The Plumbing Playbook
When a burst pipe rings at 2am, Sarah picks up.
This is the operating manual that ships with every plumbing shop 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 plumbing emergencies happen after 6pm
$650
average ticket on a same-day burst-pipe call
<5 min
response window before a homeowner calls the next number
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 4 calls Sarah handles for plumbing contractors.
Scenario 1
Burst pipe, 11pm
Caller
"Water is shooting out of my wall under the sink — I shut the main but it's already flooded the kitchen."
Sarah
Confirms main is off. Captures address, callback, severity. Flags as emergency, escalates to dispatch. Says: "I'm alerting our on-call tech right now — you'll hear back within 20 minutes. In the meantime, photograph the damage for insurance and keep towels on the floor seams to slow seepage."
Outcome
Emergency SMS to dispatch. Insurance-helpful action given. Customer feels heard.
Scenario 2
Slow drain, can it wait?
Caller
"My bathtub drain is slow — is this an emergency or can I wait until Monday?"
Sarah
Asks 2 follow-up questions: standing water level + how long. Triages as routine unless there's backflow. Books next available slot. "Slow drain usually waits until next business day. I can put you in Monday morning between 9 and 11 — does that work?"
Outcome
Routine triage, slot booked. Doesn't over-escalate.
Scenario 3
New construction quote
Caller
"I need rough plumbing quoted for a 2400 sqft new build."
Sarah
Acknowledges this is a project quote, not a service call. Captures lead details, square footage, timeline. "Project quotes go through our owner directly — I'll have him call you within 4 hours during business hours, or first thing tomorrow morning if you're calling after-hours. Do you have plans we can review?"
Outcome
Lead captured with full context, routed to owner — never auto-booked.
Scenario 4
After-hours, water heater
Caller
"My water heater is leaking but it's not an emergency."
Sarah
Confirms emergency status with the caller. If non-emergency: books next-day slot, gives the temporary safety tip ("turn off the gas/electric to the unit and the inlet valve"), and offers to escalate if it becomes worse overnight.
Outcome
Right-sized response. Safety advice given without overstepping.
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 triage every after-hours call as emergency, blowing up dispatch.
Now
After-hours triage now requires 2+ diagnostic questions. Slow drain + no backflow = routine even at 11pm.
Was
Sarah quoted prices on new construction projects she had no business quoting.
Now
Project quotes ALWAYS route to owner. Sarah only books service calls, not bids.
Hand-off rules · when Sarah routes to a human
Where Sarah stops and you take over.
- →Any new-construction or remodel quote → owner only.
- →Insurance claim involvement (water damage) → owner + send capture-photos guidance.
- →Caller is a property manager / commercial → flag for owner, never auto-quote.
FAQ
Operator questions we get most.
How does Sarah handle commercial vs residential calls?
You define the rules. Most plumbing shops mark commercial as "always escalate to owner" — Sarah will capture the building name, contact, and problem, then SMS your owner directly.
Can she give a ballpark for a service call?
Yes — typical service-call diagnostic ($150–$300) plus parts. She always frames as a range and offers a free on-site estimate for an exact number.
What if the caller is panicking?
Sarah slows down, asks one question at a time, and gives a safety tip ("turn off the main") before triaging. Calm dispatcher tone is part of her training.
Hire Sarah for your plumbing shop
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 plumbing contractors playbook on every call — and gets better every night.