Smith.ai AI Receptionist
Free: $0 for 25 calls. Pro: $150/month for 75 calls.
Pro additional calls: $2.50 each; check escalation and optional service charges.
Owners who need integrations or an AI service with human escalation.
Built for small service businesses
Stop losing jobs when you miss a call
Yapper answers every call in 3 rings, captures the job, and texts you who called. Works while you're busy with a customer. Plans start at $99/mo for the first 10 customers (normally $199/mo). 7-day free trial. No credit card required to start a trial.
7-day free trial. No credit card required to start a trial. See all plans
I don't have a websiteBuilt for small trade and service businesses
Yapper · Dashboard
tryyapper.com/dashboard
Key takeaways
- 24/7 phone answering for $99 a month for the first 10 customers (normally $199/mo), with no per-call fees.
- Captures appointment requests, urgency, contact details, and preferred times so you can confirm the job fast.
- Built for solo and small-crew trades: plumbing, HVAC, electrical, contracting, roofing, landscaping, locksmiths, pest control.
- Setup takes about 5 minutes. 7-day free trial. No credit card required to start a trial.
The basics
What is an AI receptionist for a small business?
An AI receptionist is software that answers your business phone instead of voicemail. It uses voice AI to talk to callers in real time, the way a person would. It can answer questions about your services, collect job details, capture preferred appointment times, and send you a summary of who called and what they needed.
For a small business, that means you stop losing customers when you cannot pick up. Most service calls are pattern-based: someone needs help, wants a quote, or needs to know how soon you can get there. AI handles that pattern fast and cheap. The calls that need you, like a real emergency or an unusual customer situation, get transferred to your cell with a quick brief on what is happening.
Yapper is a 24/7 AI phone receptionist built specifically for trades and small service businesses.
AI Receptionist Features
Everything a human receptionist does, without the overhead.
Natural voice AI that handles interruptions and follow-up questions. It never pretends to be a person.
Module_01
24/7 Call Handling
Never send another customer to voicemail. Yapper picks up after hours, during busy stretches, or when your team cannot get to the phone.
Live_Response_Active
Module_02
Appointment Requests
Callers share what they need and when they want service. Yapper captures the request so you can confirm the job quickly.
Request_Captured
Module_03
Full Transcripts
Every word from every call, searchable in your dashboard. Get summaries and action items sent to your email or CRM.
Log_Output_Stream
Module_04
Smart Emergency Detection
Urgent call after hours? Yapper transfers it to your cell in seconds and whispers what is happening before you say hello. Routine stuff waits for morning.
Emergency_Protocol
How it works
Set up your AI receptionist in 5 minutes.
Step_01
Paste your website URL
Yapper reads your site and learns your business automatically. Hours, services, location, all of it.
Step_02
Get your phone number
We provision a dedicated number instantly. Forward your calls or use it as your main line.
Step_03
Never miss a call again
Yapper answers 24/7, captures appointment requests, handles emergencies, and texts you a summary after every call.
Live Demo
See it. Hear it. Get the text.
Here's a recorded demo that matches what the agent actually does. Play it, read the transcript, and see the text the owner gets when the call ends.
Step_01
Caller dials
Customer rings your business line. Day, night, weekend, holiday.
Step_02
Yapper answers
Picks up in three rings. Real conversation, never a recording.
Step_03
Captures or transfers
Collects the request for follow-up, or routes urgent calls to your cell.
(Add your booking link in Settings and Yapper texts it to callers.)
Step_04
Texts you a summary
Caller, ask, outcome. Hits your phone seconds after the call ends.
Sample Call
Inbound · 3 ringsSarah K.
Water Heater Quote
0:000:55
Length0:55
VoiceAI demo
OutcomeCallback Requested
Live_Transcript
7 turnsCaller
Hi, my water heater is leaking from the bottom. It's not gushing, but there's a puddle. How much is a new one installed?
Yapper
Sorry about that. I'll get the details to Mike so he can give you an exact price. He handles all pricing himself. Is the water heater gas or electric, and about how old is it?
Caller
Gas. It's probably twelve years old.
Yapper
Got it. What's your address, and when would you want him out? Today, or is tomorrow okay?
Caller
It's 2418 Oak Street in Westland. Tomorrow morning is fine, I'm home till noon.
Yapper
Perfect. Gas water heater, about twelve years old, leaking from the bottom, 2418 Oak Street, tomorrow before noon. Mike will call you back shortly with a price and to lock in the time. Is it okay if I text you a confirmation at this number?
Caller
Yeah, that works.
Post_Call_Summary
Seconds after the call ends, your phone buzzes.
Every call ends with a summary text: who called, what they needed, and whether it was transferred. No more "how did that call go?".
- Caller name + phone number for instant callback
- What they need, in their own words
- Requested time or transfer status
- Full transcript searchable in your dashboard
9:41
Yapper
Today, 10:42 AM
Callback Requested · Sarah K.
- •Issue: gas water heater leaking from bottom (~12 yrs old)
- •Address: 2418 Oak St, Westland
- •Asked for: price on a new install
- •Preferred: tomorrow before noon
- •Next step: call back to quote and confirm
- •Phone: (313) 555-0118
Inside Yapper
Every call. Every detail. Right where you need it.
A clean dashboard for everything Yapper handles. Pull up any call, read the transcript, replay the audio, and call them back. All in three clicks.
Call Log · Yapper
tryyapper.com/dashboard/calls
Dashboard
Call Log
Every call, searchable. Filter by callback, info sent, transferred, voicemail, or emergency.
Mike Reynolds · Yapper
tryyapper.com/dashboard/calls/mike-reynolds
Transcript
Call Detail
Full transcript, AI summary, one-click callback. See exactly how Yapper handled it.
Inbox · Gmail
mail.google.com/u/0/#inbox
Email
Inbox Notifications
Every captured lead in your inbox. Caller info, summary, requested time, link to the full call.
Pro analytics preview
See which calls are turning into revenue.
Preview the Pro analytics dashboard before you pay. This sample view uses demo call data, but the layout, charts, and reporting match what Pro customers use inside Yapper.
Analytics · Yapper
tryyapper.com/dashboard/analytics
Range: last 90 days
Analytics
Sample dataTimes shown in your business timezone (Eastern Time).
7 days30 days90 daysAll time
Total Calls
214
in the last 90 days
Callback Rate
38.8%
83 of 214 calls
Revenue Recovered
$31,540
in the last 90 days
Revenue recovered
Based on 83 calls in the last 90 days
Calls over time
Based on 214 calls in the last 90 days
Calls by hour
Based on 224 calls in the last 90 days
Calls by day
Based on 214 calls in the last 90 days
Top topics
Based on 111 calls in the last 90 days
Busiest dayMonday
Peak calls9-11 AM
Top topicWater heater
What the research says
Phone calls are still the lead source small businesses rate highest.
Three findings, one conclusion: callers do not wait, and the phone is still where the money is.
66%
of small businesses rate phone calls their best lead source, ahead of forms, in-person, and email.
BIA/Kelsey · Local Commerce Monitor
7×
more likely to qualify a lead by answering within the hour, and 60× more likely than waiting a full day.
Harvard Business Review · 2,241-firm study
46%
of customers stop buying from a business whose calls repeatedly go unanswered.
Invoca · call tracking research
Calls have always been highly valued by small businesses, and now the notion of calls as currency has accelerated in the smartphone era.
Sources: BIA/Kelsey Local Commerce Monitor · McKinsey customer-care study (2024) · Oldroyd, McElheran, and Elkington, Harvard Business Review (2011) · Invoca call tracking research. Last reviewed .
What the research says about phone calls and lead response
According to BIA/Kelsey's Local Commerce Monitor, 66% of small and medium-sized businesses rate phone calls as a good or excellent source of leads, ahead of online forms (58.2%), in-person (54.1%), and email (43.7%).
“Calls have always been highly valued by small businesses, and now the notion of calls as currency has accelerated in the smartphone era.” — Michael Boland, VP of Content and Senior Analyst, BIA/Kelsey
Speed matters as much as availability. A March 2024 McKinsey customer-care study (Buesing, Haug, Hurst, Lai, Mukhopadhyay, and Raabe) found that customers across every generation prioritize support from a real person, with one financial-services company reporting that Gen Z customers were 30 to 40% more likely to call than millennials.
The lead-response timing research is even older and more brutal. In a 2,241-firm study published in Harvard Business Review, the authors put it plainly:
“Are you confident that your company is effectively handling potential customers' online queries? Think hard. Our research shows that most companies are not responding nearly fast enough.” — James B. Oldroyd, Kristina McElheran, and David Elkington, Harvard Business Review (March 2011)
Their finding: firms that contacted prospects within an hour were nearly seven times more likely to qualify the lead than firms that waited an hour, and more than 60 times more likely than firms that waited a day. And per Invoca's call tracking research, 46% of customers will stop buying from a business whose calls repeatedly go unanswered.
Yapper exists for one reason. Callers do not wait. The longer your phone rings, the smaller the chance that caller is still your customer when you ring back.
Built for Your Business
AI Receptionist for Every Trade
Select Agent Profile
Swipe to see more trades
TRANSFER_READY24/7_ACTIVE
Plumbing Service Agent
Handles emergency calls, captures drain cleaning requests, and collects preferred service times. Detects urgency and routes burst pipe calls directly to your cell.
- Emergency call detection and routing
- Service detail capture
- Appointment request capture
Why it works for plumbers
Every call answered, even mid-job
Emergencies reach your cell. Routine details are captured without interrupting the job.
Simulation: Emergency Call FlowSESSION_ID: PLB_4401
00:01
Homeowner"My water heater is leaking badly."
00:08
AI NodeUrgency detected... Transferring to owner.
00:15
SuccessOwner on the line. Spoken brief delivered.
Make the whole phone workflow work.
Choose an answering service for your crew
Compare AI and live handling, check the intake workflow, and price a stated call volume.
Open resource →Follow an HVAC estimate call
See what is captured, what reaches the owner, and what still needs confirmation.
Open resource →Draft a reply after a service review
Write a response for your team to check before posting it.
Open resource →Why service businesses
Built for small service teams, not enterprise call centers.
Most AI phone systems are built for large companies. They route calls between departments, log every interaction in Salesforce, and treat VIP callers differently. Independent service businesses usually have a simpler problem: the phone needs to get answered while the owner or team is already with a customer.
Yapper started from that constraint. A few specifics that fall out of it:
- The AI learns your services, pricing notes, service area, hours, and common customer questions, so it can have a real conversation instead of reading from a generic script.
- Emergency detection is tuned around urgency, safety, after-hours needs, and customer intent. When the AI hears something that should not wait, it transfers you immediately with a spoken brief.
- Pricing stays honest. Yapper can answer from the business details you provide, but final prices and exact appointment times stay with you.
- Pro’s dashboard tracks revenue from calls you mark as booked, not just call volume, so you can see whether Yapper is paying for itself.
That is also why every section of this site mentions specific industries: AI receptionist for plumbers, AI receptionist for HVAC contractors, AI receptionist for electricians, AI receptionist for roofers, locksmiths, pest control. Each industry page has scripts and pain points specific to that trade.
Already have a front desk? Yapper is not only for replacing voicemail. It can also act as overflow and after-hours coverage, so calls still get answered when your team is busy, closed, or already on the phone.
If you run a service business where missed calls turn into missed revenue, Yapper is built for you.
Pricing
Simple AI receptionist pricing.
Choose monthly or annual. 7-day free trial with 50 minutes of calls. No credit card required to start a trial.
Cluster_Starter
Sale- 200 minutes included each month
- Extra minutes $0.75 each, up to 300
- 24/7 AI call answering
- 1 phone number
- Call logs and full transcripts
- SMS summaries after calls
- Emergency detection and transfer to your configured number
- Appointment request capture and booking link texts
7-day free trial with 50 minutes of calls. No credit card required.
Mainframe_Pro
- 500 minutes included each month
- Extra minutes $0.75 each, up to 300
- Everything in Starter
- Call analytics and revenue tracking
- Caller history
- Priority support
7-day free trial with 50 minutes of calls. No credit card required.
New product guarantee
Try it before you trust it with real calls.
Yapper is new, so we are still earning our first public customer reviews. The product is live now with a 7-day free trial and no credit card required to start a trial. You can test the receptionist before forwarding your real business calls. If something does not fit your business, email me directly and I will help fix it or tell you honestly if Yapper is not the right fit.
Each plan includes a monthly minute allowance. On monthly plans, minutes beyond the allowance cost $0.75 each and appear on your next invoice. After 300 extra minutes in one month, answering pauses until the next month or until you upgrade, so a busy month cannot run up an open-ended bill. We email you at 80% and 100% of your allowance.
The cost of missed calls
See what missed calls are costing you.
When a call goes unanswered, most people don't leave a voicemail. They hang up and call the next business on Google. According to Invoca's call tracking research, 46% of customers will stop buying from a business whose calls go unanswered. That is the job, gone.
For a service business, that lost call is usually a job worth a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Slide the numbers below to see what your own missed calls add up to.
Missed calls per week
5
130
Average job value
$400
$100$2,500
$8,000
lost every month
$96,000
lost every year
$199
per month to stop missing calls
One missed call could pay for a full year of Yapper.
Start My 7-Day Free TrialCompare the call workflow and the bill.
Yapper — Starter: $199/month for 200 minutes. Pro: $349/month for 500 minutes. Launch sale: the first 10 customers pay $99/month for Starter for their first 12 months, then $199/month. Monthly billing only. Checkout applies the sale price while spots remain. Lower-price AI options exist. Compare the included unit, required transfers, and what still needs your follow-up.
Yapper captures appointment requests and can text your booking link. It does not write directly to your calendar or dispatch system. You or your scheduling tool confirm the visit and arrival time.
Each plan includes a monthly minute allowance. On monthly plans, minutes beyond the allowance cost $0.75 each and appear on your next invoice. After 300 extra minutes in one month, answering pauses until the next month or until you upgrade, so a busy month cannot run up an open-ended bill. We email you at 80% and 100% of your allowance.
Dialzara
Lite: $29/month for 60 minutes. Pro: $99 for 220 minutes.
Lite: $0.48/additional minute. Pro: $0.45/additional minute.
Owners seeking a lower entry price with metered extra minutes.
Goodcall
Starter: $79/month per agent for 100 unique customers.
$0.50/additional unique customer; unlimited minutes and tokens.
Businesses with repeat callers or long calls that benefit from customer-based billing.
Published by Yapper. Provider facts checked . Prices and product terms can change. Smith.ai’s human-first service is a separate product.
Compare AI and live answering in the contractor buyer guide.
Compared Head-to-Head
Stack Yapper against the alternatives.
Honest, side-by-side breakdowns on price, call quality, and how each one handles a real trade call.
Comparing more than these three? Read the full guide to the best AI receptionist for small business.
From the founder
Why I built Yapper.
I am James. I built Yapper because small service businesses lose real money to missed calls. Not because they do not care, but because they are busy doing the work. The phone rings, nobody answers, and the next job goes somewhere else.
I built Yapper for one job: answer the phone when you cannot. It is for small teams that cannot always stop what they are doing to take a call, from trades and home services to auto shops, contractors, solo operators, and local professional service businesses where one missed call can mean one lost job.
A few things you should know before signing up:
- I read every cancellation email personally. If something is not working, I want to hear about it.
- This is a small operation. You can email hello@tryyapper.com and I'll read it.
- No upgrade traps or surprise fees for basic features. The price you see is the price.
If you want to talk through whether Yapper makes sense for your business before you sign up, message me on LinkedIn.
FAQ
AI receptionist questions, answered.
Yes. Yapper includes a 7-day free trial with full access, and no credit card required to start a trial. The trial includes 50 minutes of answered calls. If you use them or reach day 7 without adding billing, call answering pauses and you can still sign in to view your dashboard data.
No. No credit card required to start a trial. You can create an account, set up your AI receptionist, and try Yapper for 7 days before deciding whether to add billing.
Yapper just launched, so we are still earning our first public customer reviews. The product is live now, the 7-day free trial is available without a credit card, and you can test the receptionist before forwarding your real business calls.
No. Yapper uses current voice AI that handles natural conversation, interruptions, and follow-up questions. If a caller asks, it says it is an AI assistant for your business. It never pretends to be a person.
Voicemail loses you customers. Most callers won't leave a message. They just call your competitor. Yapper actually answers, has a conversation, captures what the caller needs, and texts you a summary.
Yes. Yapper is built specifically for trade businesses. It understands the language plumbers, HVAC techs, electricians, and contractors actually use on calls (water heater, condenser, panel upgrade, drain cleaning) and detects real trade emergencies like burst pipes or no heat in winter.
Yapper Starter is $199/month with 200 minutes; Pro is $349/month with 500 minutes. Annual Starter is $1,990/year and annual Pro is $3,490/year. Launch sale: the first 10 customers pay $99/month for Starter for their first 12 months, then $199/month. Monthly billing only. Checkout applies the sale price while spots remain. Each plan includes a monthly minute allowance. On monthly plans, minutes beyond the allowance cost $0.75 each and appear on your next invoice. After 300 extra minutes in one month, answering pauses until the next month or until you upgrade, so a busy month cannot run up an open-ended bill. We email you at 80% and 100% of your allowance.
When you sign up, you paste your website URL. Yapper reads your site and automatically learns your business name, hours, services, location, and common questions. You review it, tweak anything that's off, and you're live.
Yes. Every call gets a full transcript and an AI summary in your dashboard. You also get a text after every call with the caller number, what they wanted, and what they asked for. Nothing is hidden.
Yapper picks up on urgency. Burst pipes, no heat, flooding. When it detects an emergency, it transfers the call to your cell and whispers a summary of the situation so you're ready before you say hello.
Keep it. Just set up call forwarding from your existing number to your Yapper number. Takes 2 minutes with your phone provider. Your customers never know the difference.
Yapper can still help. Use it for overflow, after-hours calls, lunch breaks, vacations, weekends, and busy seasons. If your receptionist is on another call or your crew is slammed, Yapper catches the call instead of sending that customer to voicemail.
It captures appointment requests and preferred times during the call, then sends you the details so you can confirm the job. That keeps scheduling honest while still avoiding voicemail and missed-call phone tag.
Yapper transfers to your cell when it detects an emergency or a request that needs you specifically. It whispers a one-line brief so you know what you are walking into before you say hello. Routine questions are answered from the details you provide, while final prices and appointment times stay with you.
You get a 7-day free trial before your first paid charge. No credit card required to start a trial. The trial includes 50 minutes of answered calls. If you use them or reach day 7 without adding billing, call answering pauses and you will not be charged. After a monthly or annual payment is processed, payments are non-refundable except where required by law or in cases of duplicate or erroneous billing.
If you do not add billing during the 7-day free trial, you will not be charged. If you cancel after the annual payment has processed, the annual payment is not prorated or refunded. Your Yapper service stays active through the end of the annual term, and the plan will not renew.