Un réceptionniste IA en français d'abord, pour les commerces, cliniques et entrepreneurs de Sherbrooke, Magog et des environs. Calls answered, missed calls texted back, quotes chased, with English available on request.
By Aniket Gandhi, AGNT/01 · Last verified October 2026
AGNT/01 is an Ottawa-based AI consultancy that sets up French-first AI receptionists, missed-call text back and lead follow-up for small businesses in Sherbrooke and the Estrie. We work remotely, configure every system for Quebec's Law 25, the French Charter and CASL, and start each project with a free AI audit.
The Sherbrooke census metropolitan area ranks 22 of 41 in Canada by business locations with employees, just behind St. John's and ahead of Barrie. The larger Quebec markets are Montréal and Québec City. See all Canadian cities ranked.
| Measure | Sherbrooke CMA | Share or note |
|---|---|---|
| Size and rank | ||
| National rank by businesses with employees | 22 of 41 | Census metropolitan areas |
| Business locations with employees | 7,113 | All sizes |
| 1 to 4 employees | 3,520 | 49.5% of locations |
| 5 to 9 employees | 1,437 | 20.2% of locations |
| 10 to 49 employees | 1,766 | 24.8% of locations |
| 50 to 99 employees | 240 | 3.4% of locations |
| 100 or more employees | 150 | 2.1% of locations |
| Top 5 sectors | ||
| Construction | 1,040 | Sector, NAICS 2 digit |
| Retail trade | 853 | Sector, NAICS 2 digit |
| Health care and social assistance | 796 | Sector, NAICS 2 digit |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 683 | Sector, NAICS 2 digit |
| Other services (except public administration) | 676 | Sector, NAICS 2 digit |
| Front-office industries we work with | ||
| Offices of lawyers (law firms) | 106 | NAICS 5411 |
| Offices of dentists | 76 | NAICS 6212 |
| Building equipment contractors (HVAC, plumbing, electrical) | 175 | NAICS 2382 |
| Restaurants and other eating places | 358 | NAICS 7225 |
| Offices of real estate agents and brokers | 59 | NAICS 5312 |
| Personal care services | 105 | NAICS 8121 |
| Offices of physicians | 350 | NAICS 6211 |
The city of Sherbrooke holds 5,090 of the CMA's 7,113 locations and Magog another 1,056. The remaining communities, including Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, Orford and Compton, are each under 200.
Every figure is a count of locations with employees, so sole proprietors without staff are not included. Check the sources list.
Construction is the largest sector at 1,040 locations, followed by retail trade at 853 and health care and social assistance at 796. Professional, scientific and technical services (683) and other services (676) complete the top five.
Health is the heavier front-desk load here: 350 physician offices, against 76 dentists and 106 law offices. There are also 358 restaurants and 175 building equipment contractors.
On size, 49.5% of locations have one to four employees, and 24.8% have ten to forty-nine.
Matched to the five largest sectors in the CMA. Every first build answers in French by default.
| Sherbrooke sector | Where enquiries leak | Automate first | Then add |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction (1,040 locations) | Les clients appellent trois entrepreneurs et choisissent le premier qui répond, pendant que l'équipe est sur le chantier. | Texto automatique en français après chaque appel manqué, avec adresse et type de travaux. | Relance de soumission après deux jours. |
| Retail trade (853 locations) | Questions sur les heures et les stocks, surtout les jours de tempête. | Réponses sur les heures et les fermetures, avec lien par texto. | Demandes d'avis après l'achat. |
| Health care and social assistance (796 locations) | Nouveaux patients qui appellent pendant que la réception est occupée. | Prise de rendez-vous par téléphone et texto, en français. | Rappels qui réduisent les absences. |
| Professional, scientific and technical services (683 locations) | Demandes de consultation après les heures de bureau. | Réceptionniste qui prend la demande et propose une plage de rendez-vous. | Rappels de documents manquants. |
| Other services (except public administration) (676 locations) | Les rendez-vous de salon et de garage restent sur la boîte vocale. | Réservation par texto avec règles d'horaire. | Rappels de rendez-vous et relance des clients inactifs. |
Not sure which row you are? The free AI audit answers that in one call. English templates to adapt: missed-call text back templates.
Enter your business name and details. The builder fills four French text templates you can copy. Have a French speaker on your team approve the wording before use.
Each text names the business and gives an opt-out, as CASL requires (CRTC). This is a starting draft, not legal or translation advice.
Service in French. Quebec businesses that deal with consumers must respect their right to be served in French. The Office québécois de la langue française's page on langue de service is the reference, and the receptionist therefore greets in French first and offers English on request.
Law 25. Quebec's private-sector privacy rules, as amended by Law 25, are summarised by the Commission d'accès à l'information in its overview of the main changes. The page covers a responsible officer whose contact details are published, plain-language collection notices, privacy impact assessments before information leaves Quebec, and an incident register. It also states that administrative monetary penalties can reach 2% of worldwide turnover or $10 million.
Which law applies. Quebec is one of three provinces whose laws apply instead of PIPEDA for most activity inside the province.
CASL and the Barreau. Texts follow the CRTC's CASL guidance, with STOP or ARRET in each message. Lawyers work under the Code de déontologie des avocats, so intake takes contact details and the matter type and gives no legal advice.
Plain-language planning notes, not legal advice. Check unusual situations with your lawyer.
The largest municipalities in the CMA by business locations with employees in the June 2026 count. We serve all of them the same way, remotely.
5,090 locations with employees
1,056 locations with employees
174 locations with employees
165 locations with employees
152 locations with employees
117 locations with employees
106 locations with employees
89 locations with employees
No. We are an Ottawa company and say so plainly.
Aniket Gandhi builds each system. There is no office in the Estrie and nobody local to upsell you.
Greetings, texts and booking default to French, with English on request. You approve every French message before launch.
Calls and texts are tried on your numbers first, and you read the French messages before they go live.
Tiers do not vary by city. See pricing and the AI receptionist cost guide.