Warren, an AI email receptionist

Why I built it

Someone who emails me usually hears nothing until I see the message, and that can be hours. If they have a question, they're left waiting. If they have a project in mind, they're emailing someone else in the meantime. The assistant closes that gap. Every email gets a real answer right away, whether it's a question, a message for me, or a new project, and I still handle the conversation from there.

It's also a working example of what I build for clients. It's Warren, the same assistant that answers my business phone, doing the same job by email.

What happens when someone writes in

1. The assistant reads the email and works out what the person needs: an answer to a question, a message passed to me, or help with a project.
2. It replies right away. It says it's an AI and answers their questions about my work, how pricing works, and how a project goes. If they've described a problem, it explains how what I build could fit it.
3. If they have a project in mind, it asks for the details I'll need before a call: things like the size of the business, the tools they already use, how much work comes in, and good days and times to talk.
4. It copies me on the reply. That's its only reply. When they write back, I take over with the whole thread in front of me, so nobody ends up trading messages with a bot.
5. It sorts each email. When it's a hot lead, it sends a push notification to my phone, so I can follow up personally even faster.

On the phone, Warren books the discovery call itself. By email, it points to my booking page and gives Warren's phone number, so they can book whichever way suits them.

A sample inquiry

Mike and Alvarez Outdoor Services are made up. I wrote his email to show what the assistant does. The reply below it is the assistant's real output.

Mike's email

Hi there,

I run a small landscaping and irrigation company here in Austin, and I came across your site while looking for someone who could help us get a handle on our inbound requests. Right now every quote request comes in through a form on our website, a shared Gmail inbox, or a phone call, and my office manager copies the details into a spreadsheet by hand before anyone can follow up.

During spring and fall we get slammed, and requests sit for two or three days before we respond. I know we're losing jobs to competitors who just get back to people faster. Last April alone I'd guess we missed a dozen decent-sized projects that way.

What I'm picturing is something that reads each request as it comes in, pulls out the address, the type of work, and how soon they need it, and either sends a quick acknowledgment or gets a rough estimate started. We already use QuickBooks for invoicing and Jobber for scheduling, if that matters.

A couple of questions: is this the kind of project you take on, and roughly how does your pricing work? I'd also like to know whether something like this needs a lot of upkeep once it's built, since none of us are very technical.

Thanks,
Mike Alvarez
Alvarez Outdoor Services

The assistant's reply

G'day Mike, thanks for reaching out to Fast Wombat! I'm Warren, Duane's AI assistant, and this reply doubles as a real-world example of what an AI email assistant can do.

Yes, this is the kind of project Fast Wombat takes on. Duane helps businesses hand repetitive work to AI, and intake from quote requests is a common place to start. He'd design an automation that picks up requests from your website form, shared Gmail inbox, and phone-call notes, pulls out the address, type of work, and timing, sends an immediate acknowledgment, and drafts a rough estimate for you to review. It can connect to QuickBooks and Jobber so the details land where your office already works, which is exactly the spreadsheet step your office manager is doing by hand now. Nothing needs to go out to a customer without a person checking it first, at least until you're comfortable with it.

On pricing, there's a one-time build fee quoted up front after a free discovery call, then one predictable monthly plan that covers hosting, the AI services, and support. Duane will give you the actual numbers on that call. Details are at https://fastwombat.ai/#services.

On upkeep, you don't need to be technical. The monthly plan covers hosting, monitoring, support, and fixes, and you don't need your own vendor accounts. Duane is the one who maintains it, so you're not left troubleshooting it yourselves. He'll also cover how your data is handled and what you own in the agreement before anything gets built.

To help Duane prepare for a call, could you reply with:

• Roughly how many quote requests you get in a typical busy week
• Your preferred days and times for a free discovery call, if you'd like one
• How soon you'd like to get started

You can also book a discovery call directly at https://fastwombat.ai/contact/, or call me at (737) 265-8825 and I'll book it for you. Duane is copied on this email and usually responds within one business day.

Warren
Duane's AI assistant at Fast Wombat
https://fastwombat.ai

Mike asked three things: is this the kind of work I do, how does pricing work, and how much upkeep does it need. The reply answers all three, ties the answer to the tools he named, and asks for the one number his email left out: how many requests come in during a busy week. By the time I open the thread, Mike has heard back and is probably already writing his answer.

How it's built

An email rule sends new emails to a workflow tool, the same kind I use for my other automations. An AI model reads the email, writes the reply from what it knows about my business, and sorts the message: a question, a message for me, or a lead, and how hot it is. The workflow sends the reply in the same thread, copies me, and alerts my phone about hot leads.

I can switch which AI model writes the replies, so when a better or cheaper one comes out, the assistant can use it without a rebuild.

A few rules keep it useful without letting it run the conversation:

• One reply, then a person. It starts the conversation; I carry it.
• It says it's an AI, in the first line.
• It copies me every time, so nothing goes out that I can't see.
• It leaves the numbers to me. It explains how pricing works and saves the actual figures for the discovery call.

What an AI email assistant can do for your business

Anything an AI model can do with an email, plus whatever it's connected to. Linked to a workflow tool and to the software you already use, it can:

• Answer quote requests right away, pull out the address, the type of work, and the timing, and start a draft estimate for you to review.
• Answer common questions about your hours, services, and policies, from your own information, and pass the rest to the right person.
• Collect the details you'd otherwise ask for in a second email.
• Sort what comes in and alert you to the messages that can't wait.
• Find a time to meet, or book the appointment on your calendar.
• Copy you on every reply, so nothing goes out without you seeing it.

It pairs well with an AI receptionist: the same questions and the same follow-up, whether a customer calls or writes.

Want one for your business? See plans and pricing for the AI receptionist, where the email receptionist is an add-on.