Updated on 13 October 2026. The "before" comes from an analysis of the company's WhatsApp history from 15 April to 28 September 2026; the "after", from the agent's conversation log from 4 to 13 October 2026.
In short
- JGM Sanidad Ambiental, a pest control company based in Leganés that works across the south and west of Madrid, has had a Tubot AI digital employee on its WhatsApp since 28 September 2026. The agent is called Mariano: the name was chosen by the owner, Jose Antonio García Mora.
- Before switching it on, Tubot analysed five and a half months of the company's WhatsApp: 27,202 messages in 536 conversations. 29% of what customers wrote arrived out of hours, and almost all of it was answered by a single person from his mobile.
- Jose Antonio already replied quickly (the median first reply was one minute), but in 63 of 409 conversations the first reply took more than an hour, and in 36, more than a day.
- Mariano replies straight away, voice notes included, gives an approximate price from the company's price list when the service allows it, and passes Jose Antonio, already summarised, whatever needs his judgement.
- It runs on the same number as always, alongside the WhatsApp Business app: when Jose Antonio writes in a chat, the AI steps aside.
Case details
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Company | JGM Sanidad Ambiental (jgmsanidadambiental.com), Leganés (Madrid) |
| Sector | Pest control, disinfection, legionella and bird control |
| Area | South and west of Madrid, the rest of the Community of Madrid, Valle del Tiétar and the city of Ávila |
| Channel | The company's usual WhatsApp number, shared with the owner's WhatsApp Business app |
| Agent | Mariano, which introduces itself as an AI assistant |
| What it does | Answers text and audio, gives approximate prices, recommends equipment, collects the visit details, follows up and passes cases to the owner |
| Live since | 28 September 2026; the first version was built on 17 September |
| Provider | Tubot, digital employees for service businesses |
What did JGM's WhatsApp look like before the AI?
Before switching on the agent, Tubot read the company's WhatsApp history from 15 April to 28 September 2026 without using any AI model: counts and rules applied to the messages. It is a snapshot of a pest control company where a single person answers customers, writes quotes and carries out the treatments.
| Data from the history | Figure |
|---|---|
| Conversations with messages | 536 (417 about pests or other company services) |
| Messages | 27,202 (13,148 from customers and 14,054 from the company) |
| Voice notes received | 153, plus 55 photos and 5 videos |
| Customer entries outside the company's hours | 2,093 of 7,145 (29%) |
| Busiest hour for entries | 20:00 to 21:00 (617 entries), already outside the Monday to Friday hours |
| Median first reply in each conversation | 1 minute |
| Conversations whose first reply took more than an hour | 63 of 409 (15%) |
| Conversations whose first reply took more than a day | 36 of 409 (9%) |
| Automatic message "We can't reply right now" | Sent in 253 conversations |
| Conversations with a written price | 198 of 417 (47%) |
Two readings. The first: Jose Antonio answered almost everything (409 of 417 conversations) and very quickly when he could. The second: that came at a cost. Everything went out from his mobile, at any hour, while he was carrying out treatments in a home or on business premises, and when he could not reply the customer got the automatic message. In 15% of conversations the first reply took more than an hour, and in pest control an hour is enough for the customer to call another company.
What does Mariano do on JGM's WhatsApp?
1. It replies straight away, by voice too
Mariano replies in seconds, day and night. It understands voice notes and photos, which in this business are the normal way to describe the problem, and if a customer speaks to it in an audio message, it replies with another. It always introduces itself as an AI assistant.
2. It gives an approximate price from the company's price list
Prices come from a calculator built with Jose Antonio's price sheet, VAT included. Mariano always gives them as approximate ("from", "around"), because the final price is set at the visit, and when a job involves several treatments, it breaks them down. Homeowners' communities and businesses always go to an assessment visit, and when the case needs to be seen or the area needs assessing, it gives no figure: it passes the case to Jose Antonio.
3. It recommends equipment
For businesses that need permanent flying insect control, Mariano recommends insect traps from a catalogue of 31 units, each with its own photo and price.
4. It prepares each case for the owner
It asks about the pest, the town, whether it is a home or a business, and asks for photos. When the case needs Jose Antonio, it reaches him by email with everything summarised and the reason: a quote that requires a visit, an area that needs assessing, a business or premises, an unclear pest in the photo. He joins the chat from his app and Mariano steps aside.
5. It follows up with people who drop off halfway
If someone asks for information and stops replying, Mariano writes to them once more later, within the 24 hours that WhatsApp allows. If the case is already in Jose Antonio's hands, it does not.
What results so far? Figures from 4 to 13 October 2026
| Indicator | Figure | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Conversations handled | 29 | Separate chats in which Mariano replied at least once |
| Replies sent | 113 | Messages written by Mariano |
| Cases passed to the owner with a summary | 20 | Emails to Jose Antonio with the case and the reason |
| Conversations in which the owner stepped in | 21 | Chats in which Jose Antonio wrote from his app and Mariano stepped aside |
| Approximate prices given | 2 | Conversations with a "from" price taken from the price list |
| Follow-ups sent | 4 | Conversations picked up again by Mariano |
The most common enquiries were about termites, wasps, woodworm and bedbugs, and the most common towns were Madrid and Leganés. The most frequent reasons for passing on a case were a quote that requires a visit (7), an area Jose Antonio had to assess (5) and businesses or premises (4).
The honest reading, two weeks in: at JGM the AI gives few prices because much of what comes in is quoted at the visit. Its job is a different one: making sure no customer is left waiting, that Jose Antonio receives each case already organised and that he can carry out treatments without his phone in his hand. Once there is a full month, its figures will be published here.
What doesn't the AI do?
- It does not diagnose the pest. If the photo does not make it clear what it is, it passes the case to Jose Antonio.
- It does not give fixed prices. It gives an approximate price only when the price list allows it.
- It does not book visits in management software. It collects the visit details and passes them to Jose Antonio, who confirms the visit. Nor does it send appointment reminders.
- It does not replace the owner. Jose Antonio still replies whenever he wants, from the same app and the same number.
How was it set up and how long did it take?
- 17 September 2026: Tubot builds the first version of the agent with the price sheet and Jose Antonio's answers on areas, guarantees, payment methods and tone, and starts testing it on a test number.
- 21 September: Jose Antonio tries it out and asks for his changes, for example that it should break down quotes with several treatments.
- Up to 28 September: automated tests of conversation openings, appointments, complaints and follow-ups, and an analysis of the WhatsApp history to learn how his customers write.
- 28 September: Mariano starts answering on the real number, alongside Jose Antonio's WhatsApp Business app.
Today Tubot sets up an agent like this in one week, without interrupting the client's operations.
How much does it cost?
From €249 a month, with no setup fee, an annual commitment, and maintenance, support and improvements included. The final price depends on the scope and comes out of a free 30-minute audit.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I have an AI on my WhatsApp without changing my number?
- Yes. At JGM the AI runs on the usual number at the same time as the owner's WhatsApp Business app (what Meta calls coexistence). When the owner writes in a chat, the AI stops replying in it.
- Does it understand voice notes?
- Yes. In five and a half months, JGM's customers sent 153 voice notes. Mariano understands them and, when someone speaks to it in an audio message, it replies with another.
- What happens if the price depends on the visit?
- The AI does not make it up. It collects the details and the photos and passes the case to the owner with a summary, so that he decides the price.
- Does the customer know they are talking to an AI?
- Yes. Mariano introduces itself as an AI assistant in its first message, as required by Article 50 of the EU AI Act.
Methodology and sources
The "before" comes from an automated analysis of JGM's WhatsApp history from 15 April to 28 September 2026 (536 conversations), done with counts and rules, without an AI model. An "entry" is a burst of messages from a customer up to the company's first reply. The reference hours are the ones the company states: Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00 and Saturdays from 8:00 to 14:00, in Madrid time. Response times count only replies written by a person, not automatic messages. The "after" comes from the milestone log of Tubot's engine, which started on 4 October 2026; it counts separate conversations and excludes internal tests. JGM Sanidad Ambiental has authorised the publication of its name and of these figures.
Do you run a pest control company?
See how a digital employee would work with your pests, your prices and your areas at tubot.es, or message Lara, Tubot's AI, on WhatsApp. Another case from the sector: RapiPlaga, in Málaga and the Costa del Sol.
