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Answering service

Billed by the call, and the job is still open

Paying an answering service by the call? Our AI maintenance team answers in your company's name, checks your emergency list, books your vendor by text, follows up until the fix is confirmed and closes the work order in your software. $5 a door a month, with calls, texts and minutes included.

Book a callUnder 100 doors? Set it up yourself

Ahead with Ours

  • The service passed the message on. Who chases the vendor?

    An answering service
    You. The follow-up is yours
    Now Ours
    4 timed nudges, then it lands in Needs you

    Ahead with Ours: You hear about a quiet vendor once, in Needs you, with the next step first. The tenant is kept posted in your company's name meanwhile.

  • The service took the late-night call. Did anyone take the job?

    An answering service
    The service transfers the call. At Smith.ai, ringing a second person costs extra per call
    Now Ours
    Ours calls and texts your on-call person. Backup after 5 minutes

    Ahead with Ours: Your backup is called and texted after 5 minutes. If nobody takes it, the case comes to you.

  • Who calls the tenant back and books the visit?

    An answering service
    You. Some services add calendar booking for a fee per call
    Now Ours
    Ours, by text with your tenant and your vendor

    Ahead with Ours: The tenant gets a time without you making a call.

  • The service logged the call. Who finds out it was fixed?

    An answering service
    You check. The service is not told
    Now Ours
    Done only when the tenant confirms, or there is a photo or note

    Ahead with Ours: Without one of those, the case says “Not sure it happened”. Once it is done, Ours closes the work order in your software.

  • Paying by the minute, and still doing the follow-up?

    An answering service
    By the call or by the minute. The follow-up is yours
    Now Ours
    $5 a door a month, calls and texts included

    Ahead with Ours: Calls, texts and minutes are included in the $5 a door.

  • Who picks up, and in whose name?

    An answering service
    The service picks up
    Now Ours
    Ours, in your company's name

    EvenBoth pick up. A tenant who asks Ours for a person on a call is put through to whoever is on call.

Some answering services book visits on your calendar for an extra fee per call. Chasing the vendor, following up and closing the work order still come back to you. The emergency row uses Smith.ai pricing for an extra ping to a second person.

SourcesLast checked
  1. Smith.aiVirtual receptionist pricing, plans priced by the call
Friday night

The call is answered and billed The follow-up is still yours

Jordan at 17 Birch Rd calls Friday at 9:40 PM ET about a dishwasher that won't drain. The service picks up, follows your script and bills the call. Finding a plumber and booking a time wait for you.

Answering serviceFriday 9:46 PM ET
Call record · Maple Street Rentals
Caller
Jordan, tenant
Property
17 Birch Rd, unit 4
Called
Friday 9:40 PM ET
Emergency
No, per your script
Billed
Per call, on your plan
Booking a vendor
Yours
Jordan asked

Can someone look at it this weekend?

Jordan · 17 Birch Rd, unit 4Texts with you
  1. JordanSaturday 9:15 AM ETAny update? The water in the dishwasher is starting to smell.
  2. YouSaturday 9:31 AM ETStill looking for a plumber. I will text you as soon as someone says yes.

You, Saturday morning

6 left
Still on your list
  • Call Jordan back and ask what you need to know
  • Find a plumber who is free this weekend
  • Leave a voicemail, then try the next one
  • Text Jordan the time once someone says yes
  • Check that it got fixed
  • Close the work order in your software
Your calls, Saturday
  • Harbor PlumbingSaturday 8:05 AM ETVoicemail
  • Bayside PlumbingSaturday 8:20 AM ETNo answer
  • Harbor PlumbingSaturday 9:40 AM ETVoicemail
The same call

Same Friday call Closed by Saturday afternoon

Ours answers Jordan in your company's name, checks your emergency list for the property and says what happens next. From there, it books the visit and does the follow-up.

Ours did

Friday to Saturday
  1. Friday 9:40 PM ETAnswered Jordan's call in your company's name
  2. Friday 9:42 PM ETChecked your emergency list for 17 Birch Rd. A slow drain waits for morning
  3. Friday 9:43 PM ETTexted Jordan when to expect the next updateJordan “Thanks, no rush.”
  4. Saturday 8:00 AM ETPut one question in Needs you
  5. Saturday 8:14 AM ETOffered the job to Harbor Plumbing by text, after your tap
  6. Saturday 8:52 AM ETBooked Harbor for 1:00 PM ET and confirmed it with Jordan
  7. Saturday 2:20 PM ETAsked Jordan if it's fixedJordan “Draining fine now.”
  8. Saturday 2:26 PM ETClosed the work order in your software

You did

1 tap
Needs youSaturday 8:00 AM ET

Jordan's dishwasher at 17 Birch Rd won't drain. Offer it to Harbor Plumbing?

Case #2094 · dishwasher not draining · 17 Birch Rd, unit 4Offered to Harbor PlumbingSaturday 8:14 AM ET
What you didn't have to do
  • Calling Jordan back
  • Phone tag with plumbers on a Saturday
  • Texting Jordan the time
  • Checking that it got fixed
Your maintenance software
Work order #2094 · Dishwasher not draining17 Birch Rd, unit 4Closed
Vendor
Harbor Plumbing
Visit
Saturday 1:00 PM ET
Fix
Cleared the drain hose
Tenant
“Draining fine now.”
Closed
Saturday 2:26 PM ET
Price

Per call or per minute, next to $5 a door

Two answering services that publish their prices. Their bill moves with the number of calls. Ours moves only with your door count.

Answering services

Published prices, per month
Priced by the call
30 calls
$300
Then $11.50 for each extra call
90 calls
$810
Then $10.50 for each extra call
Priced by the minute
50 minutes
$250
200 minutes
$720
500 minutes
$1,725

Ours

$5 a door a month, calls, texts and minutes included
25 doors
$125 a month
50 doors
$250 a month
100 doors
$500 a month
250 doors
$1,250 a month
Setup, under 100 doors
No fee
Setup, 100 or more doors
Book a call
Contract
Month-to-month

These are general answering services that publish prices, not ones built for property management. Add-ons such as appointment booking can cost extra per call.

SourcesLast checked
  1. Smith.aiVirtual receptionist pricing, plans priced by the call
  2. RubyVirtual receptionist pricing, plans priced by the minute
Why Now Ours

Why pick Now Ours over an answering service

  • The vendor gets booked

    Ours offers the job to your vendor by text and confirms the time with the tenant.

  • Quiet vendors get chased

    4 timed nudges, then one question in Needs you.

  • The work order gets closed

    In your software, after the tenant confirms the fix, or the vendor or technician marks it done with a photo or note.

  • One price by the door

    Calls, texts and minutes are included. The services above publish prices by the call or by the minute.

  • Emergencies reach whoever is on call

    Emergencies on your list skip the morning. Ours calls and texts whoever is on call, then the backup after 5 minutes.

  • One tap from you

    Jordan's dishwasher took one tap in Needs you, Saturday at 8:14 AM ET.

Keeping your answering service?

Keep it on your main line for everything else, and send maintenance calls and texts to Ours. The booking, the chasing and the closing are then covered.

Not an emergency service. For a fire, a gas leak or anyone in danger, call 911 or the gas utility.

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Want calls to end in a closed work order? Pick Now Ours

Book a callUnder 100 doors? Set it up yourself