For tree services
Saws running. Nobody hears the phone.
A chipper and two saws make your ringtone irrelevant, and Opulentus isn’t a live answering service. The caller gets a text from your business in seconds and says what’s coming down and how close it is to the house.
The calls a tree crew misses.
Ear protection on
Muffs on, saw running.
You can’t hear a phone over a chipper, and you shouldn’t take the muffs off to try. The text goes out regardless.
In the tree
Roped in at forty feet.
A climber with a saw on their hip is not taking a quote call, and neither is the ground crew watching the rope.
After a storm
The whole street calls at once.
Limbs are down across the neighborhood and you’re already on the first job. Every caller still gets your questions.
What a storm caller sees.
This example uses your own first message, the ZIP code question, and the urgency question reworded to ask whether anything is on the house or the lines.
Example text. Example Tree Care 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. Removal, trimming, or stump grinding, and roughly how many trees.
- ZIP code. Or the property address, so you know the drive before you price the day.
- Urgency. Reword it as the safety question: is anything on the house or the lines.
Off until you want them
- Description. How tall, and whether a truck and chipper can actually get to the tree.
- Photos. The one question that prices a removal, because “a big oak” means nothing without a picture.
- Callback. Best number and time, for the jobs that need a walk-around.
Your rules for every missed call.
When it texts
- Missed during hours. The saws are running, so this is most of it.
- Busy or declined. You were on with a homeowner at the last job.
- After hours. The pair to start with on this trade. Storm calls come after dark, which is exactly when your evening message earns its keep. 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 to one caller. Different callers are unaffected.
- 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. Tree service 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 your listed number. 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
Finish the drop.
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 tree crews ask.
Is this a tree service answering service?
No. Nobody answers your phone. The callers you miss get a text from your business, answer the questions you set, and come to you as a lead.
Can it flag a tree on the house or the power lines?
Yes. Reword the urgency question to ask exactly that, with a numbered reply. A yes tells you which call to return first.
Can it ask whether the chipper can reach the tree?
Yes. Turn on the description question and ask about access. It changes the crew and the price, so it's worth knowing before you drive out.
A storm night brings 30 calls. Does each one get a text?
Every missed call that matches your triggers does. The cooldown only keeps one caller from being texted repeatedly, so 30 different callers get 30 texts.
Can I write a different message for after hours?
Yes. Calls after your hours get their own message, so a caller at dusk knows you got the call and when you'll follow up.
Do I have to change my number?
No. Customers keep calling your listed number. 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, with no charge if you cancel during the 14 days.
Does it work with the office landline?
It depends on your phone company. Some won't turn on this kind of forwarding for a traditional landline, so book a call with the button at the top of this page and we'll check yours with you first. If the office line is VoIP, your provider turns on conditional forwarding for no answer and busy. Then you tap Verify, which places a real test call.