A receptionist that knows a warm outlet is not a lighting quote.
The first question on an electrical call decides everything: is this a problem with power, or new work. The AI receptionist picks up under your company's name, asks that question, gives the safety steps you approved to the caller who smells something burning, and sends the EV charger caller a link to upload panel photos before the estimator calls back.
Two paths from the first question, and an answering service cannot tell them apart
On the safety path, the wording matters and the speed matters. Smoke or fire means get out and call 911. A burning smell, sparks from an outlet or a breaker that trips again as soon as it is reset means stop using that circuit and get an electrician today, with your on-call electrician alerted while the caller is still on the line. Half the house out with the neighbors dark too may be the utility's side, and the caller should hear that honestly. An answering service reads back a name and number; it cannot sort these calls, and sorting them is the whole job.
On the quote path, the receptionist collects what your estimator needs: the year the house was built, where the panel is, the service size if it is on the label, how far the charger or the new circuit is from the panel, which charger brand was bought, what fuel is available for a generator. Then it texts the photo link and books the estimator's calendar. The caller hangs up with something done, and the estimator opens a lead with photos instead of a sticky note that says call back.
Storm week turns both paths into a flood. Outage calls that belong to the utility, generator inquiries from people whose power has been out for two days, and real problems with wet panels and torn-off masts. The receptionist tells the truth about what you can do this week, takes the generator interest for after the storm, and gets the real emergencies to your on-call electrician.
What an AI receptionist for an electrical contractor has to do
Nothing in it is generic. Your master electrician reviews every line, and it rehearses on recordings before its first real call.
Separate safety from sales on the first question
Problem with power, or new work. The problem path runs the safety script; the new-work path runs the estimator's checklist. A caller who starts with a lighting question and mentions a buzzing panel is moved to the safety path at once.
Say the safety steps you approved, and nothing more
Get out and call 911 for smoke or fire. Stop using the circuit for a burning smell, sparks or a warm outlet, and switch off the breaker only if the caller can reach it safely. Report an outage to the utility. The receptionist never troubleshoots and never suggests opening a panel.
Collect the estimator's checklist
House age, panel location, service size if visible, distance from the panel to the work, charger brand, generator fuel, and whether the home has a detached garage or finished ceilings. Then the photo link by text, with the lead created before the call ends.
Book troubleshooting with the block policy stated
The trip charge, the first block of time and the approval point before more work, in your words and repeated in the confirmation text, so the second block is approved without an argument about what was said.
Route inspectors, utilities, builders and suppliers
The inspector calling about tomorrow's slot, the utility's scheduler, a superintendent with a change, a supplier with a backorder: each one is passed to whoever handles it, and that person gets a text first, so none of them ends up on a message pad.
Recognize past customers
The number matches the record, so the generator owner due for maintenance is offered the visit, the EV customer adding a second charger starts from the panel photos you already have, and the builder's account rules apply automatically.
How we set it up for an electrical contractor
The vans keep the same number, and you listen to the test calls before anyone else does.
Overflow or everything
It can take the calls the office misses after a few rings, the calls after closing, or all of them. The office can still answer first, and the number on the vans and yard signs stays.
A script with your master electrician
The safety wording starts from the public guidance fire-safety groups put out, then gets reviewed line by line with your master electrician and your estimator. You decide what it says and what it must never say.
Storm mode
For the week after an ice storm or a hurricane: a greeting that tells the truth about capacity, outage callers sent to the utility, a list of generator interest for later, and real emergencies paged out.
Photo link on every quote call
The text with the upload link goes out while the caller is still on the line, and the receptionist confirms it arrived before hanging up, so the estimator opens the lead with photos already attached.
Every call on the lead
The transcript, the checklist answers, the photo link status and the booking attach to the lead, with the recording added where your state allows it and the caller was told. The owner reads a digest over coffee.
What you own on day one.
Every account is opened in your company's name with you as the owner. If you ever leave, you change a password, not your business.
- Domain, hosting and the site files
- Phone numbers and call recordings
- The CRM and its database
- Email and text lists, with consent records
- Google Business Profile and every listing
- Analytics and Search Console
AI Reception for electrical, answered.
Can an AI handle a call about sparks safely?
It can say the approved words and alert your electrician immediately, which is what a human receptionist does. It never troubleshoots, never tells a caller to open anything, and never guesses at a cause. The script starts from published fire-safety messaging and your master electrician signs off on it.
Will it quote an EV charger install?
No. It explains what moves the price if you want it to, collects the checklist, texts the photo link and books the estimator. The number comes from a person who has seen the panel.
What if the caller's power is out because of the utility?
It asks whether the neighbors are out too, says plainly that an area outage is the utility's to fix, gives the utility's outage number if you provide it, and offers to note their interest in a generator or a transfer switch for after the storm.
Does it book into the estimator's calendar?
Yes. Site visits land in the estimator's real open windows, and photo-only quotes go into the estimator's queue with the lead and the photos, so nothing is promised that the calendar cannot hold.
Can it take a call from the inspector?
Yes. It recognizes the inspection office's number, takes the time offered, writes it on the job, texts the electrician running that job and confirms back to the inspector. A missed inspection call costs a day; this one is never missed.
AI Reception for electrical. Owned by you.
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