What a Chatbot Should Do for a Trades or Services Firm

Four questions, every time

1. Do you cover my area?
2. What does it cost, roughly?
3. How soon can you come?
4. Do you actually do this specific thing?

Every service enquiry starts with some combination of those four. A bot that answers all of them removes most of the back and forth before a person is involved.

Publish enough to answer them

• Your coverage area, as places rather than a radius nobody can measure
• Call-out charge and typical price ranges by job type
• Realistic lead times, updated seasonally
• A clear list of what you do and what you do not

Businesses reluctant to publish prices lose the enquiries from people who will not ask, which is most of them.

Capture what a quote needs

Property type, job description, access, urgency, and whether they own or rent. Ask them conversationally rather than as a form and completion rates are much higher.

The person quoting then has enough to give a real number rather than arranging another call.

Emergencies need a different path

1. Detect urgency from the wording, not from a dropdown
2. Give the emergency number immediately
3. Do not attempt to handle it in chat
4. Flag it so someone sees it now, not in the morning

Set expectations honestly

If you are booking four weeks out, saying so filters the people who need it tomorrow and reassures the ones who can wait.

Vagueness about timing produces enquiries that waste both sides' time.

Frequently asked questions