On AI employees, the $27K missed call, and the new CSR who never sleeps

Special episode.

March 25, 2026

This week’s special episode of SBM is presented by Podium

This week's episode is brought to you by Podium.

Podium deploys AI Employees that help contractors turn every conversation (text, call, or webchat) into revenue. Trusted by 9,000+ home service businesses, Podium captures and converts leads 24/7, driving both new business and repeat customers.

500+ Voice AI Employees. Conversion rates up to 10x higher than voicemail. A 4.8-star mobile app. 200+ integrations. And a 92% five-star rating earned over a decade of delighting customers.

FULL EPISODE BREAKDOWN:

Here are 3 ideas, 2 examples, and 1 question from this week's episode of Service Business Mastery...

3 Ideas From This Episode

I.

"There's a difference between a chatbot and an AI agent. A chatbot answers questions. An agent takes action—booking appointments, updating calendars, routing issues, following up with leads. One saves time. The other makes money."

II.

"Response speed is now a competitive differentiator in home service. Once customers experience instant AI responses, phone tag and slow callbacks stop feeling like minor inconveniences. They start feeling like reasons to call your competitor."

III.

"Training an AI agent is like onboarding a new employee. The more context, expectations, and procedures you give it upfront, the better it performs over time. The investment isn't in the technology—it's in the training."

2 Examples Worth Knowing

I.

An HVAC company received an angry text from a driver who said one of their technicians had run a red light and cut him off in traffic. The AI agent responded immediately, apologized professionally, and de-escalated the situation without defensiveness or delay. By the end of the conversation, the angry driver had scheduled a service appointment.

II.

Some contractors using Podium's AI agent have started receiving five-star reviews that specifically mention the AI by name—because the experience was that consistent, courteous, and responsive. Customers aren't reviewing the automation. They're reviewing how it made them feel.

1 Question For You

How many calls did your business miss last month - and how many of those became your competitor's next booked job?

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
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Talk soon,
Josh & Tersh