Because tree work has too many safety-load-bearing variables for chat quoting to be honest. Tree species, height, lean direction, root flare condition, proximity to structures and power lines, rigging access, and equipment access all factor into the quote, and getting any of those wrong creates a real safety problem. Inspecting in person is the only way to quote reliably. The bot's job is to qualify the lead and book the inspection, not to invent a number that will get re-done at the curb anyway.

The bot listens for emergency language (tree on the house, tree on the power line, tree blocking the driveway, fresh storm damage, active hazard) and surfaces your emergency policy first. That includes the priority dispatch window, the after-hours rate, and the on-call number. Non-urgent inquiries go to the standard inspection calendar. Reading the emergency rate from your published policy keeps the customer informed without the bot trying to assess severity from a few sentences.

The arborist walks the tree (or trees), checks the root flare and base condition, assesses lean and structural integrity, looks at rigging space and equipment access, considers proximity to structures and power lines, and discusses the customer's goals (full removal vs pruning, stump grinding vs leaving the stump, debris hauling vs leaving the wood). The written quote follows within 48 hours and includes a line-item breakdown.

Stump grinding is usually quoted alongside removal at the inspection because the access for the grinder is a real factor: a backyard stump with a 30-inch gate access prices differently from a front-yard stump the grinder can drive to. The bot captures the location in chat so the arborist knows to evaluate access during the inspection, but the actual quote happens after the in-person walk.

Pruning is usually less urgent and prices lower, but the bot still books an inspection because the right cut depends on species, time of year, and tree health. Crown reduction, deadwood removal, and structural pruning all have different scope and pricing. The bot captures the goal (more light to the yard, clear branches off the roof, shape the canopy) so the arborist arrives with the customer's priorities in mind.

For storm damage with insurance involvement, the bot captures the claim status (filed, in progress, denied) and routes to whichever workflow your published policy describes. Some operators bill the insurance directly, some require homeowner payment up front and provide a paid invoice for reimbursement. The bot doesn't try to interpret the policy itself, just captures the context so the right team handles the quote.

Yours. SleekAI is bring-your-own key for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or OpenRouter, and the model bills you directly with no per-message markup. A tree service operator usually spends $10 to $30 a month on actual model usage. GPT-4o-mini or Claude Haiku handles the qualification and inspection-booking flow well; for storm-response intake you may prefer a more capable model.

Into your WordPress conversation log, tied to the customer record and the inspection booking. Species, height, lean, proximity, access notes, and goals all carry into the work order so the arborist arrives prepared. Emergency conversations get flagged separately so the dispatcher can prioritize them. The log is also where you spot common questions worth answering on the residential page itself.