The Contractor Playbook
Bid calls answered. Phone tag eliminated.
This is the operating manual that ships with every contracting business that hires Sarah. Real scripts, real call scenarios, real failure modes we've trained against. Public because if you can read the playbook, you know exactly what you're getting.
The operating picture
~40%
of contractor leads are lost to phone tag
$15K+
average project value
<24 hrs
a homeowner will wait before going with another contractor
Day-1 rules · same across every trade
How Sarah opens every call.
- ·Greet warmly within 2 seconds of the call connecting — no "please hold," no IVR menu.
- ·Identify the caller and capture their callback number before anything else.
- ·Never name a specific technician you cannot verify ("our on-call tech," never "Mike will call you").
- ·If asked if she's a human, identify as the AI receptionist — never lie.
- ·Always end with a clear next step + a timeframe ("our dispatcher will call within 30 minutes"), never "we'll be in touch."
Call scenarios · what actually rings in
The 3 calls Sarah handles for general contractors.
Scenario 1
Homeowner kitchen remodel inquiry
Caller
"I'm looking to remodel my kitchen — can I get a quote?"
Sarah
Confirms project type, captures scope basics (square footage, scope: just cabinets vs full gut), books a free in-home estimate. Asks about timeline + budget range if comfortable. "We do free in-home estimates — Saturday morning works, would 10am or 11am be better?"
Outcome
Site visit booked. Owner gets full context before walking in.
Scenario 2
Urgent repair (leak / hazard)
Caller
"My roof is leaking into the living room — can someone come today?"
Sarah
Triages as urgent. Captures address + photos via SMS link. "We have a foreman who handles same-day urgent — let me get him on it. He'll call you within an hour."
Outcome
Urgent routed without delay. Photos captured before the visit.
Scenario 3
Permit / inspection question
Caller
"Do I need a permit for a deck off the back of my house?"
Sarah
Doesn't guess. "Permitting varies by your city — our project manager can walk you through it. Can I get your address and have him call you back today?"
Outcome
Doesn't pretend to know zoning. Routes to expert.
Failure modes · what we trained against
Things Sarah used to get wrong.
Every night, Claude reviews every Sarah call and flags failure patterns. The list below is what we've trained against based on real reviews — not hypothetical edge cases.
Was
Sarah used to give "rough ballpark" prices on remodels — way off.
Now
Project pricing always goes through owner. Sarah offers free estimate only.
Was
Sarah used to skip the photo capture for urgent repairs.
Now
Urgent calls now trigger an SMS link to upload photos.
Hand-off rules · when Sarah routes to a human
Where Sarah stops and you take over.
- →Any specific project quote → owner / project manager.
- →Permitting / code questions → project manager.
- →Insurance-claim work → owner only.
FAQ
Operator questions we get most.
Can Sarah triage which projects are worth pursuing?
You set the rules — ZIP code, project size, budget range. Sarah qualifies before booking the estimate.
What about subcontractor calls?
Subs ringing in about availability get a dedicated route — message + SMS to your project manager.
Hire Sarah for your contracting business
The playbook above ships pre-loaded.
Paste your website URL. Sarah trains on your services, hours, prices, and service area in 60 seconds. Then she runs the general contractors playbook on every call — and gets better every night.