Answers sparking panel calls at midnight. Books EV charger installs while you're on a ladder. Sends invoices by text. Starting at $49/mo.
One missed commercial call can cost $3,000-8,000. SMB Forge captures every call — $49/mo.
When a homeowner smells burning from their electrical panel, they don't leave a message. They call the first electrician who answers. Emergency calls average $600-1,200 with higher margins. Miss it, and your competitor gets the job.
EV charger installations are $2,500-5,000 jobs and growing fast. Every missed call from a homeowner buying a new EV is a high-dollar project lead that went to someone else. SMB Forge captures and books these leads automatically.
Commercial service calls pay 2-3x residential rates. If you do both and miss a commercial call, one missed ring could cost you $3,000-8,000. SMB Forge answers every call regardless of type and routes it appropriately.
You're 30 feet up troubleshooting a service mast, or your hands are inside a panel. Your phone rings. By the time you can answer, it's gone. A small electrical shop missing 5-7 calls per week loses roughly $93,600 annually.
Panel upgrades average $2,500-5,000. These project leads often start with a simple phone call. If that call goes to voicemail, the homeowner calls the next electrician on Google. SMB Forge captures every inquiry.
Hand-written invoices eat 15 minutes each. You send 10 a week — that's 2.5 hours of unbillable time. SMB Forge lets you send invoices by text from Telegram in seconds, with payment links included.
AI answers every call, triages emergencies, captures details, and texts you the summary. Sparking panel at midnight? Answered. Power outage at a commercial client? Booked.
Customers text to book. AI confirms, checks your calendar, and sends reminders. Handles both residential service calls and commercial project inquiries.
Manage bookings, invoices, and emergency dispatches from Telegram. No app, no dashboard, no login. Works from your phone while you're in a panel.
Send invoices from Telegram in seconds. Customer gets a payment link by SMS. Different rates for residential, commercial, and emergency — all handled automatically.
Auto-requests Google reviews after completed jobs. Builds your rating while you work. More reviews = better map pack ranking = more calls.
Send EV charger install promotions, panel upgrade offers, and seasonal electrical safety reminders to your customer list. Stay top of mind between service calls.
A receptionist costs $3,100+/mo. Live answering services charge per-minute. SMB Forge is flat-rate at $49-199/mo with unlimited calls. One captured commercial call covers years of service.
| Feature | Hire a Receptionist |
Live Answering Service |
SMB Forge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $3,100+ | $200-2,000+ | $49-199 |
| 24/7 call answering | No (9-5) | ✓ | ✓ |
| After-hours coverage | Overtime or none | ✓ | ✓ |
| Emergency triage | Manual | Script-based | AI triage + dispatch |
| Resi vs commercial routing | Manual | Script-based | Automatic |
| SMS 2-way booking | — | Rare | ✓ |
| Auto invoicing by text | — | — | ✓ |
| Payment links | — | — | ✓ |
| Telegram owner bot | — | — | ✓ |
| Review management | — | — | ✓ (Max) |
| Campaign texting | — | — | ✓ (Max) |
| Pricing model | Salary + benefits | Per-minute | Flat monthly |
| Setup time | Weeks-months | Days | ~1 week |
No hidden fees. No per-message charges. Cancel anytime.
Most electrical shop owners spend 5+ hours a week on phone tag, handwritten invoices, and scheduling. At $99/mo, it pays for itself if it saves you just 2 hours of admin work. One captured EV charger install covers 2+ years of service.
SMB Forge works as a virtual receptionist for electricians — answering calls 24/7, booking jobs, and sending invoices so you never miss a lead. Unlike a traditional answering service, our AI assistant handles the full conversation: qualifies the caller, checks your calendar, books the appointment, and follows up. Electrical-specific emergency triage means sparking panels get immediate dispatch, power outages get priority response, and EV charger install inquiries get qualified and booked. All without hiring a receptionist or paying per-minute fees.
Read our full breakdown: Best SMS Scheduling Software for Electricians 2026.
SMB Forge works for any service business. See how we help yours:
Every call answered. Every emergency booked. Every invoice sent. One platform, $49/mo.
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