Decorators | Clara — AI Receptionist

Does this sound familiar?

When you're up a ladder, you can't always answer the phone. Most decorating calls are straightforward quote requests. Three bedrooms before Christmas, a landlord turnaround, an exterior repaint. When someone calls and nobody picks up, they move on to the next decorator. Clara makes sure every call is answered, every detail is captured, and every lead reaches you — even when your hands are covered in paint.

Decorating enquiries are almost always triggered by seeing someone else's finished work — a neighbour's freshly painted house, a recommendation from a friend who just had their living room done. The person calling is already motivated. They're not browsing; they've decided they want this done and they're looking for someone to do it. The decorator who answers that call usually gets the job.

The difficulty is that decorators spend their days on ladders or on knees, brushes in hand, in rooms where taking a call is awkward or impossible. The phone is downstairs, or in the van, or signal is poor in the house they're working in. The enquiry sits in a missed call log until the end of the day, and by then the caller has often spoken to someone else.

Seasonal peaks make this worse. Spring and summer are when enquiries spike — people want work done before a gathering, or they've finally got round to the renovation they've been putting off. Those are also the busiest months for working decorators, which means the phone is least likely to be answered exactly when it's ringing most. Research from Invoca consistently shows that fewer than 3% of callers who don't reach a business will leave a voicemail. The rest simply call someone else.

Interior repaints

Wallpaper hanging

Exterior painting

Landlord turnarounds

Feature walls

Commercial fit-outs

New build snagging

Quote requests

When customers call, Clara can...

Ask what decorating work they need
Check the number of rooms and property type
Confirm the property location
Collect their name and contact details
Let them know you'll follow up with a quote

Hi there, you've reached Bright Finish Decorating. I'm the virtual assistant, how can I help you today?

Hi — I've just had a loft conversion done and I need the whole thing painted. Four rooms plus the hallway up to it.

That sounds like a good-sized job. Is it fresh plaster that needs a mist coat first, or has it already been sealed?

Fresh plaster, yeah. The builder said it needs a mist coat before anything else. I don't really know what that means though.

No worries — Steve will explain all of that. It's basically a diluted first coat so the paint bonds properly. Can I take your name?

Martin Webb.

Thanks Martin. And the best number to reach you?

07700 900 321.

Got it. What's the postcode?

OX4 1AB.

Perfect. And do you have colours in mind, or would you want Steve to advise on that?

Um, not really? My wife has some ideas but nothing's decided. We'd probably want some guidance.

No problem, Steve does that a lot. He's on a job today but I'll pass everything across. He'll call you back tomorrow to arrange a time to come and look. Is there anything else?

No that's great, thank you.

You're welcome, Martin. Steve will be in touch shortly. Have a good day!

Simple pricing, 7-days free

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Solo

Recommended

£49.99

/month 7-day free trial

One person. Every call covered

Answers calls 24/7

20+ natural-sounding voices

Call summaries, transcripts, and recordings

Spam filtering and urgent flags

Make and receive calls, all in one place

Call forwarding, keep your number

Live chat support

Teams

One business, multiple people, total coverage.

Everything in Solo, then:

Multiple users on one account

Shared phone numbers

Call routing to the right person

Web dashboard

Call summaries sent to email

Priority support

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Clara know what questions to ask about decorating jobs?

Clara is configured to ask the right questions for your trade: what work they need, how many rooms, property type, and how to reach them back. You can customise these at any time.

Can Clara give out my pricing or day rates?

You can set up Clara to share your standard rates, or simply let callers know you'll provide a quote once you've reviewed the job details. You're in control of what she says.

What if a customer calls about an existing job?

Clara will take a message with the details and let you know so you can follow up when you're free. She'll let the caller know you'll be in touch shortly.

Does Clara work after hours?

Absolutely. Clara answers calls 24/7. For after-hours calls, she can let callers know your business hours and still capture their details so nothing is lost.

Will callers know they're speaking to an AI?

Clara sounds natural and conversational — most callers won't realise. You can choose whether Clara introduces herself as an assistant or simply answers on your behalf. It's up to you.

Do I need a new phone number?

No. Clara works with your existing business number. Just set up call forwarding and Clara starts answering when you can't pick up.

What if someone wants to see my previous work?

Clara can direct callers to your website or portfolio while still capturing their full enquiry details. They get the reassurance, you get the lead.

What if someone calls about something Clara can't handle?

Clara will take a message and flag it for you. She won't try to bluff her way through something she's not set up for — she'll just make sure you get the details and you can call back.