An AI receptionist for plumbers.
Aroha answers the calls you miss while you are under a house or on the tools. It works out whether it is a burst pipe or a dripping tap, books the job into your calendar, texts the caller a link to send a photo, and texts you straight away when water is going everywhere.
A real kind of call
Caller: Hi, our hot water cylinder is leaking in the garage and there’s water all over the floor.
Aroha: I’m sorry, that’s stressful. Can you see the cold water valve at the top of the cylinder? Turning it off will stop more water going in. While you do that, I’ll text you a link to send a photo, and I’m flagging this as urgent for Mike now.
The owner gets a text with the address, a photo and “cylinder leaking, valve off”. Booked for 7:30am.
The calls it handles for plumbers
- Burst pipe at 9pm
- Aroha asks where the water is coming from and whether they can turn it off at the toby, gives them the steps, and texts you the address and number at once.
- Hot water cylinder quote
- It asks the cylinder size, gas or electric, roughly how old it is and where it sits, and texts a link for a photo of the label so you can quote without a visit.
- Blocked drain
- It checks whether it is one fixture or the whole house, books the next free slot, and notes access, pets and gate codes.
- Landlord or property manager
- It takes the tenant’s name and number for access, who pays the invoice, and any order number, so the job is ready to go.
What Aroha asks
- What the problem is and where in the house
- Whether water can be turned off
- Address, access and parking
- Best number and a good time
- A photo of the leak, cylinder or fitting
Texted to you straight away
- Water they cannot stop
- No hot water with a baby, elderly person or medical need in the house
- Sewage coming back up
- Gas smell (they are told to leave and call the gas emergency line first)
Questions
Can it tell an emergency from a normal job?
Yes. Water that cannot be stopped, sewage and no hot water for a vulnerable person are texted to you straight away. Everything else is booked or written up for the morning.
Does it give prices?
Only the prices you give it, such as your call-out fee. It never invents a price. For anything else it takes the details and a photo so you can quote.
Do I keep my own number?
Yes. Your phone rings first. Calls you miss are forwarded to your Aroha number with one short code. See the codes for your network.
What does it cost?
Start free: a 14-day trial on your own number with up to 60 minutes of calls, then about 10 answered calls a month free. After that, pay as you go at NZ$0.59 a minute or choose a plan from NZ$79.99 a month. See every price.