“Ultimately, AI is not just a science project anymore. It is a tool that we should all be using in our day-to-day — no matter what part of the industry you’re in.”
Shelby Breger, co-founder at Conduit Tech, cut through all the “Hype AI” in front of a packed session at AHR Expo 2026 in Las Vegas, and showed HVAC pros how AI is already reshaping the residential customer journey — from lead to dispatch to install.
Breger’s message: Labor is scarce, equipment costs are up, and callbacks erode margin.
“We should make faster decisions,” she said. “We should reduce our mistakes. We should optimize our workflows.”
The goal isn’t to replace people. It’s to give every role — CSR, dispatcher, tech, and sales — a smarter assist, faster.
Why AI, Why Now
Breger anchored her talk in the realities contractors face: a persistent skills shortage, rising price pressures, and the high cost of rework.
“Every single person in here … is delivering a piece of equipment or an install that is probably 50 to 100% more expensive than it was six years ago,” she said.
With that backdrop, the bar for operational efficiency is higher than ever.
Her caution was equally clear: “There isn’t one AI, end-all, be-all solution that’s going to automate your entire business and you just get to sit back and relax. That’d be cool, but not there yet.”
Breger outlined a simple evolution of both AI over the past three years, and the way contractors can think through the level of adoption they want to pursue:
AI-infused products: helpful suggestions and copilots inside tools you already use.
AI-first products: the core value is driven by AI (think ChatGPT, Gemini).
AI agents: task-specific “assistants” embedded in workflows (email, chat, CRM).
Connected agents and AI control centers: the next frontier of coordinating multiple agents like a digital team.
The pragmatic path, she argued, is layering AI into existing workflows and measuring impact where it matters — ROAS, cost per lead, close rate, average ticket, gross margin, and speed to pay.
From Lead to Job: Speed, Relevance, and 24/7 Coverage
Breger’s playbook starts at the top of the funnel.
Begin with automation — maintenance reminders, unsold estimate follow-ups, and review requests — then inject intelligence where it truly moves the needle.
Make every ad dollar count: AI can predict job value by customer segment and trigger capacity-based campaigns in seconds, not weeks. Contractors adopting these tools are seeing lower cost per lead and stronger ROAS.
Respond fast and smart: “Speed to lead” wins. AI can analyze CSR calls, flag missed opportunities, and prioritize rapid follow-up — generating meaningful incremental revenue per CSR per month.
Meet customers where they are: “Booking shouldn’t cost you jobs.” Breger urged contractors to embrace online scheduling, AI-powered SMS booking, and voice agents to keep phones covered and calendars full. “Thinking about my Gen Z team members, the best way to reach them is text,” she said.
Always-on coverage without burnout: “AI agents that answer calls and book jobs 24/7” can handle confirmations, reschedules, and simple bookings — then escalate complex or upset customers to humans. “AI is based on the level that you want to adopt it,” she said. Start with low-risk use cases and expand.
Contractors pairing online booking with intelligent SMS and voice coverage are growing faster, capturing more new customers, and booking a significant share of jobs after hours — without adding headcount.
Breger cited examples of AI-led outreach generating about $1,300 in additional revenue per CSR per month, 23% lower CPL, and booking gains driven by 24/7 channels. She added that 47% of online bookings come from new customers and 42% are scheduled after 5 p.m. or on weekends.
On the Truck: Dispatch Precision, Better Sales, Fewer Callbacks
Once the call is booked, AI helps ensure the right tech shows up with the right plan.
Dispatch is a stress test for every operation. Breger highlighted how AI can reduce drive time, centralize exceptions, and match techs to jobs based on skills, proximity, past performance, and customer history. The result: fewer wasted miles and more revenue per route.
On sales and design, she pushed back on the “plug-and-play” misconception.
“Most homeowners think about an air conditioning unit… as a plug-in, plug-out solution… It is primarily a service,” Breger said.
Tools, such as Conduit, that scan a home, generate 3D models and load calcs, and visualize comfort issues help technicians educate customers, build trust, and standardize handoffs. That clarity pays off in higher close rates, larger average tickets, and cleaner installs with fewer day-two fixes.
Her guidance on getting started was simple and grounded: pick one workflow — quoting, training, or QA — standardize it, layer AI on top, and measure the impact. Then iterate.
Breger closed with a challenge fit for a fast-changing industry: “If you keep one thing in mind… what’s one thing I can do to help me start moving along the journey?”
Progress, not perfection, she reminded the room, is what compounds. Pick one workflow; standardize it, with AI as part of the workflow; measure its impact; and use AI to continuously improve that workflow.
Breger’s north star never wavered: AI is a force multiplier for humans. The best teams won’t be the biggest; they’ll be the most consistent — powered by data, disciplined processes, and leveraging the right digital help at every step.
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