Podium launches “Gary” AI assistant

AI-powered lead conversion platform Podium has unveiled “Gary”, its AI employee designed to help HVAC&R, plumbing, and electrical businesses engage and convert leads. Podium says AI employees like Gary allow businesses to manage leads, communicate with customers, and streamline operations all from the one inbox.

Gary is designed to handle lead management across all channels, responding instantly to missed calls, messages, and online inquiries, both during and after hours. Podium says Gary has been trained to understand specific services and fields of specialisation – including HVAC&R – allowing him to ask the right questions, prioritise urgent issues, and hand over fully qualified leads to the business’s team for final scheduling.

According to Podium, Gary helps HVAC&R businesses filter and connect with the most appropriate customers by:

• asking key questions like equipment age, homeowner vs. renter status, and service area
• instantly answering common customer queries
• integrating with existing workflows for smoother operations.

To learn more about the AI employee system, you can visit the HVAC page of the Podium website and watch a demo.