Google's AI Can Now Call Tradespeople on Behalf of Customers — US First, UK Next
What happened
Google's AI can now phone local businesses on behalf of customers who are searching for home repair services. The feature, called agentic booking, rolled out to all US Google Search users in summer 2026 after being announced at Google I/O.
Here's how it works: a homeowner searches for something like "emergency plumber near me" in Google's AI Mode. Instead of calling businesses themselves, they can ask Google's AI to do it for them. The AI places a call to each business, announces itself as an automated system calling from Google, and checks pricing, availability and service details. The customer then receives a written summary comparing what each business said.
Three categories are covered at launch: home repair (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, roofing), beauty services, and pet care. The feature evolved from Google's "Ask for Me" experiment which started with nail salons and auto repair in January 2025.
Google has not confirmed a UK launch date, but the company's pattern is consistent — features that launch in the US typically reach the UK within 6-12 months.
What this means for tradespeople
This changes how customers find and compare tradespeople in a fundamental way. Instead of a homeowner reading your Google reviews, checking your profile, and picking up the phone, Google's AI becomes the first point of contact — and it decides which businesses to call based on your Google Business Profile quality, reviews, and relevance.
If your GBP is incomplete, your reviews are sparse, or you don't answer the phone, Google's AI will move on to the next tradesperson on the list. The businesses that get recommended in the customer's summary are the ones that looked best to the algorithm and answered the call professionally.
For UK tradespeople, this isn't here yet — but it's coming. The time to prepare is now, not when Google flips the switch.
What to do about it
Three things matter when Google's AI decides who to call:
Your Google Business Profile must be complete and accurate — services listed, hours correct, phone number working. If Google's AI can't find your services or reach you, you won't be in the running.
Your reviews need to be recent and strong — AI systems weigh review recency and sentiment heavily when deciding which businesses to recommend. TapReview is a £9/month tool that helps UK tradespeople get more Google reviews by sending automated review requests via WhatsApp and SMS after every job.
Answer the phone — when agentic calling reaches the UK, an AI will be calling you. If you don't pick up or your voicemail is full, you lose that lead to the tradesperson who did answer.
Source: Google Blog — Search I/O 2026 Updates