We Managed to Survive, Though It Was Tough: N-INVEST Experience of Construction Business Survival During War

About the experience of construction business during the war, Anton Hordiienko, founder of N-INVEST, shares his story. Oleksandr Akhtyrko, CEO of Smiddle, analyzes how a virtual secretary can help teams handle the workload with the workload.

Full-scale invasion, team reduction by two-thirds, hundreds of client calls, emotional fatigue, and lost leads — is it possible to save your business under such conditions? We discussed this with Anton Hordiienko, founder of N-INVEST — a construction company from Mykolaiv that continues to operate despite the war. We talked about changes in the real estate market, clients, and communication with them.

Based on this experience, Oleksandr Akhtyrko, CEO of Smiddle, analyzes how technologies, particularly virtual secretary, can help construction teams cope with workload and maintain service quality.

Standing Strong Against the Odds

When the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022, the construction market in southern Ukraine froze. For N-INVEST from Mykolaiv, which had spent decades building a reputation as a reliable developer, this became a test of strength.

"We managed to survive, though it was tough. Not easy, with all kinds of obstacles, problems, but nevertheless — we succeeded," says Anton Hordiienko, founder of N-INVEST, not hiding the difficulty of the situation.

The first months after the full-scale invasion were the hardest. Projects stopped, clients found themselves in uncertainty, and financial plans collapsed. The company completely restructured its operations: concentrating on projects with higher readiness, exploring new funding sources, balancing across its projects.

When Trust Is More Valuable Than Advertising

During the war, the company's main capital became trust, accumulated over years. N-INVEST specializes in completing problematic projects of other developers in Mykolaiv — taking on obligations and seeing them through to completion.

"All trust is formed based on results. This is what we can state: we did this, we completed this. Not just words — I can, I want. That's good, but in our case, there's simply a result," explains Anton Hordiienko.

*Photos of construction sites that N-Invest took over from other developers and completed independently

It was this reputation that helped preserve the client base. When the company began calling clients in December 2022 to offer resuming work, many were not ready — some had left, others no longer needed the service, some were afraid to keep paying. But those who knew the company personally stayed.

New Client Portrait

The war changed not only the market but also buyers' expectations. If previously people could buy housing at early construction stages for a lower price, now clients minimize risks.

"Today, the client tries to minimize risks. Buying closer to the moment when it can be seen, touched with hands. This is not an investment for resale; these are people who are closing a need today and now. They really need housing," says Anton Hordiienko.

The most common question from clients now is about guarantees of construction completion.

"Where's the guarantee that it will be completed or that nothing will fall on it?" people ask. And the only answer a developer can give is their own reputation and a promise to make every effort.

When the Phone Doesn't Stop Ringing

The number of calls and inquiries from clients has increased many times over. People call more often, come to sales offices, ask about construction stages, clarify details. When the team has only 30% of people from the pre-war staff, this creates serious workload.

"They call more often, come to sales offices more often: why is this being done, why isn't this being done now. You have to communicate, to talk a bit more," says Anton Hordiienko.

The greatest pressure is on the sales team, acting as a buffer between company and its customers. Anton Hordiienko himself also gets involved in the work — schedules face-to-face meetings, seeks compromises.

"Emotional fatigue is present, there's no escaping it. It's present both in the sales department, in me, and in my deputies. But there's nothing else to do, you still have to work with it," the entrepreneur honestly admits.

At the same time, far from all calls concern actual sales. Everyone calls — not only clients but also those who want to offer tiles, laminate, other materials, or services.

Virtual Secretary — Quick Team Relief

This is where modern technology comes to help — Voice Bot, a voice assistant based on artificial intelligence.

Oleksandr Akhtyrko, CEO of Smiddle, comments:

"The N-INVEST story is a classic example of a situation when a business needs communication automation. When the team has been reduced by two-thirds and the workload has increased, a voice assistant becomes not just a convenient tool but a necessity."

What Can a Voice Bot Do for a Construction Company?

1. Primary Processing of Incoming Calls

The voice bot receives all incoming calls 24/7 and classifies them. It can answer typical questions: about object locations, prices, apartment sizes, delivery times, payment methods, available layouts.

"In construction companies, a significant portion of calls are repeated requests for basic information. Voice Bot takes these conversations, freeing managers to work with clients and complex inquiries," notes Oleksandr Akhtyrko.

2. Qualification of Potential Clients

The bot conducts primary qualification according to a simple script:
- Determine the client's budget
- Identify the desired location
- Clarify purchase timelines
- Understand priorities (object readiness, layout, floor)

After this, the system automatically transfers a "warm" client to a manager with all collected information.

3. Filtering Out Non-Target Calls

According to the N-INVEST founder, not only potential clients call but also building materials suppliers, contractors, and other commercial offers. Voice Bot can recognize such calls and redirect them to the appropriate department or log the contacts without disturbing sales managers.

4. Reminders and Support for Existing Clients

The bot can automatically call clients with information about construction progress, remind about payments, invite them to apartment viewings. This is especially important when clients more often need updates and want to be aware of the process.

5.After-Hours Operation

Modern clients want an immediate response. Voice Bot works around the clock, records requests, and schedules manager calls for the next business day.

Global Experience: Voice Robots in Action

Voice assistants in real estate and construction are no longer an experiment but a working practice with measurable results. Let's look at four cases from different parts of the world that demonstrate the real impact of technology on business.

Netherlands: +320% Investor Conversion

Awaz.ai  for a Dutch Development Company

The company had low conversion when attracting investors — managers spent time on cold calls, and lead cost was growing. The voice bot took over initial contacts: called potential investors, presented the project, qualified clients, and transferred "hot leads" to managers with the full conversation history.

Results:

✓ +320% growth in investor conversion
✓ Increased pick-up rate (percentage of answered calls)
✓ Reduced lead cost due to automation
✓ Managers only work with qualified investors

"This changes the game," comments a company representative. "Instead of our managers spending hours on calls that lead nowhere, they now talk only with those who are genuinely interested."

India: From 47% to 94% Property Occupancy in 90 Days

24/7 Bot for Real Estate Rental

A rental company couldn't process all requests, and missed calls after hours. As a result, half the properties stood empty. QCall.ai created a virtual rental manager that works 24/7: answers inquiries, informs, schedules property viewings, and conducts primary qualification.

Results in 90 days:

✓ Property occupancy increased from 47% to 94%
✓ ROI 312% - technology investment payback
✓ Zero missed requests
✓ Significant reduction in time from inquiry to contract signing

USA, Miami: +43% Appointments for Premium Real Estate Showings

After-hours Voice Agent for Luxury Brokerage

A premium segment brokerage company in Miami faced a problem: their wealthy clients called in the evenings and on weekends when the office wasn't open. A delay of a few hours, and they went to competitors. In the luxury segment, this meant losing deals worth millions of dollars.

The company implemented an AI-voice agent that takes calls after business hours, responds in a professional tone, schedules showings, and transfers all details to agents in the morning.

Results:

✓ +43% showing appointments
✓ Reduced personnel costs — no need for a night call center
✓ 24/7 premium-level service for demanding clients

«Our clients aren’t used to waiting. When they want to see a $5 million penthouse, they want to schedule a viewing now, not tomorrow morning. The voice bot allows us to meet the level of expectations”, - says a company representative.

USA: +60% Conversion for Construction Contractors

Leads4Build — AI Voice Agent for Contractors

Construction contractors spend most of their time directly at sites where it's impossible to answer calls. However, if a contractor misses a call, clients call the next one on the list.

One American contracting company was losing up to 70% of inbound leads for this very reason. The situation was saved by a voice agent that automatically answers all incoming calls, collects project details, qualifies, schedules meetings, and integrates with CRM to transfer data to managers.

Results:

✓ +60% lead conversion growth
✓ 100% response to inquiries
✓ Reduced customer service costs
✓ Contractors can focus on work, not the phone
✓ Faster response compared to human staff

"Previously, I could be on the roof installing roofing, and the phone would ring five times. When I came down and called back, half the people had already found another contractor. Now everyone gets an instant response, and we don't lose a single lead," shares the company owner.

What Unites These Cases?

"All four cases demonstrate the same pattern: voice robots are most effective where there's a gap between demand and the ability to process it.

Right now, in Ukrainian realities, there's increased demand for communication from clients who are worried about their investments. There are teams that have been reduced by half, by two-thirds. There's emotional fatigue of staff. And there's a mass of calls that don't relate to sales — from suppliers, contractors, other commercial offers.

Voice Bot works on the same principle as in these cases: takes over routine, filters out non-target calls, qualifies leads, and transfers to the team only those requests where a human approach is needed. At the same time, each client receives an immediate response — and in conditions where trust is the company's main asset, this is critically important."

Key conclusions from global experience:

-  Specific ROI figures — from +43% to +320% improvement in key metrics
-  Quick payback — the India case showed 312% ROI in 90 days
-  Solution universality — from cold calls to after-hours service
-  Direct revenue growth — not just savings, but increased sales
- Scalability without hiring — processing more requests without expanding the team

And most importantly: all these companies did not abandon human staff. They simply gave their teams a tool that takes away routine and allows them to focus on what truly requires a human approach — building trust and closing complex deals.

Why Automation Is Not About Coldness

Anton Hordiienko says: "Help with all these things cannot replace personal communication with the client. In our business, unfortunately, only personal communication is needed. Without personal communication, some reputation, it's impossible to sell."

And this is true. But Voice Bot doesn't replace personal communication — it makes it more effective.

"The voice assistant frees managers from routine so they can do what's really important — build relationships, find solutions, close complex issues," summarizes Oleksandr Akhtyrko.

Looking to the Future

The N-INVEST founder speaks about his expectations simply: "For a peaceful, calm life to return. And for the company, so it can continue to operate and develop as it did before the full-scale invasion. We don't wish for anything supernatural."

The recovery of the real estate market depends on the revival of the region’s economy: "Without a working economy, without people starting to earn, they won't buy square meters. This is not the sausage that you want to eat every day."

But while the economy recovers, businesses must use all available tools for optimization. Voice Bot is one of them.

Conclusions

Oleksandr Akhtyrko summarizes:

"The N-INVEST story shows the main thing — it's not those who wait for better times who survive, but those who adapt to new realities. Who look for ways to do more with fewer resources. Who invests in technologies that allow maintaining quality with a reduced staff. Voice assistants are not about replacing people; they're about giving the team the ability to breathe. And when the team can breathe, it can think, create, build — in both literal and figurative senses."

If your construction company faces call center overload or loses clients due to inability to quickly process all requests — it might be time to consider Voice Bot from Smiddle.

Джерела:

QCall.ai Case Study/ Awaz.ai Case Study/ Hakuna Matata Tech Blog/ Leads4Build Case Study