How to avoid failed AI implementations in skilled trades companies.

These three critical—and easily avoidable—errors can sink an AI implementation almost immediately.

#1 “Set it and forget it.”

There are companies that will tell you all you have to do is turn it on and let it run. Not a good idea.

AI works best under human control and direction. You don’t, for example, want it to automatically respond to a nasty online review. A canned response can make it look like you didn’t really hear the complaint, making a bad situation even worse.

The proper course is to set up a variety of human-written responses for good reviews. While instead of sending a knee-jerk reaction, the right AI product will flag negative reviews for a manager’s attention. 

That way, you can examine the complaint, craft an appropriate response (perhaps with a credit and/or apology), invite the reviewer to take the conversation offline, and perhaps even salvage the relationship.

#2 The patchwork problem.

Many companies offer a solution that works only in one area of your business. Some are designed for accounting; others work strictly with phone calls and CSRs.

Trying to stitch them together, however, is an invitation to disaster. Each system might have a different way of clashing with your existing software. Each one might also require heavy-duty retraining—which will not go over well with your staff. 

There are more wide-ranging solutions that will integrate smoothly with the software you run now, and allow you to address one problem area at a time. It’s a gradual integration that lets you ramp up as you go.

#3 Push-down pressure.

Before you choose an AI system, make sure you talk with all the people who will actually use it. If you implement it from the top down, without consulting your staff first—particularly your techs and dispatchers—you’ll encounter resistance from Day One. 

And once again, you’ll slam headfirst into the training problem. Can you really afford to try implementing a new system at full speed while everyone’s trying to keep up with a frantic workload? It’s a great way to sink your AI plans within a few weeks.

There is a right way to do AI.

The most effective way to adopt an AI system is to choose a platform that can work for any or all departments in your company, then:

1. Identify most vexing issue. Is it trying to follow up missed calls? Managing your online reviews? Manually matching invoices in accounts payable?

2. Once you’ve isolated that issue, apply an AI solution there first. Then when you’ve solved it, move on to the next biggest one. Work up gradually.

   
   

The Graphite Lab can help you do it right.

The Graphite Lab’s AI-powered products are designed to do just that. We’ll work with you to identify your most pressing problem in any department, apply the appropriate AI, and go from there.

Better still, our products are designed by the skilled trades for the skilled trades. They’ll mesh seamlessly with ServiceTitan, Jobber and Housecall Pro. 

And best of all, every one of our AI products will integrate perfectly with the software you run now. Your staff will hardly notice the difference, except that things will run more smoothly, more efficiently, and with less stress.