Tree calls, answered mid-cut.

He tells the caller to stay away from the tree and the wire and to call 911 or the power company, because only trained line-clearance crews may work within 10 feet of a live line. If you mark these calls urgent, he then puts the caller through to you, and he books the cleanup for after the line is safe.

Yes. Jake answers as many calls as come in at once, so the tenth caller after a storm hears him on the first ring, the same as the first. Trees on houses, cars or wires go to your on-call phone, and the rest become estimates on your calendar. Past your plan's calls he keeps answering.

He asks what kind of tree it is, how big the trunk is, what it's near and whether a truck can reach it, then texts the caller a link for photos. He books the estimate into your open time in his own calendar, Google Calendar, Jobber, Workiz or Housecall Pro, and texts you the work order with the photos.

He knows what your website says and what you tell him. In Austin, for example, removing a tree 19 inches or more across at 4.5 feet above the ground needs a city permit. Jake asks every caller for the kind of tree and the trunk size and puts both on the work order, so you can check before you quote.

A small crew misses the most calls, because the owner is usually the one up the tree or running the chipper. Jake costs $79 a month for 100 calls, spam and hang-ups are free, and setup takes about 15 minutes. You keep your number and answer only the calls he hands you.