Notes from the front office
What we learn building
the systems that answer.
Three times a week we write up something we have actually had to solve: where calls leak, what an agent can and cannot carry, and which piece of the follow-up is worth automating before the rest.
24 posts
Why your automation breaks when an employee leaves
Your automation breaks when an employee leaves because the connection was authorised by them, not your company. How to find every one and fix it.
28 Oct 2026
What does custom software maintenance cost each year?
Custom software maintenance cost is usually quoted as a percentage of the build. The published end-of-life dates behind your app give a better number.
26 Oct 2026
Why your site fails Core Web Vitals at 100 PageSpeed
A 100 PageSpeed score is a lab test. Your site fails Core Web Vitals on real Chrome visits at the 75th percentile, and that is the number to fix.
23 Oct 2026
Are chatbot promises legally binding on your business?
Are chatbot promises legally binding? A tribunal made one airline honour what its chatbot invented. Here is how to scope yours before that happens.
21 Oct 2026
Why low voice AI latency can make calls worse
Voice AI latency is a trade-off, not a score. Test your AI phone agent's timing in six calls and learn which settings to ask your vendor to change.
16 Oct 2026
Why is my automation creating duplicate records?
Automation creating duplicate records? It's either a double delivery or a weak match. How to tell which, and the fix that holds under load.
14 Oct 2026
When to stop vibe coding and bring in a developer
When to stop vibe coding comes down to one line, not a code review. Here are the four checks we run on an AI-built app before touching it.
12 Oct 2026
Do accessibility widgets work, or just hide the problem?
Do accessibility widgets work? Scanners say yes, keyboard testing and 2026 lawsuit counts say no. What to fix in your code instead.
9 Oct 2026
Is your chat widget slowing down your website?
How to tell if a chat widget is slowing down your website, why speed tests miss it, and what a facade costs you in first reply time.
7 Oct 2026
Why your AI receptionist gets names wrong on calls
Your AI receptionist gets names wrong because the phone line drops the sounds that tell letters apart. Here is what actually fixes it.
5 Oct 2026
How do I know if my automation stopped working?
An automation stopped working and nobody noticed? Error alerts miss silent failures. Here is how to monitor for absence instead.
2 Oct 2026
Who owns custom software code after you've paid for it?
Who owns custom software code comes down to a signed assignment and about eight account logins. Paying the invoice does neither. Here's how to check.
30 Sept 2026
Why are my contact form emails going to spam?
Contact form emails going to spam is an authentication problem with a short fix. The silent failure underneath it costs far more leads.
28 Sept 2026
How WhatsApp service message pricing hits your chatbot bill
WhatsApp service message pricing starts billing chat agent replies on 1 October 2026. The free tier is 1,000 messages a month, not 1,000 chats.
25 Sept 2026
Why your business number shows up as spam on callbacks
Three analytics firms decide whether your callback rings clean or says Spam Likely. How they score your number, and what actually shifts it.
23 Sept 2026
How many calls is my business missing? Count them first
Industry averages cannot tell you how many calls you are losing. Here is how to pull your own call log and get a number you can act on.
21 Sept 2026
What happens when an AI receptionist call transfer fails
Most AI receptionist call transfers fail in the same place: your carrier's voicemail answers before the agent can try the next person.
18 Sept 2026
Can I keep my phone number with an AI receptionist?
You can keep the number on the van. Forwarding moves the calls, not the number, and here are the four things it quietly leaves behind.
16 Sept 2026
Do I have to tell callers it's an AI on the phone?
Most AI calling laws cover outbound robocalls, not the agent answering your line. Here's what applies, and how to write the greeting.
14 Sept 2026
How to tell if an AI receptionist CRM integration is real
Most AI phone vendors say they integrate with your CRM. Here is what that word hides, and the one live test that tells you which level you are buying.
11 Sept 2026
The first process worth automating in a small team
Most automation projects stall because they pick the wrong process first. A simple test for choosing one, and why the boring option usually wins.
10 Sept 2026
What an AI receptionist can and cannot do on a call
An honest look at what an AI receptionist handles well on a live call, what it should never be given, and how to set the escalation boundary.
10 Sept 2026
Why lead response time decides who gets the job
Lead response time decides more jobs than price or reviews. What the five minute rule really means, why people alone cannot hit it, and what to measure.
10 Sept 2026