Question 1

What is Standby?

Accepted Answer

Standby is an always-on operations platform for home-service contractors. It combines missed-call text-back, Google Business Profile management, review generation, two-way SMS, AI voice answering, appointment booking, and pipeline automation into a single system — software, with operations included. Purpose-built for roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, solar, and other trades that run on inbound calls.

Question 2

Is this software I have to learn, or a service you run?

Accepted Answer

It is software with operations included. Standby ships the platform — dashboard, shared inbox, mobile app — and our team runs the setup, the automations, the compliance registration, the Google Business Profile work, and the ongoing optimization. You get the visibility without the configuration.

Question 3

Who is Standby for?

Accepted Answer

Owner-operators and small crews in home-service trades — typically 1 to 15 trucks — who are getting inbound calls but losing jobs to missed calls, slow response, or weak follow-up. The system is industry-agnostic across trades but the messaging, workflows, and templates are tuned for roofing as the primary vertical.

Question 4

How does missed-call text-back work?

Accepted Answer

When a call comes into your business line and goes unanswered, our system fires an instant SMS within seconds — opening with your business name so the caller knows it's you. The text is written in your brand voice, references your company, and asks the caller for their address or job details so a quote can be sent. Responses land in a shared team inbox where a human or the AI follow-up bot can take over.

Question 5

Does missed-call text-back work with cell phones?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It works with VoIP, CallRail, RingCentral, Dialpad, OpenPhone, and standard cell forwarding. As long as inbound calls route through a trackable number, the trigger fires on every missed call — no new hardware required.

Question 6

Is the SMS auto-reply TCPA compliant?

Accepted Answer

Yes. SMS is sent from a 10DLC-registered business number with an operator-approved use case, only to numbers that just called the business (implied consent), and includes compliant opt-out language. All branding, sender registration, and carrier approval is handled as part of onboarding.

Question 7

What happens if the caller replies?

Accepted Answer

Replies land in a shared team inbox accessible on web and mobile. Automations can auto-qualify, book estimates directly into Google or Outlook calendars, collect photos, or escalate to a live team member. Nothing is left as a one-way message.

Question 8

Do I have to change my business phone number?

Accepted Answer

No. You keep your number — what's on your trucks, Google, and business cards stays exactly the same. Unanswered calls forward to our system, the auto-text goes out under your business name within seconds, and most customers reply naturally to the conversation. Works with most landline, VoIP, and business phone systems — we confirm compatibility on the free audit call before activation.

Question 9

What does Google Business Profile management include?

Accepted Answer

Weekly posts with service-area keywords, monthly photo and service-list optimization, Q&A seeding, review response (positive and negative), and ongoing category refinement. The objective is to rank in the Google Map Pack for local service queries across your service area.

Question 10

How does the review generation engine work?

Accepted Answer

After a job is marked complete, the system sends the customer a one-tap SMS request with a direct link to the Google review form. Positive responses route straight to Google; lukewarm responses route to a private feedback form so issues can be resolved before they become public reviews.

Question 11

Can you respond to my existing reviews?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Review response — on Google, Facebook, and Yelp — is included. Responses are written in brand voice, address the substance of the review, and resolve complaints where reasonable before they stay public.

Question 12

What else is included besides text-back and Google?

Accepted Answer

Two-way SMS inbox, AI voice answering for after-hours calls, appointment booking with round-robin team calendars, a CRM with pipelines, email and SMS campaigns, ringless voicemail drops, automated follow-up sequences, a reputation dashboard, a social-post planner, invoicing with Stripe, text-to-pay, a live chat widget, and a unified reporting dashboard. Full list at /features.

Question 13

Do you build the website too?

Accepted Answer

If you don't have one, yes — a simple, conversion-focused local site is included at the top tier. If you already have a site, we integrate lead capture (forms, chat, call tracking) into your existing pages.

Question 14

Does the AI voice agent sound robotic?

Accepted Answer

No. It uses modern voice models that answer with natural cadence, ask qualifying questions, and book the appointment or take a message. Full call recordings are logged to the contact for human review.

Question 15

How much does Standby cost?

Accepted Answer

Pricing is a flat monthly subscription that covers onboarding, automations, Google Business Profile management, review engine, SMS infrastructure, and support. Exact pricing is shared on the demo call so it can be matched to operator size and call volume.

Question 16

Is there a long-term contract?

Accepted Answer

No. Subscriptions are month-to-month. Your contacts and conversation history are fully portable if you ever choose to leave — exports include contacts, conversations, and booking records.

Question 17

How long is onboarding?

Accepted Answer

48 hours. Day 1: SMS sender registration, phone port or forwarding, Google Business Profile audit, account build-out, automation activation, calendar sync. Day 2: review engine setup, dry run, team training, go-live. Operators are texting back missed callers within two days of sign-up.

Question 18

What tools does this integrate with?

Accepted Answer

Google Business Profile, Google Calendar, Microsoft 365/Outlook, Stripe, QuickBooks, CallRail, Zapier, Slack, most VoIP providers, and home-services tools such as CompanyCam, JobNimbus, AccuLynx, ServiceTitan, and Housecall Pro — natively or via Zapier.

Question 19

Who owns the data?

Accepted Answer

You do. Contacts, conversations, and booking data are owned by the client. Full export is available at any time. Standby does not resell data or cross-use it across clients.

Question 20

What is the difference vs. hiring an agency?

Accepted Answer

Agencies typically sell ad management with add-on retainers and 6–12 month contracts, and hand back reports. Standby sells the operating system that captures, texts, books, and reviews — run for a flat monthly fee, month-to-month, with the account and data fully owned by you.

Question 21

What is the difference vs. hiring in-house?

Accepted Answer

A loaded in-house hire (office admin or marketing coordinator) runs $55–75K per year before tools. Standby delivers 24/7 response, weekly Google output, and a managed review engine for a fraction of that — with no hiring, training, or PTO risk.

Question 22

Does Standby work outside the United States?

Accepted Answer

Current support is the United States and Canada. SMS sender registration and carrier approval in other regions is possible on request but adds onboarding time.

Question 23

Do you run paid ads too?

Accepted Answer

Paid advertising — Google Local Services Ads, Google Search, and Meta lead generation — is an optional add-on. The core product is the operating system that captures and converts whatever lead flow you already have, so every ad dollar compounds instead of leaking through missed calls.

Question 24

Where is Standby based?

Accepted Answer

Standby is a United States-based operation. It is the home-services arm of a broader software group focused on operational automation for service businesses.

Question 25

How is Standby different from other contractor-marketing firms?

Accepted Answer

Most contractor-marketing firms sell ads and hope the phone rings. Standby sells the system that answers, books, and follows up when the phone does ring — operated and maintained for you, trade-specific out of the box, and month-to-month.