Price disclosure: what your receptionist should and should not say

Callers ask about price early. Often it is the first or second thing they say. If the person answering has no policy, they either dodge, which feels evasive, or make something up, which creates a promise you may not want to keep.

A price disclosure policy is a short document that says what your phone may say about money. Write it once. It will save arguments.

Three levels to choose from

• Level 1: no prices. The receptionist says a technician will give a price after seeing the job, and offers to book the visit. Simple and safe, but some callers hang up.
• Level 2: fees only. The receptionist states fixed, public numbers: a trip charge, a diagnostic fee, whether estimates are free. These do not depend on the job.
• Level 3: ranges. For standard, well-defined services, the receptionist gives a range from your price book, such as a tune-up or a drain clearing, with a clear note that the final price depends on the visit.

Most shops end up at Level 2, with Level 3 for a short list of standard items.

Rules that work at any level

• Never quote a repair price for a job nobody has seen.
• State the fee you will charge, even if it makes the call shorter. A surprise at the door is worse than a hang-up on the phone.
• Use the same number everywhere: phone, website and invoice. If the diagnostic fee is $89 on the site and $99 on the phone, you will have a dispute.
• Say what the fee includes, and whether it is credited toward the repair.
• Do not discount on the phone unless there is a written rule for when.

What the AI should be doing

The principle behind how we build this is that the model never decides facts. Prices come from your price book, not from the language model. If a price is not in the book, the receptionist does not make one up. It says a technician will provide that after the visit, and offers to book it.

Ask any vendor the same question: where do the numbers come from, and what does the receptionist do when asked for one it does not have?

Edge cases to decide

• Callers who push: "just give me a ballpark." Your policy should say what the receptionist says on the second ask. Often it is the same answer, said more kindly.
• Emergencies. A caller with water pouring through the ceiling is not asking about price. The safety message comes first, and money comes after.
• Maintenance-plan members, who may have different fees.

Write it down

One page is enough. Include the fee list, the ranges, the phrase for "I cannot quote that" and the person who owns changes. Review it twice a year, or when your prices change.