Your phone rings first
Run it only when you miss a call or after hours. During the day your phone rings as usual, and Operator picks up only if you do not.
The answering service for small business that books the job
Most answering services take a message and leave the rest to you. Operator answers every call in a natural voice, answers the caller’s questions, books a time on your calendar and texts them a link to pay the deposit, day or night.
Free for 14 days · no card to start · keep your number
On the phone
A new customer at 8 p.m., booked before you call back
The questions come from the question set for your trade. You decide which ones matter for your prices.
- CallerHi, I was hoping to get someone out this week. Are you taking new customers?
- OperatorWe are. What do you need done, and where is it?
- CallerOur back gate won’t latch and a couple of fence boards came down in the wind.
- OperatorGot it. How soon do you need someone there?
- CallerSometime this week is fine.
- OperatorI have a few openings this week. I'm texting you a link now with the price and the times. Pick one and it's booked.
Built for small businesses
Why small businesses are switching from message-taking answering services
A live answering service writes down a name and a number. An AI answering service like Operator answers the question, books the job and collects the deposit, so the call ends as work on your calendar.
Answers the caller’s questions
Your hours, your services, where you work, what is included. Operator answers from what you tell it and never makes up an answer it was not given.
Books into your real calendar
Times come from your hours and your calendar, including events already on it, so a caller can only pick a time you actually have.
Never guesses a price
It does not quote on the phone. The caller gets a text with your price, built from your own rates, and picks a time from your real calendar.
A deposit locks the job
The customer pays a deposit you set, straight to your own Stripe account. Tire-kickers drop off, and a no-show costs them, not you.
Hand it off with one tap
Watch a call come in live and take it on your own phone during your hours. After hours the recording and summary wait in your inbox.
Answering service vs Operator
Live answering service vs an AI answering service
A message is not a booking
A traditional phone answering service picks up, takes a name, a number and a sentence about the job, and emails it to you. You still have to call back, and by the time you do, many callers have already called the next business on the list. Operator finishes the call instead: it asks the questions you would ask, offers a real time from your calendar and texts the caller a link to confirm and pay the deposit.
Every call answered, at every hour
Operator answers every call, whether it is the middle of a job, a lunch break or 2 a.m. Several calls at once are fine; nobody waits on hold and nobody reaches voicemail. During your business hours, one tap puts an urgent caller straight through to your phone. After hours, the call is in your inbox in the morning with the recording and a short summary.
Priced like software, not by the minute
Live answering services usually charge by the minute or by the call, and the bill climbs in your busiest months. Operator is a monthly plan with credits included, and there is no booking fee. If you want to compare, our guide to answering service costs lists what the major services charge, with a link to each one’s own pricing page.
You pay for what it answers
There is no per-message fee and no booking fee. Each plan includes monthly credits, and a minute of answered call is 25 credits, where one credit is one cent. If the credits ever run out, calls ring your own phone the way they did before. The line never goes dead.
A message is not a booking
Compare the steps an enquiry needs. Answering-service and bot capabilities vary by provider and plan; check the specific workflow before choosing.
| Operator | Live answering service | Voicemail | Message-taking bots | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answers the call | ||||
| Sounds like a person | ||||
| Answers questions | From a script | |||
| Captures the lead | Takes a message | |||
| Quotes a real price | Depends on provider | Depends on provider | ||
| Holds a time | Sometimes | |||
| Takes a deposit | Depends on provider | Depends on provider |
Pricing
Start free. Pick a plan when it answers.
Three plans, no contract. Try Operator free for 14 days; the card is asked for only when you claim your number, and nothing is charged until the trial ends.
Starter
For a solo business or a small shop.
$49
per month · no booking fee
About 200 minutesof answered calls per month, or 500 conversations5,000 credits per month
Start your free trialPro
For a shop whose phone rings all day.
$129
per month · no booking fee
About 600 minutesof answered calls per month, or 1,500 conversations15,000 credits per month
Start your free trialScale
For a busy team, open to close.
$299
per month · no booking fee
About 1,600 minutesof answered calls per month, or 4,000 conversations40,000 credits per month
Start your free trial14-day free trial, card only when you claim your number · switch or cancel anytime
Calls you get a day6
130+
Starter
$49
5,000 credits
Pro
$129
15,000 credits
Scale
$299
40,000 credits
6 calls a day fits Pro. Answering them uses about 9,900 of its 15,000 monthly credits.
6 calls × 3 minutes × 22 working days × 25 credits a minute. Voice only: chats and texts use the same balance.
Questions from small businesses
What is an answering service?
An answering service answers your business phone when you cannot, so callers reach a person or an AI instead of voicemail. A traditional service takes messages. Operator is an AI answering service that also answers questions, books the appointment and takes the deposit.
Is Operator a live answering service?
No. Operator is an AI receptionist that answers in a natural voice. It answers several calls at the same time, never puts a caller on hold, and books the job itself. During your business hours it can put a caller straight through to you when a person is needed.
Will it quote prices over the phone?
No. Operator never says a price on a call. The caller gets a text link where the price is built from your own rates, so every quote matches what you charge and nothing is invented.
Can I keep my business number?
Yes. Forward your existing number to Operator all day or only when you do not pick up. Or use the business line Operator gives you.
What does a call look like in my inbox?
Each call arrives as a conversation with the recording, a short summary, the caller’s number and the answers they gave. If they booked, the time is on your calendar and the deposit is in your Stripe account.
Does it work in Canada?
Yes. Operator works for small businesses in Canada and the United States, in your own currency.
How much does it cost?
Operator is free for 14 days with no card to start. Plans start at $49 a month on Starter, which covers up to about 200 answered minutes. There is no booking fee on any plan.
Let Operator answer your next call
Set up takes 5 minutes. Keep your current number.