New inspections and regular customers on one line
A pest control phone carries two kinds of caller: the regular on a quarterly plan, and the stranger who just saw a mouse. Reception answers both with your greeting, says it is an automated assistant, books inspections from your free times and texts anyone who hangs up before it could help.
From $149 a month. One number, answered at any hour. Stop any month.
The calls you get
"I found droppings in the pantry"
A rodent inspection, booked on the call. The service length you set decides the slot, and the caller gets a text with the time.
"Is the treatment safe for my dog?"
It reads only what you wrote, and most owners write that the technician goes over it on the visit. If the caller mentions a pregnancy or an allergy, the line does not answer at all: it says a person has to, and takes a message.
A regular wanting to move the quarterly visit
The line does not see your route schedule, so it cannot move a standing visit. The regular leaves a message and the summary says which visit and when they would like it.
A termite letter for a home sale
Realtors and buyers on a deadline go on a route to the office phone, so a closing date does not sit in a voicemail box.
Bees in the wall
Many companies do not touch honeybees. Your answer says what you do and who to call if you do not, and the line reads it out.
Hung up because they were driving
If the caller hangs up before anything was handled, a text goes out within seconds with a link to pick a time for a call back.
What you would write down
An example for a company with recurring home service and one-off inspections.
Routes: the words that reach a phone or an answer
| Route | When the caller says | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate |
| Rings the office phone |
| Commercial |
| Rings the commercial manager |
| Bees |
| Reads your answer |
Answers in your own words
- Do you do bed bugs?
- Yes. It starts with an inspection, and the technician explains the treatment after that.
- Do I need to be home?
- For the first visit, yes. On a regular plan we can treat the outside without you there.
- Is the treatment safe for pets?
- Your technician goes over every product with you on the visit and tells you how long to keep pets out of treated rooms.
- What is in the quarterly plan?
- Four visits a year, inside and out, and a free return visit between them if the pests come back.
Services it can book
- General pest inspection45 min
- Termite inspection60 min
- Rodent inspection45 min
Nights and weekends
Pest calls at night are rarely urgent, but the caller is upset: a mouse ran across the kitchen, there is a wasp nest over the front door. The line says the office is closed, then books an inspection for the coming days or takes a message.
A caller who has been stung and is having trouble breathing needs 911, not you and not the line. Say that in your answer for 'stung'.
What to book by phone, and what not
New inspections book well by phone. Termite, rodent and general inspections each get their own length, and the caller hears three free times right away.
Recurring visits are a different job. The line does not know your routes or which tech covers which street, so changes to a standing plan go to the office as a message.
Regulars and new callers
Name your regular customers in the console and the line greets them 'Hello again, Linda.' before it asks how it can help. New callers get your normal greeting.
The two want different things. A regular usually wants to move a visit or report pests between visits. A new caller wants an inspection. Write answers for both, and let the summary sort them out for the morning.
Missed calls from the car
People call a pest company from the driveway or the store and hang up when the greeting starts. The text reads 'Greenway Pest Control: sorry we missed you. Pick a time and we will call you back:' and a link.
At the time they pick, the line rings them and puts them through to you. If nobody answers your end, the callback stays owed in the diary and you are told.
An example call
An example. Greenway Pest Control and the caller are made up. She hung up during the greeting at 9:05, got the missed-call text, and rang again herself at 9:40. Before the calls join, the owner hears 'Call from a caller.' and what she wanted.
- AssistantThank you for calling Greenway Pest Control. You are speaking with an automated assistant. How can I help you today?
- CallerDo you do bed bugs?
- AssistantYes. It starts with an inspection, and the technician explains the treatment after that.
- CallerDo I need to be home for it?
- AssistantFor the first visit, yes. On a regular plan we can treat the outside without you there.
- CallerOkay. Can I talk to someone? We're moving out next week.
- AssistantOne moment, I am putting you through.
Where it stops
- It does not identify a bug from a description. It books an inspection or takes a message.
- It will not answer questions about allergies, medicines or pregnancy. It says a person has to answer that, and takes a message.
- It is not an emergency service. A bad reaction to a sting is a 911 call.
- It gives no treatment prices you did not write, and it does not take payment on the call.
Questions owners ask
- Can an AI receptionist book pest inspections?
- Yes. You list each inspection type with its length, and the line offers three free times from your hours and texts the caller a confirmation.
- Will it recognize my regular customers?
- A caller you have named in the console is greeted 'Hello again' with their name. It does not see your service routes or plan details.
- What happens if a customer hangs up before it can help?
- They get a text within seconds with a link to pick a time. At that time the line rings them and puts them through to you.
- Can it answer questions about the chemicals you use?
- Only with the words you wrote. Questions about allergies, medicines or pregnancy are not answered at all; it takes a message for a person.
- Is it a call center?
- No. It is software that speaks, and it tells every caller 'You are speaking with an automated assistant.' No audio is recorded; calls are kept as text.
Tonight's calls, answered.
From $149 a month.
Set up your line