If you’re a plumber, you know how vital it is to handle a variety of jobs to keep your business flowing smoothly. From fixing leaks to installing new systems, your hands are full (and often wet). Artificial intelligence (AI) for plumbers can be like a second pair of hands to help with a wide range of operational and business-related tasks.
This guide will introduce you to some common AI tools and give you a better sense of how AI for plumbers can save time, reduce costs, and free you up to run and grow your plumbing business.
Using AI for Automated Customer Service and Scheduling
Tools to consider:
24/7 call answering.
A pipe or water heater doesn’t always burst or leak during normal business hours or when you’re able to answer the phone. Instead of relying on a costly after-hours answering service or losing leads to voicemail, AI-powered platforms can handle calls, qualify leads, and even book appointments around the clock.
This means that whether a homeowner has a burst pipe at 2 a.m. or a leaky faucet on a Sunday, an AI assistant can pick up a customer’s call whenever it’s made, gather critical information regarding the problem and schedule a technician.
Using AI for Business Management and Financial Efficiency
Tools to consider:
Quickbooks,3 ServiceTitan, Workiz4
While you’re a pro at managing water flow into and out of a house or commercial building, it’s easy to feel like you’re neck-deep managing cash flow and other business-related tasks. Fortunately, AI-powered platforms can help you streamline your business management and boost financial efficiency.
Automated invoicing.
AI in certain tools can generate professional invoices based on job notes and materials used, and even send automated follow-up reminders to ensure timely payment.
Inventory management.
AI tools can track your inventory in real-time, predict when you’ll run out of common parts, and automate reordering, so you’re never caught without the right part for the job.
Pricing and estimates.
AI-powered software can help you create more reliable and competitive estimates by analyzing market rates, material costs, and profitability by job type.
AI-driven features also can provide valuable financial insights for your business. For example, you can use AI tools to track expenses, generate reports, and even predict future cash flow, giving you a clearer picture of your business’s health. With AI handling the busywork, you can make smarter decisions, improve profitability, and ultimately grow your business without drowning in paperwork.
Using AI for Plumbing Marketing and Reputation Management
Tools to consider:
Content creation.
If you’re looking to keep a steady flow of work in your business pipeline, there are a number of AI tools that can help. Platforms such as ChatGPT can act as your personal content creation assistant, drafting social media posts, blog articles, and email newsletters for you to review and post that help you attract and engage customers.
With a few simple prompts, you can create a consistent stream of content that helps build your brand’s authority to keep you top-of-mind with potential clients.
Online reputation.
At the same time, tools like ReviewBoost AI can help you easily manage your online reputation. They automate the process of requesting reviews from satisfied customers and can even help you draft professional, on-brand responses to both positive and negative feedback.
By leveraging these AI-driven services, you can build a strong, positive online presence and attract more business without dedicating a large amount of time to plumbing marketing and reputation tasks.
Promotional content.
Along with helping to manage your business, AI can be tapped to help promote it as well. ChatGPT or specialized tools designed for plumbers can create website content, blog posts, social media updates, email newsletters, and ad copy quickly and efficiently.
You can use AI to generate content focused on specific locations, services, and common plumbing problems in your service area. This can include helpful blog posts for your customers, such as “How to Prevent Frozen Pipes in [City]” or service pages optimized for terms such as “emergency plumber in [Neighborhood].”
AI can help you get more mileage out of your content as well. They can take an existing blog, for example, and convert it into multiple formats, such as social media updates, email newsletters, or video scripts.
Hey, Do You Know a Good Plumber?
While AI offers significant advantages, your customers likely hire you for your expertise, reliability, and reputation. AI is a tool, much like a pipe wrench. It’s not suitable for every job, and there’s a good chance your competitors are (or will be) using it as well.
I’ve used the same local plumber for years because I know they’ll always get back to me, provide reasonable estimates, and do good work. Your customers likely choose you for personalized service, as well as your skill. Over-relying on AI for customer communication can make your business feel impersonal and robotic, potentially alienating customers.
Another key concern is data accuracy and privacy. AI systems, while powerful, can sometimes “hallucinate” or generate incorrect information. It’s always a good idea to review AI-generated marketing copy, service estimates, and other content for accuracy. And don’t forget to make sure any customer information gathered by an AI tool is kept secure and private.
Be Clear About Using AI
Fostering trust with your audience is important for just about any business. That’s why we want you to know that we’re finding many ways to use AI at Simply Business. Here are a couple of ways we’re enhancing our online quote tool:
A new way to describe your business: To help you find coverage faster, we’re using AI to better understand your business. Just explain what you do in your own words, and our trade selector tool will match your description to a business type on our list, so we can better suggest coverages for what you do.
Get answers by asking questions: We’re creating a new conversational experience to help you find information about insurance faster. You’ll be able to ask questions and get immediate answers drawn from our library of human-approved insights. This lets you find what you need fast, without all the reading.
The blog post you’re reading was actually created with a hybrid approach, blending the power of artificial intelligence with the expertise of our human editorial team. AI was used as a starting point, helping us with initial research and building the outline. Our editorial team then took this information, crafting it into the final article you see today. This process allows us to create high-quality, well-researched content efficiently, while still maintaining our unique voice and perspective.
Voiceflow is a trademark of Kagoor Networks, Inc. ServiceTitan is a trademark of ServiceTitan, Inc. Intuit and Quickbooks are trademarks of Intuit, Inc. Workiz is a registered trademark of Workiz, Inc.
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