Trades & home services
An AI receptionist for trades and home services
You cannot answer the phone from under a sink or up a ladder. Narvin picks up every call, works out what the job is and where, books the visit and sends you a short summary — so the next job does not go to the next trader on Google.
AI receptionist: Hi, you’ve reached Hughes Plumbing and Heating. I’m the AI assistant — Gareth is on a job. How can I help?
Caller: Our boiler’s stopped working and there’s no hot water.
AI receptionist: Sorry to hear that. Can you smell gas at all?
Caller: No, nothing like that. It just shows a fault code.
AI receptionist: Thanks. What’s your postcode, and do you know the make of the boiler?
Caller: LS6 2AB. It’s a Worcester, about eight years old.
Illustrative example · fictional business
Sound familiar?
The calls you are losing today
Answer calls on the job, capture quote requests and book site visits.
- 01
Calls ring out while you are on the tools or driving between jobs
- 02
Voicemails pile up and new customers call someone else
- 03
Evenings go on returning calls and arranging visits
- 04
Emergencies get mixed up with routine enquiries
By the numbers
See all industry statistics- UK businesses employ staff. The other three in four are run by their owners alone
- 1.4m
- Source: Department for Business and Trade, 2 October 2025
- of UK adults would phone to book an appointment, against 28% who would use an online form
- 49%
- Source: Whistl, 2026 update
- of UK adults choose the phone to make a complaint, nearly twice as many as choose email
- 45%
- Source: Whistl, 2026 update
Use cases
What Narvin handles for trades & home services
- 01
Job enquiries
Capture the job, postcode, urgency and contact details in a consistent summary.
- 02
Site visits and quotes
Offer the slots you have marked as free and book visits straight into your calendar.
- 03
Emergency triage
Ask the right safety questions, give gas and power emergency numbers and flag urgent calls.
- 04
Service area and pricing
Answer questions about areas covered, call-out charges and accreditations from your documents.
Start from a template
Ready-made agents
- Receptionist / IVR
- After-hours / overflow
- Appointment booking
- Callback scheduler
- Lead qualification (inbound)
Connects to
Your existing tools
- Google Calendar
- Gmail
- Slack
- Webhooks to your job management software
Set it up responsibly
- Script gas emergencies clearly: leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.
- Never let the agent quote prices for jobs you have not seen — capture the details for a proper quote instead.
- Limit bookings to your postcode areas and the hours you actually cover.
FAQ
Questions from trades & home services
How does the AI handle emergency calls?
You decide what counts as an emergency. The agent asks a few safety questions, gives the right emergency numbers — such as 0800 111 999 for a gas smell or 999 for immediate danger — and flags urgent calls in the summary it sends you. It never promises an attendance time you have not agreed.
Is it affordable for a sole trader?
Yes. Start on the Free plan (£0 per month, one call at a time) and pay only for minutes used, typically £0.42 per minute from prepaid credits. A sole trader taking around 100 two-minute calls a month would pay about £84 before VAT.
Where to next
- For managersBuild the business caseA cost model, the KPIs to track and a 90-day rollout plan you can take to your board.Continue
- CostsWork out your monthly costPlans from £0 plus usage from prepaid credits, with worked examples and a calculator.Continue
- Hear itListen to sample callsReal conversation flows for bookings, enquiries and messages before you sign up.Continue
Put an AI agent on your phones this week
Start on the Free plan, hear a sample call first, or let our team set it up with you.