Easy is cool.518-726-COOL is coming soon.
One local number for when you need a barber, a salon, a plumber, heat that works, an electrician, a mechanic, a cleaner, or a locksmith. Say what you need, and the line sends the job to a well-rated Albany shop.
Planned number
518-726-COOL
518-726-2665
Not live yet. This number isn't connected, so please don't dial it yet.
For callers
How a call will work
Step 1
Call 518-726-COOL
A friendly AI voice answers right away, day or night, and tells you up front that it's an AI.
Step 2
Say what you need
Plain words work: “my furnace died,” “I need a fade at 4,” “a plumber for a leak.”
Step 3
It picks a good local shop
It only recommends Albany-area places rated 4 stars or better on Google.
Step 4
It sends your request
If the shop is on the line, it takes your first name, number, and the time you want, reads it all back, and sends it to the shop.
Step 5
The shop confirms
It's a request until the shop taps Confirm. Leave an email and you'll get the confirmation. No app, no hold music.
Shops the line knows
- Barbers
- Salons
- Plumbers
- Heating & HVAC
- Electricians
- Mechanics
- Cleaners
- Locksmiths
Emergency? Call 911.
This line is not for emergencies. For a fire, a medical emergency, or someone in danger, call 911. If you smell gas, leave the building first, then call 911 or your gas utility's emergency line. If you describe an emergency on the line, it will tell you to call 911.
If you're thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time. If someone mentions self-harm on the line, it gives them 988 as well as 911.
For Albany businesses
Get your shop on the line
Join the directory
Tell us your hours, your services, and, if you want, the open times you'd like offered today.
Free during the pilot
Albany shops that join during the pilot pay nothing.
No paid ranking
Nobody can pay to be recommended first. The line goes by Google rating and who has an opening.
One tap to answer
Each request arrives as a text-style alert (Telegram or email) with two buttons: Confirm or Can't do it.
What the line never does
- Pretend to be a person.
- Say “booked” before the shop confirms.
- Give a caller's details to a shop that hasn't signed up.
- Handle emergencies.
- Take payments.
Not signed up?
The line can still mention your shop with its Google rating and read out your public phone number, so the caller calls you directly. Signing up lets the line send you the job.
Want to hear how it sounds? Try the 518 Shop Line demo with a fictional barbershop.
Privacy
No recordings. Just the request.
Calls aren't recorded
Call audio isn't saved. Speech is turned into text in the moment so the line can understand you.
Only what the shop needs
If you make a request, your first name, number, the time you want, and an optional email go to the shop you chose. Nothing goes to shops that haven't signed up.
It says it's an AI
Every call starts by saying you're talking to an AI assistant. It never pretends to be a person.
Before launch, this page will say exactly how long request details are kept. Questions: hello@albanyaiguy.com
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is the line live?
Not yet. 518-726-COOL is the planned number and it isn't connected, so please don't dial it yet. Email hello@albanyaiguy.com and you'll hear when it goes live.
Am I talking to a real person?
No. The line is an AI assistant and says so at the start of every call. A real local shop gets your request and calls you back.
Does it cost callers anything?
No. We don't charge callers. Your phone plan's normal calling rates apply.
Is my appointment booked when I hang up?
Not yet. It's a request until the shop taps Confirm. If you leave an email, you'll get the confirmation, and the shop calls you to lock it in.
Are calls recorded?
No. Call audio isn't recorded. Speech is turned into text in the moment so the line can understand you. If you make a request, only your first name, number, the time you want, and an optional email are saved and sent to the shop you chose.
Can a business pay to be recommended first?
No. There is no paid ranking. The line recommends shops rated 4 stars or better on Google that have an opening.
My shop isn't signed up. Can the line still mention it?
Yes. It can mention you with your Google rating and read out your public phone number so the caller calls you directly. Signing up lets the line send you the job instead.
Where does it work?
Albany and the Capital Region: Schenectady, Troy, Saratoga Springs, and the towns around them.
What about emergencies?
The line doesn't handle them. For a fire, a medical emergency, or a gas smell, leave if it's unsafe and call 911. For thoughts of self-harm, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
More about the plan on the public number overview.