Some of the calls you're getting this fall aren't people. They're Google.
Google's "Ask for Me" feature lets a homeowner search something like "roofer near me," answer a few questions, and have Google's AI call local businesses to ask about pricing and availability. The homeowner gets a summary by text or email. Google started it with auto shops and nail salons in early 2025. At Google I/O in May 2026, it said the feature was coming to home repair across the US.
What the call sounds like
The AI says up front that it's an automated assistant calling for a customer. Then it asks a couple of short questions: do you do this kind of job, how soon can you come out, and roughly what does it cost? It doesn't negotiate. If it gets voicemail or a vague answer, it moves on to the next business on the list.
Don't give a flat price
Contractors on Reddit have complained that these calls try to turn service work into a price list. They're right to be careful. A price you give a robot for "a leaking faucet" or "a few siding boards" ends up in a summary next to three other shops, with none of the details that make your price fair.
You can't price a job you haven't seen. Say so, and give the AI something useful instead.
A short script
> "Yes, we do that. We serve [your towns]. We can usually get out within [two or three days]. Every job is different, so we look first. Our service call is [your trip charge], and the customer gets a written price before any work starts. Best way to reach us is [number or website]."
That gives the homeowner what they actually need: yes, how soon, how pricing works, and how to reach you. It's honest, and it doesn't lock you into a number.
If you don't want these calls at all, Google has said businesses can opt out in their Business Profile settings. Think twice before you do. The homeowner still gets a summary, just without you in it.
Make your helpers say it too
If someone else answers your phone, or you use an AI answering tool, give them the same script. Write it on a card by the phone. See why a price list the bot can't use matters for the rule we teach: no tool, and no helper, ever gives a firm price on the phone.
The bigger picture
Homeowners are handing more of the "who should I call" work to AI: Google's summaries, ChatGPT, voice assistants. The businesses that show up are the ones that answer, have reviews, and have clear facts online. That's the whole Fixer School order: catch every call, get the review, get found on Google, then get named by AI. See getting named by ChatGPT and Google AI.
