog. The confirmation shows when cancellation takes effect; cancellation stops future renewals as described there but does not erase charges already incurred. - Invoices and payment methods are managed in the Billing dialog, opened from the Settings section of the sidebar. Billing is a modal that overlays the current page - there is no standalone Billing page to navigate to. Read the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Billing, Cancellation & Refund Policy before purchasing. Accepted payment methods - Visa and Mastercard - Apple Pay and Google Pay - PayPal - Card payments powered by Stripe Press release credits Press release credits are optional one-time purchases, not subscriptions: | Package | One-time total | Price per credit | | --- | ---: | ---: | | 1 press release credit | $229 | $229 | | 3 press release credits | $450 | $150 each | One credit covers one submission into the press release review-and-distribution workflow and is used only after the release is saved for processing. A release body must contain 300–800 words before submission. Distribution is subject to editorial review and third-party outlet acceptance; a specific publication, placement, indexing result, or business outcome is not guaranteed. The selected package and final one-time total appear in checkout before payment. Data after cancellation Export any data you need before canceling. Account-data retention and deletion follow the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Common questions Can I add or remove sources anytime? Yes. Before a paid activation, you see the recurring source price and any prorated amount due immediately. Removing or canceling a source changes future billing as shown in the Billing confirmation. Is there a setup fee? There is no setup fee for a core source subscription. Optional SMS registration, phone numbers, usage, and other add-ons have the separate charges shown before you enable them. What happens if a payment fails? A billing warning appears on affected source cards. Open the Billing dialog from the Settings section of the sidebar to update your payment method. Sources with unresolved billing issues stop receiving new inquiries until the problem is fixed. Can I pause a source temporarily? Yes. Use the Pause button on the source card to stop inquiries without disconnecting the source. You can resume at any time. Can I try it before paying? Possibly. A 7-day trial applies only to eligible first-time customers and locations when it is explicitly shown in their order summary. Previously subscribed, transferred, reconnected, or reactivated locations do not automatically receive another trial. Pricing shown here is for the core product. Voice Agent numbers, number-purchase fees when applicable, and billable usage are charged separately from source subscriptions. Ready to start Create an account and review your offer. Your order summary will show trial eligibility, any amount due immediately, and the recurring price before you confirm. Then connect your first source to set up } for your real leads. --- Questions about pricing? Email }. --- ### Team Management **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/team-management/ Give teammates access to specific sources in Auto-Respond - per-source access, permission levels, and how to invite or remove people. In }, teammates are granted access on a per-source basis. There is no global "team" page - instead, every source has its own Access and Permissions list that controls who can see and manage that source, its leads, and its messaging settings. Getting here 1. Open Sources from the Auto Responder section of the sidebar. 2. Find the source you want to grant access to. 3. On the source card, click the Permissions button (shown with a group icon and a count of current accounts). This opens the Access and Permissions dialog for that source. Granting a teammate access to a source Open the source's Permissions dialog On the Sources page, click Permissions on the source card. A dialog titled [Source name] Access and Permissions appears. Add a new teammate Click Add at the bottom of the dialog. A new blank card is added to the list with an Email field and a Permissions dropdown. Enter their email Type the email address the teammate uses (or will use) to sign in to }. The field validates that the address is a well-formed email. Pick their permission level Use the Permissions dropdown to choose a level. The default is Manager. See Permission levels below for what each level allows. Save Click Save to apply the changes. If any email address is invalid you'll be prompted to fix it before the dialog closes. If the teammate doesn't already have an } account with that email, they'll see the source appear in their account once they sign up or sign in with that email. Permission levels The Permissions dropdown on each access row controls what that teammate can do on the source: - Manager (default) - full day-to-day access to the source: read and reply to conversations, add memos, change lead statuses, edit Messaging Settings, manage integrations, and use the voice agent. A Manager cannot change the source's own access list. - A higher permission level is also available in the dropdown for accounts that additionally need to manage the access list themselves (add / remove / change levels on other accounts for the same source). Permissions are per-source. Granting access to one source does not give a teammate access to any other source. Removing a teammate 1. Open the source's Permissions dialog from the Sources page. 2. Find the teammate's card in the list. 3. Click Remove on their card. 4. Click Save to apply. Their access to this source is cut off immediately. You cannot remove your own email from a source's access list from within that dialog. Changing a teammate's permission level 1. Open the source's Permissions dialog from the Sources page. 2. Change the Permissions dropdown on their card. 3. Click Save. Billing and team size There is no per-seat charge for teammates. Billing is based on the number of connected sources, not the number of people with access. See the Pricing page for source pricing. Security - Each teammate signs in with their own email address and password. - Removing a teammate from a source cuts off their access to that source immediately. - If a teammate forgets their password, they can reset it from the sign-in screen. Common tasks Give a new hire access to one source 1. Open Sources, click Permissions on that source. 2. Click Add, enter their work email, leave the level as Manager. 3. Save. Give someone access to every source Open the Permissions dialog on each source and add them there. There is no one-click way to grant access to every source at once. Remove someone who left the company 1. For each source they had access to, open Permissions, click Remove next to their email, then Save. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Agent Configuration **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/agent-configuration/ Every tab, toggle, and field in the voice agent editor, with defaults and recommended usage. The agent editor is a tabbed dialog with six tabs, in this order: Basic Info, Knowledge Base, Scheduling, Timing, Advanced, and Integrations. This page is the full reference - every field, every toggle, and what each one does. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Voice Agents → pick an agent and click Edit, or click Create New Agent. Agent types Every agent picks one type when it is created. The type affects which fields appear and how the agent is used. - Answering Agent - handles inbound calls. Typical goal: "You answer incoming calls at the office. Help customers with questions and guide toward scheduling." - Lead Calling Agent - makes a single outbound call per new lead. Typical goal: "You're calling a customer who just submitted a lead - confirm their need and book an appointment." - Batch Calling Agent - runs campaigns against a list of recipients. Uses a per-recipient variable so each call is personalized. See Batch & Campaign Calling. Tab 1 - Basic Info Display Name - Required. - Internal label shown in the agent list. Not spoken on calls. Agent Type - Required. Answering / Lead Calling / Batch Calling. Chosen at creation. Business - Required. - Links the agent to one of your businesses. Calls and bookings are associated with that business. Phone Number - Pick a number from your Manage Business Phones list. - For outbound agents, you can also pick a Caller ID Phone Number - the verified number the lead will see when the agent dials out. - Per-agent toggles shown once a number is assigned: - Inbound - default on. When on, the agent answers calls to this number. When off, inbound calls are ignored. - Outbound - default on. When on, the agent places outgoing calls from this number. When off, the agent will not dial out even if a lead comes in. - See Phone Numbers. Connected Sources (Lead Calling only) - A multi-select of lead sources for the selected business. - The agent automatically calls new leads from each connected source. - Hidden for Answering and Batch Calling agents. Company Name - Required. - The business name the agent speaks (e.g., "ABC Plumbing"). Used for the placeholder everywhere. Agent Name (AI assistant name) The name customizes an AI persona only. It cannot be used to claim the agent is human, deny that it is AI, or present it as the business owner or a human employee. - Required. - What the agent calls itself on the phone (e.g., "Sarah"). Used for the placeholder. Voice - Required. - Preview and select a voice. See Voice Selection. Custom Greeting For outbound calls, the account-level AI identification in greeting setting is enabled by default. When enabled, a non-overridable platform instruction requires the first spoken sentence to be The platform inserts that sentence before the customer-configured greeting. It does not rewrite the stored greeting text. Disabling the setting removes only this first-sentence instruction, requires accepting a compliance warning and responsibility confirmation, and records the change in the account activity audit. This setting affects the greeting only. The platform identity rule always requires the agent to answer honestly if asked whether it is AI, a bot, robot, virtual, automated, or recorded. - Required. Max 500 characters. - First line the agent says when the call connects. - Supports and . - Defaults depend on agent type (e.g., ). Tab 2 - Knowledge Base Despite the tab name, this is where the agent's core behavior lives - the main goal, reference documents, pricing rules, promotion, Q&A, and (for batch campaigns) closing-sentence prompts. Main Goal (Answering agents) - Required. Max 2000 characters. - The primary objective the agent works toward on every call. - For Lead Calling and Batch Calling agents, the default goal is supplied elsewhere (per-recipient for Batch Calling); the field does not appear on those tabs. Reference Library - Upload documents the agent references during calls - service lists, FAQs, pricing sheets, policies. - Supported file types: . - See Knowledge Base for what to upload and how to structure it. Service Identification (Answering agents) - Toggle. Default: on. - When on: the agent actively asks what service the customer needs. - Service Question (sub-field, required when enabled, default ) - the exact phrasing the agent uses. Pricing - Toggle. Default: on. - When on: the agent can quote prices and handle pricing-related questions from the Reference Library. - When off: the agent avoids quoting prices. - Sub-toggles (only shown when Pricing is on): - Free On-Site Estimates - default on. When price isn't available, the agent offers a free on-site estimate instead. - Summarize Service Components - default on. After quoting, the agent briefly explains what's included (2–3 key components). - Ask About Part Supply - default on. For replacement jobs, the agent asks whether the customer has the part or needs you to supply it. Closing Sentences (Batch Calling only) - A list of sentences the agent uses to guide the customer toward booking. Each row has an enable toggle. - Default entries (all enabled): - "When is the best time for the technician to arrive?" - "What day works best for you?" - "Can I save you a spot?" - Use these to nudge commitment near the end of the call. Promotion (Batch Calling only) - Optional single-line field. - A promotional hook the agent mentions to encourage booking (e.g., "Tune-up usually costs $220, but for this promo it's only $49."). Aggressive Sale (Batch Calling only) - Toggle. Default: on. - When on: the agent uses proactive sales tactics - objection handling, urgency, soft closes - to push toward a booking. - When off: the agent stays informational. Q&A - Toggle. Default: off. - When on: free-form textarea for FAQ pairs the agent can use verbatim. Great for policies, warranties, and service-area edge cases. - Format example: Tab 3 - Scheduling Controls how the agent books appointments. Appointment Scheduling - Toggle. Default: off. - When on: the agent can check availability and create bookings during the call using a connected scheduling platform. - When on, pick one of: Cal.com, FieldPulse, GoHighLevel, HousecallPro, Open Schedule. Each platform has its own required fields. See Scheduling Integrations. Information to Collect - Only shown for platforms other than Cal.com (Cal.com collects its own fields on the Cal.com side). - Each field has an enable toggle and a label. - Defaults (all enabled): Customer Name, Service Address, Phone Number. - Add rows for Email, Zip, Preferred Day, Gate Code, etc. Agent collects enabled fields one at a time and skips any it already knows. Appointment Summary - Toggle. Default: on. - Summary Template (required when enabled). Max 1000 characters. Default: - How the agent verbally confirms a booking. Supports , , , , . The Scheduling tab is about calendar booking. CRM and messenger hookups (SMS, Slack, HubSpot, etc.) live on the separate Integrations tab - see below. Tab 4 - Timing Timezone - Required. IANA timezone, default . - Used for call hours and when the agent talks about dates and times. Call Schedule (Lead Calling only) - A weekly day/time picker, one row per day. Each day can be off, always on, or a set of time periods. - Calls that fall outside the configured windows are scheduled for the next available window instead of being placed immediately. - Not shown for Answering or Batch Calling agents - Answering agents always answer when a call comes in; Batch Calling agents use their configured batch schedule. Tab 5 - Advanced Example of Good Conversation - Toggle. Default: off. Max 5000 characters. - When on: paste an example transcript that shows the agent the ideal call flow. Use it to steer tone and objection handling. Voicemail Message (Lead Calling & Batch Calling only) - Required for outbound agents. Max 1000 characters. - Default: - What the agent says when it reaches a customer's voicemail. - Supports and . Post-Call Data Extraction - Call Summary Instructions - required. Max 2000 characters. - Instructions for how the agent should summarize each call and extract key information from the transcript. A sensible default is pre-filled. Email Notification (sub-section of Post-Call) - Toggle. Default: off. - When on: a call summary email is sent to the configured address after each call is analyzed. - Notification Email (required when enabled). Messaging Notifications (sub-section of Post-Call) - Toggle. Default: off. - When on: after a call finishes, the call summary is sent to your business through your configured messenger integrations (SMS, Slack, Telegram). Connect those on the Integrations tab first. Closing Options - Ask "Anything Else?" Before Closing toggle. Default on. - When on: the agent gives the customer one last chance to add requests before hanging up. Call Transfer - Toggle. Default: off. - When on: - Transfer Criteria - a free-form list of conditions that trigger a transfer. Leave empty to use a sensible default. - Transfer to Phone Number - required. E.164 format. Must use the same country code as the agent's phone number. - Transfer Type - Cold Transfer (direct) or Warm Transfer (agent briefs the human first). - Private Handoff Instructions - required when Warm Transfer is selected. What the agent says to the human before connecting the customer. - See Call Transfer for the full walkthrough. Custom Rules - A list of special instructions, policies, or behavioral guidelines specific to your business. Each rule has an enable toggle and a label. - Examples: - "If customer mentions emergency, mark the appointment URGENT and offer same-day." - "Never quote pricing for commercial jobs - offer a free estimate instead." - "For spring replacements, ask single-door vs double-door before quoting." Tab 6 - Integrations Connects the agent to your CRM and messenger tools so call events (summaries, bookings, transcripts) flow out automatically. This tab has two sub-tabs: Messengers and CRM. See Voice Agent Integrations for the full list and per-integration setup. For Lead Calling agents, integrations are configured at the source level (on the Sources page), not on the agent itself. The Integrations tab shows a notice linking you there. Drafts, cloning, and lifecycle - Unsaved drafts - in-progress edits are kept in your browser's local storage. If you refresh or navigate away, you can pick up where you left off. - Clone Agent - from the agent list, clone copies everything: prompts, Reference Library files, scheduling configuration, and phone number assignment toggles. Useful for spinning up a second agent for a different business or A/B testing a new prompt. - Delete Agent - from the agent list. The agent stops taking calls immediately; prior call logs are retained. Placeholders available in prompts - - from Basic Info. - - from Basic Info. - , - known when the agent is dialing out. - , , , , - available in the Appointment Summary Template. - - per-recipient in Batch Calling. Agent type at a glance | Field | Answering | Lead Calling | Batch Calling | |------------------------------|-----------|--------------|---------------| | Main Goal (Knowledge Base) | Required | Auto | Per-recipient | | Voicemail Message | - | Required | Required | | Call Schedule (Timing) | - | Configurable | - | | Closing Sentences | - | - | Configurable | | Promotion / Aggressive Sale | - | - | Configurable | | Connected Sources | - | Used | - | | Recipients list | - | - | Required | Deep dives --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Batch & Campaign Calling **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/batch-campaign-calling/ Run outbound campaigns to a list of recipients with per-recipient personalization, sequential or parallel. Batch calling lets you run an outbound campaign to a list of recipients. Each recipient gets a personalized call based on the dynamic variables you supply (name, service, main goal, etc.), and you can run the batch sequentially (one at a time) or in parallel. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Batch Calls. You'll need a Batch Calling Agent configured first. See Agent Configuration. Creating a batch Click New Batch In Batch Calls, click New Batch. Pick the agent and origin number - Agent - select the Batch Calling Agent that will handle all calls in this batch. - Origin phone number - a phone number assigned to the agent with Use for outbound enabled. The country code of this number must match the country code of every recipient in the batch. Name the batch Any descriptive label (e.g., "Q2 Maintenance Reminders - California"). Shown in the Batch Calls list. Add recipients Each recipient is one row with: - tonumber - the phone number to call, in E.164 format (e.g., ). - maingoal (dynamic variable) - the personalized goal for this specific call. Replaces the agent's default main goal for this recipient. - Any custom variables - add your own keys/values to personalize further. For example, , , . Reference them in the Main Goal using placeholders. Trial plans are limited to 100 recipients per batch. Upgrade for larger campaigns. Example recipient: (Optional) Set agent override per task You can override the agent for individual tasks inside the batch if you need a different voice or a tweaked prompt for a subset of recipients. Calling Mode Pick one of two sending modes: - Standard (default) - all calls are dispatched at once, up to the limits of the agent's outbound capacity. Use Standard when you want to burn through a list quickly and there's no coordination needed between calls. - Sequential - one call at a time. Each call only starts after the previous one ends. Use Sequential when the call outcome often produces a scheduling or bridging action your team needs to handle before the next call. When Sequential is selected, an extra field appears: - Hold after human transfer (minutes) - how long to pause before calling the next recipient if the previous call was transferred to a human. Default 10 minutes. Minimum 0. This only applies after transfers - when a call ends normally, the next one starts immediately. Review and launch Click Start to launch the batch. The status changes to ongoing. Statuses - planned - the batch is saved but hasn't started yet. - ongoing - the batch is currently dialing. - sent - the batch completed all recipients. - stopped - the batch was paused or cancelled before all recipients were called. Managing a running batch From the Batch Calls list you can: - Pause an ongoing batch - calls stop, recipients not yet called are held. - Resume a paused batch - calls continue from where they left off. - Cancel a batch - no more calls are made. Recipients already called are still recorded. - Delete a completed or cancelled batch - removes it from the list (the underlying call logs are preserved). Stopping a sequential batch leaves partial progress - some recipients will have been called, others won't. Review the individual call logs before deciding whether to resume or start a fresh batch. Dynamic variables in prompts Every recipient row can include any number of custom variables. Reference them anywhere in the agent's Main Goal, Closing Sentences, or Custom Rules using syntax. Example Main Goal (per recipient): Example recipient row: The agent says "Hi John, we did your annual tune-up back in August 2024...". Call hours Sequential batches respect the agent's Timing (call hours). If the transfer hold pushes the next call outside call hours, it waits until call hours resume. Standard (parallel) batches are constrained by capacity but also respect call hours - calls won't be placed outside configured windows. Reviewing results Every call in the batch appears in Call Logs, filterable by the batch name. For each call you get: - Transcript and recording. - AI summary including the "Callback: Yes/No" flag. - Extracted data - customer name, phone, email, address. - Appointment booked (if the agent completed a booking). - Disconnection reason and duration. See Call Logs & Analytics for filters, marking, and export. Best practices - Match country codes. The origin phone number's country code must match every recipient's country code. Mixed-country batches should be split into separate batches. - Start small. Run a 10–20 recipient test batch with the same prompt and voice you plan to use at scale. Review the transcripts before going big. - Use Sequential when transfers trigger manual work. If a transferred call kicks off a human task (dispatching a technician, preparing a quote), Sequential with a 10–15 minute transfer hold gives your team space before the next call lands. - Use Standard for awareness campaigns. If the batch is announcing a promotion or leaving voicemails, Standard is faster and fine. - Complete Trust Hub first. For US campaigns, campaigns without a configured Trust Hub profile get flagged as spam at much higher rates. See Caller ID & Trust Hub. Troubleshooting The batch won't start. - Confirm the origin phone number has Use for outbound enabled and is assigned to the chosen agent. - Confirm every recipient phone is in E.164 format. - Confirm no recipient has a country code that differs from the origin number's country code. The batch is paused automatically. The batch pauses if it hits the configured time outside call hours and resumes when call hours begin again. Some recipients were skipped. Check the Call Logs for that batch - the skipped recipients will have a status (failed, busy, no-answer, invalid-number) explaining what happened. Personalization isn't showing up. The placeholder keys in the Main Goal must match the variable keys in the recipient rows exactly (case-sensitive). in the goal requires in the recipient, not or . --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Call Bridge **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/call-bridge/ Automatically connect yourself to a lead the moment they share a phone number in chat. Call Bridge is a separate feature for connecting you (the business owner or sales person) to a lead over the phone the instant they share their phone number in a text conversation. It's not an AI agent - it's a live-person connection. The system calls you first, waits for you to pick up, then calls the lead and bridges the two calls together. Call Bridge is also available as an Integration on non-voice-agent sources. See Integrations. Getting here In }, Call Bridge is configured per source under Integrations → Call Bridge, and its settings also live alongside your voice agent phone numbers. How it works 1. A lead sends their phone number in a text conversation. 2. Our voice platform calls your configured business owner phone. 3. You answer - we tell you who the lead is and why they're calling. 4. We then call the lead from your voice agent phone number (or from your verified caller ID if that's enabled). 5. Both sides connect in a bridged live call. The system waits up to 60 seconds for you to answer. If you don't, the bridge is cancelled and logged as not connected. Call Bridge connects the lead to you, a live human. Compare with an Answering Agent or Calling Agent, which connects the lead to the AI. Use Call Bridge when you want to personally speak with every lead who shares a number. Options Business Owner Phone - The phone number we call first. - E.164 format with leading (e.g., ). - This is where the bridge rings you. Keep a phone you'll actually answer. Voice Agent Phone Number - The system phone number on the line during the bridged call. - Purchased under Manage Business Phones. See Phone Numbers. - Unless caller ID is verified and enabled (below), this is the number the lead sees. Caller ID Verified - Indicates whether your business owner phone has been caller-ID-verified. - If verified, you can opt to show your real number to the lead instead of the system voice agent number. - See Caller ID & Trust Hub for the verification flow. Use Caller ID for Lead - Toggle. - When on (and your owner phone is caller-ID-verified): the lead sees your real business number when the system calls them. - When off: the lead sees the voice agent phone number. Setting it up Configure the business owner phone Enter the phone number you want to receive the initial bridge call on. This is where you answer first before the lead is dialed. Assign a voice agent phone number Pick or buy a number in Manage Business Phones and use it as the bridge's outbound number. (Recommended) Verify caller ID and enable it Verify your business owner phone as caller ID and toggle Use Caller ID for Lead on. Leads are meaningfully more likely to answer a call from a number they recognize as yours. Enable the feature Turn on the Call Bridge toggle for the source. The bridge is now active for any lead on that source who shares a phone number in chat. Best practices - Keep your phone nearby. The 60-second answer window is tight. An unanswered bridge is worse than no bridge at all - the lead doesn't hear anything and won't know to try again. - Verify caller ID. Unknown numbers are ignored or screened much more often than recognized ones. - Don't enable on every source. Use Call Bridge where you genuinely have time to talk live. For sources where you don't, use a Calling Agent instead. Troubleshooting The bridge isn't triggering. - Confirm Call Bridge is enabled for that source. - Confirm the business owner phone and voice agent phone are both set. - Confirm the lead actually shared a phone number in chat - Call Bridge only triggers on a phone-number detection. The lead sees the wrong caller ID. - To show your real number: verify it via caller ID, and turn on Use Caller ID for Lead. - To show the system voice agent number: turn Use Caller ID for Lead off. The bridge disconnects before the lead answers. You didn't pick up within 60 seconds, so the system cancelled before attempting the lead. Try again, or rely on a Calling Agent for the same source if you can't consistently answer within a minute. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Call Forwarding Setup **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/call-forwarding-setup/ Point your existing business phone line at your voice agent number using carrier forwarding codes. Most businesses keep their established phone number and forward unanswered or after-hours calls to a voice agent. This page covers the common forwarding codes and recommendations for setting that up. Getting here The phone number you forward to is your voice agent's assigned number. Find it in } under Voice Agent → Manage Business Phones. See Phone Numbers. How forwarding works Customer dials your office line → office line rings for a configured time → if unanswered (or always, or only when busy, depending on the rule) → the call forwards to your voice agent's number → the agent answers. Carrier specifics vary. The codes below are common US defaults for landlines and many VoIP systems. Always check your carrier's current documentation before relying on a specific code - AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and smaller carriers each have their own variations. Common US forwarding codes Unconditional forwarding (always forward) All calls forward immediately, no ringing on your office line. - Turn on: dial , wait for tone, then enter the voice agent number. - Turn off: dial . Use when you're out of the office for an extended period and want the agent to handle everything. When-busy forwarding Calls forward only when your office line is already on another call. - Turn on: dial , then enter the voice agent number. - Turn off: dial . Good for overflow - your team picks up when they can, busy calls go to the agent instead of hitting a busy signal. No-answer forwarding Calls forward after your office line rings a configured number of times with no pickup. - Turn on: dial , then enter the voice agent number. - Turn off: dial . The most common business setup. Your team answers when they can; unanswered calls go to the agent. When-unreachable forwarding Calls forward when your phone is powered off, out of coverage, or otherwise unreachable. Behavior varies by carrier. Choosing the right rule - Have a team that answers most calls: use no-answer forwarding. Set your ring count to 3–4 rings. - One-person business, often on another call: combine when-busy + no-answer. - Out of office or after-hours-only coverage: use unconditional forwarding, or keep no-answer forwarding on permanently and let your office answering machine pick up in business hours. VoIP and mobile systems If your office line is on a VoIP platform (RingCentral, Nextiva, 8x8, Vonage, etc.), forwarding is usually configured in the platform's admin console rather than with star codes. Look for a setting named Call Forwarding, Call Handling, Auto Attendant, or Call Flow and set the "unanswered" or "busy" destination to your voice agent number. Mobile carriers also support forwarding codes, though the exact codes and timing vary. Check your carrier's website for "call forwarding codes" if the standard don't work. Using caller ID verification to match your brand When the agent makes outbound callbacks or responds to leads, the customer normally sees the system voice agent number. If you've also set up Caller ID verification, outbound calls can show your real business number instead - the one customers recognize from your marketing. See Caller ID & Trust Hub for the verification flow. A strong setup for most businesses: inbound calls are forwarded to the voice agent (so the agent answers when your team can't), and outbound calls from the agent use your verified caller ID (so customers always see your real number). Consistent caller ID meaningfully lifts answer rates. Testing your forwarding Call your office line from a different phone Use a mobile phone or a different line - not the line you're forwarding from. Let it ring Don't answer. Let the configured ring count elapse. Confirm the agent picks up The voice agent should answer with its Custom Greeting. If it does, forwarding is working. Try a conversation Ask about a service, request pricing, or attempt to book an appointment. Then end the call. Check Call Logs Open Voice Agent → Call Logs. Your test call should be there with the transcript and recording. See Call Logs & Analytics. Troubleshooting The forwarding code didn't seem to work. Carrier-specific codes often differ from the defaults above. Check your carrier's documentation or call their support line. Forwarded calls drop before the agent answers. This is usually an issue on your office phone system, not the agent. Confirm the forwarding destination is the full E.164 voice agent number (with country code and leading if your system requires it). The agent answers but the caller hears an echo or delay. A known symptom of some forwarding configurations, particularly cascading forwards (office → cell → agent). Simplify to one forwarding hop if possible. The agent picks up but says it's outside business hours. That's your agent's Timing (call hours) in action - the forwarded call is being handled by the voicemail behavior. Either widen the agent's call hours or accept that out-of-hours calls go to voicemail. See Inbound Call Handling. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Call Logs & Analytics **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/call-logs-analytics/ Review every call your agents have made - transcript, recording, AI summary, extracted data, and appointment details. Every call your agents place or receive is recorded in the Call Logs. Each log entry has the full transcript, audio recording, an AI-generated summary, the customer data extracted from the call, the appointment booked (if any), disconnection reason, and duration. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Call Logs. List view The list shows every call, newest first. Pagination is 50 calls per page. Filters - Agent - filter to calls handled by one specific agent. - Date range - preset options or a custom range. - Status - one of: , , , , , , , . - Direction - or . - Batch call - filter to calls from a specific batch campaign. - Sentiment - positive / neutral / negative (when sentiment extraction is available for the call). - Unread only - hide calls you've already reviewed. Mark read / unread - Every new call is unread until you open it. - Click the read/unread indicator on any row to toggle it manually. - Mark all as read respects the current filter. Filtering to a single agent and clicking it marks only that agent's calls as read. Sort Default sort is newest first. This is not currently configurable. Detail view Click any call to open the detail view. Transcript The full conversation, line by line, with speaker turns labeled (agent vs. customer). Timestamps are included for each turn so you can jump to a specific moment in the recording. Recording Audio playback of the full call. Play, pause, scrub, or download. AI-generated summary A short write-up produced after the call finishes analysis. Typically one to three sentences covering what happened and the key outcome. Includes: - Callback: Yes / No - whether the customer's need was resolved on the call, or whether a human follow-up is required. - A brief narrative summary (e.g., "Customer needed a water heater repair. Booked a technician for Thursday afternoon. Customer preferred text confirmation."). Extracted data Structured data pulled out of the conversation by the AI: - - - - Fields that didn't come up on the call are left empty. Appointment booked If the agent booked an appointment during the call, the booking details are shown here - date, time, service, and any customer notes attached to the booking. Disconnection reason The reason the call ended - e.g., , , , , . Useful for diagnosing calls that ended unexpectedly. Duration Total call length in seconds or minutes. Email notifications Each agent has a Send email on call analyzed toggle in the Advanced tab of its configuration. - When on: after a call is analyzed (a few seconds after it ends), a summary email is sent to the email address you configure. The email includes the AI summary, extracted data, and a link back to the call in the log. - When off: no email is sent. You'll still find the call in the list. See Agent Configuration. Turn this on for Calling Agents and Batch Calling Agents so you get near-real-time visibility into outbound results. For Answering Agents, it's optional - opening the Call Logs once a day is often enough. Common workflows Daily review of inbound calls 1. Open Call Logs. 2. Filter by direction and the past 24 hours. 3. Filter Unread only. 4. Skim the AI summary on each. Open the transcript only for calls flagged "Callback: Yes" or with unusual sentiment. 5. Click Mark all as read. Finding missed opportunities 1. Filter by Status . 2. Sort through the list and follow up manually on high-value leads. 3. For recurring no-answers, check your Timing (call hours) and Voicemail Message - a better voicemail lifts callback rates. Reviewing a batch campaign 1. Open Call Logs. 2. Filter by the Batch call name. 3. Review the Callback: Yes flags to see which customers agreed to a booking or asked for a callback. 4. Export customer data for anyone flagged for human follow-up. Troubleshooting A call I just made isn't in the list. Analysis takes a few seconds to a minute after the call ends. Refresh the page. The transcript is empty. Very short calls (under a few seconds) may not produce a usable transcript. Check the recording instead. The summary says "Callback: Yes" but the customer booked during the call. Open the transcript - the agent may have promised a follow-up (for a part check, address confirmation, etc.) that's separate from the booking. The flag means the customer's need wasn't fully resolved. Sentiment is missing. Sentiment isn't extracted for every call. It's shown when available and filterable when present. The "Extracted data" fields are blank. The agent only fills fields that the customer actually provided. If the caller didn't say their address, is empty - that's expected. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Call Transfer **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/call-transfer/ Let your voice agent transfer live calls to a human - cold or warm, with a private handoff and clear criteria. Call Transfer allows the agent to hand a live call to a human when it makes sense - for example, when a customer insists on speaking to a manager, when a booking can't be completed, or when the request is genuinely outside the agent's scope. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Voice Agents → open an agent → Advanced tab → Call Transfer. Options Enable Call Transfer - Toggle. - When off: the agent never transfers calls. It will take a message or politely ask the customer to call back instead. - When on: the rest of the transfer options become available. Transfer phone number - Required when transfer is enabled. - E.164 format with a leading (e.g., ). - The number the agent calls to complete the transfer. Transfer type - Cold Transfer - the customer is transferred directly to the target number without introduction. The human answering hears the customer instantly. Use this when you have a shared team line that expects handoffs and doesn't need context. - Warm Transfer - the agent calls the target number, greets the person who answers, summarizes the situation (using the Private Handoff Prompt below), and only then bridges the customer in. The human hears context first, the customer hears silence or hold music briefly. Recommended for most setups. Private Handoff Prompt - Warm transfer only. Required when warm transfer is selected. Max 1000 characters. - The instructions the agent follows when speaking privately to the receiving person (before the customer is bridged in). - The customer does not hear this conversation. - Default: "Greet the team member, then summarize what the customer needed, what you offered, and why you're transferring. Keep it brief." Writing a good handoff prompt: - Tell the agent what to say, not what to include. "Greet politely, then in one sentence say what the customer wants" beats a checklist. - Keep it brief - the customer is waiting on the other line. - If you have multiple team members who answer the transfer line, add a rule for identifying which customer type goes to which person. Transfer Criteria - Textarea. Max 3000 characters. - Rules that tell the agent when to transfer. The agent only initiates a transfer if one of these criteria is met. - Default lists three criteria: 1. Customer explicitly demands a manager or a human and insists after you offer to help. 2. Unable to book after correction attempts. 3. Request is outside your capabilities and seems urgent. Customizing criteria: - Add industry-specific transfer triggers. For example: "Transfer if the customer mentions a gas leak, water damage, or any safety emergency." - Be specific about the "and" conditions - you don't want every "can I speak to a manager?" to transfer the second it's said. The default requires the customer to insist after a help offer. Behavior when transfer is disabled If Enable Call Transfer is off and the customer asks for a human, the agent: - Politely declines and offers to help directly. - If the customer insists, offers to take a message with their contact details. - Logs the call with an appropriate reason so you can follow up manually. Best practices - Start with warm transfer. It gives the human answering a chance to prepare, which keeps the customer experience smooth. Switch to cold transfer only after you're sure the receiving line is always staffed and expecting transfers. - Be honest in Transfer Criteria. If your business has a genuinely common scenario where the agent should transfer (safety emergencies, high-value quote requests, technical scope outside the agent's training), name it explicitly. Vague criteria lead to either over-transferring or under-transferring. - Match the transfer number to your team's availability. Transfers to a line nobody answers are worse than no transfer at all - the customer feels abandoned mid-call. If your team can't cover the transfer line during all of your agent's call hours, consider disabling transfer outside your staffed hours. Troubleshooting The agent is transferring too often. - Review recent call transcripts in Call Logs to see which criteria the agent is triggering on. - Tighten Transfer Criteria - add "and" conditions so the agent tries to help first. - Consider toggling Aggressive Sale Mode on in Personality so the agent handles objections instead of giving up. The agent isn't transferring when it should. - Confirm Enable Call Transfer is on. - Review your Transfer Criteria - the agent follows them strictly. If a scenario you care about isn't listed, add it. - Confirm the Transfer phone number is in E.164 format. Warm transfer silence is too long. The customer can hear silence while the agent briefs your team member. Keep the Private Handoff Prompt short (one sentence of context) and tell your team to answer the transfer line quickly. The receiving person doesn't get any context. Check that transfer type is Warm Transfer (not Cold) and that the Private Handoff Prompt is filled in. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Caller ID & Trust Hub **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/caller-id-and-trust-hub/ Verify your own business number as caller ID, and complete A2P compliance so outbound calls don't get flagged as spam. Two separate features live in Manage Business Phones and they work together: - Caller ID verification lets outbound calls display your real business phone number instead of the system number. - Trust Hub is a US compliance profile (required for A2P traffic). It tells carriers your business is legitimate, which dramatically reduces the chance your calls are flagged as spam. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Manage Business Phones → and open the number you want to configure. Caller ID verification By default, when your agent calls a customer, the customer sees the system phone number (the one you purchased through }). If you'd rather they see your real office line, you need to verify that line as a caller ID. When to use it - You already have a well-known office number and you want customers to see it on inbound callbacks or outbound AI calls. - You operate in a local area and the phone number is part of your brand. Verification flow Add your business phone In Manage Business Phones, open the caller ID verification flow and enter your real business phone number in E.164 format (include the leading and country code, e.g., ). Receive the validation code The system generates a 4-digit validation code and shows it on-screen. Answer the verification call Our voice platform calls the phone number you entered. Answer the call. Enter the code On the keypad, enter the 4-digit code displayed on your screen. The call ends automatically once the code is confirmed. Status updates The phone is marked callerIdVerified in Manage Business Phones. You can now use it as the caller ID for outbound calls. Using a verified number as caller ID for leads Once the number is verified, the agent's outbound calls to a lead can display your verified number instead of the system number. - Toggle: Use caller ID for lead. - When on: the lead sees your verified business number when the agent calls. - When off: the lead sees the purchased system number. Leads are significantly more likely to pick up a call from a number they recognize. If your business phone is listed on your website, Google profile, or marketing material, verifying it as caller ID meaningfully improves connection rates. Troubleshooting caller ID verification The verification call didn't arrive. - Confirm the number is in E.164 format with a leading . - Check that the number can receive calls (not a voicemail-only line). - Try again - the call times out after about 60 seconds. I entered the code but the status is still unverified. - The status updates after the call ends. Refresh the page. - If the code expired (calls left unanswered too long), restart the flow to get a new code. Trust Hub (US A2P compliance) Trust Hub is the compliance profile US carriers use to decide whether your outbound calls are legitimate. Without it, your numbers are much more likely to be labeled "Spam Likely" or "Potential Spam" on the recipient's phone - even if the call is entirely legitimate. Without a configured Trust Hub profile, outbound calls are more likely to be flagged as spam by carriers. Campaign connection rates drop noticeably. The Trust Hub dialog - two tabs The Trust Hub setup dialog (Setup Business & Trust Profile) has two tabs that are completed in order: 1. Business Profile - shown first. You fill in your business identity, industry, registration, address, and authorized representative, then click Submit for Review. 2. Trust Product - shown only after the Business Profile has been submitted. This is the second review step. You review the attached phone numbers, confirm the details, and click Submit Trust Product. Each tab has its own status indicator (Business Profile and Trust Product) shown at the top of the dialog, and each can independently be pending, approved, or rejected. If either is rejected, the dialog lists the specific rejection reasons so you can edit and resubmit without starting over. A Business Profile selector at the top lets you switch between existing profiles or choose Create New Profile. Business Profile fields When you start a Trust Hub profile you fill in: - Business identity - one of: - DirectCustomer - you are the end business. - ISV / Reseller - you provide services that use the platform. - Unknown. - Business type - one of: - Sole Proprietorship - Partnership - LLC - Corporation - Co-operative - Non-profit - Business registration ID - DUNS number or EIN (US tax ID). - Business industry - pick the closest fit from the list (AUTOMOTIVE, HEALTHCARE, REALESTATE, CONSTRUCTION, and many more - 30+ options). - Region - AFRICA, ASIA, EUROPE, LATINAMERICA, or USAANDCANADA. - Website URL - your primary business website. - Social URLs - optional social profile links. - Address - street, city, state, postal code, country. - Authorized representative - the person who signs off on the profile: - Name - Email - Phone - Title - Job position Statuses - not-configured - no profile has been submitted for this business. - pending - your profile has been submitted and is under review. Submissions typically take several business days. - configured - your profile is approved. Your numbers can be attached to it. - error - something in your submission needs correction. Review the error, fix the fields, and resubmit. Adding a number to an approved profile Once your profile is configured, you can attach additional numbers (newly purchased or existing) to it. The number then uses the approved business identity for outbound compliance. Troubleshooting Trust Hub My submission is stuck in "pending" for days. A/V carrier reviews can take several business days. If it has been more than 10 business days, email } so we can check on it. My submission returned an "error" status. Open the profile to see the specific field that failed. Most errors are around: - A business registration ID (DUNS/EIN) that doesn't match the business name. - An address that doesn't match the registration. - A website that's down or returns errors. Fix the flagged field and resubmit. Do I need Trust Hub if I'm only receiving inbound calls? No - Trust Hub is specifically for outbound A2P traffic. Pure-inbound Answering Agents don't require it. Calling and Batch Calling Agents benefit significantly. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Getting Started with Voice Agent **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/getting-started/ Create your first voice agent, assign it a phone number, and make a test call. This guide walks you through creating your first voice agent from scratch, assigning it a phone number, and testing it with a live call. Most setups are done in minutes. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Voice Agents → Create New Agent. Before you start Have the following ready: - Business name - what the agent says as the company name on calls. - Agent name - what the agent calls itself (e.g., "Sarah"). - A calendar / scheduling system (optional) - Cal.com, FieldPulse, GoHighLevel, HousecallPro, or leave it as Open Schedule for conversational scheduling. - Your own business phone number (optional) - if you want callers to see your real number when the agent calls them, you will verify it as caller ID later. Pricing for voice minutes and phone numbers is on the pricing page. Create your agent Open the Create Agent dialog Click Voice Agent in the main navigation, then Create New Agent. Fill in Basic Info - Display Name - an internal label you use to identify the agent (e.g., "Main Answering Agent"). Not spoken on calls. - Agent Type - choose one: - Answering Agent - answers inbound calls to your business. - Calling Agent - makes a single outbound call per new lead from your connected sources. - Batch Calling Agent - runs outbound campaigns to a list of recipients. - Business - select the business this agent belongs to. - Company Name - spoken on the call (e.g., "ABC Plumbing"). Used wherever appears. - Agent AI Assistant Name - what the agent calls itself on the phone. Used wherever appears. - Voice - preview and pick a voice from the library. See Voice Selection. - Timezone - used for call hours and scheduling. Defaults to America/LosAngeles. Write the greeting and goal Persona customization controls the name, voice, tone, and conversation style. It cannot make the agent claim to be human, deny being AI, or present itself as the business owner or a human employee. For outbound calls, AI identification in greeting is an account-level setting that is enabled by default. When enabled, the platform prompt requires the first spoken sentence to be It inserts that sentence before the customer's configured greeting without rewriting the stored greeting text. If the setting is disabled, the user must accept the compliance warning and responsibility confirmation. The agent must still answer honestly whenever asked whether it is AI, a bot, robotic, virtual, automated, or recorded. - Custom Greeting - the first line the agent says when the call connects. Max 500 characters. Supports and . - Main Goal - a one-sentence objective for every call. Max 2000 characters. For a Batch Calling Agent, this is personalized per recipient via the batch variables. Add knowledge (optional but recommended) On the Knowledge Base tab, upload your service list, price sheet, FAQ, or policy documents. Supported file types: . See Knowledge Base. Connect a calendar (optional) On the Integrations tab, pick your scheduling platform and enter the credentials, then click Validate Connection. If you don't have one, leave it on Open Schedule - the agent will still collect the customer's preferred time and flag a human to confirm. See Scheduling Integrations. Assign a phone number Open Voice Agent → Manage Business Phones and either buy a new number or select an existing one. Assign it to your new agent and toggle Accept inbound and/or Use for outbound as needed. See Phone Numbers. Trial plans are limited to one purchased number. Paid plans allow multiple. Save Click Save. The agent is live within a few seconds. Make a test call 1. Call the phone number you assigned to the agent. 2. Let the agent greet you. 3. Ask about a service, request pricing, or try booking an appointment. 4. Open Voice Agent → Call Logs to hear the recording, read the transcript, and see the AI summary. Common next steps - Route your existing office line to the agent - see Call Forwarding Setup. - Verify your real business number as caller ID so outbound calls show your number - see Caller ID & Trust Hub. - Complete a Trust Hub profile so US carriers don't flag your outbound calls as spam - see Caller ID & Trust Hub. - Tune personality, rules, and closing questions - see Agent Configuration. Troubleshooting The agent isn't answering inbound calls. - Confirm the phone number is assigned to the agent and Accept inbound is on. - Check the agent's Timing (call hours) - calls outside your configured hours go to voicemail or are declined. - If you are forwarding your own office line, confirm the forwarding rule points to the correct agent number. The agent sounds robotic or rushed. - Try a different voice from the library. - Shorten the greeting - long greetings feel unnatural. The agent gives wrong answers. - Check your Knowledge Base - outdated pricing or conflicting documents are the most common cause. - Add or refine a Custom Rule in Agent Configuration for edge cases. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Inbound Call Handling **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/inbound-call-handling/ How your Answering Agent handles incoming calls - call hours, voicemail, and when callers reach a human. An Answering Agent takes inbound calls to your business - answering questions, quoting pricing from your Knowledge Base, and booking appointments. This page covers how inbound calls are routed, what happens outside your configured call hours, and how the voicemail message is used. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Voice Agents, and open an Answering Agent. How inbound calls reach the agent An inbound call reaches the agent in one of two ways: 1. A caller dials your agent's assigned phone number directly. Useful if you publish the purchased number as your business phone. 2. A caller dials your existing office line, and that line is forwarded to the agent's number. The more common setup - most businesses keep their established number and forward unanswered calls. See Call Forwarding Setup. The agent needs a number assigned with Accept inbound on. See Phone Numbers. Call hours (Timing) Every agent has a weekly day-and-time picker under the Timing tab of the editor. This controls when the agent takes inbound calls. - Default: every day, - the agent answers any time. - Per-day periods: you can set multiple windows per day (e.g., and ). - Timezone: combined with the Timezone field in Basic Info. Always set both. What happens during call hours - The agent picks up on the first ring. - The Custom Greeting plays. - Normal conversation - questions, quoting, booking, transfer, message-taking - all available. What happens outside call hours - The call goes to the Voicemail Message (if configured). - The caller hears the voicemail text, can leave a message, and hangs up. - The interaction is still logged in Call Logs so you can follow up. Voicemail Message Configured under Advanced → Voicemail Message in the agent editor. - Max length: 1000 characters. - Default: - Placeholders: , , . The voicemail message plays when an inbound call arrives outside your configured call hours, or when the agent is otherwise unavailable. For Answering Agents, keep the voicemail friendly and promise a callback - e.g., Avoid anything that sounds like a marketing pitch - voicemails aren't the place for promotions. What the agent does on a call The name, voice, and tone form an AI persona. They never allow the agent to claim it is human, deny it is AI, or present itself as the owner or a human employee. If a caller asks whether it is AI, a bot, automated, or whether the call is recorded, the agent answers directly and honestly. A typical inbound call: 1. Greeting - the Custom Greeting from Basic Info. 2. Service identification - if Service Identification is on in Personality, the agent asks what the customer needs using your configured prompt. 3. Answering - the agent handles questions using your Knowledge Base. Pricing questions go through your Pricing toggles in Personality. 4. Booking - if the customer is ready, the agent collects the required Collection Fields and books the appointment via your Scheduling Integration. 5. Closing - the agent optionally runs through any enabled Closing Sentences, asks "Anything else I can help with?" if that toggle is on, and says goodbye. For the full configuration reference see Agent Configuration. Escalating to a human If you have Call Transfer enabled, the agent can transfer a live caller to a human based on your configured Transfer Criteria. See Call Transfer. If transfer is disabled and the customer insists on a human, the agent politely offers to take a message and records the request for manual follow-up. Best practices - Match call hours to your real availability. If your team is only staffed 9–5 but your agent is configured 24/7, you may get late-night appointment requests you can't serve. Keep the windows realistic. - Set a clear voicemail. Outside call hours, voicemail is what the customer hears - make it reassuring and specific about when they'll hear back. - Forward unanswered calls. Most businesses get the best results by forwarding their existing line to the agent after 3–4 rings. See Call Forwarding Setup. - Don't auto-transfer every call. Let the agent handle the common stuff. Transfer is for genuine edge cases - see Call Transfer. Troubleshooting The agent isn't picking up inbound calls. - Confirm the phone number is assigned to the agent and Accept inbound is on. - Confirm the current time is inside the agent's call hours (check Timezone too). - If you're forwarding from another line, confirm the forwarding rule still points to the correct agent number. The agent is picking up calls at 2 AM - we don't want that. Open the Timing tab and set specific day/time windows (e.g., Monday–Friday ). Calls outside will go to voicemail. The voicemail message is playing even during business hours. Confirm the agent's Timezone matches your actual timezone. A common issue is setting the call hours correctly but leaving Timezone on the default, which shifts the hours by several hours. Customers complain the greeting is too long. Shorten the Custom Greeting (max 500 characters). Long greetings feel unnatural and make customers impatient. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Voice Agent Integrations **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/integrations/ Connect messengers and CRMs to your voice agent so call summaries, bookings, and extracted data flow out automatically. The Integrations tab of the voice agent editor connects the agent to your messaging and CRM tools. When a call finishes, the summary, transcript, extracted customer data, and booked appointments are pushed out to whichever integrations you enable here. These are the same integrations available on a source's Integrations tab - they're just attached to a voice agent's call events instead of a source's lead events. Enabling Slack here, for example, will post call summaries into the Slack channel you connect. Enabling HubSpot will push the lead into HubSpot after the call. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Voice Agents → open an agent → Integrations tab (the last tab). For Lead Calling agents, integrations are configured at the source level rather than on the agent. The Integrations tab shows a notice with a link to open your Sources page - the rest of this page does not apply to Lead Calling agents. Two sub-tabs The Integrations tab has two sub-tabs side by side: - Messengers - outbound messaging channels. Use these to push call summaries or appointment confirmations to your team or directly to the customer. - CRM - push leads, contacts, and appointments from calls into your customer database or pipeline tool. Each card has an Enable / Disable button plus a config panel you expand to enter credentials and map fields. Scheduling vs Integrations These are two different tabs in the same editor: - The Scheduling tab is where you configure the calendar platform the agent books into (Cal.com, FieldPulse, GoHighLevel, HousecallPro, Open Schedule). See Scheduling Integrations. - The Integrations tab (this page) is where you connect messengers and CRMs to the agent's call events. They are independent - you can have one without the other. Messengers Each messenger has its own config panel - phone number(s) for SMS, a Telegram chat ID, or a Slack channel. Once enabled, the agent posts a summary to that destination after every analyzed call. CRM Enabling an integration You must save the agent at least once before the Integrations tab is available. On a brand-new agent, the tab shows a "Save Agent First" notice. 1. Click the integration card to expand its config panel. 2. Enter the credentials and field mappings the integration needs. 3. Click the card's action button to enable or disable it. Each integration's detail page (linked above) covers its specific fields, authentication flow, and what data gets pushed. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Knowledge Base **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/knowledge-base/ Upload service lists, price sheets, FAQs, and policies so the agent answers questions accurately on live calls. Your agent's Knowledge Base is the set of documents it references during calls. When a caller asks a question about pricing, service areas, policies, or anything specific to your business, the agent looks through your uploaded files and responds based on what's there. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Voice Agents → open an agent → Knowledge Base tab. Supported file types - - tabular data, great for price sheets and service catalogs. - , - Word documents. - - exported web pages. - - Markdown. - - existing printable documents (service menus, brochures, policy documents). - - plain text. - , - Excel spreadsheets. What to upload Anything the agent needs to answer customer questions with confidence. The most common uploads: Service list Every service you offer, with a one-line description. Helps the agent identify what the customer needs and confirm that you offer it. Price sheet Exact prices, price ranges, or "starting from" prices. The agent quotes whatever is written. If pricing varies, say so explicitly: - - Service area Which cities, zip codes, or regions you cover - and which you don't. Keeps the agent from promising service you can't deliver. FAQ Common customer questions with the exact answer you want the agent to give. Include both the question and the answer - it helps the agent match wording variations. Policies Cancellation, warranty, payment methods, deposit requirements, emergency fees, senior discount, etc. Any policy a caller might ask about. Brand-specific product info If you service specific brands or have parts you do and don't stock, spell it out. Saves the agent from promising something impossible. Uploading Open Knowledge Base On the agent editor, click the Knowledge Base tab. Add files Drag and drop or click Upload. Choose one or more supported files. Wait for indexing Files take a few seconds to process. Once indexed, the agent can reference them on the next call. Save the agent Click Save to commit. The agent will use the new files on the next call. Removing or re-indexing a file From the Knowledge Base tab you can: - Remove a file - it's no longer referenced on future calls. - Re-index a file - useful if you've replaced the file content and want the agent to pick up the new version. Upload the new version by removing the old file and adding the replacement. How the agent uses it During a live call, when the agent encounters a question that needs specific knowledge ("how much for a water heater install?", "do you service Glendale?"), it looks through the Knowledge Base for the relevant information and answers based on what's there. The agent doesn't make up prices. If the price isn't in your files and Pricing Enabled is on, the agent typically offers a free estimate instead of inventing a number. The agent is only as good as your Knowledge Base. If you find yourself listening to calls and wincing at wrong answers, it's almost always because the answer isn't in the uploaded files - or the file has stale information. Keep the files current. Formatting tips - Use clear headings. beats a wall of text. - Spell out units. instead of just . - Be explicit about what you don't do. - Avoid conflicting prices. If two files say different prices for the same service, the agent will pick one and you may not like which. - Don't mark up with marketing language. "We're the BEST plumbers in town!" doesn't help the agent answer a specific question. Pairing with Custom Rules For edge cases that don't fit cleanly into a document, use Custom Rules in Agent Configuration instead. Rules are short, conditional instructions (). The Knowledge Base is for reference material; Custom Rules are for behavior. Troubleshooting The agent isn't using information from my file. - Confirm the file was uploaded to this specific agent (Knowledge Base files are per-agent; they aren't shared unless you clone the agent). - Confirm the file type is supported. - Confirm the file isn't a scanned image inside a PDF - scanned PDFs without OCR text are effectively empty to the agent. Use a text-based PDF or re-export. The agent is quoting old prices. Remove the old file and upload the current version. Then test with a call that specifically asks about the price. The agent refuses to quote a price, even though it's in the file. Check Pricing Enabled under the Personality tab - if it's off, the agent won't quote pricing regardless of what's in the Knowledge Base. The agent is confidently wrong about something in my file. Restructure the section. Lists and tables work better than dense paragraphs. If a specific question is important, add it explicitly as an FAQ: --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Outbound Calling **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/outbound-calling/ Automatically call new leads or make a manual outbound call. Rules for the from-number, to-number, and call hours. There are two ways to make outbound calls with }: - Automatic lead calling - a Calling Agent auto-dials every new lead from your connected sources. - Manual outbound - you kick off a single call to a specific number right now. For multi-recipient campaigns, see Batch & Campaign Calling. Getting here - Configure a Calling Agent: In }, go to Voice Agent → Voice Agents → Create New Agent (select type Calling Agent), or edit an existing one. - Make a manual outbound call: From the agent detail view, use the Make Call action. Automatic lead calling (Calling Agent) A Calling Agent is tied to a business and its connected lead sources. Every time a new lead arrives from one of those sources, the agent calls the lead's phone number the instant the lead is created. How it works A new lead arrives A lead is created in } from one of your connected sources (for example, a Facebook Lead Ads form submission or a Google Local Services Ads lead). The agent is triggered The agent sees the new lead, pulls the lead's name and phone number, and initiates an outbound call. The call connects When a live person answers, AI identification is enabled by default. The platform prompt requires the first spoken sentence to be , then continues the customer's configured greeting without changing the stored text. Persona settings never allow the agent to claim it is human or deny that it is AI. - If the lead answers, the agent runs its normal conversation - greeting, service identification, pricing, booking, etc. - If the call goes to voicemail, the agent leaves the Voicemail Message. - If the call isn't answered, it's logged as missed and the next scheduled follow-up applies (if configured elsewhere in your flow). The call is logged Full transcript, recording, AI summary, and extracted data appear in Call Logs. See Call Logs & Analytics. Required setup - Agent type: Calling Agent. - Business: selected. - Phone number: assigned with Use for outbound enabled. - Voicemail Message: filled in (required for Calling Agents). Max 1000 characters. - Knowledge Base and Scheduling Integration: recommended so the agent can quote and book live. Manual outbound calls You can place a one-off call through an existing agent - useful for calling a specific lead right now or testing a new prompt. 1. Open the agent in Voice Agent → Voice Agents. 2. Click Make Call (or the equivalent action in the agent detail). 3. Enter the customer's phone number (E.164 format with leading ) and optional context fields (name, service, notes). 4. Click Call. The from-number (caller ID) is the phone number assigned to the agent with Use for outbound enabled. If the agent's business has caller ID verification set up and Use caller ID for lead is on, the customer sees your real business number instead. See Caller ID & Trust Hub. From / to number rules - The from-number must be a phone number assigned to the agent with Use for outbound enabled. - The to-number can be any E.164-formatted number the agent has permission to dial. - The country code of the from-number should match the to-number for acceptable connection rates. Cross-country calls are technically possible but often flagged or priced differently. Consent and opt-outs - Only call numbers for which your business has a valid basis to contact. - The system checks the account suppression list before each outbound call is created. - Natural-language requests such as "stop calling", "take me off your list", and "don't call again" suppress the number immediately. The agent confirms the opt-out and ends the call. - Planned calls to a newly suppressed number are canceled. If a provider-side batch cannot remove one recipient, the full pending batch is canceled to prevent the call. - Outbound attempts and opt-outs are stored with the lead-source snapshot and suppression state so the contact chain can be audited by phone number. Call hours The agent's Timing (call hours) applies to outbound calls too. A lead that arrives outside configured call hours is not called immediately - it's queued and called once call hours begin. Speed matters on outbound. Leads contacted within the first five minutes are dramatically more likely to engage. Set your call hours as wide as your agent can responsibly cover, and make sure automatic lead calling is enabled for your key sources. Voicemail Message Required for Calling Agents. See Advanced → Voicemail Message. - Max length: 1000 characters. - Default: - Placeholders: , , . Keep it short (under 15 seconds spoken). Mention who you are, why you're calling, and the best number to reach you. Showing your real number as caller ID By default, the customer sees the system phone number you purchased. To have them see your real business number, verify it as caller ID and toggle Use caller ID for lead on for outbound calls. See Caller ID & Trust Hub. US outbound traffic benefits significantly from a completed Trust Hub profile. Without it, carriers are more likely to flag your calls as spam, lowering pickup rates. See Caller ID & Trust Hub. Troubleshooting New leads aren't being called automatically. - Confirm the agent type is Calling Agent. - Confirm the agent has a phone number with Use for outbound enabled. - Confirm the agent's business is linked to the source that's producing the leads. - Check the current time - leads outside call hours are queued until call hours begin. The outbound call shows the wrong caller ID to the customer. - If you want them to see your own business number, verify it as caller ID and turn on Use caller ID for lead. See Caller ID & Trust Hub. - If you want them to see the system purchased number, turn Use caller ID for lead off. Outbound calls keep being marked as spam by carriers. - Complete a Trust Hub profile for the business. See Caller ID & Trust Hub. - Use a local-area-code phone number that matches the region you're calling. The agent is leaving long voicemails. Shorten the Voicemail Message. Aim for one or two sentences. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Voice Agent **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/ AI voice agents that answer your phone, call new leads, and run outbound campaigns. Voice Agent is the AI phone system inside }. You configure one or more agents, assign them a phone number, and the agent handles calls on your behalf - answering inbound calls, calling new leads the moment they arrive, or running outbound campaigns to a list of recipients. Getting here In }, click Voice Agent in the main navigation. Inside you will find: - Voice Agents - the list of agents for your business. Create, edit, clone, or delete. - Call Logs - every call your agents have made or received, with transcript, recording, summary, and extracted customer data. - Batch Calls - ongoing and completed outbound campaigns. - Manage Business Phones - buy phone numbers, verify your own number as caller ID, and complete Trust Hub compliance. Agent types Every agent is one of three types. Pick the type that matches how you want it to work. Set up & configure Phones & compliance Features used during calls Review & monitor Key concepts - Agent - one AI persona with its own voice, greeting, goals, knowledge base, and assigned phone number. - Phone number - the number the agent operates on. Purchased inside Manage Business Phones and then assigned to an agent for inbound, outbound, or both. - Caller ID - the number the person being called sees. By default it is the purchased system number; you can verify your own business phone so your real number is displayed instead. - Trust Hub - a US compliance profile (business identity, industry, registration ID, authorized representative) that reduces the chance carriers flag your outbound calls as spam. - Call log - the record of a completed call, including transcript, recording, AI summary, extracted customer data, appointment booked, disconnection reason, and duration. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Phone Numbers **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/phone-numbers/ Buy and manage the phone numbers your voice agents use for inbound and outbound calls. Phone numbers in } are purchased through Manage Business Phones and then assigned to one or more voice agents. An agent can accept inbound calls on its assigned number, place outbound calls from it, or both. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Manage Business Phones. Buying a number Open the purchase dialog Click Buy a number in Manage Business Phones. Search Filter by country code and area code to find a number that fits your market. Numbers in your customer's local area code have noticeably higher answer rates on outbound calls. Confirm purchase Select a number from the results and confirm. The number appears in your list within a few seconds. Trial plans are limited to one purchased number. Upgrade your plan to add more. See Pricing. Your numbers list Each number in Manage Business Phones shows: - The number itself in E.164 format (e.g., ). - SID - a unique identifier for the number. - Creation date - when the number was purchased. - Business - which business the number belongs to. - Caller ID verification status - verified or unverified. See Caller ID & Trust Hub. - Trust Hub status - configured, pending, not-configured, or error. See Caller ID & Trust Hub. Assigning a number to an agent Numbers must be assigned before an agent can use them. 1. In Manage Business Phones, find the number. 2. Click Assign to agent and pick the agent from the list. 3. Set per-agent toggles: - Accept inbound - the agent answers calls that come in to this number. - Use for outbound - the agent places outgoing calls from this number. 4. Save. You can assign the same number to an agent as both inbound and outbound - or split them. A common setup: one number for inbound only (your public business line) and a separate local-area-code number for outbound calling campaigns. Using your own number for outbound caller ID The purchased number is what the customer sees by default when your agent calls them. If you want them to see your real business number instead, verify it as caller ID - see Caller ID & Trust Hub. Removing a number To release a number you no longer need: 1. In Manage Business Phones, find the number. 2. Click Remove. 3. Confirm. Removing a number is immediate. Any agent using it will stop receiving and placing calls on that number. If you have a Trust Hub profile attached, confirm the profile still has at least one number attached afterwards or future compliance may require resubmission. How numbers are used by each agent type - Answering Agent - requires a number with Accept inbound enabled. Customers call this number (directly, or forwarded from your main office line). - Calling Agent - requires a number with Use for outbound enabled. The agent places one call per new lead from that number. - Batch Calling Agent - requires a number with Use for outbound enabled. The batch origin phone number must match the country code of the recipients in the batch. Troubleshooting I can't buy a number. Trial plans allow only one purchased number. Upgrade your plan, or remove an existing number you no longer use. Calls to my purchased number aren't reaching the agent. Confirm the number is assigned to an agent and Accept inbound is enabled. Also check the agent's Timing - calls outside configured call hours go to voicemail or are declined. See Inbound Call Handling. Outbound calls from my number are being flagged as spam. Complete a Trust Hub profile for the number's business. See Caller ID & Trust Hub. I want callers to see my existing business number, not the purchased one. That's caller ID verification - see Caller ID & Trust Hub. I want to forward my existing office line to the agent instead of giving out a new number. See Call Forwarding Setup. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Scheduling Integrations **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/scheduling-integrations/ Connect Cal.com, FieldPulse, GoHighLevel, HousecallPro, or Open Schedule so the agent can book appointments. Your voice agent can check real availability and book appointments during a live call. This is done by connecting one of the supported scheduling platforms - or using Open Schedule, which lets the agent handle the conversation and hands final confirmation back to a human. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Voice Agents → open an agent → Scheduling tab. Scheduling and Integrations are two different tabs in the agent editor. This page covers the Scheduling tab (calendar booking). For CRM and messenger hookups (HubSpot, Slack, SMS, etc.), see Voice Agent Integrations. Choosing a platform Each option has its own required fields. Built-in Booking is selected by default; switch only if your bookings live in another calendar. Built-in Booking Built-in Booking is }'s own scheduling system. Set up a CRM Calendar, then select Built-in Booking as a standalone booking option without connecting an external provider. - Select a Calendar created under CRM → Jobs → Create new calendar. No external API key is required. - The agent offers slots from that Calendar's timezone, weekly hours, appointment length, and current active Jobs. - Required customer information comes from the Calendar's Information to collect settings. - A confirmed appointment becomes a scheduled Job on the Calendar. See Calendar setup for booking rules and Jobs for the records and schedule created from bookings. Cal.com - API key - from your Cal.com account. - Event Type ID - the specific event the agent books against (e.g., "30-min consultation"). - Timezone - IANA timezone (e.g., ). Determines how the agent talks about slot times. FieldPulse - API key - from your FieldPulse account. - Company ID - your FieldPulse company identifier. - Timezone - IANA timezone. GoHighLevel - API key - from your GoHighLevel account. - Calendar ID - the specific calendar to book against. - Location ID - your GoHighLevel location. HousecallPro - API key - from your HousecallPro account. - Timezone - IANA timezone. Open Schedule - No API key or credentials. - Free-form instructions only. The agent has a conversation with the customer about availability, collects a preferred day/time, and tells them a human will confirm the exact slot. - Use this when you don't have a supported calendar, when your scheduling logic is highly manual, or when you want a human to approve every booking. Validating the connection After entering credentials, click Validate Connection. The platform is contacted and the button reports success or an error message. Save only after you see a successful validation - a bad credential silently becomes a failed booking during a real call. When credentials rotate (team members leaving, key rotation schedules), re-run Validate Connection before the next campaign. A dead API key is the single most common cause of missed bookings. Collection Fields Before booking, the agent collects a configurable list of customer details. Each field is an item with an enable toggle; you can add up to 50, and each is up to 500 characters. Defaults (all enabled): - Customer Name - Service Address - Phone Number Common additions: Email, Zip/Postal Code, Preferred Day, Preferred Time Window, Gate Code. The agent collects fields one at a time and does not re-ask for information the customer already provided earlier in the call. Appointment Summary Template How the agent verbally confirms the booking at the end of the call. - Max length: 1000 characters. - Default: - Placeholders: , . Examples: - - What happens during a booked call Customer agrees to book The customer says yes to scheduling. The agent proposes specific times based on real availability from your connected calendar (or asks preferences, for Open Schedule). Agent collects required fields The agent asks only for the enabled Collection Fields it doesn't already have. Name and phone are often already known (from the inbound caller ID or the lead record); the agent skips those. Appointment is created - Built-in Booking - a scheduled Job is created on the selected CRM Calendar. Open CRM → Jobs, then use the Calendar or List tab to review it. - Cal.com / FieldPulse / GoHighLevel / HousecallPro - the appointment is created directly in your calendar. You'll see it in your normal scheduling tool. - Open Schedule - no booking is created automatically. The appointment details and preferred time are recorded in the call log for a human to confirm. Agent confirms verbally The agent speaks the Appointment Summary Template, then closes the call. Call is logged The Call Log for that call shows the booked appointment with date, time, service, and customer info. See Call Logs & Analytics. Troubleshooting No Calendar is available for Built-in Booking. - Open CRM → Jobs and create a Calendar for the same business as the Voice Agent. - Return to the Voice Agent's Scheduling tab and select it. A Built-in Booking time is no longer available. - Another scheduled, in-progress, or on-hold Job may already reserve that slot. - Refresh availability and offer one of the remaining times. Validate Connection fails. - Re-check the API key - most platforms will not tell you which portion is wrong, only that it's invalid. - Confirm the IDs (Event Type / Company / Calendar / Location) come from the same account that owns the API key. - Check that your API key has booking-write permissions, not just read-only. The agent offers slots but the booking never appears in the calendar. - Confirm the calendar has available slots in the window the agent offered. - Confirm the timezone in the integration matches the timezone of the calendar. A mismatch often causes slots that "look" available to be outside actual working hours. The agent isn't checking availability, only collecting info. - Confirm the platform on the Scheduling tab is not set to Open Schedule - Open Schedule is conversational only. - Re-run Validate Connection. The customer asks for a time that isn't available. The agent offers the nearest available alternatives. If the customer insists on an unavailable slot, the agent uses your Transfer Criteria (if enabled) to send the call to a human, or takes a message. --- Questions? Email }. --- ### Voice Selection **Source:** https://auto-respond.com/docs/voice-agent/voice-selection/ Pick the voice your agent speaks with - American and South African options, with previews. Every agent speaks in one voice. You choose the voice in the agent editor, and you can preview every option before committing. The voice is tied to the agent, so changing it affects every call that agent makes from that point on. Getting here In }, go to Voice Agent → Voice Agents → open an agent → Basic Info tab → Voice. Available voices American voices (English) Eleven voices with a neutral American accent. Mix of male and female, with a range of tones from warm and friendly to professional and direct. - Andrew - Jason - Joe - Max - Steve - Cimo - Kate - Della - Nia - Marissa - Nina South African custom voices Six custom voices with a South African accent. Use these if you're operating in a region where the accent fits, or if you specifically want a voice that stands out from mainstream American voices. - Cimo - Mia - Nia - Ethan - Josh - Max Previewing a voice Each voice in the list has an avatar icon and a play button. Click play to hear a short sample clip of that voice speaking a typical greeting. Preview as many as you want before selecting - the preview doesn't commit anything. How to pick A few practical tips: - Warm and friendly voices work well for service businesses - plumbing, HVAC, garage doors, cleaning. Customers feel less like they're talking to a machine. - Direct and professional voices work well for medical, legal, or high-value B2B where the customer expects efficiency. - Match the name - if you name the agent "Sarah", pick a voice that sounds like a Sarah. Inconsistency between the assistant name and the voice is the most common complaint. - Test with a real call - previews are short. After you pick a voice, make one test call and listen to a full minute of conversation. Changing the voice on an existing agent You can change the voice at any time: 1. Open the agent in Voice Agent → Voice Agents → Edit. 2. On the Basic Info tab, click Voice and choose a new one. 3. Save. The new voice is used on the next call. Previously recorded calls keep the original voice. If you're running an A/B test between two voices, clone the agent, swap the voice on the clone, and route half your calls to each. Compare booking rates after a week. Troubleshooting A voice sounds different on a real call than in the preview. Previews are short clips. Real conversations include inflection, pauses, and handling of unusual words (customer names, addresses). Listen to a full recording in Call Logs for the honest picture. The voice mispronounces our company name or a technical term. Add a phonetic spelling to the Knowledge Base or to a Custom Rule (e.g., ). See Agent Configuration. I can't hear any previews. Check that your browser allows audio playback from this site. Reload the page and try again. --- Questions? Email }. ---