Direct answer
A garage-door AI receptionist answers the published number when the tech is under a torsion bar or the shop is closed. It separates a stuck door with a car inside from a new-door quote, collects the address and safety notes, and either books a window, builds the morning queue, or transfers you. Callers keep dialing the van number.
Garage-door paths that should not share one script
Car inside or not, anyone in the garage, off-track if they can see it, remote vs wall button. Escalate when your written rule says so.
Bang heard, door off-balance, they already tried to lift. Book or transfer. Never give spring-repair steps.
Approved troubleshooting only. Then book a diagnostic. Do not have them climb to the motor.
These can usually stay with AI: size, material, and a quote window. Commercial docks may be owner-priced.
Realistic garage-door calls
“The door will not open and my car is inside. I have to leave for work.”
Stuck + trapped vehicle. Address first. Ask if anyone is in the garage. Transfer if that is on your escalate list. Do not tell them to yank the door.
“I heard a bang in the garage and the door is too heavy to lift.”
Spring intent. Confirm they stopped trying to lift. Book a spring call or escalate. No DIY spring instructions.
“The opener clicks but the door does not move.”
Opener / lockout / sensor path. Approved questions only: wall button vs remote, sensor lights if they can see them from the floor. Then book.
“How much for a new insulated double door?”
Quote intent. Collect opening size if they know it, windows, and color preference. Book a measure. Do not invent a turnkey price.
“Your tech was here Tuesday and it reversed again.”
Callback / warranty. Address and last work, then route to the original tech — not a new-lead script.
“The warehouse dock will not close and the alarm is going off.”
Commercial. Occupied facility + security may be an escalate. Collect site, dock number, and whether they have a night contact.
Stuck vs spring vs opener vs quote
| Situation | Usual AI action | Usual human trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Door stuck, car inside, daytime | Intake + book or escalate | Same-day capacity or trapped-vehicle rule |
| Suspected broken spring | Intake + book spring repair | If they already injured themselves trying to lift |
| Opener remote only | Approved checks, then book | Rarely |
| New residential door | Book a measure / quote | Custom or owner-priced work |
| Commercial dock after hours | Intake + escalate rule | On-call if you cover commercial nights |
| Existing-job callback | Identify job, then route | Original tech |
Callers will name opener brands. Use the brand only as a model hint if you service it. Do not claim affiliation. If you do not work on a brand or on jackshaft commercial operators, say so before booking a drive.
Safety language belongs in the instruction file
Garage doors store energy. The receptionist is not a parts diagram. Write the sentences you want spoken: do not stand under a moving door, do not disconnect the opener to force a damaged door, do not adjust torsion springs. If a child or pet is in a closing door, the script should send them to stop the door if it is safe to reach the wall control — not to crawl under it.
If the door is off the tracks, treat it as damaged hardware, not a programming issue. Off-track plus a car inside is a dispatch problem, not a quote problem.
What to put in the receptionist instructions
Start with identity: company name, cities, residential vs commercial, and the work you refuse. Then list the inbound buckets: stuck, spring, opener, new door, commercial dock, warranty. Add the questions you are tired of asking twice: single or double, how many doors, gate vs garage if you also do gates, and whether they rent or own.
Write the transfer list in plain language. “If they ask for {owner names}, transfer once. If a car is trapped and your same-day rule fires, transfer after the address. If a spring is broken, do not give repair steps. If they report the door came down on a person, take the address and follow your emergency script — usually emergency services first.”
Two conversations worth rehearsing
Stuck, car inside, 7:40 a.m. Greeting, then address. “Is anyone inside the garage? Does the wall button do anything? Can you see whether the door is sitting normally on the tracks?” If trapped-vehicle is on the escalate list, transfer after those fields. If they can exit through a house door and your daytime rule books the next truck window, book that window and say when it actually is.
New door, Saturday. “Single or double? Do you care about insulation or windows? Is this replacing a working door or a damaged one?” If the current door is unsafe, switch to the repair path. If they are shopping, book a measure. Transfer only if they ask for the owner or if custom wood or glass packages are owner-priced.
Commercial docks, gates, and the work you do not take
If you service warehouse docks or gated communities, those callers are not residential quotes. Collect the site name, dock or gate number, and the night contact. A dock that will not close can be a security event; write whether that transfers. A gate board that lost programming after a power blink is usually a booked diagnostic, not an owner page — unless you priced it that way.
If you do not do rolling steel, high-speed fabric, or fire doors, say so in the first minute. Booking a residential tech for a fire door wastes a day and a reputation. The same is true for openers you do not support. Callers will name brands; treat the name as a hint, not as a sponsored pairing.
Setup, objections, and limits
Keep the published number. Forward misses to a Fix9 line. Human escalation is a feature: named owner, trapped vehicle, commercial night, or a safety event. Pair booking with the appointment scheduling guide so quote slots are real. Pair owner handoff with call transfer so you get one attempt, then a message — no loops.
Objection: “People will think it is a robot.” Spoken persona does not disclose AI. Objection: “Springs are too dangerous for a script.” That is why the script forbids DIY. Objection: “We already have a person up front.” Use AI for overflow and nights on the same number.
Limits: AI cannot see the tracks, cannot promise a particular spring is in stock, and should not quote a full door-and-opener package from a phone description unless you published that process. Electrical work on an opener may need an electrician — see the electricians guide if you refer that work out.
Related AI receptionist guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep the number on the van?
Yes. Keep Your Number. Forward unanswered or after-hours calls to a Fix9 line. Customers keep dialing the garage-door number they already saved.
How should AI treat a door that will not open with a car inside?
Treat it as stuck-door / trapped-vehicle intent. Collect the address, whether anyone is stuck in the garage, and whether the door is off the tracks if they can see it. Transfer if your rule says occupied or trapped-vehicle is an escalate. Do not tell them to force the door.
What about a snapped spring?
Ask whether they heard a bang, whether the door is heavier than usual, and whether they already tried to lift it. Book a spring repair window or escalate per your policy. The model must not walk them through spring replacement.
Can it book a new-door quote instead of transferring?
Yes, when you want estimate slots on the calendar. Collect single vs double, material if they know it, and whether insulation matters. Transfer if they ask for you by name or if custom commercial doors are owner-only.
Should AI troubleshoot the opener on the call?
Only with approved checks you wrote — for example, whether the wall button works if the remote does not. Never instruct them to climb a ladder to the opener, cut lockout features, or ignore a door that reversed unexpectedly.
Keep the number people already call.
Add Fix9 as the answering layer: AI answers first, qualifies the request, books or routes the work, and transfers to you when the caller needs the owner.