An AI receptionist for Melbourne, whatever the weather
In Melbourne the phone often rings hardest on the day the weather turns, which is exactly when you're out on a job. Your AI receptionist takes the call on the first ring, asks what's happened and whether anything's at risk, and books the work into a free time on Melbourne time.
Example call: a branch down after a windy night in Eltham
Your customer rings your business number.
Example call to Stringybark Tree Care, a fictional business. Your customer, Marcus, rings your business number about: Branch down across back fence, Eltham VIC. Your AI receptionist answers on the first ring, asks what came down, where it is and whether it's hit anything, then books Tomorrow 8:00am and reads it back. Marcus gets a text: Hi Marcus, Stringybark Tree Care will look at the fallen branch at 31 Bolton St, Eltham tomorrow at 8:00am. Reply here if anything changes. You get an email: New booking: Marcus, 0491 570 078. Branch down across back fence after last night's wind, clear of house, car and lines. 31 Bolton St, Eltham. Tomorrow 8:00am.
Example call for a fictional business.
Read the whole call
- AI receptionistThanks for calling Stringybark Tree Care. You're speaking with their AI receptionist. What's happened with the tree, and where are you?
- MarcusHi, Marcus here. A big branch came down in the wind last night. It's across our back fence in Eltham.
- AI receptionistIs it touching anything else, like the house, a car or a power line?
- MarcusNo, just the fence. It's flattened a section of it.
- AI receptionistThanks. An arborist can come out tomorrow at 8am, or Thursday at 2pm. Which is better?
- Marcus8 is good. It's 31 Bolton Street.
- AI receptionistSo that's Marcus, a branch down across the back fence, clear of the house, cars and lines, at 31 Bolton Street, Eltham, tomorrow at 8am. Is that right?
- MarcusYep, that's it.
- AI receptionistThat's in the diary. I'll send you a text with the details.
When the weather turns, the phone follows
Melbourne can run through a hot northerly, a cool change, wind and rain in the same afternoon. For plenty of businesses the calls follow the weather: they bunch up on the day it turns and the morning after, while you're already flat out.
That's when an answered phone matters most. The receptionist picks up while you're up a ladder or under a house, asks what's happened and whether anyone or anything is at risk, then books a free time or takes a message. The summaries are waiting in your inbox when you're back on the ground.
The calls each kind of weather brings
You write the questions for each kind of job. These are the sort we'd plan a Melbourne script around.
Wind
Branches down, fences flattened, roof sheets lifted. It asks what came down, what it hit and whether a driveway or path is blocked.
Heavy rain
Water through a ceiling, an overflowing gutter, a drain backing up. It asks where the water is getting in and whether it's still coming.
A cold snap
The heater that won't start on the first cold morning. It asks the brand, the type of system and any error showing on the controller.
A hot day
Cooling that's stopped, or a fridge or freezer struggling. It asks what the unit is doing and whether anything perishable, or anyone vulnerable, is affected.
Melbourne time, in summer and winter
Victoria is on Australian Eastern time and observes daylight saving, putting the clocks forward on the first Sunday in October and back on the first Sunday in April.
- Bookings go in at Melbourne time, because the receptionist reads free times straight from your calendar and we set that calendar's time zone during the build.
- Perth runs two hours behind Melbourne in winter and three in summer, which is why your set-up call goes in your working day rather than ours.
- Everything from the first call to later script changes is done remotely, from Perth.
A script that changes with the season
What callers need in July isn't what they need in January. A heating business wants different questions in the first cold week than in midsummer, and a tree business hears about different jobs after a windy week than a calm one.
Tell us what's changed and the script is updated inside 2 business days. That's our change guarantee. The AI behind it is among the most capable available, and we switch to better models as they're released, so it keeps improving without any work from you.
What it costs
From A$499 a month, set up and looked after by us. Every system starts with a 14-day free trial.
Card required. 14-day free trial, then $499/mo from day 15. No setup fee. No lock-in contract; cancel any time. Cancel before the trial ends and pay nothing.
Questions owners ask
Does a busy storm day cost more?
No. Inbound calls are unlimited, so the day the phone doesn't stop costs the same as a quiet Tuesday.
Can I change the questions between winter and summer?
Yes. Changes are covered by our change guarantee: done within 2 business days, and you see the new wording before it's live.
Can it tell a dangerous job from one that can wait?
It follows your list. Say a tree on a house, a branch on a power line or water near the switchboard: anything on it goes to the top of your email, flagged urgent. It only gives safety advice you've written into the script.
Is it set to Melbourne time for daylight saving?
Yes. Clock changes are handled by your calendar's Melbourne time zone, so an 8am booking made in September is still 8am after the first Sunday in October.
Are you based in Melbourne?
No, OP Digital is in Perth. We set up Melbourne businesses remotely, book our calls in your hours, and look after the receptionist once it's live.
What if a caller just wants to talk to me?
It takes their name, number and what it's about, and emails it to you straight away. If you'd rather take those calls yourself, it can be set up to put them through to your mobile. It never pretends to be you.
Last updated
See if it fits your business.
A few quick questions, about a minute.
See if it fitsOr ring
0468 050 520Our AI receptionist answers, tells you how it would work for your business and books you a call with Sam.