Start subcontractor allocation from client emails automatically

A client sends a new instruction. Before your team can allocate the work, someone has to read the email and attachments, pull out the address and work required, and check which subcontractors cover that area.

Then come the availability requests. The same details are copied into emails, replies arrive in the shared inbox, and someone has to make sure each answer reaches the person handling that client.

When several instructions arrive together, this becomes a queue of small tasks that all need attention before a visit can be confirmed. Any agreed response or attendance deadline is already approaching.

Build Concierge starts that process when the instruction arrives, using the subcontractor assignments your business has already agreed.

The automation connects the incoming instruction to an availability request, then brings the subcontractor’s reply back to the right person.

Read the client’s instruction

When an instruction reaches your monitored mailbox, AI reads the email and any accompanying PDF. It extracts the customer details, address, postcode, client reference and description of the work.

Apply your area and trade rules

Build Concierge uses your postcode rules to identify the region and classifies the type of work. It then checks the subcontractors your business has assigned to that combination.

Your assignment list determines who is contacted.

Request availability

The assigned subcontractors receive an email with the work details and a request for their first availability. The message can include the client’s required attendance deadline.

A named member of your team receives a list of the subcontractors contacted, alongside the client reference and postcode.

Record and route the replies

When a subcontractor responds, Build Concierge finds the matching customer contact in your job management system. It removes quoted email history, records the subcontractor’s response and tags the team member responsible for that client.

The response is available for your team to review and take forward. At this stage, it is recorded against the customer contact.

Flag anything that needs attention

If the region cannot be matched, no subcontractor is assigned, too many matches are returned or the customer contact cannot be found, the workflow alerts your team with the relevant details.

Your team handles the exception and confirms the final allocation.

Your office spends less time reading instructions to find the same details, searching supplier lists and writing availability requests. The workflow applies your agreed assignments and sends the requests automatically.

The person handling the work can see who has been contacted. When replies arrive, they are recorded against the customer contact and brought to the right team member’s attention.

That gives your team more time to review availability, resolve exceptions and arrange the visit with the customer.

You can also acknowledge the instruction by text and email, so the customer knows it has been received while your team works towards confirming an appointment.

The workflow follows the way your business assigns subcontract work.

Set up each client’s instruction format

Different clients send different emails and PDFs. Each client’s format can have its own reading step, with the same allocation rules applied once the details have been extracted.

This helps your team handle different instruction formats without repeatedly checking each document by hand.

Assign subcontractors by region and trade

You decide which subcontractors cover each configured area and type of work. Combinations without an assigned subcontractor are passed to your office.

Route replies by client

Choose who should be tagged when a subcontractor responds. Different clients can have different people responsible for reviewing replies and arranging the next step.

Include customer acknowledgement

Send a text and email confirming that the instruction has been received. The wording can change with the time of day.

The acknowledgement confirms receipt of the instruction. Your team confirms the visit once the allocation has been agreed.

Bring your Concierge Support team a few example instructions from each client and the subcontractor list your office uses today.

To set up the workflow, you will need:

• Build Concierge connected to your job management system, such as BigChange.
• The mailbox receiving client instructions, with forwarding into Build Concierge.
• Your postcode-to-region rules.
• The subcontractors assigned to each region and trade, including their email addresses.
• Your availability request wording and any attendance deadline it should include.
• The people responsible for replies and exceptions.

Together, we agree how each client’s instructions should be read, who should be contacted and where replies should go.

Test the workflow with real instructions, check the extracted details and subcontractors contacted, then switch it on for each client once it is working as agreed.