Copp OakThe short version
- Most-named: Bradley Mechanical, in 14 of 24 answers (named first in 6). No other shop is in the top three on both assistants.Sources: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23745742 (retrieved 2026-11-04); https://coppoak.com/canopy/check-my-market/richmond-va/hvac (retrieved 2026-11-04)
- Booking: 9 of 24 answers offered a way to book. 15 offered neither (62.5%), one of the lowest rates for HVAC in the study.Sources: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23745742 (retrieved 2026-11-04)
- Where it breaks: all 9 came from ChatGPT. Gemini named Richmond HVAC shops in all 12 of its answers and offered a way to book in none.Sources: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23745742 (retrieved 2026-11-04)
Who ChatGPT names most
| Business | Answers naming it (of 12) | Named first |
|---|---|---|
| Bradley Mechanical | 8 | 5 |
| DNA Heating and Cooling | 8 | 3 |
| HVAC Near Me LLC | 6 | 1 |
| Mid Atlantic Mechanical and Repair, LLC | 4 | 0 |
| Top Tech Heating & Air | 4 | 0 |
Who Gemini names most
| Business | Answers naming it (of 12) | Named first |
|---|---|---|
| James River Air Conditioning* | 7 | 5 |
| Gilman Heating, Cooling & Plumbing | 6 | 3 |
| Bradley Mechanical | 6 | 1 |
| Mode Comfort & Air Quality | 5 | 0 |
| Howell's Heating & Air | 4 | 0 |
*Gemini also wrote “James River Air Conditioning Co.” in 2 more answers (named first in 1).Sources: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23745742 (retrieved 2026-11-04)
Can you book them?
9 of 24. ChatGPT offered a booking path or connector in 9 of 12 answers. Most of those were connectors (9 answers mentioned one; 2 included a booking step). Gemini: 0 of 12.Sources: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23745742 (retrieved 2026-11-04)
A connector means a named service the homeowner could book through. It is not the shop’s own calendar. The other 15 answers named shops and stopped.Sources: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23745742 (retrieved 2026-11-04)
Named isn’t booked.
What the most-named shops visibly do
- Bradley Mechanical: “Schedule Appointment” and “Online Estimate” buttons on the homepage, 24/7 service, and a phone line up top. Family business since 1969 offering HVAC, plumbing, electrical and home performance. (bradleymechanical.com, checked Oct 29. We didn’t confirm whether the schedule button books a time or sends a request.) Birdeye shows 4.9 across 1,376 reviews. (Third-party, not verified on Google.)Sources: https://bradleymechanical.com (retrieved 2026-10-29)
- James River Air Conditioning: a “Schedule Online” form where you pick a date and a morning or afternoon slot. The page says “all online bookings will be confirmed by a phone call.” (jamesriverair.com/jrac/book-service-call, checked Oct 29.)Sources: https://jamesriverair.com/jrac/book-service-call (retrieved 2026-10-29)
The takeaway for a Richmond HVAC shop
Richmond looks better than most markets, but look at why. ChatGPT mostly points homeowners to a connector, not to the shop. Gemini picks a different leader (James River) and gives no booking step. Bradley Mechanical shows up on both. Even the shops with a scheduling form still confirm by phone. The gap here isn’t the name. It’s the confirmed slot.
Method & data
12 customer questions × ChatGPT and Gemini, collected October 5–28, 2026. Part of a 5,788-answer study across 20 Southeast U.S. metros, where 79.1% of sampled ChatGPT/Gemini answers offered neither a booking path nor a connector (4,578 answers); on Gemini the rate was 92.2%. The study measured answer content, not completed appointments, and did not test Google Search’s AI Mode. Names are shown as the assistants wrote them. Shop facts are from public pages as of Oct 29, 2026.Sources: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23745742 (retrieved 2026-11-04); https://coppoak.com/canopy/research/ai-assistant-booking (retrieved 2026-11-04); https://coppoak.com/canopy/check-my-market/richmond-va/hvac (retrieved 2026-11-04)