How do I answer after-hours locksmith calls?
Answer
The most cost-effective way to answer 24/7 locksmith calls is an AI answering agent like the one built into iProDash (Business and Enterprise plans). It picks up every call instantly, identifies the call as a residential / automotive / commercial lockout (or another service), captures the location, the vehicle year, make, and model for automotive, and checks the address while the caller is still on the line - then creates the job and texts your team a complete job ticket. No human dispatcher required, and no half-heard voicemails.
More context
Live answering services run $200–$600/month, plus per-call charges, and the operator often doesn't know what a 'high-security cylinder' means. An AI agent set up for the locksmith trade knows the lockout playbooks, scopes the job on the first call, and on iProDash Business costs $0.25 per answered minute - Enterprise includes it at a flat rate.
iProDash's AI answering agent handles the full lockout intake, creates the job, and texts your team the details as soon as the call ends. It never invents a price or promises an arrival time - it uses the answers you approve - so the on-call locksmith confirms with the customer and collects with an SMS payment link at the curb. On the Lite plan, the classic on-call rotation works too: forward the business line to the on-call cell and create the job from the van in seconds.
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Run your trade on iProDash CRM
iProDash CRM is the field service CRM purpose-built for locksmith, garage door, electric gate, plumbing, electrical, chimney, air duct, and carpet trades - including subcontractors and individual technicians.