The 5 criteria that actually matter
First, trade specialization. A generalist agent doesn't know the difference between a plumbing quote and a masonry quote. It doesn't understand your units, margins, or seasonal constraints. Look for one built for your trade.
Second, setup. If it takes more than 10 minutes, it's too complicated. It should work on WhatsApp, Teams, or Slack. Tools you already use. No extra app.
Third, pricing. Avoid "custom quote" pricing. It's usually expensive and unpredictable. A functional AI agent for small businesses costs 60-200€/month. Below that, missing features. Above that, you're paying for things you don't need.
Fourth, data hosting. Your quotes, invoices, client data: ask where it's stored. Insist on France-based hosting, GDPR-compliant. That's a legal obligation.
And fifth, integrations. The agent should connect to what you already use. Messaging, calendar, accounting software if you have one.
What to ignore
Number of agents: you'll use 1 or 2. One that does quotes, invoices, and reminders well beats ten that do everything poorly. Spectacular ROI claims: ask instead about hours saved, quotes converted, late payments reduced. The "no-code" label: all modern agents are no-code, so it's meaningless. And volume of SEO articles published by the vendor says nothing about whether the product works.
Market comparison
Three categories in France in 2026. Generalist multi-agents: 6-10 agents, 50-70€/month, not trade-specific. Custom platforms: no listed pricing, quality but prohibitive for small businesses. Trade specialists: 99-200€/month, understand your vocabulary and processes, fast setup.
For construction tradespeople, the specialist is the only one that actually saves time long-term.
Our recommendation
We built Séverine for construction SMEs. WhatsApp, Teams, Slack, Telegram. 100% French hosting, from 99€/month. But whatever you choose: request a trial, test with real quotes and invoices, measure for two weeks. If the numbers improve, keep it. If not, switch.
Every week of manual admin is time and money you won't get back. Details on /offers.