Built for painters
Meet the AI hire for your company
You and your crew paint. Prentice handles the office.
Answers customers at any hour. Books estimates and jobs. Drafts quotes and invoices for your OK.
Talk to Prenticestart free
Prentice
Prentice
Your AI hire
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Demo: A new customer texts late about painting her house. See how I book the estimate.
Working with Prentice is like working with a person.
Prentice can be reached by phone, text or email.
Prentice talks with everyone your business works with: customers, your team, even suppliers.
You’re Doug, and you run Fenwick Painting.
It’s late, and you’re done for the day.
Leah just bought a house and wants it painted before she moves in.
- Leah: Hi! Just closed on a house. Can you paint the inside before we move in?
- Prentice: Hi, I’m Prentice, the AI assistant at Fenwick Painting. Congratulations, and yes! Doug looks at it first, then you get a price. Does Tuesday at 5 PM work?
- Leah: Perfect. We move in at the end of the month.
- Prentice: You’re booked for Tuesday at 5 PM. I’ll send a reminder the night before.
- Prentice: I booked Leah for a painting estimate, Tuesday at 5 PM. She’s a new customer, and she wants the inside painted before she moves in.
Prentice booked a new customer’s estimate after hours.
Demo: You just looked at a house that needs paint. See how I turn your voice memo into a booked job.
You’re Doug, and you run Fenwick Painting.
You just looked at Stan’s house. He wants the outside painted.
You’ve given Prentice your prices.
- You: Stan’s house. Two stories, full outside, two coats. Trim and shutters. Scrape and prime the south side.
- Prentice: Stan’s quote is ready for your OK: $6,800.
- Prentice: Quote for Stan · $6,800
- (Approved)
- Prentice: Hi Stan, I’m Prentice, the AI assistant at Fenwick Painting. Here’s the quote for painting the outside of your house: $6,800.
- Prentice: Quote 1042 · Fenwick Painting · $6,800
- Stan: Looks right to me. How soon can you start?
- Prentice: We can start Friday at 8 AM. It takes about a week, weather permitting. Does that work?
- Stan: Yes, let’s do it.
- Prentice: You’re booked for Friday at 8 AM.
- Prentice: Stan said yes to the $6,800 job. It starts Friday at 8 AM.
Prentice turned your voice memo into a $6,800 job.
Demo: Rain is coming, and your crews are booked on outside jobs. See how I move every job with one text from you.
You’re Doug, and you run Fenwick Painting.
Rain is due all day tomorrow, and your crews have three outside jobs.
June and Hana are two of those customers.
You told Prentice that on a rain day, outside jobs move to the next open day.
- You: No painting outside tomorrow. Rain. Move the jobs.
- Prentice: Hi June, rain is due all day tomorrow, and paint won’t dry in that. Can the crew start your house Wednesday at 8 AM instead?
- June: Sure, that works.
- Prentice: Thank you! You’re set for Wednesday at 8 AM.
- Prentice: Hi Hana, the rain is pushing your fence and deck back. The crew can be there Thursday at 8 AM. Does that work?
- Hana: That works. I’ll keep the dog inside.
- Prentice: Great, see you Thursday at 8 AM.
- Prentice: All 3 jobs are off the rain day and moved to Wednesday and Thursday.
Prentice moved all 3 outside jobs. You sent one text.
Answering calls is the easy part
Prentice keeps working after the call.
See how I look after a new customer
- I answer a homeowner’s call or textMonday, 9:12pm
- Most answering services stop hereI keep going
- I book the estimateRight then
- I send a reminderThe day before
- I send the quoteAfter the estimate
- I book the jobWhen they say yes
- I move the job and tell themWhen you call a rain day
- I send the invoiceWhen the job is done
- I follow up on a late paymentA week later
- On your say-so, I ask about the next jobNext spring
I will draft quotes and invoices, and you approve each one.
Revenue you didn’t have to chase
An estimate booked, a quote accepted, an invoice paid. Prentice keeps your crew busy.
- PrenticenowWade said yes to his exterior, $7,200. It’s on the calendar.
- Prentice1h agoLast night’s caller about deck staining is booked for an estimate Thursday at 10. I said it usually runs $900.
- Prentice2h agoKitchen cabinets at the Moss house are done. The $2,900 invoice is ready for your OK.
- Prentice3h agoCole paid his $3,450 invoice after my reminder.
Prentice will earn your trust
My word to you
- I’ll tell every customer I’m an AI.
- I’ll double-check my work.
- I’ll ask you when I’m not sure.
- I’ll work within the boundaries you set.
We know trusting an AI with your customers is a big ask.
So Prentice never works alone. Prentice asks you when unsure, and calls on us for backup.
The Prentice team
Meet the people behind Prentice
We’re small business owners ourselves. We know what it’s like to lose evenings to admin work, and to wish for someone dependable to hand it to. So we built Prentice on three principles.
- Honesty.
- A straight “I’m not sure” beats a confident guess.
- Integrity.
- Treat every customer the way you would.
- Reliability.
- Show up, every time. For 15 years our team has built software thousands of people count on every day.
And when Prentice needs backup, we answer.
Dan & Jonathan
Prentice goes in your contacts
Just save the number, and your whole crew can start talking to Prentice.
Call Text Email
- You
- Your office staff
- Your crew
- Your customers
Property managers and contractors can call or text Prentice too.
Prentice speaks
- English
- Español
- Français
- Português
Getting started
Your part is small. Prentice does the rest.
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Can you answer a few questions about your business?
Then Prentice can learn it. Prentice writes the job description and shows you a demo for no cost.
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Can you share your schedule and your prices?
Then Prentice can run your office. Estimates, jobs and reminders by your rules. Quotes and invoices go out only with your OK.
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When Prentice has earned your trust
Then Prentice can talk to your customers. Forward your calls, or ask Prentice to text or email your customers.
Then you get your evenings back.
Made for painters
Prentice learns your services, your prices and your schedule, then works in your words.
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Estimate requests
The 9 PM call or text gets answered and booked for an estimate visit.
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Quotes
Drafted from your price and notes, even a voice memo, then sent with your OK.
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Rain days
You call it. Prentice moves the job and tells each customer whose day changes.
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Prep and reminders
Customers reminded the day before, with your prep notes, like moving furniture and keeping pets out.
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Invoices
Drafted when the job is done, sent with your OK, and followed up when late.
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In their language
Customers and crew texted in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese.
Get closer to your customers
With Prentice, your customers will be able to:
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Ask the small questions they’d hesitate to call you about
“Do we need to move the furniture?”
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Get an answer at any hour, by call, text or email
“Sorry it’s late, we just bought a house…”
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Talk with you in their own language
“¿Pueden pintar la cocina en mayo?”
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Book an estimate on the spot
“Thursday at 5 works.”
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Move a job without phone tag
“Can you start Tuesday instead?”
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Hear your prices up front
“How much to paint a bedroom?”
When you’re easy to reach, you’re easy to do business with.
Costs less than a person
Prentice does the office work, so compare the cost with hiring office help, not with a phone bill.
| Hiring a Person | Prentice Solo | Prentice Team | Prentice Crew | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works with | Anyone | Just you | 2-3 people | 4-6 people |
| Counts you and everyone on your team who works with Prentice. Customers never count. | ||||
| Monthly cost | $500 5 hours a week at $25 an hour | $99 | $199 | $399 |
50% off the first month while Prentice learns your business |
||||
| Messages included | As many as they can handle in 5 hours a week | 200 | 500 | 1,200 |
| A message is any text or email, sent or received. Each minute of a call counts as one. | ||||
| Communication methods | Phone, text, email, in person | Phone, text, email | ||
| Customers | As many as they can keep up with | No limit | ||
| Availability | 5 hours a week | Any hour, every day | ||
| Overtime | $25 an hour | $25 for every extra 50 messages | ||
| Offseason | You negotiate fewer hours with them | $39 a month when in Standby modePrentice stays active and will respond to customers. Max 50 messages per month. | ||
| Payroll and taxes | Your responsibility | None | ||
| Commitment | You hire them, and give notice to let them go | NoneCancel anytime. | ||
|
Talk to Prenticestart free
More than 6 people? Register, and Prentice will help you set up a plan. |
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Works with
Anyone
SoloJust you
Team2-3 people
Crew4-6 people
Counts you and everyone on your team who works with Prentice. Customers never count.
Monthly cost
$500 5 hours a week at $25 an hour
Solo$99
Team$199
Crew$399
50% off the first month while Prentice learns your business
Messages included
As many as they can handle in 5 hours a week
Solo200
Team500
Crew1,200
A message is any text or email, sent or received. Each minute of a call counts as one.
Communication methods
Phone, text, email, in person
Phone, text, email
Customers
As many as they can keep up with
No limit
Availability
5 hours a week
Any hour, every day
Overtime
$25 an hour
$25 for every extra 50 messages
Offseason
You negotiate fewer hours with them
$39 a month when in Standby modePrentice stays active and will respond to customers. Max 50 messages per month.
Payroll and taxes
Your responsibility
None
Commitment
You hire them, and give notice to let them go
NoneCancel anytime.
More than 6 people? Register, and Prentice will help you set up a plan.
Questions painters ask
Will customers know they’re talking to an AI?
Yes. On the first call or text, every customer hears that Prentice is your AI assistant. Prentice never pretends to be you.
Will Prentice give prices over the phone?
Prentice can say what a job usually runs, if you’ve given that price. Prentice never promises a price on a call. The real number is in your quote, and you approve every quote before it goes out.
What happens on a rain day?
Text Prentice that you’re calling a rain day and which jobs move. Prentice moves them and tells each customer whose day changes. You don’t have to make the calls.
Can Prentice write up my quotes?
Prentice drafts each quote from your price and what you saw at the estimate, even from a voice memo on the drive back. You approve each one before it goes out.
Do I need a new phone number?
No. Your business gets a Prentice number of its own. Give that number to customers, or forward your business line to Prentice when you’re up a ladder.
Can my crew use Prentice?
Yes. Add your crew, and Prentice texts with them the same way as with you, in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese.
More answers on the FAQ.
Let Prentice show you
Chat or call. Prentice will ask about your services, your prices and your schedule.
Talk to Prenticestart free