Why Your Phone Not Ringing Is Costing You Thousands
I was sitting down for a coffee in Chermside last week with a bloke named Dave. Dave runs a successful landscaping business. He’s got three trucks on the road, his work is top-notch, and he’s one of the hardest workers I know.
But Dave had a problem.
"Mate," he said, "I’m losing my mind. I’m out on a bobcat all day. I can’t answer the phone. By the time I get back to the office at 6:00 PM and start returning calls, half the people have already booked with the guy down the road who answered his phone at 10:00 AM."
Dave is literally throwing money away. Not because he’s bad at landscaping, but because he can’t be in two places at once. He’s tried hiring a receptionist, but between super, leave, and the fact that they only work 9 to 5, the numbers didn't stack up for him.
This is where everyone starts talking about "AI customer service." But let’s be honest: most of what you hear is rubbish. You don't need a robot that sounds like a sci-fi movie. You need a way to make sure that when a potential customer in Carindale or North Lakes looks for a landscaper, they get an answer immediately, they feel looked after, and a job gets booked.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to use AI and marketing automation to stop the bleed. We’ll look at the massive mistakes Brisbane business owners make when trying this stuff, and how you can actually make more money by doing it the right way.
The "Set and Forget" Myth
One of the biggest mistakes I see is business owners buying some fancy software, turning it on, and thinking their work is done. They think the AI will just "figure it out."
It won't.
If you set up an automated chat system on your website and don't tell it how you price your jobs or what suburbs you service, it’s going to frustrate your customers. Imagine a customer asking, "Do you do retaining walls in Ipswich?" and the bot responds with, "I am a helpful assistant. How can I help you today?"
That customer is gone. They’ve closed the tab and moved on to your competitor.
The Fix: You need to treat AI like a new apprentice. You wouldn't send a first-year out to a job site without telling them how you work, right? You need to feed the system your actual business info—your pricing, your service area, and how you like to talk to people.
Mistake #1: Sounding Like a Robot
Nobody likes talking to a machine. We’ve all been stuck in those phone menus where you have to press 1 for sales, 2 for accounts, and 3 to be ignored. It’s infuriating.
When small businesses try to use AI for customer service, they often use the "out of the box" settings. This results in dry, clinical, and frankly, weird conversations. If your business is built on being a friendly local tradie or a helpful family-owned shop, a cold robot voice will kill your brand.
I worked with a plumber in Morningside who tried a cheap "chatbot" he found online. It kept saying things like "I acknowledge your enquiry, valued patron."
Valued patron? He’s a plumber, not a five-star hotel.
The Fix: Your automated systems should sound like you. If you say "G'day," the bot should say "G'day." If you’re straight to the point, the bot should be too. The goal isn't to trick people into thinking the AI is a real human—people are smarter than that—but to make the interaction feel natural and helpful.
Mistake #2: Not Asking for the Sale
This is the most common way I see Brisbane businesses waste money on tech. They set up a system that answers questions but never actually asks for the booking.
It’s great that your AI told a customer you’re open until 5:00 PM. But did it ask them if they wanted to book a quote? Did it get their phone number so you could call them back?
If your AI isn't actively trying to turn a visitor into a customer, it’s just an expensive FAQ page. We’ve seen that using AI sales bots can increase the number of jobs booked by over 40% simply because they don't forget to ask for the business.
The Fix: Every automated interaction must have a goal. - Someone asks about price? Give a range and ask to book a quote. - Someone asks if you’re open? Tell them yes and ask what they need help with. - Someone leaves a message after hours? Acknowledge it and tell them exactly when you’ll call back.
Mistake #3: Ignoring the "Human Hand-off"
AI is great for the easy stuff: "Where are you located?", "Do you have this in stock?", "Can I book a time?"
But AI is terrible at handling angry customers or complex, one-off problems. A massive mistake is not having a way for a real person to jump in when things get complicated.
I’ve seen businesses lose lifelong customers because a bot got stuck in a loop while a customer was trying to report a genuine emergency.
The Fix: You need a "safety valve." If the AI doesn't know the answer after two tries, or if the customer uses words like "urgent" or "complaint," the system needs to immediately alert you or a staff member. It should send a text to your phone so you can step in and save the day.
How Much Does This Actually Cost?
Let’s talk brass tacks. You’re running a business, not a charity. You want to know if this will make you more money than it costs.
Most "cheap" AI tools cost about $50 to $100 a month. But here’s the catch: they take hours of your time to set up, and if you get it wrong, you lose customers.
A professional setup that actually works—one that handles your phone tag and bookings properly—might cost you a few hundred dollars to set up and a monthly fee that’s roughly the cost of a few hours of a receptionist's time.
If that system wins you just one extra job a month, it’s usually paid for itself. If it wins you one job a week, you’re laughing.
The 3-Step Plan to Get Started
If you’re tired of missing calls and want to grow your business without working 20 hours a day, here is what I’d tell my mate to do:
1. Fix Your Website Chat First
Don't worry about phone AI yet. Start with your website. Most people looking for a local service in Brisbane are doing it on their phones, often late at night when you're asleep. Putting a smart assistant on your site that can capture their name, number, and what they need is the fastest way to see results.2. Connect it to Your Calendar
If you use a digital calendar (like Google or Outlook), connect your AI to it. Let people book their own quotes or appointments. It sounds scary to give up control, but you can set the rules (e.g., "only book on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9 and 11"). This removes the back-and-forth emails that kill your productivity.3. Review the Conversations Weekly
Spend 15 minutes on a Friday afternoon reading what people asked the AI. You’ll quickly see where it’s doing well and where it’s stumbling. If everyone is asking a question the AI can't answer, give it the answer. It gets smarter every week.The Verdict: Is AI Worth It For You?
If you’re a solo operator who is already at capacity and doesn't want more work, don't bother. You don't need more leads if you can't handle them.
But if you want to grow, if you want to hire that next staff member, or if you just want to stop working until 9:00 PM every night doing admin, then yes, this is the best investment you can make right now.
Most of what you read online about AI is complicated rubbish written by people who have never set foot on a job site. At Local Marketing Group, we focus on what actually puts money in your bank account. We don't care about "cutting-edge tech" unless it gets you more phone calls and more bookings.
Ready to stop missing out on jobs?
We help Brisbane businesses set up systems that work while they’re on the tools. No jargon, no fluff—just more customers.
Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s see if we can help you win more work without the headache.