Podcast Summary: Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades

Episode: How Service Business Owners Use AI Voice Agents to Replace CSRs & Book 75% of Calls – Nathan Keller

Hosts: Tersh Blissett & Josh Crouch

Guest: Nathan Keller, Chief Sales Officer & Co-Founder, Free to Grow

Date: August 27, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into how AI voice agents are transforming front-line customer service in the skilled trades—HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and beyond. Nathan Keller of Free to Grow shares his company’s journey from a live human answering service to a tech company pioneering AI voice agents that now handle most customer inquiries and bookings. The discussion covers overcoming fears around AI—especially among older clients and existing staff—key differences between AI platforms, integration best practices, tips for successful onboarding, and the current and future impact of AI in the service business landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Free to Grow's Journey: From Live Agents to AI (04:06–10:03)

• Business Evolution: Free to Grow started as a live human answering service, dealing with typical scaling and staffing issues—especially in peak seasons.
• Pivot to AI: Through acquiring proprietary AI voice technology, they transformed into a tech-first company.
• Transition Challenges: Initial AI iterations were “not amazing,” and Free to Grow had to convince customers to try the service at a potentially lower standard (08:02).
• Quote (Nate Keller, 08:32):
  “We had customers that stuck with us…they kind of knew that things were going to constantly progress. And we had others that just said, I want a human doing it.”

2. Real-World CSR Challenges & AI’s Advantages (10:03–12:15)

• Live call answering (human) can be inconsistent, with CSRs often scrambling through SOPs, unfamiliar with accounts, or distracted (10:35).
• AI can instantly access information and respond to clients more consistently and quickly.

3. AI & Older Customers: Concerns & Realities (13:47–15:36)

• Assumptions v. Reality: Many owners fear older clients dislike AI services due to bad experiences with old-fashioned IVRs.
• Improvement in Tech: Modern AI voices are so natural that many clients—even older ones—often don’t realize they’re speaking with AI.
• Key Recommendation: Introduce the agent as a digital assistant to set clear expectations.
• Quote (Nate Keller, 13:47):
  “A lot of business owners just assume that their older clientele are not going to like it...Our scripting is customizable. We do recommend introducing it as a digital assistant.”
• Memorable Moment:
  Tersh shares a story about a client who thought an AI was a real team member (17:00–18:30).

4. AI Voice Agents vs. Competition (21:21–23:58)

• What Sets Platforms Apart: Not just voice quality, but depth of integration with field service management (FSM) tools and the thoroughness of onboarding.
• Importance of Onboarding: Free to Grow invests heavily in customizing the AI to match each company’s processes and brand—critical to success and adoption.

5. Customization & Scripting in AI Voice Agents (27:48–28:40)

• Knowledge Base Personalization: Beyond scripts, users can teach AI agents small, regionally- or company-specific habits, like addressing clients as “Mr.” or “Ms.”
• Hands-on Testing: Free to Grow provides a demo number (719-414-9355) so business owners can test the AI with real-world scenarios.

6. Customer Stories & AI's Emotional Intelligence (30:59–33:37)

• AI Remains Calm: Both hosts describe testing the AI with upset or yelling customers, finding that the AI never loses composure and always responds empathetically.
• Quote (Nate Keller, 31:47):
  “…calm, cool, collected the entire time…empathetic and everything. But did not mirror the yelling part of it.”

7. Booking Rates and Performance (33:51–34:38)

• Booking Success: AI booking rates reach up to 90%, but Free to Grow sees 75% as a baseline for viable calls. AI agents handle spam, pricing inquiries, and appointment scheduling efficiently.
• Quote (Nate Keller, 33:51):
  “We’ve seen them as high as 90%, but we look at that 75% as kind of the baseline of viable book calls.”

8. AI-on-AI Calls & Industry Trends (35:01–36:18)

• Emerging Trends: The future includes AI-to-AI calls—e.g., a Google business profile AI calling a business, with an AI answering—which could further automate and streamline inquiry handling.
• Industry Adoption: Larger companies are aggressively investing in AI, and staying updated is key to remaining competitive.

9. Overcoming Human Concerns: Will AI Replace CSRs? (45:04–48:11)

• Reassurance for CSRs: AI is best for overflow, after-hours, and routine calls, freeing humans for more complex, revenue-generating, or triage roles.
• Mindset Matters for Business Owners: Success with AI requires owners’ engagement and ownership in onboarding and customization.
• Quote (Nate Keller, 47:10):
  “The people that are truly scared of having their job replaced are also the people that probably aren’t showing up every day.”

10. Scripting, Knowledge Bases, and Custom Group Templates (49:04–49:42)

• Custom Playbooks: Free to Grow partners with coaching groups to implement specific scripting and customer service styles; the continually-updated knowledge base guides AI responses even more than scripts.

11. Future of AI Voice Agents (50:59–52:26)

• Outbound Calls: Free to Grow is rolling out AI-powered outbound calls initially for maintenance member check-ins, being mindful about legal constraints.
• Testing & Transparency: Listeners are encouraged to call the demo line for hands-on experience.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• On Transition to AI:
  “It was a big leap because the first iteration of the AI was not what it is today.”
  – Nate Keller (06:56)

• On customization:
  “Our scripting is customizable. We…recommend introducing it as a digital assistant.”
  – Nate Keller (13:47)

• On AI realism:
  “Two people in the meeting were saying, ‘When’s the AI going to pick up?’ because they’re like, ‘That sounds like a human being.’”
  – Tersh Blissett (15:12)

• On Customer Perceptions:
  “She was like, get out of here. Are you serious? I’ve talked to her a ton of times...That’s not a real person at all.”
  – Tersh Blissett, recounting client story (17:00–18:30)

• On AI’s composure:
  “Calm, cool, collected the entire time. I’m sorry that you’re having water come through your ceiling…empathetic and everything.”
  – Nate Keller (31:47)

• On Booking Rates:
  “We’ve seen them as high as 90%, but we look at that 75% as kind of the baseline of viable book calls.”
  – Nate Keller (33:51)

• On Human Fears & Adoption:
  “If you’re accepting of it…you’re not going anywhere. If you’re put in a more revenue-generating role…your value’s there.”
  – Nate Keller (47:00)

• On Customization:
  “The knowledge base will tend to override the scripting side of it.”
  – Nate Keller (49:43)

Key Timestamps by Topic

• Free to Grow History & Pivot: 04:06–10:03
• Live CSR vs. AI Experience: 10:03–12:15
• Older Clientele & AI Concerns: 13:47–15:36
• AI Voice Platform Differences: 21:21–23:58
• Customization & Demo Line Info: 27:48–28:40, 28:40–28:58
• Funny/Memorable Stories: 17:00–18:30, 31:47, 36:14–36:18
• AI Booking Performance: 33:51–34:38
• AI Handling Upset Customers: 30:59–33:37
• Industry Technology Trends: 35:01–36:18
• Overcoming Owner/Team Resistance: 41:32–48:11
• Custom Scripting & Knowledge: 49:04–49:42
• Future (Outbound Calls): 50:59–52:26

Additional Resources

• Test Free to Grow’s AI:
  Call 719-414-9355 to interact with the AI voice agent as a customer would
• Contact Free to Grow:
  Find more info or request demos via the Free to Grow website

Takeaways

• AI voice agents have matured significantly—customers often can’t tell they’re not talking to a human, especially when scripts are customized.
• AI is best implemented with owner buy-in and a customized onboarding process.
• AI frees humans to focus on more complex or revenue-driving activities while offering consistent, 24/7 call answering that can markedly boost booking rates.
• Fear among CSRs of replacement is often overblown; the best employees adapt and migrate into more valuable roles.
• Customization is king: Integrations must match company workflows, and the knowledge base can reflect even nuanced company or group scripting.
• AI’s future includes outbound contact and even AI-to-AI communication. Early adopters, especially in the trades, will maintain an edge.

For more, listen to the full episode or test drive AI voice tech yourself to see how your business might benefit from this next step in service automation.