When your furnace breaks down, you ask AI for help. But who do ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity recommend for furnace repair in Oakland County? Our test shows surprising results and what local businesses can do.
We asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity who to call for furnace repair in Oakland County, in five towns, and got 46 different companies in 15 answers. All three agreed on the same company in only 2 of the 5 towns, and two-thirds of the well-reviewed local independents we track were never recommended. Here’s how we tested, why the assistants disagree, and what an HVAC company can check this week to get recommended.How We Tested AI Recommendations
On October 21, 2026, FoSync conducted a targeted experiment. We used free accounts for ChatGPT (temporary chat), Gemini (Flash), and Perplexity to ask a simple, urgent question. For five key Oakland County towns—Troy, Novi, Royal Oak, Rochester Hills, and Southfield—we used the exact prompt: “My furnace stopped working. Who should I call for furnace repair in [town], Michigan?” Each question was asked in a fresh chat. We ran the test from Toronto, ensuring the town name was explicit in the prompt for accurate local targeting. Our findings were then compared against a group of 24 independent Oakland County HVAC companies. These businesses all boasted 4.0+ Google stars and between 44 to 204 Google reviews. They represent the kind of trusted local service providers we expected AI to highlight.
What Did AI Assistants Recommend for Furnace Repair in Oakland County?
Across our 15 questions, the three AI assistants generated 65 recommendations, naming 46 different companies. This already highlights a lack of consensus. The disagreement was striking. All three assistants named the same company in only 2 of the 5 towns (Rochester Hills and Southfield, with one company each). In Troy, Novi, and Royal Oak, they never all agreed on a single company. A significant 35 of the 46 companies (76%) were named by only one assistant. This means most recommendations were isolated, not universally supported. Perhaps most concerning for local business owners: 16 of the 24 well-reviewed independent HVAC companies we tracked (a full two-thirds) were never recommended at all.Why Do AI Assistants Disagree?
The inconsistency points to varying data sources and interpretation methods. AI assistants are not always giving you the full picture, or even a consistent one. We observed several conflicting or wrong facts during our test. For example, one company appeared with two different phone numbers across two assistants. ChatGPT, in one instance, showed 2.5 stars for a company that actually has 4.8 stars from thousands of Google reviews. Even asking the same assistant the same question again sometimes returned a different list of recommendations. This variability underscores that AI recommendations are not static or definitive.
Where Do AI Assistants Get Their Information?
Understanding where AI assistants pull their data is crucial for local businesses. Each assistant has its preferred sources, which explains some of the discrepancies we saw. Perplexity, for instance, largely relied on the companies’ own websites. ChatGPT used a mix of map listings, Yelp, Google reviews, and company websites. Gemini, on the other hand, frequently cited BBB, Angie’s List, and manufacturer dealer pages, along with company websites. Gemini showed a clear tendency to lean towards larger regional operators. In Royal Oak, none of its four picks even had a local (248) area code. This suggests some AI models might prioritize broader authority over hyper-local relevance if local signals aren’t strong enough.What Recommended Companies Had in Common
Despite the disagreements, there were common patterns among the companies that *were* recommended. These are simple yet powerful signals that AI assistants seem to value.- The specific town was named on the company’s website.
- “24/7 emergency furnace repair” was stated in plain text on their site, not just in an image or a difficult-to-parse format.
- The company was listed on reputable directories like BBB, Yelp, or manufacturer dealer locators.
Why Are Good Local HVAC Companies Left Out?
Every one of the 24 independents in our group has 4.0+ stars on Google, yet two-thirds of them were never recommended. Good reviews alone didn’t get them named. We didn’t audit each of those websites, so we can’t say exactly what held each one back. But the comparison with the companies that were recommended points to the likely gaps: the towns they serve aren’t named on the site, emergency hours aren’t written in plain text, or the business is missing from the directories the assistants read. The result is that an assistant can pass over a well-reviewed local company and name a larger, less local competitor whose information is simply easier to find.What Can an HVAC Company Do So AI Recommends It?
The good news is that these challenges are solvable. You can take concrete steps this week to improve your AI findability. It’s about optimizing your digital presence for the way AI ‘sees’ your business.- Name Your Towns on Your Website: Create dedicated pages or clearly list all the towns you serve in Oakland County. For example, have a specific page for furnace repair in Troy, another for Novi, and so on. This tells AI exactly where you operate.
- State 24/7 Emergency Service in Plain Text: Ensure “24/7 emergency service” or “emergency furnace repair” is visible and readable as text on your website. Avoid embedding this crucial information only within images, which AI struggles to interpret.
- Keep Your NAP Identical Everywhere: Your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) must be consistent across your Google Business Profile, Yelp, BBB, Angi, and your own website. Inconsistencies confuse AI and harm your credibility.
- Use Your Real Business Name on Your Google Listing: In our test, one company’s Google listing carried only its town’s name, and that’s exactly the name ChatGPT showed the customer. Use the name on your sign and trucks, with no extra keywords.
- Get Listed on Key Directories: Actively list your business on BBB, Yelp, Angi, and any relevant manufacturer’s dealer locator. These are trusted sources of information that AI frequently consults.
Ensure AI Recommends Your Business
Our test shows a clear pattern: the companies AI recommends make their towns, hours and contact details easy to find and identical everywhere. Want to know if ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity recommend your company right now? Get your free Competitive Findability Report on fosync.com. Enter your website, and we’ll send you your score, your Google Maps grid, and exactly what the AI assistants say about you. Take control of your digital presence today.Frequently asked questions
Do ChatGPT and Gemini recommend the same HVAC companies?
Rarely. In our October 2026 test across five Oakland County towns, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity named 46 different companies in 15 answers. All three agreed on the same company in only 2 of the 5 towns, and 35 of the 46 companies were named by just one assistant.
Where does ChatGPT get local business recommendations?
In our test, ChatGPT built its answers from map listings, Yelp and Google reviews, and the companies’ own websites. Perplexity relied mostly on company websites, while Gemini often cited BBB, Angie’s List and manufacturer dealer pages. That’s why each assistant can recommend different companies for the same question.
Why doesn’t my HVAC company show up in AI answers?
Good reviews alone aren’t enough. Two-thirds of the well-reviewed independents we tracked were never recommended. The companies that were named had their towns listed on their website, 24/7 emergency service stated in plain text, and listings on directories like BBB, Yelp and manufacturer dealer locators.
How can I check if AI recommends my company for furnace repair in Oakland County?
Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity who to call for furnace repair in your town, using a fresh chat each time, and note whether your company appears. Or get a free Competitive Findability Report from FoSync, which shows what the AI assistants say about your business alongside your Google Maps ranking.
