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Phones & Booking

Answer missed and after-hours calls (and book the job)

A complete after-hours call script and the instructions to paste into an AI receptionist (or give to an answering service).

Playbook

Who it's for

Owners whose calls go to voicemail while they're on a job, at lunch, or after 5.

What you'll have at the end

A complete after-hours call script and the instructions to paste into an AI receptionist (or give to an answering service).

Time and cost

About 1 hour to set up the script. AI receptionists run from about $29/mo (Reception.ai Basic) to a few hundred a month; see the Tools page. Time saved: estimate only, varies with call volume.

Before you start

  • A ChatGPT or Claude account (free works)
  • your hours, services, rough price ranges, and your emergency rules
  • the on-call phone number

Step-by-step

  1. Write down what counts as an emergency for you (e.g. no heat with kids in the house).

The prompt

0 copies

Fill these in

FieldWhat it meansExample
[BUSINESS NAME]your shop's name as customers know itLakeside Auto Care
[CITY]where you're located; used for local detailsOconomowoc, WI
[TONE]how you talk to customersfriendly, straight-talking, no jargon
[SERVICES]what you dobrakes, diagnostics, oil changes, tires
[HOURS]your open hoursMon-Fri 7-5
[EMERGENCY RULES]what counts as urgent and who gets the calltow-ins: take info, text owner at 414-555-0100
[BOOKING]how jobs get bookednext open slot in the shop calendar
You are an experienced front-desk manager at a busy Wisconsin service business who has handled thousands of after-hours calls. ## Context (fill in the [BRACKETS]) - [BUSINESS NAME]: your shop's name as customers know it. Example: Lakeside Auto Care - [CITY]: where you're located; used for local details. Example: Oconomowoc, WI - [TONE]: how you talk to customers. Example: friendly, straight-talking, no jargon - [SERVICES]: what you do. Example: brakes, diagnostics, oil changes, tires - [HOURS]: your open hours. Example: Mon-Fri 7-5 - [EMERGENCY RULES]: what counts as urgent and who gets the call. Example: tow-ins: take info, text owner at 414-555-0100 - [BOOKING]: how jobs get booked. Example: next open slot in the shop calendar ## Task Write the complete script an after-hours receptionist (human or AI) follows, plus a version I can paste into AI receptionist settings. ## Steps 1. Write a warm greeting that names [BUSINESS NAME] and says we're closed but can help. 2. Collect name, callback number, vehicle/address, and the problem. 3. Ask 2-3 questions that sort urgent from routine using [EMERGENCY RULES]. 4. Give the exact wording for urgent calls and for booking routine ones per [BOOKING]. 5. Close by repeating the next step back to the caller. 6. Then rewrite the whole thing as numbered rules for an AI receptionist. ## Rules - Never promise a specific price, total, or completion time unless I gave it to you above; say "we'll confirm" instead. - Use only facts I gave you. If something is missing, write [CHECK: ...] instead of guessing. - Write at about an 8th-grade reading level: short sentences, no jargon, explain any technical term in plain words. - Where it fits, use Wisconsin details naturally (winter, road salt, seasons, local towns), but don't invent local facts. ## Output format Headings: Greeting / Questions / If urgent / If routine / Closing / AI receptionist rules. Script under 300 words; rules under 250 words. Then a 5-row table: Caller says → What we do. ## Follow-ups to try next - "Make it sound more like a small-town shop." - "Write the version for a caller who's angry we're closed." - "Add a Spanish greeting and closing."

How much are missed calls costing you? Try the missed-call calculator

Want help getting this working? Rise Systems in Oconomowoc sets these up.

Follow-ups

Make it sound more like a small-town shop.
Write the version for a caller who's angry we're closed.
Add a Spanish greeting and closing.

What good output looks like

Short questions, one at a time; a clear split between urgent and routine; no prices promised; the caller always knows what happens next.

If it goes wrong

  • It sounds robotic: ask for 'shorter sentences, like you're talking across the counter.'
  • It promises prices: add 'never quote prices, say a tech will confirm' to the rules.
  • It's too long for phone use: ask 'cut to the 5 questions that matter most.'
  • It misses your emergencies: paste 3 real past calls and ask it to adjust.

Level up

Turn on an AI receptionist (Reception.ai, Smith.ai, or Jobber/Housecall Pro's built-in AI) and paste the rules in. Pros: answers 24/7 and books into your calendar. Cons: needs a week of tuning; texting needs A2P 10DLC registration; plans have minute or call caps.

Worth knowing

Test it by calling it yourself before customers do. Make sure real emergencies still reach a human.

Wisconsin angle

Cold-snap breakdowns, deer collisions, and Packers Sundays are when calls pile up and nobody's at the desk.

Source: Wisconsin Trades AI editorial

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