Upfirst AI answering captures every call for Willow Run craft distillery
Willow Run's voicemail system was effectively unused — callers hung up before the beep, turning every missed call into a lost reservation or sales opportunity. When staff did answer during service, simple repeated questions pulled bartenders away from customers for minutes at a time.
The answering machine rarely worked — callers hung up before the beep and the bar team found out hours later, if at all.
Willow Run now captures every incoming call.
The AI either answers questions directly or takes a detailed message and sends prompt text and email notifications, reducing phone interruptions for bar staff during service.
Frequently asked questions
What did this team achieve with this AI workflow?
Willow Run now captures every incoming call.
What tools did this team use?
Upfirst.
What results were reported?
Call capture: captures every call that comes in; Missed calls: not missing any calls; Staff phone interruptions during service: less phone calls for our staff (source-reported, not independently verified).
What failed first in this deployment?
The answering machine rarely worked — callers hung up before the beep and the bar team found out hours later, if at all.
How is this appointment scheduling AI workflow structured?
Customer calls the bar → AI answers conversationally → Unresolved calls escalated → Team notified by text and email.