A homeowner has had a break-in on her street. She wants an alarm and a couple of cameras, and she wants them soon. She messages a security company: "How much for an alarm and CCTV?" The installer cannot answer. A two-bedroom flat with one door is very different from a detached house with a garage, a side gate and a long driveway. Without the details, the installer has to ask a list of questions, and the homeowner, anxious and in a hurry, contacts someone else in the meantime.
Security quotes depend on the site. Capturing site details upfront turns anxious enquiries into booked surveys.
Step 1: ask about the property
Start with the property type, such as flat, house or business premises, and its rough size. This gives the installer an immediate sense of scale.
Step 2: ask about entry points
The number of doors, accessible windows, garages and outbuildings affects how many sensors and contacts are needed.
Step 3: ask what they want to protect or watch
Some customers want to watch the front door and driveway. Others want full coverage of a yard or shop floor. Knowing the priority areas helps the installer suggest the right number of cameras.
Step 4: ask about monitoring
Some customers want an alarm that simply sounds. Others want app alerts or professional monitoring. Each changes the system and the ongoing cost.
Step 5: ask about existing systems
An old alarm or cameras may be reused, replaced or upgraded. Knowing what is already there saves time on the survey.
Step 6: capture it in conversation
SpideyChat for security and alarm companies asks these questions at any hour, explains your services from your own pages and captures the details for your team. Quote capture works similarly in other trades, as described in AI assistant service quotes.
Homeowner: How much for an alarm and CCTV? Assistant: The services page explains the alarm and camera packages, with prices depending on the property and coverage. So the team can quote or arrange a survey, could you share your property type, how many doors and ground floor windows there are, which areas you'd like cameras to cover and whether you'd like app alerts or monitoring?
Step 7: offer a survey
For larger properties and businesses, a survey is usually needed. Offering a quick survey booking, with a few preferred times, moves the enquiry forward. How to handle booking requests is compared in booking widget vs conversational requests.
Step 8: send the lead to your system
Captured details can be sent to your own systems. On Pro, webhooks can push each captured lead to another tool, as described on the integrations page.
Anxious customers
Many security enquiries follow a break-in or a scare. A calm, reassuring tone, with a clear next step, matters more than a sales pitch. Emergencies, such as an intruder in the property, must be directed to emergency services immediately.
Details-first quoting in other trades
Pet groomers need breed and coat details before quoting, as described in grooming enquiries that need breed and coat details. Removal firms need inventories, covered in AI receptionist for moving companies. The principle is the same.
Business customers
Shops, offices and warehouses often need larger systems, access control and maintenance contracts. Capturing the number of sites and opening hours helps the team prepare a commercial proposal.
Maintenance and servicing
Existing customers ask about servicing, faults and upgrades. A clear route for existing customers keeps them separate from new enquiries and ensures they are looked after.
Setting it up
Write your site questions and set the assistant to capture them. The guides to installing the widget and training your bot explain how.