AI Is Calling. Will You Answer?

Ask any AI tool to recommend a carpet cleaner, a house cleaning service or a commercial cleaning company, and it will hand back a short list in seconds. The newer development is that customers are starting to tell AI to contact those companies, explain the job, get a price and see when a crew can come out.

Dean Mercado, CEO of Online Marketing Muscle and creator of the Clone the Owner^® Methodology, wants cleaning and restoration business owners to prepare for that shift now.

“Things are changing, and they’re moving fast,” Mercado said. “It’s almost light speed.”

“Remember, the customer is still human,” Mercado noted. “But they’re tapping into AI to do some of the legwork.”

Google already has the button

Google added AI-powered calling to Search in July 2025. Users can click “Have AI check pricing,” review a summary of the request and let Google’s AI phone nearby businesses about price and availability. Google picks those businesses from its regular local search rankings. Owners can manage whether they receive the calls through their Google Business Profile settings.

Mercado expects the capability to reach more categories quickly. “Once they started rolling this out, it’s going to be spread everywhere in a matter of probably days, weeks,” he said.

Your next caller may be a bot

Mercado described an AI agent in simple terms. “If you had a personal assistant, that’s all it is,” he said.

Picture a homeowner who needs three rooms cleaned, has a dog with a couple of pet stains and would like Friday. The agent contacts several companies, gathers what each one needs for an estimate and reports back. With a connected calendar, it can even book the job.

That means companies will hear from callers they have never dealt with before, first by email and eventually by phone, through AI voices that keep asking until they get answers. “There’s no emotion there,” Mercado said. “It’s going to ask you what it needs to give its person.”

Owners don’t have to hand over everything. A company can still insist on walking the property first. The same agent is probably questioning two competitors, though. “The more you’re willing to share, the better,” Mercado added.

Staff will need training on what they can and can’t say, especially about price. Mercado doesn’t see this turning into a race to the bottom, even if pricing becomes more transparent. “It’s not just your price. It never was,” he said. “It’s always about, are you the right fit?”

Missed calls cost more now

A receptionist who hears a robotic voice and hangs up, or a phone that rolls to voicemail, sends the agent straight to the next company on its list. A 2025 analysis by call tracking firm Invoca found roughly one in four of Google’s AI pricing calls went unanswered, and nearly half of the answered calls produced no pricing at all.

“We’re moving to a 24-7 everything,” Mercado said.

Restoration raises the stakes. A homeowner with a flooded basement can tell an agent to call the 10 best restoration companies nearby and secure the first one that can show up. “They’ll make 10 calls at once,” Mercado said.

Which company tops that list depends heavily on website content. Mercado pointed to search, answer engine and generative engine optimization. If a site doesn’t make after-hours emergency service obvious or leaves out whether there is an upcharge, the company loses ground. Online booking forms are exposed too, since an agent can fill one out or come back to its user for missing details.

His rule of thumb is simple. “Could an assistant do it? Then quite likely your AI agent is going to be able to do it,” Mercado said.

Shop your own business today

Mercado recommends a test every owner can run now. Pose as a stranger with a real need in your service area, such as recurring house cleaning for a family with two dogs who values reliability and ask AI to recommend a few companies and explain why.

Start with discovery. If your company doesn’t appear, review your About page and service pages so AI understands what you do, who you serve and when you work. Next, check how AI describes you. A summary built on complaints is a red flag. Finally, see whether the inquiry can move forward. A clear next step, like a working booking button, keeps the agent from stalling.

Branded searches will find any company by name. The customer who matters most is the one who has never heard of you and just wants the best carpet cleaner nearby with fair pricing and a solid reputation.

“Don’t sit on this. It’s here,” Mercado said. “And it starts with tightening up your content.”