For handyman businesses
Five jobs a day. None of them is answering the phone.
You’re under a sink or up a ladder when the next customer calls, and Opulentus isn’t a live answering service. The caller gets a text from your business in seconds, says what broke, and the job lines up for your drive between stops.
The calls a handyman misses.
Hands in the job
One on the trap, one on the wrench.
A phone in your back pocket may as well be in the van. The caller gets your questions without you moving.
Off the ground
Coming down costs five minutes.
A ladder or a crawl space isn’t somewhere you take a quote call. You read the answers when you’re back on the floor.
Short jobs stack
Four stops, four windows.
Every stop is another stretch where you’re mid-task and a call is landing. None of them has to go to voicemail.
What a repair caller sees.
This example uses your own first message, the ZIP code question, and the third question reworded as one job or a list.
Example text. Example Home Repair is a made-up business.
The questions you’d ask on the phone.
There are six, in a fixed order. Three are on when you start and three are off. You write the wording for all of them.
On to start
- Service. What broke. The answer that decides whether it’s your kind of job at all.
- ZIP code. Small jobs only pay when they’re close, so this one earns its slot.
- Urgency. Reword it as one visit or a list, because a list is a different day.
Off until you want them
- Description. Whether they already have the parts, and how soon they need it done.
- Photos. A picture of the broken thing tells you which tools to load.
- Callback. Best number and time, for the lists worth talking through.
Your rules for every missed call.
When it texts
- Busy or declined. Covers the mid-task calls, when your hands are already in something.
- Missed during hours. Catches the rest of the stops.
- After hours. Worth it here: people notice broken things at night and call right then. More on after hours.
What it skips
- Hidden numbers. Blocked, withheld, and anonymous caller IDs don’t get a text.
- Repeat callers. A cooldown, 4 hours by default, stops text after text.
- Opt-outs. The first text says “Reply STOP to opt out.” Anyone who replies STOP stops getting texts.
How it works.
Step one
Set it up yourself.
Start your free trial. Handyman isn’t a preset, so pick “Something else” and type your trade, then write your message and your questions.
Step two
Forward your missed calls.
Keep the number on your van. On a cell phone, dial your carrier’s codes. On a VoIP line, your phone provider turns forwarding on. Then tap Verify. See the forwarding codes.
Step three
Get back under the sink.
Missed callers get a text in seconds. Their answers land in your inbox, and you get a text alert when a lead comes in.
2 weeks free on every plan
Two weeks free. Then the plan that fits.
Your card isn’t charged for the first 14 days, and you can cancel during the trial. Billing starts after, on the plan you choose. The 12-month plans are yearly agreements: no cancelling mid-term and no refunds.
Monthly
$169USD/mo after your free trial
Month-to-month. No long-term commitment.
Card required. Cancel during the 14-day trial and you won’t be charged. Billing starts on day 15 at $169/mo.
12-month, billed monthly
$139USD/mo after your free trial
12-month agreement, billed monthly.
Card required. Cancel during the 14-day trial and you won’t be charged. Billing starts on day 15 at $139/mo.
12-month, billed annually
$129USD/mo after your free trial
12-month agreement, billed annually at $1,548.
Card required. Cancel during the 14-day trial and you won’t be charged. Billing starts on day 15 at $1,548/yr.
Questions handymen ask.
Is this an answering service for handymen?
No. Nobody answers your phone. Missed callers get a text from your business, answer the questions you picked, and the lead comes to you.
Most of my calls are tiny jobs. Can it filter them?
It can ask. A “what needs fixing” question plus a “one job or a list” question tells you fast whether the drive is worth it.
Can it book the visit for me?
No. It collects the answers and alerts you. You pick the time and reply yourself, so nobody promises a slot you don't have.
Can a customer text me a picture of the broken thing?
Yes, if you turn the photo question on. It's off to start. For a handyman it earns its place: a photo of the sagging shelf tells you which tools to bring.
I get a lot of repeat customers who call twice.
A per-caller cooldown, 4 hours by default, stops the same caller getting text after text in a short window.
Do I have to change my number?
No. Customers keep calling the number they've always used. Each business gets its own dedicated texting number, and the text goes out in your business's name.
What does it cost?
After a 14-day free trial: $169/mo month-to-month, $139/mo on a 12-month plan billed monthly, or $1,548 a year on a 12-month plan billed annually. A card is required to start the trial, and you won't be charged if you cancel during the 14 days.
What if I want it to text only after hours?
That works. Each trigger is its own switch: busy, declined, missed during hours, and missed after hours. Turn on only the ones you want.