There are a lot of things that need to be done behind the scenes before a contractor launches a chatbot, which were discussed at length in a recent NEWSmaker's Podcast, but here are five key takeaways from Aaron’s AI rollout.  

Design it for Advice First, Not Just Appointment Booking  

While an AI assistant can lead to more bookings for several different reasons, that shouldn’t be the primary function. Erin essentially functions as a 24/7 digital assistant that can help homeowners determine whether what they’re up against is something they can DIY, or if it’s time to call a professional.

“A lot of it is for general advice or maybe to determine whether or not they actually do need to call a plumber,” Sara Adams, of Aaron’s Services, explained. “Both tools are able to kind of walk the customer through some preliminary steps in order to determine how serious the problem is.”  

So think troubleshooting or preventative advice. For instance, Aaron’s actually saw a spike in usage before Thanksgiving.   

“We saw a big uptick before then, about ‘How do I keep my kitchen sink from clogging during Thanksgiving dinner?’” Adams said.   

It’s not a tool to push bookings — it’s a helpful middle-ground between reliable DIY research and getting on the phone with a contractor.   

It’s also great to keep engagement with customers even when the business isn’t open.   

“We get those questions around the clock, maybe at two o’clock in the morning,” Adams added. “We see a lot of activity after hours.”  

Safety Guardrails are a Must  

Unlike generic AI tools that will answer HVAC questions based on what can be called sketchy information at best, Erin’s knowledge base was built on the company’s own blog plus internal knowledge developed by management and technicians.

Safety was a top priority during setup, because DIY projects can turn catastrophic in the blink of an eye. The team manually reviewed hundreds of potential questions to help gauge what the homeowner’s intent was — and when to refuse to answer and instead escalate the inquiry to a company representative.   

“I actually individually reviewed, I want to say, at least a thousand intents and reviewed that answer to make sure that it was accurate and that safety was a real top concern,” Adams said.  

For instance, Erin will pause when there are questions about things like gas leaks, electrical issues, venting hazards, pressurized water system repairs, etc.  

If a user mentions smelling gas, for example, the system instructs them to leave the area and contact authorities immediately — not continue troubleshooting.  

“If someone’s chatting us about a gas leak, they understand they need to get out of that house — they need to stop chatting,” Adams said.  

And Erin is also trained to not help when someone is too far into DIY territory.  

“How do I replace my own water heater? She’s not going to walk you through that,” Adams said. “She’s going to say this is why this is dangerous and why you should contact a professional instead.”   

It’s To Fill a Gap, Not Replace a CSR or Tech  

CSRs are knowledgeable, but their primary duty is to schedule calls, not tie themselves up and walk homeowners step-by-step through a simple issue. Field technicians’ skills are better used doing the jobs homeowners can’t, and they don’t need to be spending time doing DIY support over the phone.   

Here is where Erin shines — she filters price-shopping inquiries, knocks out pre-scheduling questions, and gives sound advice to weekend warriors.   

If a homeowner realizes the job is more complex than expected, Erin can offer real-time availability and book the appointment directly. Managers report that it has reduced time spent fielding basic or exploratory calls, while increasing conversions from uncertain customers.  

And Adams emphasized Erin is not there to replace staff.   

“It’s really just a tool, kind of an extension of a CSR. It’s definitely not something that we are looking at as a replacement. It’s just kind of adding to the reach.”  

CSRs can even jump in if needed.  

“Maybe if we lose that customer halfway through that chat, our CSRs get a notification, and they can reach out.”  

Also, just because Erin’s primary job isn’t booking, that doesn’t mean she can’t steer a customer that way — if she determines a job is too complex for a homeowner, she might say something like, “We’ve got availability as early as this afternoon. I can go ahead and get you scheduled right now.”  

It’s a Great Way to Drive Website Traffic, Even From Beyond the Service Area  

Erin collects zip codes early in conversations to determine if this could be a potential customer, but interestingly, Aaron’s is finding that users outside of that area are still spending time engaging with the tool.   

While these distant visitors won’t be getting service from Aaron’s, they are supporting the company’s SEO, which was an unexpected benefit.   

Building an AI Assistant Requires Original Content and Oversight  

As mentioned earlier, AI like ChatGPT or Grok have built much of their HVAC knowledge off of things like Reddit forums and X posts, which aren’t widely considered to be reliable.   

Aaron’s suggests building a proprietary blog and homeowner knowledge base, developing structured “intents” around likely questions, manually reviewing and refining responses, and continuously adjusting logic based on real-world user phrasing.

For instance, Aaron’s said one early lesson they learned came from users asking general questions about tankless water heater codes. Erin misinterpreted the phrasing as the user looking for a specific error code, so it required more training to help Erin distinguish between broad inquiries and precise troubleshooting.