Is Google’s AI Calling Your Business? My Experience with AI Price-Checking for a Haircut

The days of making five separate phone calls to compare quotes for local services seem to be coming to an end. Google continues to roll out a game-changing feature that puts an Artificial Intelligence (AI) agent to work for consumers, calling local businesses, gathering pricing and availability, and summarizing the results.

This “Have AI check prices” feature, which primarily appears in Google Maps local results, represents a shift for both consumers and local businesses. Currently, the feature has been observed in categories like hair salons, plumbers, and gyms (h/t to Claudia Tomina for letting us know gyms were included). As a user, I decided to put this feature to the test, asking it to find the cost of a haircut at a local hair salon. The experience was fast, revealing, and raised some critical points that every business owner needs to know.

Finding the Invisible Assistant

The feature appeared immediately after I performed a simple search for “hair salon near me.”

Instead of just showing the typical list of salons, a prompt appeared under the main local listings, inviting me to use the AI to check prices. The experience progressed quickly and required only a few clarifying details.

• Service & Specifics: The AI first asked what service I wanted (a haircut) and then asked for the type of cut (men’s, women’s, or children’s, or a bang trim), and how long my hair currently was, a detail that often influences salon pricing.
• When & Where: The questionnaire also asked what city or county I wanted the service in, you could even give specific addresses. And asked when I needed an appointment – right away, soon, or flexible
• Delivery Method: Finally, it asked how I wanted to receive the results—via text message or email.

The entire process took less than a minute.

An Assistant That Makes Phone Calls

After submitting my request, I received immediate confirmation via email that the AI would contact the businesses on my behalf. This confirms that the AI isn’t merely scraping outdated price lists from websites; it’s attempting a real, conversational interaction to get a live, up-to-date quote. This has profound implications for local businesses, as the AI may now be the first “customer” many of them will speak to.

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Speed and Accuracy: A 10-Minute Turnaround

One of the unknowns as you start his progress is how long Google takes to send you the results.

My experience gave me fast results – I submitted my request at 1:30 PM and received an email with results by 1:41 PM. This suggests that the program probably calls multiple businesses simultaneously.

This speed could be the true power of the feature for the consumer—quick, consolidated data without the hassle of making multiple calls or navigating various websites.

The results email provided a breakdown of the salons for which the AI was able to gather information.

The accuracy of the information in my results seemed reasonable, offering a range of expected prices for the service. However, the depth of the detail likely depends on how clearly and consistently the human on the other end of the phone (or the business’s website) provides the quote to the AI agent. They also listed the businesses they were not able to reach. This may have been due to no answer or due to someone hanging up on the other end, which is not made clear in the process.

Critical Questions About the AI Feature

My test, combined with industry data on the feature’s rollout, helps answer the key questions surrounding this new technology.

How Many Businesses Does It Call?

The AI typically targets the top-ranking local businesses in the Google Map Pack. In my experience, it tried to contact the hair salons in Google Maps that had a Rifle, CO address.

This is a critical insight for business owners. If your business isn’t optimized for local search (Local SEO) to appear in those top results, you won’t even be in the running for the AI’s call, and you’ll miss out on a potential lead.

Businesses that don’t answer the phone or don’t provide a quote will appear in the emailed results under the “Businesses we couldn’t reach” label. This gives the user the opportunity to call on their own, as the contact information is included in that email.

Is the Price Information Accurate?

It depends on the business’s preparedness.

The AI’s ability to provide an accurate quote is determined by the live phone call. If a staff member answers the call and clearly provides a price or range, the information is generally accurate. However, one study noted that, on average, for calls answered by a person, 48% did not provide Google’s AI with pricing information, often because staff were unprepared or preferred to provide an in-person quote, as in the case of a plumber. (Source: Invoca, November 2025 Study on AI Agent Calls).

Why is the AI Using Phone Calls?

While AI can scrape websites for product prices, many businesses these days still do not post their pricing, which thwarts the AI. Also, the cost of a service (like a haircut, plumbing repair, oil change, or gym membership) is often dynamic. It depends on variables like gender, appointment time, specific materials, or the scope of the project. A live phone call, handled by a sophisticated AI agent, is currently the most reliable way for Google to get these complex, contextual details rather than relying on interpreting website content.

The New Mandate for Local Businesses

The “Have AI check prices” feature is more than a convenience for consumers; it’s a non-negotiable shift in local search.

The AI is now the gatekeeper to a significant number of potential new customers. For businesses operating in eligible industries—including hair salons, auto repair, plumbers, and gyms—the mandate is clear:

1. Prioritize Local SEO: You must appear in the top Google Maps results to be eligible for the AI’s call.
2. Train Your Staff: Ensure anyone answering the phone is prepared to provide a clear, conversational pricing quote to an automated system.
3. Ensure Price Transparency: Publish a clear, detailed price list or range on your website and in services on your Google Business Profile in the event that Google starts pulling prices from those resources.

In a world where price comparison happens in 10 minutes, the businesses that provide fast, transparent pricing—whether via a person or an AI—will be the ones that win the customer.