🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 Book a Free Strategy Call with Tradie Web Guys: https://tradie.wiki/tssyt There is no shortage of people online telling you to let AI answer your phones. Matt Jones reckons it is quietly costing tradies jobs, and he has tested it enough to know. Matt sits down with Shelby Anderson from ServiceForge to unpack why a panicked customer with a flooded basement does not want to talk to a bot, and why the human touch still wins when it comes to closed jobs. They dig into where AI genuinely helps, where it falls over, and why so many trade businesses are leaving money on the table every time a call slips to voicemail. You will walk away knowing how to qualify leads without burning your own hours, why the KPI most owners chase is the wrong one, and how to get your call handling ready for seasonal surges before they hit. Shelby breaks down what ServiceForge actually does with 24/7 live answering, booking and lead qualification, and Matt runs the old model versus new model maths on why a full-time in-house receptionist rarely stacks up. If you have ever lost a job to a missed call, this one is for you. 🎥 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/av3NCaE8SvQ KEY CHAPTERS 00:00 - Introduction 02:02 - Meet Shelby Anderson 02:37 - The AI vs Human Debate 04:04 - Where AI Falls Short 05:04 - The New Sales Model 07:01 - How ServiceForge Qualifies Leads 10:48 - Why Discovery Wins Jobs 12:12 - The KPI Tradies Get Wrong 13:59 - In-House vs Outsourced Costs 15:27 - The True Cost of a Missed Call 16:18 - Preparing for Seasonal Surges 18:56 - Local Agents and Conversions 20:49 - Where AI Is Headed 23:17 - Using AI Without Losing Your Voice 28:51 - Managing Sales Pipelines 33:08 - Training Agents and AI Coaching 35:30 - Final Advice for Tradies 37:44 - Closing Remarks and Resources About the Guest: Shelby Anderson Shelby Anderson is the Operations Leader at ServiceForge, an all-in-one service provider that helps trade and home service businesses get found, get booked and get paid. Based in Texas, her team handles 24/7 live answering, booking and payment solutions so no call goes unanswered and no opportunity is missed. She is passionate about building reliable customer experiences that turn inbound demand into booked jobs. Website: https://www.serviceforge.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/serviceforge/ CONNECT WITH THE TRADIE WEB GUYS! Website: https://www.tradiewebguys.com.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TradieWebGuysOfficial?sub_confirmation=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TradieWebGuysOfficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tradiewebguys/ LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/company/tradie-web-guys Matt's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamthemattj/ If you enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to leave us a review: ⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShed Love the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below: ⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed #podcast #thesiteshed #tradiewebguys #answeringservice #missedcalls #leadqualification #tradiebusiness #customerexperience  Your Next Step:Join Tradie Academy, our free community packed with templates, checklists, and resources shared by podcast guests, coaches, and successful tradies.👉 Join free and grab your next growth tool here: https://tradie.wiki/podFollow The Site Shed:Facebook: The Site ShedInstagram: @thesiteshedLinkedIn: Matt JonesWebsite: thesiteshed.comYouTube: @TheSiteShedIf you enjoyed this podcast and the series, please take 5 minutes to leave us a review:⭐ https://lovethepodcast.com/TheSiteShedLove the audio version of this podcast? Subscribe to the link below:⭐ https://followthepodcast.com/TheSiteShed