Sims can use a telephone to call several different services, which will send NPCs to perform specific tasks. In The Sims and The Sims 4, they arrive on foot, while in The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, they have vehicles. In The Sims 2, most service Sims will charge a per-visit fee in addition to their hourly rates. In The Sims 3, some service Sims charge by the day, instead of by the hour. The player can ask them to hang out, which will put off the work and allow for more wide rage of social interactions to be performed on. With the exception of emergency, services can only be hired by a Sim that's at home.
In The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, instead of The Sims 2, delivery and emergency services have been moved into one list, like in The Sims.
Routine services[]
These services will have a fixed schedule once hired.
| Service | Duties | Cost | Hours | Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | The butler is a multi-purpose service Sim. They perform various jobs that multiple service Sims do, such as caring the garden, cleaning up, and looking after the children. They are very costly in general. | §500/day | 08:00 - 23:00
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| §20/day + §25/hour | 08:00 - 20:00
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| §1200/week | 24 hours/7 days |
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| §175 + §12/hr maintenance | 24 hours/7 days |  | ||
| Gardener | The gardener tends Sims' gardening, water the flowers, trimming the hedges, and do other gardening duties. They will come every three days. | §10/hour | 09:00 - 17:00 May finish earlier |
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| §5/day + §10/hour |  | |||
| §50 + §30/hour |  | |||
| Maid | The maid will do most cleaning duties. They clean up dirty dishes, furnishings, and other messy stuff. Maids will come daily. | §10/hour | 10:00 - 17:00 May finish earlier |
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| §5/day + §10/hour | | |||
| §125/day |
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| §40 + §20/hour | | |||
| Nanny | The nanny will look after the children and pets when no older Sims are at home. They can prevent the children from being taken away by the social worker. They can track Sims' schedule, or be hired at the current moment only. They are also required for hire to take care of children and pets if all family members are going on vacation. | §10 + §15/hour | On call. They can also track Sims' schedule. | |
| §60 + §10/hour | |
One-time services[]
These services will only come when Sims hire them.
| Service | Duties | Cost | Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrobat | The acrobat can be hired to entertain Sims and perform some acrobatics at a party. | §425 |
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| Adoption service | Sims can call the adoption service to adopt a baby, toddler, or child from the social worker. | Random incoming call | |
| Free, but must have §3,000 on hand | | ||
| §0 |
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| §1,000 | | ||
| Animal control | The animal control officer can be called to remove a raccoon or skunk from the residential lot. | §20 |  |
| Babysitter | The babysitter will tend the children when the older Sims are away from home. Unlike nannies, babysitters cannot track Sims' schedule, so they must be called when needed. | §75 |
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| Bartender | The bartender will tend the bar if Sims own one. They can be hired for parties. | §10 + §15/hour | |
| Caterer | The caterer will replenish the buffet table and punch bowl whenever they're empty. He can be called for hire for a party, but he usually forgets his duties and tends to socialize with party guests. He also rummages through the costume trunk. | §350 |  |
| §100 | | ||
| Clown Catchers | The Clown Catchers are only available if the Tragic Clown is on the lot, and will remove both him and his painting. | §500 |  |
| DJ | The DJ will man the DJ booth which can be useful for a party. | §250 |
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| • §100 (Professional) • §250 (Headliner) |
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| Exterminator | The exterminator can be called to exterminate the vermin if any is present on the lot. | §10 + §50/hour | |
| Matchmaking service | The gypsy matchmaker is a useful service Sim who can easily find a blind date for Sims when they ask for one. They also sell potions to cure Sims' life states, as well as Love Potion Number 8.5. | Free, but charges for potions and blind dates Life state cures: §60/dose Love Potion: §350/dose Blind date: Variable |
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| Magician | The magician can be hired to entertain Sims and perform some magic in a party. | §400 |
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| Mixologist | The mixologist will tend the bar if Sims own one. They can be hired for party favor. | §50/hour |
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| §100 | | ||
| Obedience trainer | The obedience trainer can be hired to teach pets commands if Sims are too busy to teach them. | §25 + §75/hour |  |
| Pet adoption service | Sims can call the pet adoption service to adopt cats and dogs from the animal control officer. | Vary | |
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| §200 |  | ||
| Repairman | The repairman will come over to fix broken appliances, electronics, plumbing; change light bulbs, unclog toilets, and other broken things. | §50/hour | |
| §10 + §50/hour | | ||
| §50/hour |
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| §100 + §10/hour | | ||
| Singer | The singer can be hired to entertain Sims and sing in a party. One can also be called to do a Sing-A-Graham for another Sim in the world, with the interaction being available even when not at home lot. | §425 |
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| Therapist | The therapist can change a Sim's wants and fears, but cannot change golden or platinum wants. | §0 |  |
Delivery services[]
Sims can order delivery services anytime. They will deliver Sims' order in short time.
| Service | Duties | Cost | Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese food delivery | The Chinese food deliverer will deliver a tray of Chinese takeout. Leftover Chinese food cannot be stored in a refrigerator, but can be placed in a Sim's inventory, where it will keep indefinitely. Chinese food is fattening. It may lower Sims' fitness even if their hunger isn't full, and will lower it quickly if Hunger is full. | §30 |  |
| Grocery | Sims can order groceries from a phone or computer to stock their fridge. The "Buy" interface will show how much is in the fridge, so the Sims can buy the exact amount needed to fill it, if the player so chooses. | §50 + the cost of the groceries | |
| §20 + the cost of the groceries |  | ||
| Pizza delivery | The pizza deliverer will deliver a box of pizza. | §40 | |
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| §30 |
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| §25 | | ||
| Zoomers Food Delivery | The delivery person will deliver prepackaged meals, which cost the same amount to prepare plus a delivery fee. | §10 + the cost of the meal | |
Emergency services[]
Emergency services can be called any time during the day.
| Service | Duties | Game |
|---|---|---|
| Firefighter | If the house is on fire, firefighters can be summoned by an emergency phone call. Free, but will charge a fine if called and there is no fire. Gets called automatically by a Smoke detector. | |
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| Police | When a burglar appears on the lot, the police can be summoned by an emergency phone call. Gets called automatically by a Burglar alarm. | |
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| Paramedic | When a Sim or pet passes out, the paramedic can be summoned by an emergency phone call. |  |
Trivia[]
- The Sims is the only game in the franchise to have only one character as a service sim, meaning that even scheduled services such as Brigit the Maid, Gardener Gloria and Alfred the Butler will serve all sim family's lots. All service sims will also serve Neighborhood 2 and other empty neighborhoods despite originating in Neighborhood 1 or Old Town.
- In The Sims, sometimes a service sim will say that they will be over today regardless of time but won't arrive until the next day depending on the time. This is most common with Gardener Gloria and when all expansion packs are installed.