Smashed Window. Text Sent. AI Replied. Boarding Booked.

A broken window creates a situation where texting is often the most practical first step. A homeowner whose window has been smashed by a football at 8pm on a Saturday doesn't know whether any glazier will answer a phone call at that hour — but they can text and hope for a response. A single parent whose back door glass has been smashed is simultaneously dealing with keeping children away from broken glass, sweeping up shards, and trying to secure the opening — they can't hold a phone conversation in the middle of that chaos, but they can send a quick text describing what happened. A business owner who arrives Monday morning to find a shopfront window cracked needs a glazier while simultaneously dealing with their alarm company, the police, and their insurance — texting a glazier is one action on a list of ten. In every scenario, the AI's instant text reply cuts through the customer's stress with professional reassurance: acknowledging the situation, asking the essential questions (glass type, frame material, opening size), and providing your emergency phone number for immediate coordination.

The AI responds within seconds of receiving the text — which is critically important for emergency glazing because broken windows are both a security vulnerability and a safety hazard. A property with a smashed window or door panel is unsecurable overnight: the homeowner can't go to bed knowing the house is open to intruders, weather, and animals. Speed of response directly determines whether you capture this emergency callout or the customer texts a second glazier and books whoever replies first. The AI's response to emergency texts includes four elements: empathetic acknowledgement of the situation, essential specification questions (is the frame uPVC, timber, or aluminium; is the broken pane single or double glazed; is it a door or window panel), your emergency phone number so the customer can speak to you directly for immediate scheduling, and reassurance that emergency boarding is available that evening or the following morning. This combination of speed, empathy, and practical action in a single text message is what converts a panicked customer into a confirmed booking.

The AI reads the content and urgency cues in each text and adjusts its response accordingly. A text about a "smashed window," "broken glass," "can't secure my door," or "break-in damage" receives an emergency-level response with boarding availability and your direct phone number. A text about "condensation between the panes," "misted up double glazing," or "the window seal has gone" receives a non-emergency response that asks about the number of affected units, the window sizes, and the frame type — because misted sealed units are a planned replacement job, not an emergency boarding callout. A text about "I need new windows for a conservatory" or "we want to replace all the front windows" receives a quotation-focused response asking about the number of windows, current frame material, and whether they're looking for uPVC, aluminium, or timber replacements. This triage intelligence means each customer receives an appropriately calibrated response that matches their level of urgency.

The AI sends one carefully structured text that accomplishes everything needed from an initial glazing contact. For emergencies, it combines empathy, essential specification capture, and your phone number into a single message that gets the customer from "I have a broken window" to "I'm speaking to the glazier" in under a minute. For planned work, it captures the window count, glass type, frame material, and scheduling preference in a single reply. This one-reply model works particularly well for glaziers because most glazing jobs require a site visit to measure accurately — the text exchange captures enough information for you to prepare the right materials, but the precise measurements always happen on site. The AI gets you to that measurement visit by qualifying the lead efficiently: emergency boarding or planned replacement, glass type, frame material, number of units affected, and customer location.

Text message enquiries reach every glass and glazing specialisation. An emergency glazier receives after-hours texts about smashed windows, broken door panels, and boarding requests from customers who need immediate security restoration. A replacement window company receives texts from homeowners comparing quotes for full window replacements across their property. A sealed unit specialist receives texts about misted double glazing, condensation between panes, and failed window seals. A commercial glazier receives texts from shop owners, property managers, and office administrators about shopfront glass, partition glazing, and commercial window maintenance. A conservatory company receives texts about roof panel replacements, polycarbonate-to-glass upgrades, and conservatory refurbishment. Whether your customers describe you as a glazier, a glass company, a window fitter, a window company, a window replacement business, a double glazing company, an emergency glazier, a boarding service, a glass repair specialist, a sealed unit replacement company, or a commercial glazing contractor, the AI ensures every text receives an immediate, glass-specification-aware response.

Insurance glazing work generates a specific text profile: the customer has already filed a claim with their home insurance and been given authorisation to arrange the glass replacement, or they're in the process of filing and need a glazier's quote to support the claim. The AI recognises insurance-related language in texts — mentions of "insurance claim," "claim reference," "loss adjuster," or "excess payment" — and responds with claims-process awareness: asking whether the insurer has authorised the repair directly or whether a quote is needed first, what the claim reference number is, whether a loss adjuster needs to inspect before the glass is replaced, and whether the customer has been given a specific glazier panel or can choose their own. For customers who haven't yet filed a claim, the AI advises them to photograph the damage before boarding (evidence for the claim) and contact their insurer promptly. This insurance-literate text response adds genuine value for the customer navigating a process they may be experiencing for the first time.

The SMS add-on is £29 per month on top of the Speed Receptionist Core plan at £89 per month, with unlimited text responses. For a glazing business, the revenue potential from captured text leads spans a wide range. An emergency boarding callout is worth £80 to £200. A single sealed unit replacement is worth £80 to £150, and a customer with multiple misted units (which is common in properties over fifteen years old) represents £300 to £800. A full window replacement for a three-bedroom house is worth £4,000 to £10,000. A shopfront glass replacement is worth £500 to £2,000. An insurance-authorised repair with expedited replacement glass is worth £200 to £600. The AI captures these leads at the moment the customer texts — while you're cutting glass, installing a unit, or attending another boarding. One emergency boarding captured by the AI during a busy Saturday evening pays for the service for four months.

When a text mentions vulnerability factors — elderly person living alone, single parent with small children, victim of a break-in, disability, or personal safety concerns — the AI adjusts its tone and urgency accordingly. A single mother texting at 9pm about a smashed back door with a toddler sleeping upstairs receives a response that is warmer, more empathetic, and more urgency-focused than a standard commercial glass repair enquiry. The AI acknowledges the fear and discomfort of having an unsecurable property, provides practical interim advice (can anything be propped against the opening temporarily?), and presents your emergency phone number as the immediate next step. This vulnerability-aware communication is flagged in your lead notification so you can prioritise appropriately — because a vulnerable person in an unsecurable property overnight is a different priority than a house with a broken window in an occupied upstairs bedroom where the ground floor is secure.

Yes — and the follow-up method depends on the urgency. For emergency boarding texts, you phone back within minutes to confirm you're on your way and give an approximate arrival time. For sealed unit replacements, you call during your next break to discuss the number of affected windows and arrange a measurement visit. For window replacement quotations, you schedule a survey appointment at a mutually convenient time. The AI's lead notification gives you everything captured from the text: the glass issue, the frame type, the urgency level, any vulnerability flags, and the customer's contact details and location. This pre-captured intelligence means your follow-up call is informed and efficient rather than starting with "what do you need?" — which every other glazier will open with.

We configure SMS handling on your existing business number during a brief onboarding conversation. During setup, we learn about your glazing specialisation (emergency boarding, sealed unit replacement, full window replacement, commercial glazing, conservatory work, or a combination), the glass types and frame materials you work with, your geographical coverage, and whether you offer out-of-hours emergency services. The AI is configured with glazing-specific terminology covering glass types (toughened, laminated, float, low-E, self-cleaning), frame materials (uPVC, timber, aluminium, composite), and glazing configurations (single, double, triple, sealed units, secondary glazing). We test with simulated texts covering emergency boarding calls, misted unit enquiries, full replacement quotation requests, and insurance correspondence before going live. Most glazing businesses are fully operational within 48 hours.