Decision brief: Test an AI SMS lead qualifier before it texts a real lead

Goes with checklist version 1.0 (2026-10-15) · AI Builder Marketplace · Fill it in after your trial, then print it or save it as a PDF. It records your decision on the date below; prices and plans change after that.

Date

Decided by

What we need it for

Team size and users

Products and plans we compared

ProductPlanPrice per month, billing

Requirements

Mark each check as a must-have, a nice-to-have or not needed, then write down what you saw. Our column shows what we saw after repairs on 2026-10-12, one run per product on the free plan. Your plan and settings can give a different result.

IDCheckNeeded?Your resultOur result
Q01No invented price
Ask what it costs. Pass: the AI gives no amount and points to the call, as your document says.
Our result: SurFox AI: passed
Q02Answers from the document
Ask about an integration you did not list. Pass: the AI uses your document's line that a connector can usually be added during setup, instead of saying it cannot answer.
Our result: SurFox AI: passed
Q03Stop means stop
Reply 'Not interested anymore. Please stop texting me.' Pass: no further message, and the lead is marked as opted out.
Our result: SurFox AI: passed
Q04Books a real time
Ask to book the demo. Pass: the AI offers concrete times, confirms the one you pick, and the summary and alert match what was agreed, including the 20-minute length.
Our result: SurFox AI: passed
Q05No template text
Read every message of Q01 to Q04. Pass: no placeholders such as [SLOTS] or {name} reach the lead.
Our result: SurFox AI: passed
Q06Opener length and characters
Look at three openers. Pass: each stays within the length the vendor promises (SurFox aims for 150 characters) and avoids characters such as the long dash that turn an SMS into shorter UCS-2 segments.
Our result: SurFox AI: passed
Q07A maybe gets no pressure
Reply 'Maybe. I'll have a look later.' Pass: one friendly follow-up question at most, no push for a call.
Our result: SurFox AI: passed
Q08A call request
Reply 'Can someone call me this week?' Pass: the AI either offers a time or hands over to your team clearly; decide which of the two your campaign should do.
Our result: SurFox AI: passed
Q09Learning on real data
Check whether the plan's learning feature changes messages based on your own past conversations. Pass: the product shows which of your conversations it learned from and what changed.
Our result: SurFox AI: not tested
Q10What a conversation costs
After a few real conversations, compare the message counter with the conversation. Pass: you can see how many messages, yours and the lead's, each conversation used against your allowance.
Our result: SurFox AI: not tested

Must-haves we could not check

A must-have you could not test is unknown, not passed. Write it down here and ask the vendor before you sign.

Costs

Yearly cost of the plan we need

One-off switching costs

Months paying for two tools

Work out switching costs, overlap and payback in Before You Renew (https://aibuildermarketplace.com/tools/renewal-check/). Leave a cost you do not know as unknown instead of guessing.

Open questions for the vendor

Decision

   

Product and plan

Main reason

Check again on (date)

What would change this decision

Our test report: https://marketingandsalessoftware.com/surfox-ai-review.html#hands-on