AI chatbots for tradies: what they can and cannot do
Konquer Media, Hallam. Updated .
An AI chatbot on a tradie's website can answer the common questions (areas, call-out fees, hours, what to do while you wait) at any hour, take the job details and the customer's number, and send them to you. It cannot safely quote a job sight unseen, diagnose a fault, or promise anything you have not told it. Used that way, it catches the 9pm enquiry you would otherwise miss.
What it does well
- Answers from your own prices, areas and hours.
- Gives the safe first step, like turning the water off at the meter.
- Takes the job details and a number, then sends you the lead.
- Hands over to a person when the question needs one.
What it should never do
Generative AI is probabilistic and can produce confident wrong answers, often called hallucinations. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner says public-facing AI tools like chatbots should be clearly identified as AI, and that privacy law applies to what goes in and what comes out. Your business is responsible for what your chatbot tells customers: Consumer Affairs Victoria notes that misleading conduct is judged on what a business says, not what it intended, and a Canadian tribunal held Air Canada liable for its chatbot's wrong answer in 2024.
How we set it up
- It answers only from the information you approve.
- It says it is an assistant, and offers a call back.
- No quotes beyond your published call-out or starting prices.
- Every conversation is logged so you can read it.
Ready for the next step?
Questions
Does it answer my phone?
No. Ours answers on your website and sends you the lead with the chat attached.
What does it cost?
$500 to $1,500 to set up and $150 to $300 a month to run. On a Signature website the setup is included.