Will Doug give buyers a price?

Only prices you give him. Most shops turn on team quotes, so Doug gives no price, collects the full RFQ, and your estimator sends the quote.

Can Doug check where an order is?

Not on his own. He takes the company and the PO number and hands it to your team, so the buyer doesn't explain twice.

Does Doug work with our current email?

Yes. Forward your quotes@ or sales@ mailbox to Doug's address. He replies from your own domain once you verify it, and you choose if he replies on his own or drafts each reply for your OK.

How much does Doug cost for a machine shop?

Starter is $49 a month for 2,000 credits on your website and by email. Growth is $149 for 10,000 credits and adds texts and calls, with 500 minutes. Extra credits are $10 per 1,000 and roll over.

AI receptionist for machine shops

Doug answers the RFQ emails and phone calls that come into your machine shop, day or night. He answers from your capability sheets (machines, materials, tolerances, certifications), collects the drawing, material, quantity and due date, and hands your estimator a complete quote request. Free for 7 days. Email starts on Starter, $49 a month. Calls and texts start on Growth, $149 a month.

Updated October 29, 2026

Which messages should Doug handle?

Split your inbox into two piles. A buyer with a line-down emergency, a quality problem on a lot you shipped, or a change to an order already on the floor needs a person now. Doug hands those to your team at once, with the reason at the top.

The other pile is most of your inbox: RFQs from buyers you haven't met, the lead time on 200 pieces, whether you run 5-axis, whether you can hold half a thou. Those buyers sent the same package to several shops. The shop that answers first and asks the right questions gets a fair look. That pile is Doug's job.

What buyers ask a machine shop

They come by email and phone, often from a buyer or an engineer who needs an answer before a meeting.

Can you quote this part? Drawing and STEP file attached.
What is your lead time on 200 pieces?
Do you have 5-axis or Swiss turning?
What tolerances can you hold?
Do you anodize in house, or send finishing out?
Are you ISO 9001 or AS9100 certified?

How does Doug take an RFQ?

He answers from your own capability sheet, equipment list, spec PDFs and the Q&A pairs you write, so the machines and tolerances come from you. With team quotes on, he gives no price. He confirms what came in, asks for what is missing (material, quantity, finish, certs, due date, ship-to), and saves a quote request your estimator can work from.

Drawings stay with the conversation. PDFs and photos show in your inbox, and other files, like STEP or IGES, are named so your team opens the original email. If a buyer says a part is export-controlled, Doug tells them to send it to your team directly.

Answering the phone while you run the floor

On Growth, Doug answers calls on his own local number, or on your number when you forward or move it to him. He takes the same details by voice, rings your sales line first if you want, and transfers a caller who needs a person. Every call lands in your inbox with a transcript.

Showing up for 'CNC machining near me'

Buyers search by process and place: 'CNC machining Dayton', 'Swiss turning Ohio', 'prototype machining near me'. They also ask ChatGPT and Gemini which shops can do a job. Each week Doug checks those searches and answers. Then he writes the pages you're missing, one for each process and material, with your real equipment and tolerances, and publishes them to a Doug-run site or your WordPress site.

Is it worth it for a machine shop?

Shops lose many RFQs to slow replies, not to price. Doug answers every quote request and every call the same day, and your estimator spends time on quotes instead of chasing missing details.

Start with the free Google and AI check to see who comes up for your processes today. Then upload your capability sheet and email Doug a test RFQ.

Questions

Will Doug give buyers a price?: Only prices you give him. Most shops turn on team quotes, so Doug gives no price, collects the full RFQ, and your estimator sends the quote.
Can Doug check where an order is?: Not on his own. He takes the company and the PO number and hands it to your team, so the buyer doesn't explain twice.
Does Doug work with our current email?: Yes. Forward your quotes@ or sales@ mailbox to Doug's address. He replies from your own domain once you verify it, and you choose if he replies on his own or drafts each reply for your OK.
How much does Doug cost for a machine shop?: Starter is $49 a month for 2,000 credits on your website and by email. Growth is $149 for 10,000 credits and adds texts and calls, with 500 minutes. Extra credits are $10 per 1,000 and roll over.