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Local Voice research
Half of Consumers Would Book an Appointment Through an AI Assistant
CallRail found 50% of U.S. consumers would use AI to book an appointment and 66% to check hours. See which calls to hand AI first.
By Adam Brewer, founder of Local Voice. Figures checked October 10, 2026.
50% of U.S. consumers would use AI to book an appointment, according to CallRail's 2025 survey of 1,000 consumers. Among Gen Z, CallRail puts it at 91%.
Simpler tasks rank higher. 66% would use AI to check a business's hours or location, and only 13% wouldn't use AI for any task. These answers measure willingness, so test AI on your own calls before you hand it the whole phone line.
Every figure was checked at its source on October 10, 2026. Derived figures are marked as Local Voice calculations, with the math shown in the methodology.
Key findings
50% of U.S. consumers would use AI to book an appointment, according to CallRail's 2025 survey of 1,000 consumers.
91% of Gen Z consumers would use AI to book an appointment, per CallRail's 2025 survey. That's 41 points above the 50% for all consumers (Local Voice calculation).
66% of U.S. consumers would use AI to check a business's hours or location, according to CallRail's 2025 survey of 1,000 consumers.
Only 13% of U.S. consumers wouldn't use AI for any task in CallRail's 2025 survey. The other 87% would let it handle at least one (Local Voice calculation).
The 693 buyers in Invoca's 2026 report rated AI worst at context and nuance (43%), complex problems (42%) and empathy (36%).
What will customers let AI do on a call?
Simple lookups come first, then booking. CallRail's 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers found 66% would use AI to check a business's hours or location. 50% would use it to book an appointment.
Only 13% said they wouldn't use AI for any task. If every respondent answered that question, the other 87% would let AI handle at least one task.
Figure 1. 87% of consumers would let AI handle at least one task (Local Voice calculation). 50% would let it book an appointment.
The AI task ladder: share of U.S. consumers who would use AI for each task. CallRail 2025, 1,000 U.S. consumers.
At least one task is a Local Voice calculation (100% minus 13%). CallRail didn't publish its question wording. The task shares add to more than 100%, so read each bar on its own.
Source: CallRail, "Why businesses can't afford to miss calls," September 25, 2025. At least one task: Local Voice calculation.
Each step up the ladder asks the caller to trust AI with more. A wrong answer about hours costs the caller little. Booking puts a real appointment on the line, and willingness drops 16 points, from 66% to 50% (Local Voice calculation).
CallRail is a call-tracking software company. It published two tasks and didn't publish its full list of answer options. It also published nothing on quotes or emergencies, two of the calls that matter most to a trade shop.
Would customers book a job through AI?
Half say they would. Younger callers say yes far more often: CallRail found 91% of Gen Z would use AI to book an appointment. That's 41 points above the 50% for all consumers (Local Voice calculation).
CallRail didn't publish how many Gen Z respondents it surveyed or the age range it used. It also reported that Millennials (66%) and Gen Z (61%) are "especially likely to view AI as a sign of modern, efficient, always-on support."
CallRail says trust is rising as good experiences add up. 42% of consumers in its survey reported favorable AI interactions, against 26% who reported negative ones. That's about 1.6 favorable for every negative (Local Voice calculation). CallRail didn't say what the other 32% reported.
"Would use AI to book" tells you what people said in a survey. It doesn't tell you how many of your callers will finish a booking with an AI agent. CallRail didn't publish its question wording, and it didn't say whether "appointment" meant a doctor visit or a service call. Track completed bookings on your own line before you plan around 50%.
Which calls should stay with a person?
The hard ones. Invoca's 2026 report lists what buyers prefer AI for and what they say it's worst at. Buyers rated AI worst at context and nuance (43%), complex problems (42%) and empathy (36%).
The same buyers prefer AI for simple tasks (49%), fast answers (43%) and skipping the hold queue (35%). Invoca surveyed 693 buyers. CallRail published its survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers in September 2025, so the two studies measured different people at different times.
Figure 2. Buyers prefer AI for simple tasks (49%) and rate it worst at context and nuance (43%)
Share of buyers naming each item. Invoca 2026, 693 buyers. Two separate questions, shown in two groups.
Invoca didn't publish the question wording. Each group adds to more than 100%, so buyers could name more than one item.
Source: Invoca, 2026 B2C Buyer Experience Report, June 9, 2026.
In a trade shop, those weak spots map to real calls. A homeowner with water on the floor needs empathy and a fast decision. A customer disputing an invoice needs someone who knows the job's history. Send those to a person, or have AI take the details and hand off fast.
Most buyers also want that person within reach. See why 77% accept AI as long as a human is still available.
How to decide what to hand AI first
Start at the bottom of the ladder and climb only when the lower rung works. Table 1 sorts common trade calls by how much trust each one asks of the caller. Each rung is tied to the closest published figure.
Table 1. What to hand AI first, by call type (Local Voice framework)
Rungs: Local Voice framework. Figures: CallRail (2025), 1,000 U.S. consumers. Invoca (2026), 693 buyers. The two studies measured different people at different times. Rows are in ladder order.
Calls on rungs 1 to 3 ÷ all calls in the sample = share of your calls AI can start with
A roofing shop sorts its last 80 inbound calls by rung, counting each call once.
Rung 1: 18 daytime calls about hours or service area.
Rung 2: 30 daytime calls to book or move an estimate.
Rung 3: 16 calls after 6 p.m. or on weekends. The AI takes details and flags urgent jobs.
Rung 4: 16 daytime calls, 12 storm leaks and 4 invoice disputes.
Rungs 1 to 3: 18 + 30 + 16 = 64 calls. 64 ÷ 80 = 80% of calls AI can start with.
The other 16 calls (20%) go to a person fast. A leak that comes in after hours stays on rung 3, so the AI flags it for the on-call tech.
Rung 3 has its own debate. In a separate 2024 Vonage survey of different people, only 33% were comfortable with AI on a voice call. See why 52% say after-hours AI is better service.
What to do this week
Sort 50 to 100 recent calls by rung. Pull them from your call log or voicemail. Use the formula above to find the share AI could start with.
Write the rung 1 answers down. List your hours, your service area, the jobs you take and the ones you don't. CallRail found 66% of consumers would use AI for this kind of lookup.
Test booking on after-hours calls first. Small shops book few of these calls today. ServiceTitan found shops with fewer than 5 techs booked 9% of calls after 6 p.m. in 2022. See the after-hours booking rate.
Set the handoff rules for rung 4. List the words that send a call to a person: leak, flooding, no heat, invoice, lawyer. Any vendor, Local Voice included, should be able to show you where those rules live.
Count finished bookings. After 30 days, divide AI-booked jobs by calls the AI took. Plan around that number instead of CallRail's 50%.
Frequently asked questions
Would customers book an appointment with an AI phone agent?
Half say they would. CallRail's 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers found 50% would use AI to book an appointment, and 91% of Gen Z would. Those are survey answers about willingness. Track how many callers finish a booking on your own line before you count on that rate.
What tasks are customers comfortable letting AI handle?
Simple lookups lead. CallRail's 2025 survey found 66% of U.S. consumers would use AI to check a business's hours or location and 50% would use it to book an appointment. Only 13% wouldn't use AI for any task, so about 87% would use it for at least one (Local Voice calculation).
Are younger customers more open to AI on the phone?
Yes. CallRail's 2025 survey found 91% of Gen Z would use AI to book an appointment, against 50% of all consumers. CallRail also reported that Millennials (66%) and Gen Z (61%) are especially likely to see AI as a sign of modern, always-on support. It didn't publish the Gen Z sample size.
What should AI not handle on a service call?
Calls that need judgment. Buyers in Invoca's 2026 report rated AI worst at context and nuance (43%), complex problems (42%) and empathy (36%). For a trade shop, that points to emergencies and invoice disputes. Let AI take the details on those calls, then hand off to a person fast.
Do people have good experiences with AI customer service?
More good than bad. CallRail's 2025 survey found 42% of U.S. consumers reported favorable AI interactions and 26% reported negative ones, about 1.6 to 1. CallRail didn't say what the other 32% reported. A separate Invoca report, surveying different buyers, found the share saying AI made buying worse fell from 29% in 2025 to 18% in 2026.
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Formulas
At least one task = 100% minus 13% = 87%. Drop from hours to booking = 66% minus 50% = 16 points. Gen Z gap = 91% minus 50% = 41 points. Favorable to negative = 42% ÷ 26% = 1.6. Not reported = 100% minus 42% minus 26% = 32%. Share of calls AI can start with = calls on rungs 1 to 3 ÷ all calls in the sample.
CallRail survey
"Why businesses can't afford to miss calls" by Danielle Wood, September 25, 2025. 1,000 U.S. consumers. CallRail doesn't name a fielding firm, survey dates or question wording, and doesn't publish the Gen Z or Millennial sample sizes or age ranges. It reports two tasks (66% hours or location, 50% booking) plus 13% who wouldn't use AI for any task. 66% + 50% = 116%, so respondents could likely pick more than one task. The figures are shown as separate bars, never as a pie.
The 87% assumption
87% assumes every respondent answered the task question, so that everyone outside the 13% named at least one task. CallRail doesn't confirm this. If some respondents skipped the question, the true share is lower.
Favorable and negative interactions
CallRail reports 42% favorable and 26% negative AI interactions. It doesn't say whether the question went to all 1,000 respondents or only those who had used AI, or what the other 32% answered.
Invoca report
2026 B2C Buyer Experience Report, blog post by Owen Ray dated June 9, 2026. The page gives a sample of 693 buyers and doesn't publish question wording, fielding details or dates. The "prefer AI for" and "worst at" lists each add to more than 100%, so buyers could name more than one item.
Combining studies
Table 1 places CallRail (2025, 1,000 U.S. consumers) and Invoca (2026, 693 buyers) figures side by side. The two studies measured different people at different times. The rungs are a Local Voice framework. Neither study tested them.
Example inputs
The 80-call roofing example is made up to show the math. It is not a finding. It counts each call once and puts every call after 6 p.m. or on a weekend on rung 3. Use your own call log.
When we checked
CallRail's post, Invoca's 2026 report page, Vonage's November 21, 2024 press release and ServiceTitan's October 25, 2022 booking-rate post were checked at the source on October 10, 2026.
Sources
CallRail. Why businesses can't afford to miss calls. Danielle Wood, September 25, 2025. Accessed October 10, 2026.
Invoca. 2026 Report: Consumers Embrace AI, Demand for Fast Responses from Brands Increases. Owen Ray, June 9, 2026. Accessed October 10, 2026.
Vonage. Vonage Survey Reveals Increased Acceptance of AI in Customer Support, with Nearly Two Thirds of Consumers Admitting More Efficient Interactions. Press release via PR Newswire, November 21, 2024. Accessed October 10, 2026.
ServiceTitan. Typical call-booking rate for ServiceTitan users? The number might shock you into action. Pat McManamon, October 25, 2022. Accessed October 10, 2026.
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