Virtual receptionist for service businesses
More than an answering machine. A receptionist that knows your customers.
Covered Caller answers as your business, takes down every detail, books the job, and flags emergencies. Then it does the part an answering service never could: it remembers. Every caller gets a file, and the next time they ring, it already knows who they are and what you did for them.
New job booked
- Customer
- Dana Morris RETURNING
- Address
- 42 Elm St (on file)
- Issue
- Ceiling leak, basement
- History
- Water heater, March 2026
- Priority
- URGENT
- Booked
- Tomorrow 8:00 AM
Sample call · example business
The difference
Every caller gets a file. It gets smarter every time the phone rings.
An answering service takes a message and forgets you. This builds a record of every customer you have: what you quoted, what you installed, when the crew was there, what went wrong, and what they are likely to need next.
- Past. Old quotes, completed jobs, warranty dates, and the things they complained about.
- Present. The open estimate, the booked visit, the callback you owe them today.
- Future. The eavestroughs they said they would do next spring, so you call them before your competitor does.
- It learns on the fly. Nobody types any of this in. Every call, every text, every booking updates the file by itself.
Dana Morris
905-555-0148 · customer since Mar 2026 · 6 calls
- Address
- 42 Elm Street, Oakville
- Done
- Water heater replacement, Mar 14 2026 · paid · 6 year warranty
- Open
- Basement ceiling leak · urgent · tech booked tomorrow 8:00 AM
- Quoted
- Bathroom rough in · quote sent Aug 2 · not accepted
- Noted
- Prefers texts. Dog in the yard. Works nights, do not call before 10 AM.
- Next
- FOLLOW UP mentioned redoing the upstairs bath "next spring"
See it work
Four jobs, one phone line.
These are examples of what your version would handle. Tap through them.
Texts, with the same memory as the calls
Most customers would rather text. Your line answers those too, and it is the same brain: it knows Ray, knows what is booked, knows the gate code, and adds his new request to the job without anyone retyping it.
- Answers day or night, in seconds
- Remembers the whole thread, not just the last message
- Confirms appointments and sends reminders
- Hands anything unusual straight to you
Sent to the owner
- Applicant
- J. Koster · 905-555-0177
- Experience
- 7 seasons, tear offs, flat roofs
- Safety
- Working at heights, current
- Transport
- Own truck
- Start
- Immediately
- Rating
- 4.5 / 5 CALL FIRST
Screen every applicant, at 8pm, without you
Post the job, switch screening on, and anyone who calls about it gets interviewed on the spot. You set the questions, or name the qualities you want and the line writes questions that get at them without telegraphing the right answer.
- Scores experience, safety, reliability, attitude and availability
- Rates out of five and flags the strong ones to call first
- Blocks repeat attempts: "we already have your screening on file"
- Switch it off the day the role is filled
Your crew stops calling you all day
The same line answers your people. Addresses, gate codes, what to bring, who the customer is, and what happens when a job runs long.
- Reads the day, stop by stop
- Takes "running late" and tells the office and the customer
- Logs "nobody home" so it does not get lost
- No app for the crew to learn, it is just a phone call
Your whole day, read to you on the drive home
You call your own number, say your phrase, and because it is your phone it knows it is you. No app, no login, no dashboard to check.
- Calls, urgent items, callbacks owed, reviews sent
- New applicants and how they rated
- Ask follow ups: "read me that leak one again"
- Switch features on and off by voice
In the works
The owner dashboard.
Everything the line hears, in one place: callers, jobs, customer files and applicant ratings. A preview of what is coming for clients.
Today's calls
Applicants, roofing installer
Preview of a feature in development. Example data.
What it does
A front desk that never takes a day off.
Turn on what your business needs. Every line is built around how you already work.
Customer files
Past, present and future for every caller, built by itself, call after call.
Hiring screening
Interviews applicants, scores them, and flags the ones worth your time.
Calls and texts
One line, both channels, one memory behind them.
Nights and weekends
Answers every call, every hour, holidays included.
Job site catcher
Picks up when you are on a roof, under a sink, or driving.
Emergency flagging
Leaks, no heat, flooding and lockouts reach you right away.
Booking
Offers real slots, books, confirms and reschedules.
Call summaries
Name, number, address and the job, sent the moment the call ends.
Staff line
Your crew calls in for addresses, gate codes and schedule changes.
Reminders and reviews
Confirms before the visit, follows up after, asks for the review.
Owner mode
Your day read back to you, verified by your own number.
Storm overflow
Handles many calls at once. Nobody waits on hold.
More languages
Can answer in French or other languages.
Works with your tools
Connects to the job, scheduling or customer software you use.
Recorded and written down
Every call kept, so you can see exactly what customers ask for.
Your voice, your rules
Your business name, your scripts, and what it must never say.
The math
Front desk help costs more than the wage.
Hiring, training, covering breaks, and then doing it again when they leave. Put your own numbers in and see what the phone actually costs you.
Your numbers, your estimate. Covered Caller is a setup fee and a flat monthly rate, it answers every hour of the year, and it does not resign in February.
Coming next
Where this goes.
In development, not live yet. Founding clients get them first.
Owner dashboard
Every caller, job, customer file and applicant rating in one screen, on your own computer.
Deeper applicant checks
Verify schooling, work history and background against public records, so answers can be checked instead of taken on faith.
Supplier mode
Reaches out to suppliers and reps for you: opening accounts, chasing quotes, booking the rep visit.
Business to business line
Other companies calling get a different conversation and their own menu, separate from your homeowners.
Private setup
For businesses that want their customer files kept on their own hardware instead of in the cloud.
Built for your trade
If your phone rings while you work, this is for you.
- Roofing
- HVAC
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Landscaping and lawn care
- Garage doors
- Auto repair
- Pest control
- Snow removal
- Locksmiths
- Cleaning
- Renovations
Founding clients get a big discount on setup and a locked monthly rate. I build and tune every line myself, I answer the phone when you call, and you are not customer number four thousand in someone's queue.
Mike StringerFounder, Greater Toronto Area
FAQ
Straight answers.
Is Riley a real person?
No. Riley is a virtual receptionist, and it says so honestly if a caller asks. The difference is it is built only for your business, it never misses a call, and a real person on your team always follows up.
Will it sound like a robot?
No. Call the sample line and judge for yourself. It talks naturally, lets callers finish, and handles interruptions.
How does it know who is calling?
It recognizes the number and pulls up that customer's file, then confirms with them before assuming. If the number is new, it starts a fresh file.
Do I need a new phone number?
No. You keep your number and forward calls when you want coverage: after hours, after a few rings, or all the time.
What happens when I am free to answer?
You answer like normal. You choose when calls come over.
Can I change what it says?
Yes. Hours, services, rules and scripts can be updated any time, and the line will never invent a price, a discount or a promise you did not make.
How long does setup take?
Most setups take a few days once we have talked through your business.
What does it cost?
It depends on how much your setup needs. Founding clients get the lowest rate I will ever offer. Book a quick call and I will give you a straight number.
Get started
Want one for your business?
Leave your details and Mike will call you, usually the same day.
Prefer to talk now?
Call or text Mike: 365-653-0223 info@coveredcaller.org Try the sample line: 289-272-8878