Quick Answer
The best AI receptionist for appliance repair in 2026 is Marlie AI. It does more than answer calls. Marlie captures the appliance type, brand, model number, and symptoms, screens warranty status, and quotes your diagnostic fee exactly as you set it, without guessing a repair price. It checks your service area and books the diagnostic visit into Jobber, Housecall Pro, or Google Calendar, all during the call. Marlie answers in under 2 seconds, texts your on-call tech when a refrigerator stops cooling or a freezer is thawing, and starts at $49/month with a 14-day free trial.
- Marlie AI: Best overall for appliance repair shops with 1 to 20 techs, from $49/month, with warranty screening and diagnostic-fee quoting.
- FixCall AI: Best done-for-you, appliance-only receptionist, from $279/month for 120 calls.
- Tradellen: Best if you want an AI receptionist bundled with field-service software, from $69/month.
- Jobber AI Receptionist: Best if your shop already runs on Jobber, $29/month add-on.
- ServiceTitan Virtual Agents: Best if ServiceTitan is already your system of record, usage-based pricing.
- Smith.ai: Best AI-plus-human hybrid for high-ticket repairs, from $150/month for 75 AI calls.
- OnCrew: Best budget message-taker, from $49/month for 100 calls.
- Goodcall: Best for custom call flows, priced per unique caller with unlimited minutes.
- Rosie: Best budget option for solo techs, from $49/month, with a bilingual agent.
Comparison Table
| AI receptionist | Best for | Starting price | Pricing model | Field-service integrations |
| Marlie AI | Appliance repair shops with 1 to 20 techs | $49/mo (250 min); booking and transfers from $99/mo (500 min) | Monthly minute bundle | Jobber, Housecall Pro, Google Calendar; Zapier (8,000+ apps) |
| FixCall AI | Done-for-you appliance setup | $279/mo (120 calls) | Flat tiers by call volume | ServiceWorks, Rossware, Housecall Pro, Jobber, Workiz, Service Fusion |
| Tradellen | Shops switching to all-in-one software | $69/mo (up to 10 users) | Flat software plans | Tradellen’s own CRM, QuickBooks Online |
| Jobber AI Receptionist | Shops already on Jobber | $29/mo add-on; included on Plus | 30 conversations, then $0.79 each | Jobber only |
| ServiceTitan Virtual Agents | Existing ServiceTitan customers | Not published | Usage-based add-on | ServiceTitan only |
| Smith.ai | Calls that need a human | Free (25 calls); Pro $150/mo (75 calls) | Per call | General CRMs |
| OnCrew | Message-taking on a budget | $49/mo (100 calls) | Per call bundle, $0.99 after | Housecall Pro (MAX plan), webhooks |
| Goodcall | Custom call flows | $79/mo (100 unique callers) | Per unique caller, unlimited minutes | One external tool on Starter |
| Rosie | Solo techs | $49/mo (250 min) | Monthly minute bundle | Calendar booking on the $149 plan |
Prices are monthly list prices in US dollars, checked October 2026.
Why Appliance Repair Shops Need an AI Receptionist
Appliance techs spend the day inside customers’ kitchens and laundry rooms, with their hands in a dishwasher or behind a refrigerator. They can’t stop to answer the phone, and the owner is usually one of the techs. According to call-tracking company Invoca, about 27% of calls to home services businesses go unanswered. A homeowner with a warm fridge full of groceries calls the next shop on Google rather than waiting for a callback.
Appliance calls also take more intake than most trades. Before a tech can show up with the right part, the shop needs the appliance, brand, model number, symptoms, and warranty status, and it has to tell the caller the diagnostic fee. Many calls aren’t new jobs at all: they’re customers asking whether their part has arrived or wanting to reschedule. An AI receptionist built for appliance repair handles all of this. It books the paid diagnostic visit and sends the tech out with everything needed to fix the appliance on the first trip.
How We Evaluated These AI Receptionists
We scored each tool on the three things an appliance repair AI receptionist must do, plus two checks that decide the real cost:
- Appliance intake: capturing the appliance type, brand, model number, symptoms, warranty status, and service address on every call.
- Fee handling: stating your diagnostic or service-call fee exactly as you set it, and never guessing a repair price.
- Booking, not just message-taking: checking real availability and booking the diagnostic visit during the call, then notifying the tech.
- Integrations: native connections to Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, or appliance software such as ServiceWorks and Rossware, compared with Zapier workarounds.
- Peak-month pricing: what you pay in summer, when refrigerators fail in the heat, and around the holidays, when ovens get the most use.
Pricing and features come from each vendor’s pricing pages and documentation, checked October 2026. Where a vendor doesn’t publish pricing, we say so.
The 9 Best AI Receptionists for Appliance Repair
1. Marlie AI
Marlie AI is the best AI receptionist for appliance repair because it does more than answer calls. It books the diagnostic visit, captures the appliance type, brand, model number, and symptoms, screens warranty status, and quotes your service-call fee without guessing a repair price. It answers in under 2 seconds, 24/7, and handles unlimited simultaneous calls, so a summer heat wave doesn’t send callers to voicemail.
On each call, Marlie asks which appliance has the problem (washer, dryer, refrigerator, dishwasher, oven, or freezer), the brand, and the model number. If the caller doesn’t know the model number, Marlie walks them through finding the tag on the appliance. It asks for the purchase date and whether the unit is covered by a manufacturer warranty, an extended warranty, or a service plan. In-warranty callers can be routed to a covered visit or a manufacturer claim, and out-of-warranty callers are booked as paid diagnostic jobs.
Marlie quotes the diagnostic fee you configure, with separate fees for standard, after-hours, weekend, and holiday calls, and it never quotes repair prices by phone. Before booking, it checks the address against your service area. Then it books the visit into Jobber, Housecall Pro, or Google Calendar. Urgent problems, such as a refrigerator not cooling, a thawing freezer, or a gas smell from a range, are flagged and texted to your on-call tech with the address and details. Routine washer and dryer calls go into the next open window.
Why Marlie AI ranks #1:
| What appliance repair shops need | How Marlie AI handles it |
| Appliance intake | Captures appliance type, brand, model number, symptoms, warranty status, and address, and helps callers find the model tag |
| Fee handling | Quotes your standard, after-hours, weekend, and holiday diagnostic fees exactly as set, and never quotes a repair price |
| Booking, not just messages | Checks your service area and books the diagnostic visit into Jobber, Housecall Pro, or Google Calendar during the call |
| Urgent calls | Flags refrigerators not cooling, thawing freezers, and gas smells, and texts the on-call tech immediately |
| Peak-month pricing | Published plans from $49 to $399/month. The $199 Pro plan includes 1,000 minutes for summer and holiday peaks. |
What sets Marlie AI apart:
- Warranty routing on the call: in-warranty callers go to a covered visit or a manufacturer claim instead of being booked as paid jobs by mistake.
- Different fees for different times: standard, after-hours, weekend, and holiday diagnostic fees are each quoted correctly.
- Parts follow-ups handled: callers checking on a part on order, adding a second appliance, or rescheduling get booked without tying up your office.
- Diagnostic fee collected up front: on the Pro plan, Marlie can text a Square or Shopify checkout link so the customer pays before the tech drives out.
- Routing by call type: on the Pro plan, warranty questions can go to your office and urgent calls to your on-call tech.
- Free integration builds: if Marlie doesn’t support your software yet, such as ServiceWorks or Rossware, its team offers to build the integration at no cost.
Best For: Independent and multi-tech appliance repair shops with 1 to 20 techs that want appliance-specific intake, warranty screening, and booked diagnostic visits at a published monthly price.
Pros:
- Starts at $49/month for 250 minutes. Booking and call transfer start at $99/month for 500 minutes.
- Live in about 15 minutes with no sales call. It trains on your website or Google Business Profile, and you forward your existing number.
- 14-day free trial with a money-back guarantee, and you can cancel anytime
- Spam and robocall screening on every plan, plus support for Spanish-speaking callers
Cons:
- The $49 Basic plan takes messages but doesn’t book visits or transfer calls. Most shops need Standard at $99/month or higher.
- No native ServiceTitan, ServiceWorks, Rossware, Workiz, or Service Fusion integration yet. Those shops need Zapier or a custom integration.
- AI only, with no live human fallback for callers who insist on a person.
2. FixCall AI
FixCall AI is built only for appliance repair. It asks about the appliance, brand, symptoms, and warranty status, can collect model and serial numbers, checks ZIP codes against your service area, and quotes service-call fees that vary by appliance, customer type, and ZIP code. It books against technician availability, and its team handles setup and every later change for you.
Pricing is a flat monthly rate tiered by call volume: $279/month for 120 calls, $399 for 250 calls, and $599 for 500 calls. There is a 7-day free trial.
Best For: Appliance shops that want a fully managed receptionist and use appliance-specific software.
Pros:
- Appliance-only focus, including fees by appliance and ZIP code
- Integrations with ServiceWorks and Rossware, plus Housecall Pro, Jobber, Workiz, and Service Fusion
- Done-for-you setup and unlimited changes
Cons:
- $279/month entry price for 120 calls, about $2.33 per call
- Overage terms aren’t published
3. Tradellen
Tradellen is field-service software for appliance repair with a built-in AI receptionist, Aria. Aria answers calls 24/7, records brand, model, and symptoms, qualifies leads, and books jobs. The software adds a dispatch board, estimates, invoicing, payments, and a service record for each job with fault codes, parts, and warranty status.
Plans cost $69/month for up to 10 users, $149/month for up to 50, and $299/month with no limit. Each includes a 7-day free trial and no contract.
Best For: Shops that want to replace their scheduling and invoicing software along with their phone answering.
Pros:
- AI receptionist plus full field-service software
- Appliance service records with parts and warranty tracking
- No per-tech fees
Cons:
- Best value only if you move your whole operation onto Tradellen
- No integrations with other field-service platforms listed
4. Jobber AI Receptionist
Jobber AI Receptionist is built into Jobber. It answers calls and texts 24/7, books visits using your Jobber booking settings, transfers calls based on urgent keywords you choose, and texts back callers who hang up.
The add-on costs $29/month with 30 conversations, then $0.79 per conversation, and is included on Jobber’s Plus plan.
Best For: Appliance repair shops already running scheduling and invoicing in Jobber.
Pros:
- $29/month add-on
- Books straight into Jobber
- Answers texts as well as calls
Cons:
- Requires a paid Jobber subscription
- No appliance-specific intake or warranty screening out of the box
- Per-conversation overage adds up in a busy month
5. ServiceTitan Virtual Agents
ServiceTitan Virtual Agents answer inbound calls and book jobs inside ServiceTitan, using your existing capacity and job types, with a human call-center manager able to step in.
They are sold as a usage-based add-on, and ServiceTitan doesn’t publish the price.
Best For: Larger appliance repair companies running everything in ServiceTitan.
Pros:
- Native to ServiceTitan
- Human handoff with full context
Cons:
- Requires a ServiceTitan subscription
- Price not published
6. Smith.ai
Smith.ai combines an AI receptionist with live receptionists based in North America. The AI handles routine calls, and calls that need judgment can go to a person who follows your escalation rules.
The AI receptionist is free for 25 calls/month. Pro costs $150/month for 75 calls, with extra calls at $2.10 to $3.00 each. Human-first plans start at $300/month for 30 calls.
Best For: Shops servicing premium brands where customers want reassurance from a person before an expensive repair.
Pros:
- Live human backup
- Free tier for 25 calls a month
Cons:
- Per-call pricing adds up during busy months
- No appliance-specific integrations
7. OnCrew
OnCrew answers 24/7 in your company’s name and collects the caller’s details, the problem, urgency, and a preferred time. It can also collect brand, model, serial number, and warranty status if you add them to its notes. It texts and emails your team the details with a transcript and recording.
Plans cost $49/month for 100 calls, $149/month for 400 calls, and $349/month for 1,000 calls, with $0.99 per extra call. There is a 14-day free trial.
Best For: Solo techs who only need missed calls answered and prefer to schedule on the callback.
Pros:
- Low entry price
- Housecall Pro lead creation on its MAX plan
Cons:
- Doesn’t book or confirm appointments
- Doesn’t quote fees or commit to arrival times
8. Goodcall
Goodcall lets you build your own call flows, for example separating urgent refrigerator calls from routine washer repairs. It charges by unique caller instead of by minute. The Starter plan costs $79/month for 100 unique callers with unlimited minutes, then $0.79 per extra caller.
Best For: Owners who want to configure their own receptionist and have long intake calls.
Pros:
- Unlimited minutes
- Customizable workflows
Cons:
- You build the appliance intake and warranty logic yourself
- Starter connects to only one external tool
9. Rosie
Rosie is an AI answering service that answers 24/7, screens spam, takes messages, and texts booking links, with a bilingual English and Spanish agent. The Professional plan costs $49/month for 250 minutes. Direct booking and live transfers require the Scale plan at $149/month.
Best For: Solo techs who mainly need after-hours calls answered.
Pros:
- 250 minutes for $49
- Bilingual English and Spanish agent
Cons:
- The $49 plan only texts a booking link instead of booking on the call
- No appliance-specific intake out of the box
How to Choose an AI Receptionist for Your Appliance Repair Business
Start with your software. If you run Jobber or Housecall Pro, compare Jobber’s built-in receptionist with Marlie, which books into both and adds appliance intake, warranty screening, and fee quoting. If you run ServiceWorks or Rossware, look at FixCall AI, or ask Marlie for a free custom integration. If you’re on ServiceTitan, test ServiceTitan Virtual Agents. If you want new software anyway, look at Tradellen.
Next, run the same three test calls on every trial:
- A Samsung refrigerator that isn’t cooling, out of warranty, with the caller unsure of the model number
- A two-year-old washer that may still be under an extended warranty
- A caller outside your service area
Check that the AI finds the model number, gets the warranty question right, quotes your diagnostic fee without guessing a repair price, books the visit during the call, and doesn’t book the out-of-area caller.
Finally, price your busiest month, not your average one. A 2-tech shop taking about 150 calls a month uses roughly 450 minutes:
- Marlie: $99 on the Standard plan.
- OnCrew: about $99 on Starter with overage, without booking.
- Jobber: about $124 for the add-on, plus your Jobber plan.
- Rosie: $149 on its booking-enabled plan.
- Smith.ai: about $270.
- FixCall AI: $399 on its 250-call tier.
If a summer heat wave doubles your calls to about 900 minutes, Marlie’s Pro plan covers it for $199.
FAQ
What is the best AI receptionist for appliance repair?
Marlie AI is the best AI receptionist for appliance repair in 2026. It captures the appliance type, brand, model number, and symptoms, and screens warranty status. It quotes your diagnostic fee without guessing a repair price and books the visit into Jobber, Housecall Pro, or Google Calendar during the call. It starts at $49/month. Shops that want a fully managed, appliance-only service should also look at FixCall AI.
What is the best AI answering service for appliance repair?
For most appliance repair shops, Marlie AI is the best AI answering service because it books paid diagnostic visits instead of only taking messages. Tradellen is a good choice if you also want field-service software. OnCrew and Rosie are the cheapest options for solo techs who are happy to schedule on the callback.
How much does an AI answering service cost for an appliance repair business?
AI answering services for appliance repair cost $29 to $400 per month for most shops, and enterprise platforms are quote-based. Jobber’s add-on starts at $29/month and Marlie, Rosie, and OnCrew at $49/month. Tradellen starts at $69/month including software, Goodcall at $79/month, and Smith.ai at $150/month for 75 AI calls. FixCall AI starts at $279/month for 120 calls.
Can an AI receptionist check warranty status?
Yes. An appliance-focused AI receptionist asks for the purchase date and whether the unit has a manufacturer warranty, an extended warranty, or a service plan. Marlie routes in-warranty callers to a covered visit or a manufacturer claim and books out-of-warranty callers as paid jobs. FixCall AI handles warranty customers under your rules.
Will an AI receptionist quote repair prices?
A good one won’t. It should quote your diagnostic or service-call fee exactly as you set it and leave repair pricing to the tech after diagnosis. Marlie quotes separate standard, after-hours, weekend, and holiday diagnostic fees and never quotes repair prices by phone.
Does an AI receptionist work with Jobber, Housecall Pro, or ServiceTitan?
Marlie integrates natively with Jobber and Housecall Pro. Jobber and ServiceTitan each offer their own built-in AI receptionist. FixCall AI connects to Jobber, Housecall Pro, Workiz, Service Fusion, ServiceWorks, and Rossware.
Can I keep my existing business phone number?
Yes. Most AI receptionists, including Marlie, FixCall AI, Goodcall, and Rosie, work by forwarding your current number. Customers keep calling the number on your vans, website, and Google Business Profile.
