Some jobs are perfect for an agent. Others will make a mess you have to clean up. Before you set anything up, run the job through four questions.
1. Does it happen the same way most of the time?
An agent is good at a job that follows a pattern. "When a quote is three days old and the customer hasn't replied, send a check-in" is a pattern.
"Figure out why the Hendersons are upset" is not. That one needs you.
If you can't describe the job in two or three sentences, it isn't ready.
2. Can you write down the rules?
Try it on paper. When does the job start? What does a good result look like? What should never happen?
If the rules only live in your head, the agent has nothing to follow. Writing them down is most of the work, and it's useful even if you never set up an agent. It's the same thing you'd tell a new hire.
3. Is a mistake cheap?
A reminder text that goes out an hour late is a small problem. A refund sent to the wrong customer is a big one.
Start with jobs where a mistake is easy to catch and easy to fix. Keep a person on anything that moves money, makes a promise, or answers a complaint. The agent can draft those. You send them.
4. Can you check its work in two minutes?
Every setup should leave a short trail. A list of the texts it sent today. A note of the follow-ups it scheduled. Something you can scan over coffee.
For the first couple of weeks, scan it every day. You'll find a rule that needs fixing, and that's normal. When you go a week without fixing anything, you can check less often.
If checking the agent takes longer than doing the job yourself, it isn't saving you anything yet.
Scoring a job
Give the job one point for each yes.
- Four yes answers: Hand it off. Start this week.
- Three: Fix the missing piece first. Usually that means writing the rules down.
- Two or fewer: Keep doing it yourself for now, and pick a different job.
Most owners find their missed calls and their quote follow-ups score a four. That's why they're at the top of the list in the five jobs guide.