Keeping the human connection in an AI-driven business

By Jesse Sanchez. 

How contractors can use artificial intelligence to improve efficiency without sacrificing trust, authenticity or personal relationships. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help roofing contractors save time, standardize processes and improve communication, but Michelle Miller, the president of Creativate, believes technology should support human relationships rather than replace them. During this CoatingsTalk, Michelle encouraged contractors to treat AI as a teammate. Emphasizing that relationships remain central to business. “It is still all about human connection, person to person. We do business with people that we know, that we like and that we trust,” she shared. 

Contractors can use AI as a personal assistant to schedule follow-ups, analyze customer activity, organize documentation and create consistent checklists. It can also help teams draft emails, proposals, social media posts and standard operating procedures. However, Michelle cautioned contractors against adopting technology without first identifying a specific business need, stressing, “You cannot automate what has not been documented.” 

Rather than implementing multiple platforms at once, contractors should begin with one repetitive or time-consuming process. That could include drafting customer responses, preparing maintenance reminders, reformatting information between software systems or helping new employees locate company policies. 

Businesses must also establish clear guidelines for AI use. Employees may already be using free tools without leadership’s knowledge, potentially exposing sensitive information. Michelle recommended providing approved platforms, training and policies instead of ignoring what she described as “shadow AI.” 

Maintaining an accurate customer relationship management system can also make AI-supported communication more personal. Customer notes, project information and company brand guidelines give the technology the context needed to produce useful drafts. 

Even then, every response requires human review. Reinforcing the role technology should play, Michelle advised, “It is a tool. It is a teammate. It is there to help. It is not there to replace.” 

Listen to the podcast or Watch the conversation to learn more about keeping the human connection at the center of an AI-supported roofing business!