AI call answering for trade businesses
The short answer
Most small-shop software now has a phone agent, and Avoca sells one on its own. This is office AI. Kenner, which we make, does not do it.
- Jobber AI: Receptionist answers calls and texts 24/7, books visits, takes requests and escalates to you when needed.
- Housecall Pro AI Team: CSR AI answers calls and chats 24/7 and books jobs. Text answering is in alpha.
- Workiz Genius: Genius Answering answers calls, emails, texts, web forms and lead sources 24/7 and books jobs.
- FieldPulse Field Intelligence: Operator AI answers after-hours, declined or overloaded calls and books jobs directly into FieldPulse.
- ServiceM8 AI features: Phone Agent answers calls for you. Messages and booking requests arrive in your Inbox for review.
- Avoca: Avoca's Inbound AI answers calls, texts and chats 24/7 and books jobs in the conversation.
Answering is not the same as booking
Jobber, Housecall Pro, Workiz, FieldPulse and Avoca say their agents book the job. ServiceM8's Phone Agent sends messages and booking requests to your inbox for review.
Assigning the technician is rarer. Only Workiz and FieldPulse describe choosing who goes.
What it costs
Jobber's Receptionist is a $29 a month add-on. Housecall Pro sells CSR AI separately and does not publish its price. Workiz, FieldPulse and Avoca quote on request.
The tools side by side
| Tool | Type | Answers from | How technicians use it | Writes the job report | Published price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jobber AI | Built into the field service software | Your Jobber account: company profile, services, request forms, booking settings and live business data | Jobber on web and mobile: Chat on both, Voice on mobile. Receptionist answers your customers' calls and texts | Partly. Field workers log notes and document work by speaking. A written job report is not described | Plans from $29 per month (Core, 1 user) to $529 per month (Plus, 15 users), billed annually. Receptionist is a $29 per month add-on pricing page |
| Housecall Pro AI Team | Built into the field service software | Your Housecall Pro account: jobs, services, business hours, availability, business information and customer data | Inside Housecall Pro on web and mobile. CSR AI answers your customers' calls and website chats | No. Call summaries and booking details are logged, but job reports are not described | Plans from $59 per month (Basic, 1 user) to $299 per month (MAX, 8 users), billed annually. CSR AI call answering is a paid extra with no published price pricing page |
| Workiz Genius | Built into the field service software | Your Workiz account: client names, job history and notes, services, pricing, policies and the live calendar | Inside Workiz. Genius Answering handles your customers' calls, texts, emails, web forms and lead sources | No. Calls are transcribed and summarised, but job reports are not described | Not published. Workiz plans are Request pricing, and Genius Phone, Genius Answering and Genius Marketing are sold separately pricing page |
| FieldPulse Field Intelligence | Built into the field service software | Your live FieldPulse data: customers, jobs, invoices, item list and prices | Inside FieldPulse. Maverick is typed or dictated in the office, Operator AI answers calls, Chat AI sits on your website | Partly. Maverick drafts invoices and other records for approval. Job reports and visit summaries are not described | Not published. FieldPulse is seat-based with a custom quote. Maverick is included on all plans. Operator AI and Chat AI are optional premium products pricing page |
| ServiceM8 AI features | Built into the field service software | Your ServiceM8 data: the job card, past jobs, staff experience, materials and customer correspondence | The ServiceM8 apps for iPhone, iPad and Android and ServiceM8 Online, by typing or voice. Phone Agent answers your calls | Yes. Drafts the invoice description and billable items, and summarises jobs | Free plan for 1 user. Paid plans from $29 to $349 per month by job volume, with unlimited users. Office Agent Pro is $39 per month pricing page |
| Avoca | AI call answering for service businesses | The caller's record in your CRM: past jobs, equipment and membership tier | Your customers reach it by phone, text and web chat. Booked jobs land in your CRM | No | Not published. Demo on request |
Each tool has a full entry, with sources, in the main guide.
Questions and answers
Does an AI receptionist help my technicians?
No. It helps the office. None of the phone agents here describes anything for the technician on the job.
Which one works with ServiceTitan?
Avoca links a ServiceTitan integration from its home page.
Checked against
- Jobber AI: Jobber AI, Jobber Receptionist, Jobber pricing
- Housecall Pro AI Team: Housecall Pro AI Team, Housecall Pro CSR AI, Housecall Pro pricing
- Workiz Genius: Workiz Genius Answering, Workiz Genius Scheduling, Workiz Genius Leads, Workiz pricing
- FieldPulse Field Intelligence: FieldPulse Field Intelligence, FieldPulse Maverick, FieldPulse Operator AI, FieldPulse Chat AI, FieldPulse pricing, FieldPulse company information
- ServiceM8 AI features: ServiceM8 feature overview, ServiceM8 pricing, ServiceM8 September 2025 update, ServiceM8 September 2026 update
- Avoca: Avoca, Avoca Inbound AI, Avoca ServiceTitan integration