#149: Why Most Home Service Pros Will Lose to AI (Unless They Do This) // Next Level Pros Podcast

Summary

Podcast Summary: Next Level Pros Episode #149 Title: Why Most Home Service Pros Will Lose to AI (Unless They Do This) Host: Chris Lee Release Date: May 30, 2025

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Introduction: The AI Revolution in Home Services

[00:00]
Chris Lee opens the episode by addressing the polarizing views on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on blue-collar jobs. He sets the stage for the discussion by highlighting how AI technologies like ChatGPT and wearable AI devices are transforming the home service and trades industries, presenting both significant opportunities and potential threats.

AI's Rapid Advancements and Practical Applications

[00:36] - [01:21]
Daryl shares his excitement about the swift advancements in AI, emphasizing how daily innovations are unlocking new features and use cases. He recounts an instance where he used ChatGPT to enhance customer communication, resulting in an immediate appointment booking:

“I sent that to Chat GBT with all the context of who I am as a person and how I like to sell and it gave me a text message that I copied and pasted and they immediately booked appointment right after.” [00:36]

Chris adds context about the evolution of AI models, urging listeners to invest in the latest versions of ChatGPT to stay competitive:

“If you are using the free Chat GPT, you are literally using a model that was created in 2022. We've had so many other models that existed up until 2025.” [01:21]

Essential AI Tools for Home Service Businesses

[03:58] - [06:15]
Levi discusses the abundance of AI tools available and cautions against clickbait claims about AI’s capabilities. Instead, he focuses on practical tools that can genuinely benefit home service businesses, such as wearable AI devices that record interactions and integrate with platforms like Notion for managing data and creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Chris elaborates on the importance of wearable AI:

“If I'm, if I'm just starting from ground zero in the AI world, one, I'm getting a, a $30 subscription to, to Chad be t. Two, I'm getting a wearable AI that's going to start recording all my interactions.” [03:58]

He underscores the cost-effectiveness and benefits of wearable AI for enhancing employee performance and customer interactions:

“You are present for every single interaction that your employees are having with your customers and you can build real feedback.” [05:51]

Creating a Digital Legacy with AI

[07:01] - [08:46]
Chris delves into the futuristic concept of creating an "immortal" version of oneself using AI. He envisions a future where AI can mimic his tonalities and behaviors, allowing for perpetual advice and interaction:

“With Plot is always listening to me, always taking these interactions. And now they can go and be like, dad, what would you do in this situation?” [07:01]

Levi connects this idea to Tony Robbins’ approach of recording his career for AI integration, highlighting the potential for AI to replicate not just public personas but also behind-the-scenes behaviors:

“This is so Tony Robbins. I remember going to his conference four years ago and he said, I've been recording everything I've ever done...” [08:25]

Overcoming Intimidation: Adopting AI in Business

[09:19] - [12:28]
Daryl shares a conversation with a business owner new to ChatGPT, illustrating the initial intimidation many face when adopting AI:

“I showed him some of the use cases that I use it for and he's like, oh, man. Like, I just, I can't even think.” [09:19]

Chris emphasizes the importance of investing in paid AI services to unlock full functionality and suggests integrating AI into daily routines through voice commands:

“If you got one of these new iPhones, ... you can set the action as opening your chat gbt.” [10:01]

Daryl highlights the benefits of using voice interactions with AI, allowing for more natural and efficient communication:

“What I love about the voice thing is you can keep it way more casual and I can just dump all of my thoughts and feelings.” [12:28]

Enhancing Customer Service with AI Bots

[12:59] - [14:29]
Chris and Levi discuss the implementation of AI voice and text bots in customer service. Levi explains how these bots can handle customer inquiries, set appointments, and improve operational efficiency:

“They can answer the phone call, take care of the customer and get them set up for what they need.” [13:25]

Chris compares AI bots to hiring employees, noting that while initial setup is straightforward, fine-tuning the bots to match desired customer interactions requires effort:

“It's like hiring. It's easy to get somebody in the door and get started doing the basics. It's really hard to get like follow sops.” [14:01]

He further emphasizes the reliability of AI bots, which never forget and can be scaled effortlessly:

“Once you train it, they never forget, right.” [14:16]

Ethical Considerations and the Future of Jobs

[14:29] - [17:13]
Daryl brings up the ethical debate surrounding AI’s potential to replace human jobs, prompting Chris to address the inevitability of job displacement alongside the emergence of new roles:

“It's going to replace jobs. Okay. But new jobs will arise from it.” [14:45]

Chris advises business owners to educate their employees about AI, positioning it as a tool rather than a threat:

“Look, don't be scared of AI. Utilize AI. Learn AI.” [15:11]

He presents two possible futures: one where AI enhances quality of life by handling tasks, and another where AI-driven automation leads to a leisure-focused society:

“There's literally nothing to fear... now we're just out like hiking, playing with our kids, going, going boating and stuff.” [15:58]

Levi references an email from Fiverr’s CEO warning employees about AI's impact on jobs, underscoring the urgency for professionals to adapt:

“AI is coming for your jobs... If you do not become an exceptional talent at what you do, a master, you will face the need to for a career change in a matter of months.” [16:04]

Chris concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to embrace AI to stay relevant and take advantage of the myriad opportunities it presents:

“Let that be a voice of warning to every single person that's watching this. Face aheadon. Go and take advantage.” [17:11]

Key Takeaways

• Adopt Advanced AI Tools: Investing in the latest AI models and wearable devices can significantly enhance business operations and customer interactions.
• Embrace AI Integration: Utilize AI for sales, customer service, and operational efficiency through tools like ChatGPT, wearable AI, and AI-powered bots.
• Continuous Learning: Business owners and employees must educate themselves about AI to manage and leverage it effectively, ensuring they remain indispensable.
• Prepare for Job Evolution: While AI may replace certain jobs, it also creates new roles focused on AI management and oversight. Embracing this shift is crucial for future success.
• Ethical Responsibility: Leaders should communicate transparently about AI’s impact, providing guidance and support to their teams as they navigate these changes.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Daryl on AI Enhancing Sales:
  “I sent that to Chat GBT with all the context of who I am as a person and how I like to sell and it gave me a text message that I copied and pasted and they immediately booked appointment right after.” [00:36]

• Chris on AI Model Evolution:
  “If you are using the free Chat GPT, you are literally using a model that was created in 2022. We've had so many other models that existed up until 2025.” [01:21]

• Chris on Wearable AI Benefits:
  “You are present for every single interaction that your employees are having with your customers and you can build real feedback.” [05:51]

• Daryl on Overcoming AI Intimidation:
  “I showed him some of the use cases that I use it for and he's like, oh, man. Like, I just, I can't even think.” [09:19]

• Fiverr CEO’s Warning on AI:
  “AI is coming for your jobs... If you do not become an exceptional talent at what you do, a master, you will face the need to for a career change in a matter of months.” [16:04]

• Chris’s Call to Action:
  “Let that be a voice of warning to every single person that's watching this. Face aheadon. Go and take advantage.” [17:11]

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Conclusion

In this episode of Next Level Pros, Chris Lee and his guests delve deep into the transformative impact of AI on the home service industry. They explore practical applications, essential tools, and strategic integrations that can help businesses not only survive but thrive in an AI-driven landscape. The discussion also touches on the ethical implications of AI, emphasizing the importance of education and adaptation to harness AI's full potential while mitigating its disruptive effects.

For home service professionals listening to this episode, the message is clear: Embrace AI, invest in the right tools, and continuously educate yourself and your team to stay ahead in the evolving business environment.

Transcript

[Chris]

Real people versus artificial intelligence. Some people say that AI is going to replace blue collar jobs, while others say it's going to make us unstoppable. So who's right? In this video we're going to break down exactly how bots, wearable AI and tech like Chad GBT are completely changing the game for home service pros. And why it's either your biggest opportunity or your biggest threat. Let's dive in. Yo. So AI is changing the game, especially in the home service and the trade space. Where do you guys see it impacting the most?

[Daryl]

It's, it's so crazy how fast it's moving because every day it feels like I'm looking through the news and there's like a new feature that I didn't know that you could use or that that it's a new use case. Just yesterday I've been going back and forth with this person to see if they're a good fit for the community. I screenshot of the text messages and gave it context of. Hey, this is the conversation. I can't get them to book an appointment. How, how can I give get them over the hump? I sent that to Chat GBT with all the context of who I am as a person and how I like to sell and it gave me a text message that I copied and pasted and they immediately, it was per media. They immediately booked appointment right after.

[Chris]

So let me, let me just speak to whoever's watching or listening to this right now. If you are using the free Chat GPT, you are literally using a model that was created in 2022. We've had so many other models that existed up until 2025. So one, you gotta start paying for Chad GBT that's like baseline entry level. Get into the AI game. Outside of that there are a million and one tools. So they actually just released ChatGPT4.1. Did you hear about this? So 4.1 is like a, an advanced version of 4.0 and then you have 4.5 which is more for like copywriting and those type of things. But, but like Chad gbt. We, we just did a, a workshop like six weeks ago and it was, it was wild to me that like how much people's minds were blown from the very basic of AI. I think, I think most people, you guys can agree or disagree right now are like they've replaced Google with Chad gbt right? Like most people are using that in some aspect or form. But that is so elementary to like, like really understanding how to create a prompt is so vital in 2025, 2026. And because the prompting, it's amazing. Like you can use Chat GBT to learn more about AI, right? And so the way that you create the prompt to Chat GBT is going to then dictate how you use AI and everything else, creating automations and everything else. So like that's like base level.

[Levi]

I think there's a, you know, there's a lot of posts out there like, hey, these are the nine ways you should be using Chat gbt. There's a lot of people saying how you should use it. There's also posts out there, they're like saying like, I, I rebuilt my whole CRM in three days or two hours or whatever. So there's a lot of like stuff out there that just doesn't.

[Chris]

Click bait.

[Levi]

Yeah, it's clickbait. Doesn't really work. And, and what I'm thinking about is like what, what are the actual things that people should be doing and what are some things that are kind of far fetched because you know, no one's gonna, who, who doesn't know how to build software is gonna build software with AI at least today, in a year from now that could all change. But I think there's some valuable tools. I mean let's, let's say you're a home service business, like, what would you recommend, prescribe today for someone who's, you know, trying to build a business, trying to get more customers? You talked about sales, understanding how to communicate better, what are some other tools?

[Chris]

So I think it's, yeah, how we, how do we integrate it? So first of all, you're wearing a little plaid note pin. So that, that guy right there, I wear it all the time. And it just so happens that mine's, mine's charging right now. And, and so I don't have it on, but it's like one of the few times that I don't have it on. So that right there is a game changer in the way that you can utilize AI. So one is like, if I have a sales team, people that are out in the field, I am making them wear a wearable AI that is recording. So essentially what this does is it records our whole conversation. It can distinguish between the technician and the customer. Right. And it has voice recognition. The only downside is you have to reset it every three hours. You just have to turn it on and turn it off to be able to get that voice recognition. But you can then take that information, upload it to Chat GBT and say, give me Feedback based off of so and so's sales principles. How would you improve this? Right? And, and also, boom, you get this, this full feedback. Or hey, how would you improve this interaction? Or what is an sop standard operating procedure that I can create based off of my interactions had with my employees? Hey guys, it's Chris. Hey. A lot of you leave comments asking for help. Do me a real quick favor, shoot me a text at 509-374-7554. That's 509-374-7554. Shoot me a text. I'll answer and help you with whatever you need. Don't worry, I got you back. Let's go back to the show, baby. And so I just think like one, if I'm, if I'm just starting from ground zero in the AI world, one, I'm getting a, a $30 subscription to, to Chad be t. Two, I'm getting a wearable AI that's going to start recording all my interactions. Three, I'm going to give that to my employees. What is it like? It's like 20 or 30 bucks a month for the wearable AI?

[Levi]

Something like that.

[Chris]

Yeah. Like that is literally the best money that you can spend because now all of a sudden you are present for every single interaction that your employees are having with your customers and you can build real feedback and say, ok, are they following this script? And literally like you combine that with Chad GBT and there's like automations that can push them together. Like, dude, it's pretty mind blowing.

[Levi]

Yeah. To explain on that or expand on that, you have so like this call, this plot. So it's recording right now, I'll turn off, turn on, I go on my phone, it generates a summary, that summary gets pushed. There's automation that pushes it into notion. So then in notion I store all these summaries and then in notion, which has AI, I can search all, everything that's going on, all the conversations. So if I want to create an SOP or if I want to create a cell script or if I want to create a to do list, I can search that on notion. It spits it out. And so now without having to go through all this content because there's just too much to process, it can, it can give me exactly what I want, what I'm looking for. So yeah, it's almost like you're creating your own Google for your life.

[Chris]

You know, I got to be careful the way I say this, but like I truly believe, like I'm creating an immortal Chris, you know with, with this. So like, I mean, with the technology that we have, right? So you have like a company like, hey, Gen, Hey Gen can take a video and mimic my exact tonalities, mimic my exact like hand gestures and everything like that. So you got that? And then we have over here, Plot is literally recording every single thing that I'm doing. And I've, I've taken the RAW files, put in chat gbt and I say, hey, start talking exactly like me. And it's like, this is how I talk. Hey, dude, what's up? Like, literally has it all. So I can imagine there's a day where I take all those RAW files with this image and I go, have you guys seen those like 3D boxes? Like the phone booth looking things like, dude, imagine this, right? 30 years from now Chris is dead, right? For whatever reason, I get hit by a train, probably some crazy. And my kids, they have this like phone booth that has my image, has all my words, my counsel that I've given to my kids over the years. Because Plot is always listening to me, always taking these interactions. And now they can go and be like, dad, what would you do in this situation? How should I handle this? Like, and boom. It's like literally everything. Like, it thinks, acts and talks like me. Like, dude, that's some crazy.

[Levi]

You know who's done? This is so Tony Robbins. I remember going to his conference four years ago and he said, I've been recording everything I've ever done, my whole career, it's all on record. And he's like, I'm taking that, I'm putting in AI. And then soon you won't need me anymore. You'll have my AI. Yeah, he recently released it, but yeah, it's basically the same thing.

[Chris]

Well, you know, it's interesting, until now, that really only existed in like the film world, right? So Tony obviously has been recorded from stage and everything like that. So that asp of them exist. But like, what about behind the scenes? And that's where like this comes into place is like all of a sudden you get to know Tony or Daryl or Levi behind the scenes, not just what's on camera, what's on stage or whatnot. Because like those are two different human beings, right? Like, the way that I go and interact with my wife and my kids is going to be a little bit different than when I'm up on stage. And so, yeah, pretty, pretty mind blowing.

[Daryl]

I had a conversation with a business owner just like two weeks ago and they were not using ChatGPT at all. It's like ground zero. And he's like, well, what can I use it with and what use it for? And I show him some of the use cases that I use it for and he's like, oh, man. Like, I just, I can't even think. And so I can imagine how a lot of home service business owners, any business owner really who's not using it right now, can be intimidating because you don't know what you don't know. And so the first thing I told that person was just tell it everything about you, your life story, what you're doing as a business owner, and then ask it at the end, how can I use you best for who I am as a person?

[Chris]

With the one caveat, you got to be paying for it. Because if you're not paying for it, it's not going to remember all the things, right?

[Daryl]

For sure. And from there, that point on, they've been using it every single day for the last couple of weeks because ChatGPT is now telling the business owner how they can best use themselves as a tool.

[Chris]

Dude, it's wild. Literally. I will teach you about AI, which will teach you about AI and like, if you're not doing this, one of the best ways. So if you got one of these new iPhones, there's this little hot button up top, right? And you can set the action as opening your chat gbt. So what I do is I have this where it literally just goes right to the. To the verbal. And so I can just start talking with Chad gbt. So what up, Chad gbt? Hey, can you tell me maybe five things that I should be working on right now? Hey, guys, it's Chris. If you're finding value in what you're hearing, go ahead and like and subscribe. That way, people just like you can find this content for free here on YouTube. Now let's dive back in the show.

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[Chris]

Wild, right?

[Daryl]

So cool.

[Chris]

Like dude, like having that and so to your point is like pulling that up, having a conversation, like just letting Chad GBT know what's on your mind. Hey, I'm working with this, I'm thinking about this, I'm doing this. What are your thoughts like? Treat them like it's your best friend that knows everything.

[Daryl]

I think a lot of people get caught up when you're not paying for ChatGPT. You don't have the functionality of the, of the voice conversation. And so as you're sitting there and typing like you're always subconsciously, you're trying to make it like super punctual and like grammatically correct. And then you get yourself caught up where. What I love about the voice thing is you can keep it way more casual and I can just dump all of my thoughts and feelings, don't have to worry about anything else except for just getting it out there into the world and then it can shape it just like that. It's awesome.

[Chris]

Yeah, it's, it's pretty wild. Like and, and we're seeing a lot of advancements especially in the home service space of like where you can use this. So we talked about Chad GBT as a base. We talk about wearables like helping track your technicians and everything else. But then on top of that you got things like AI voice, AI text bots. Like yesterday we were spending some time, we're training our text bot right now. And like can you walk through like some of those things that we're doing?

[Levi]

Yeah. So I mean, and this is really important for anyone who's got customers calling in, but you have your, your text bots, your, your voice bots. But basically they can answer the phone call, take care of the customer and get them set up for what they need. Whether that's another phone call, a follow up set an appointment. And it's actually, it's pretty cool what we were doing because it's really easy to get it set up. What's hard is to, to get it finished. Right. And so that first like 90% pretty simple to get there. And it's like, wow, okay, this is cool. But you have to spend a lot of time that last 10% actually getting it to, to treat the customer exactly how you want to talk to.

[Chris]

I would, I would compare it to hiring. Right? Like it's easy to get somebody in the door and get started doing the basics. It's really hard to get like follow sops. But the cool thing about AI is like once you train it, right, like once, once you get it to that point.

[Daryl]

Yeah.

[Chris]

They never forget, right. Like we're an employee, an employee freaking forgets.

[Levi]

Never forget. You can multiply them. You can, you can. And then as you start to learn how to prompt them, yeah, you're just going to get better and better.

[Daryl]

That brings up a really important ethics topic around AI that a lot of people are arguing back and forth on. Is, is AI actually going to replace the jobs that people are trying to do and is that ethical or non ethical?

[Chris]

So that's a great question. So one, absolutely. It's going to replace jobs. Okay. But new jobs will arise from it. Right? And that's where everyone as business owners, if you have employees, you need to educate them this way. It's like, look, don't be scared of AI. Utilize AI. Learn AI. Because ultimately the positions that are going to exist are people that are managing a group of AI agents. Agents that are going and doing all the tasks. But they got to make sure that one, the tasks are being followed correctly. Two, there's not like, because there, there has to be fine tuning constantly like make making sure that the customer experience is improved, the communications improved, everything like that. That is what the future of AI is, is these people managing. And so like the way I look at it, there's one or two outcomes. One, that's the case or two, the robots do such a good job that who freaking cares? Because our, our life is just that much better. Literally got do nothing. We don't even have to produce value because the robots are doing. So now we're just out like hiking, playing with our kids, going, going boating and stuff. And so it's like there's literally nothing to fear.

[Daryl]

Did you guys see the email that the Fiverr CEO sent out to his whole staff?

[Chris]

Freaking loved it.

[Daryl]

I'll read it super quick if you haven't seen it, but this was a lot of. It was a controversial email for a lot of people. But this is the CEO of Fiverr. He sent this to his whole company. Hey team. I've always believed in radical candor and despise those who sugarcoat reality to avoid stating the unpleasant truth. The very basis for radical candor is care you care enough about your friends and colleagues to tell them the truth because you want them to be able to understand it, grow and succeed. So here's the unpleasant truth. AI is coming for your jobs. Heck, it's coming from my job too. This is a wake up call. It does not matter if you're a programmer, designer, product manager, data scientist, lawyer, customer support rep, salesperson, or finance person. AI is coming for you. You must understand that that was once considered easy tasks will no longer exist. What was once considered hard tasks will be the new easy. And what was considered impossible tasks will be the new hard. If you do not become an exceptional talent at what you do, a master, you will face the need to for a career change in a matter of months. I'm not trying to scare you. I'm not talking about your job at fiverr. I'm talking about your ability to stay in the profession, in the industry.

[Levi]

Wow.

[Chris]

Let that be a voice of warning to every single person that's watching this. Face aheadon. Go and take advantage. There's so many opportunities to learn and grow. Go and get it done today. Let's go.