Automate Maintenance Requests with a Custom Voice AI
The best voice AI solution is a custom system using a dedicated phone number and a cloud function. It directly captures tenant requests and routes them without per-unit SaaS fees.
We built a voice intake system for a property manager handling 4 buildings with 60 total units. They were getting 25 maintenance calls per week, mostly after hours. The system went live in 3 weeks, reduced their administrative follow-up time by 4 hours per week, and eliminated missed calls.
This approach is built for small buildings that need a dedicated, reliable intake channel. The complexity depends on your existing software. Integrating with a Google Sheet is a 2-week build. Connecting to a property management API like AppFolio requires more time for testing and authentication.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Property managers often start with a standard answering service. This service only transcribes a message and emails it to you, adding a delay. You still have to listen, create a work order, and contact a vendor. A 2-minute tenant voicemail becomes 5 minutes of your own administrative work, and the service costs $100-$300 a month.
Larger property management platforms like Buildium or AppFolio have tenant portals, but many tenants still prefer to call for urgent issues like a leak. This creates two separate intake channels that must be manually consolidated. These platforms also charge per unit or have high monthly minimums, often over $250, which is too expensive for a 20-unit building.
Using a generic smart speaker skill is not a viable option. They are designed for consumers, not for business workflows. They lack the logic to handle contractor routing, issue categorization, or integration with a work order system. You cannot program an off-the-shelf Alexa skill to text your specific on-call plumber for issues tagged 'critical'.
How Does It Work?
We start by setting up a dedicated phone number using Twilio. When a tenant calls, a cloud function running on AWS Lambda answers and records their message. The audio file is transcribed to text in under 2 seconds. The original audio is saved in an S3 bucket for 30 days for audit purposes, then automatically deleted.
Next, a second AWS Lambda function passes the transcribed text to the Claude API. We provide a model with examples of your past maintenance requests to extract key information: unit number, callback name, issue type, and urgency. This turns a frantic message into structured JSON, like `{unit: '4C', issue: 'water heater leaking', urgency: 'high'}`. This classification has a 95% accuracy rate after training on just 50 historical tickets.
Once the data is structured, the system executes your routing logic. A high-urgency plumbing issue can trigger an immediate SMS to your plumber via Twilio's API. A low-urgency appliance issue can create a new row in a Supabase database that you review the next morning. The tenant receives a confirmation text that their request was received. The entire process, from call-end to contractor notification, completes in under 8 seconds.
We implement structured logging using `structlog` and monitor the system with AWS CloudWatch. If the transcription service fails or the classification accuracy drops, you receive an immediate alert. The typical AWS hosting cost for processing up to 300 requests per month is under $20.
What Are the Key Benefits?
Contractor Notified in 8 Seconds
The system triages and dispatches urgent requests instantly, 24/7. Response time drops from hours to under 10 seconds for critical issues.
One-Time Build, Under $20/Month to Run
Avoid the $250+ monthly minimums of large platforms. You pay for the initial build and minimal cloud usage fees after launch.
You Get the Full Source Code
We deliver the complete Python codebase and deployment scripts to your GitHub. You are never locked into a proprietary system.
Failure Alerts Go to Your Phone
We configure AWS CloudWatch alarms to send you an SMS if the system fails to process a request, ensuring no ticket is ever lost.
Connects to Sheets, SMS, or AppFolio
The system sends data where you already work. It can write to a simple spreadsheet, send texts, or integrate with a property management API.
What Does the Process Look Like?
Workflow Mapping (Week 1)
You provide examples of past maintenance requests and your contractor contact list. We map your exact routing rules for different issue types and urgencies.
Core System Build (Week 2)
We build the voice intake, transcription, and classification engine. You receive a demo phone number to test the system with your own voice.
Integration and Deployment (Week 3)
We connect the engine to your notification channels (SMS, Supabase, etc.) and deploy it to your AWS account. The system is now live.
Tuning and Handoff (Week 4)
We monitor live requests for one week, tuning the AI model for accuracy. You receive a runbook with documentation and troubleshooting steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a system like this cost to build?
- The cost depends on integration complexity. A system that logs to a Google Sheet and sends SMS alerts is a 2-week build. Connecting to a third-party API with specific authentication, like AppFolio, is a 3-4 week project. We provide a fixed-price quote after our initial discovery call where we map out your exact needs.
- What happens if the AI misunderstands a tenant?
- If the AI cannot confidently extract a unit number or classify the issue, the request is flagged for manual review. You immediately receive an email containing the audio recording and the raw transcription. This 'fail-safe' mechanism happens on fewer than 5% of calls after the first week of tuning and ensures no request is ever dropped.
- How is this better than hiring a virtual assistant (VA)?
- A VA performs manual data entry, works limited hours, and introduces the risk of human error. This system works 24/7, processes requests in seconds, and follows your business rules perfectly every time. A VA service costs hundreds per month, while this system costs less than $20 per month to run after the one-time build cost.
- How does the system handle emergencies like a fire?
- The initial recorded greeting explicitly instructs tenants to hang up and dial 911 for fire or other life-threatening emergencies. For property emergencies like a major flood, the system can be programmed to recognize keywords and immediately initiate a conference call between the tenant, the property manager, and an emergency vendor.
- Can this system handle tenants who speak other languages?
- Yes. The AI transcription services we use support over 50 languages. We can configure the system to auto-detect the spoken language and process the request. For specific needs, we can set up separate phone numbers for different language groups, which can then route notifications to bilingual staff or specific contractors.
- What do I need to provide to get started?
- We need two things to begin. First, a list of your most common maintenance request types and the contact info for the contractors who handle them. Second, access to your current work order system, even if it is just a spreadsheet. If you do not have one, we can set up a simple Supabase database as part of the project.
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