On Monday I asked which job you'd hand to an AI teammate first. The answer that kept coming up across this week's threads was maintenance, and when you dig into it, most of the pain is the vendors: the plumber who doesn't call back, the handyman who's booked for two weeks, the invoice with no photos.

Thursday's post covered how one repair should run. This one is about the bench behind it, because a good process doesn't help much if there's nobody reliable to call. Here's how I'd build it, including where an AI teammate helps and what I'd keep for myself.

1. Decide which trades need a bench

Plumber, electrician, HVAC, handyman, locksmith, cleaner and appliance repair cover most of what comes up. I'd aim for two vendors per trade, and three for plumbing and HVAC going into winter, when everyone is busy at the same time.

2. Find them before something breaks

Other landlords and property managers in your area are the best source. The counter staff at a local plumbing or electrical supply house usually know who's good, who shows up and who pays their bills. Online reviews are useful too, but I'd treat them as the last check rather than the first.

3. Test them with a small paid job

Rosina Persaud mentioned in Thursday's thread that her team finds and tests contractors months before anything breaks, in small paid steps, so they're never vetting someone while water is running. A faucet swap, a filter change or a dryer vent cleaning tells you a lot: did they confirm the time, show up in the window, send photos with the invoice and leave the place clean?

4. Send every vendor the same rules once

Leo Stein shared a simple version in another thread: a spending limit, a short vendor list per trade, before and after photos, and one place every request lives. I'd put that in a short note every vendor gets on day one. Something like: "Anything over $300, call me before starting. Please confirm the time with the tenant and with me, and send before and after photos with the invoice."

5. Keep one simple vendor sheet

Name, trade, the areas they cover, hours, whether they take emergencies, their rate, when their insurance and license expire, their last job, and a quick score for showing up on time, communication and quality. It takes ten minutes to set up and saves a lot of guessing later.

6. Write down when the backup gets the job

Matthew Tregoning made a great point on Thursday: "vendor contacted" is a very different status from "someone is going." If there's no confirmed time within a few hours, the job moves to the second vendor, and someone's name sits beside it until it's booked.

7. Review the list every quarter

Drop anyone who no-showed twice. Thank and pay the reliable ones quickly. Paying fast is one of the easiest ways to stay near the top of a good vendor's list when everyone needs them in the same week.

Where an AI teammate helps

Sending each vendor a complete brief, chasing the confirmation, moving the job to the backup when there's no answer, collecting photos and invoices, reminding you when insurance is about to expire, and keeping each vendor's score up to date from real jobs.

What stays human

Choosing and vetting vendors. Agreeing rates. Deciding whether a job was done well. Handling emergencies and any dispute about damage or quality. And the relationship itself, because the vendors who pick up first are usually the ones who feel looked after.

I'm curious, what's the first small job you give a new vendor to see how they work?

Cheers,
Lee