How to Choose an AI Receptionist for a Canadian Trade Business

There are now plenty of ways to get your phone answered when you're on a job. They fall into a few types, and the right one depends less on the technology than on how you run your business. This guide walks through each type, the Canada-specific things to check, and the questions worth asking before you sign up.

The Four Main Types

1. An AI receptionist built into your job software

Some field-service platforms now offer an AI receptionist as an add-on, such as Jobber's Receptionist. It uses the services and booking rules already in the software.

Good for: businesses already running scheduling and invoicing in that platform. Watch for: it only works if you use (and pay for) that software, and you configure it yourself.

2. A self-serve AI receptionist app

You sign up, pick a voice, fill in your business details and write the instructions yourself.

Good for: owners who like tinkering with software and have time to test and adjust it. Watch for: the result is only as good as the setup, and many are priced per minute, which makes busy months harder to predict.

3. A human answering service

A live person answers from a call centre. Some book appointments; many only take messages. For the full comparison, see answering service vs. AI receptionist.

Good for: callers who strongly expect a human voice. Watch for: message-only plans still leave you calling back, and usage-based bills rise with your busy season.

4. A done-for-you AI receptionist

A provider builds, tests and maintains the call flow for you. This is how FetchLine works.

Good for: owner-operators who want it handled without learning new software. Watch for: it usually costs more than self-serve tools, and changes go through the provider, so ask how quickly they make them.

Canada-Specific Things to Check

• Currency. Many tools bill in US dollars, so your bill moves with the exchange rate and your card may add foreign-transaction fees. Ask whether pricing is in CAD.
• Privacy. Canada's federal privacy law, PIPEDA, applies to the personal information your callers share. Ask where call recordings and transcripts are stored, how long they're kept, and how you can get them deleted.
• Recording notice. If calls are recorded, callers should be told. Ask whether the receptionist says so, or whether that's up to you.
• Local numbers. Check that you can keep or forward your existing Canadian number rather than switching to a new one.
• French. If you serve Quebec or French-speaking customers, confirm French support before you commit.

Eight Questions to Ask Any Provider

1. Who sets it up, and how long until it's live?
2. Will it ask the questions my trade needs, like address, type of job and urgency?
3. What happens with an urgent call, like a burst pipe or no heat?
4. Does my phone still ring first, so I can answer when I'm free?
5. Does it book into the calendar I already use, and how do I get the job details?
6. Is pricing per minute, per call or flat, and what happens in a busy month? Do you pay overage fees, or does it stop answering once you hit a limit?
7. Is there a contract, and is the price in CAD?
8. When I need a change, who makes it, and how fast?

A Quick Way to Decide

• Already live in a field-service platform and comfortable configuring it? Start with that platform's built-in option.
• Like building things yourself and want the lowest price? Try a self-serve app, and budget time for testing.
• Your callers insist on a human? An answering service may suit you.
• Want it done properly without learning new software? A done-for-you service like FetchLine is built for that.

Whatever you choose, call the demo line before you buy and listen as if you were your own customer. If you want to put numbers to the decision, start with what a missed call costs, and if the idea is new to you, read what an AI receptionist is.