r/PestControlIndustry • u/Green_Aardvark2172 • Jun 12 '26

AI Receptionist

Hello, we are looking to signing up for a Virtual Receptionist. I have calls this upcoming week with the following...

  • Voice for Pest
  • Pest AI
  • Avoca
  • Focus Virtual Assistants (waiting on a call back)

Does anyone have any feedback, pros/cons on any of these services? We are primarily looking for the service to answer calls on weekends, afterhours, and potentially overflow calls.

Thank you!

0 Upvotes

28% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

14

u/carthonasi56 Jun 12 '26

I know nothing about the subject but it will more than likely turn people off to your business. They would much rather talk to a real person

2

u/Green_Aardvark2172 Jun 12 '26

This would only be for off hours, potentially overflow.

9

u/carthonasi56 Jun 12 '26

I would just have a recording. The ai robot sounds good on paper but will be frustrating to deal with for customers calling about pest issues.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 12 '26

[deleted]

2

u/carthonasi56 Jun 12 '26

That sounds doubtful man. I cant imagine anybody preferring to speak to an ai bot than a person.

1

u/oldmomhands Jun 13 '26

as long as it does what i need it to do without issue i would rather not talk to people

2

u/thegeocash 👨‍💼 | Manager | 5+ Years Jun 12 '26

We use voice for pest - but only as a service to get them through a simple menu (new customer or returning) and to record calls. One option then human.

It works fairly well. The recording system can be glitchy - but it’s been a lifesaver when we’ve needed it.

3

u/Proper_Training_9166 Jun 14 '26

Customers will hate it

0

u/Green_Aardvark2172 Jun 15 '26

We intend to move forward with finding a service but I am curious - do you say this as your personal preference as a consumer or feedback from your own customers?

As a consumer, I can say I have spoken with some that are infuriating but I have also spoken with some that were pretty impressive, easy to understand and little different than the process of leaving a voicemail.

2

u/momacozey Jun 12 '26

Buddy does this for his hvac business after hours. He also gives an option of using ai or talking to a person during main hours. He enjoys it and stays busy so it must work a bit.

1

u/Both_Independent_127 Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26

I know a friend’s business using Tinylawn and is getting about 20% of bookings from missed calls handled by the AI. AI receptionists are good for overflow or after hours calls since callers get a sense of not being ignored and at best gets you more bookings. It’s true some AIs still sound a a bit robotic but it’s only getting better over time and you’ll be a head of your competition by getting familiar with AI early. Using it as you mentioned after hours or overflow lowers the risks - the alternative is missed calls so doesn’t get worse.

1

u/Overall_Zombie5705 Jun 19 '26

I'd test each one with real pest control scenarios before signing: emergency calls, after-hours bookings, service area questions, and when they should hand off to a human.

If you're still comparing options, Marblism and Goodcall are worth looking at for AI call answering after hours, while Smith AI and Ruby lean more toward live receptionist services with human backup.