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Front desk for HVAC and plumbing
The breakdown call you missed shouldn't go to the next company.
When a furnace quits or a water heater leaks, people call the next company on the list if nobody answers. NewFrontDesk texts back the calls you miss, takes details by chat on your website, and puts every lead in one inbox.
NewFrontDesk is in preview, and no payment is taken until the features in your plan work. This page describes how it is designed to work for HVAC and plumbing companies. See what's built today.
Where leads slip away
Three moments an HVAC shop loses the job
Evenings and weekends
The breakdown happens after the office closes. The caller gets voicemail and keeps dialing.
How the text back works →Everyone's on a roof or in a crawlspace
Techs can't answer mid-job, and the office line rings out during the busiest weeks of the season.
How the text back works →The first hot or cold week
Call volume jumps in days. Tune-up and estimate requests pile up behind the emergencies.
How the lead inbox keeps them in order →What you get
Text back, chat, one inbox
Each card says where that feature stands today.
Missed-call text-back
A breakdown call you couldn't answer gets a text from your business number, so the homeowner knows you got it and can text back what's wrong.
- On both plans
- No texts between 9 PM and 8 AM: a call missed overnight gets its text at 8 AM.
- Today: rules work in test mode. It cannot send a real text yet
Web chat
When nobody's in the office, the chat on your website asks for the address, what the system is doing and a callback number.
- On both plans. Plain questions, no AI
- Today: working, with test businesses only
Lead inbox
Chats, forms and missed calls land in one list, so whoever is on call sees what came in and who to ring first.
- On both plans. A separate account for each business
- Today: working, with test businesses only
On Pro: AI replies and follow-ups. Being built, and not in any plan: AI that answers incoming calls. See the plans.
On the Pro plan
AI replies that take the details
When someone texts back, AI replies are designed to keep the conversation going until you're free, and to always say they're AI. They are not in the app yet.
Details the chat and AI replies collect
- Name and callback number
- Service address
- What the system is doing or not doing
- System type and rough age, if they know
- Whether anyone in the home is at risk from the heat or cold
See a sample conversation in the demo.
What it won't do
- It won't diagnose a system or tell anyone it's safe to keep running equipment.
- If someone mentions a gas smell or carbon monoxide, the AI reply tells them to leave the building and call 911 or the gas company, then flags it for you.
- It won't quote a price you haven't given it.
The rules every plan follows are on How it works.
A homeowner calls. Nobody can pick up.
Text back · automatic · both plans"Hi, this is Northside Heating. Sorry we missed your call. Text us what's going on and we'll get right back to you. Reply STOP to opt out."
Customer · 7:52 PM"Our furnace stopped and it's getting cold. Do you do emergency calls?"
AI reply · Pro plan"I'm the AI assistant for Northside Heating. Yes, we have a tech on call tonight. What's the address, and is the furnace making any noise or showing a code? I'll send the details to the on-call tech now."
Customer"418 Alder St. It clicks but never lights."
AI reply · Pro plan"Got it: 418 Alder St, furnace clicks but won't light. I've passed this to the on-call tech, who will call you at this number. If you smell gas at any point, leave the house and call 911."
DEMO · sample conversation written by us, not a real customer"Northside Heating" is a made-up business. The first text is missed-call text-back, which is on both plans. The replies after it are AI replies, which are on the Pro plan and always say they're AI.
Honest status
What works today, and what doesn't yet
The same list applies to every industry. No payment is taken for any of it yet.
BuiltWorking today
Running on our server right now, with made-up test businesses only. No real business is using it yet.
- Lead inboxEvery lead in one list, with status and notes. Each business has its own login and its own separate data.
- Web chat for a business's websiteOne line of code. Asks for a name, a phone number and what the visitor needs. Plain questions, no AI. The business picks the colour, the button words, its opening hours and a closed-hours greeting.
- Contact form linkFor a business with no website. Leads go to the same inbox.
- Consent recorded with each leadWhether the visitor ticked the box, the exact wording, and when.
- Owner dashboardLeads this week, typical response time, and missed calls caught.
- New-lead email alertsAn email tells the owner a lead arrived and links to the inbox. It never contains the customer's name, number or message.
NextBeing built
Not working for customers yet.
- Missed-call text-backThe rules work in test mode: each business's own number and opt-out list, no texts from 9 PM to 8 AM, one text per caller per day. Ready-made messages per trade and a preview tool are in the app. It cannot send a real text yet. That needs a real number per business, the sending step, and each business's carrier registration.
- AI replies (Pro)Not in the app yet. A reply engine exists in our older software and is being rewritten so it always says it's AI.
- Follow-ups (Pro)Not in the app yet. Email follow-up sequences exist in our older software.
- Up to 3 locations (Pro)Not built.
- AI that answers incoming callsNot in any plan. An early rule-based voice prototype exists in our older software and is switched off.
LaterPlanned
On the roadmap. No dates promised.
- Online sign-up and billingAccounts are set up by hand today, and no payment is taken.
- AI booking straight into your calendar
- AI replies to incoming email
- Calendar sync
- Reseller program for agencies
Status checked on October 7, 2026 against the running app and its automated tests. "Working today" means it works on our server with test accounts; it does not mean a customer is using it. Nobody is yet, which is why we take no payment yet. An attorney review comes before any real business uses it.
Request setup
Stop losing the night calls
Tell us how your shop handles calls and messages today. We'll reach out when your plan is ready to set up. No payment is taken until its features work.
Questions
HVAC questions
Can it dispatch a tech?
No. It puts the lead in your inbox with the details, and your team decides. Dispatching stays with you and your scheduling software.
Does it work with ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro or Jobber?
Not today. There are no integrations with field service software yet. Every lead is saved in your NewFrontDesk inbox, with integrations considered after launch.
How does it know what counts as an emergency?
On the Pro plan, you would set the rules the AI replies follow: for example no heat below a certain outdoor temperature, active leaks, or no cooling for elderly occupants. Anything matching is flagged in your inbox as urgent.
Can I choose when text-back is on?
Today text-back has one on/off switch per business; choosing hours is not built. Either way, texts are never sent between 9 PM and 8 AM your local time. A call missed overnight gets its text at 8 AM.
Does it answer my phone?
No. It texts back the calls you miss; it doesn't answer them. AI call answering is being built and is not in any plan.
Didn't find your answer? Write to [email protected], or see how it works.
One practical guide a week.
Short, plain guides for local businesses on missed calls, follow-up and leads. No sales emails. Read the guides.