Windura is a window and door replacement company in the Kansas City area. Bonnie Lee and her husband have owned and operated the business since 2001. Over more than two decades, they’ve earned a 4.9-star Google rating across 200+ reviews. But for most of that time, they were also the only two people answering the phones.
Challenge
For years, Bonnie and her husband handled every incoming call themselves. Between managing projects, meeting with homeowners, and running the business, picking up the phone was a constant interruption.
"There are only so many of us to answer the phone, and you’re never gonna be able to answer every call," Bonnie says.
They tried another AI answering company. They used the service for about two years. Over time, the quality declined.
"We did use another AI company first for a couple of years," Bonnie says. "I guess you could say the services digressed over time."
With the previous provider falling short, they started looking for something better.
Solution
Windura evaluated their options and landed on Upfirst. "As we looked at other options, Upfirst was a shining option," Bonnie says.
What stood out was the level of control. Bonnie could train the AI receptionist to match Windura’s specific workflow. She configured intake questions so the AI asks prospective customers how many windows or doors they need. The sales team gets qualified information before they even return the call.
"I really love how Upfirst gives me the control to train my AI agent to our specific business needs, and also to just tweak it as often as we need to," she says.
Updating the system is part of her regular routine. "We sometimes want to go in and just add a little information or knowledge or training or new question or capture some additional information in the contact record," Bonnie explains.
They also set up call transferring to route live calls to the sales team. "So the call transfer function is also very important," she says.
The Upfirst team helped along the way. "Upfirst staff has always been incredibly responsive and helpful in assisting us in setting up our AI receptionist and tweaking it so that it works perfectly," Bonnie says.
Results
One of the biggest wins has been automated scheduling. Upfirst sends callers a scheduling link by text. Homeowners book their own consultations without Windura’s team needing to call back.
"The AI receptionist will send a scheduling link by text message to our callers," Bonnie says. "And that has been incredibly valuable, because folks do use that scheduling link and then schedule themselves for an appointment."
For Bonnie, the standout is how much control she has. No other system she’s used gives her the same ability to shape how the AI handles calls.
"Our ability to manipulate the knowledge and the training for the AI system was unparalleled," she says.
After trying another provider and watching its quality slip, Bonnie found what she was looking for in Upfirst. "It’s just so customizable by me as the business owner, and that’s my favorite," she says.
