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Crews and jobs
Storm response checklist
A four-stage storm checklist, from pre-season prep to the week-2 follow-up. Tick items and print it.
Open the tool: Storm response checklistFor tree companies in storm country
Catch every storm call, even when every phone rings
Thank you for coming. If you work the Gulf, the Southeast or the Midwest, you know what the morning after a storm sounds like. I know the calls come faster than anyone can answer. Let us look at why storm calls get lost, then how to catch them.
Websites with no way to text, by state
| State | Checked | No text |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 450 | 91% |
| Texas | 321 | 92% |
| Georgia | 245 | 91% |
| North Carolina | 290 | 89% |
| Tennessee | 225 | 92% |
| Ohio | 168 | 91% |
Our own check of 6,842 tree companies, 2026-10-26. Aggregates only, no company named.
I know you are facing this
A month of calls in a weekend, and only so many hands
Every phone rings at once
One storm can bring weeks of calls in a weekend. Your office line, your cell and your foreman all ring, and most of those calls go unanswered.
Real emergencies get buried
A tree on a roof and a branch in the yard sound the same in a voicemail list. Sorting by danger takes time you do not have.
Callers do not wait
Scared homeowners call down the list until someone answers. If you call back tomorrow, the job is often gone.
The follow-up never happens
Once the rush ends, the non-urgent callers you meant to get back to are forgotten. That is a lot of cleanup work left on the table.
Let us dissect why
Why storm calls slip away
- 01
Missed calls multiply in a storm
About 27% of calls to home-service businesses go unanswered on a normal day, and under 3% of those callers leave a voicemail (Invoca). When call volume jumps after a storm, the number of missed callers can jump with it.
- 02
Most tree companies cannot be texted
In our October 2026 check of 6,842 tree companies, 92% of the 4,108 websites we checked gave no way to text the business. In a storm, a text is often the fastest way for a homeowner to send an address and a photo.
- 03
Nobody has time to triage
Your best people should be on the job, not on the phone. Without a simple intake step, every call takes a person, and the dangerous jobs wait in the same line as the small ones.
- 04
Storm chasers make homeowners careful
After a storm, homeowners worry about out-of-town crews who take deposits and vanish. A fast, clear reply from a real local business name builds trust before you even arrive.
Safety first, always
Anything touching or near a power line is a call to the utility, never a job for your crew until the utility says it is safe. If someone is hurt or trapped, the caller should dial 911. Every storm message we write says so.
The fix
A phone plan that holds up when the wind does not
Your crews work the jobs. The system answers, asks the right questions and hands you a sorted list.
01
Missed-call text-back in 30 seconds
Every missed caller gets a calm text from your business number: we got your call, emergencies come first, send the address and a photo.
02
A storm greeting you switch on
A short storm message for calls and texts, written before the season, including what to do if someone is hurt or a line is down.
03
AI receptionist for the surge (300 minutes a month included)
Answers calls you miss and asks the same questions every time: address, what happened, is anyone in danger, is a line down. You get a sorted list, not a pile of voicemails.
04
One storm list in the lead inbox
Every caller, text and form in one place, marked emergency, urgent or routine, so the whole team works the same list.
05
The week-2 follow-up, done for you
When the rush ends, every caller you could not reach gets a polite text with a booking link for an estimate.
06
Review requests after the cleanup
Storm customers are often the most grateful. A short review request with your Google link goes out when each job is done.
Each part has its own page on our services list. See the full system.
The process
Set it up in calm weather
- Day 1Kickoff call, about 45 minutes. We learn your area, your triage rules and what you will not do (like work near power lines). You set up call forwarding.
- Day 2We write your normal texts and your storm texts, follow-ups and receptionist script. You approve them in about 10 minutes.
- Days 2 to 6Carrier registration for business texting (3 to 7 business days). Website and Google profile work happen at the same time.
- Day 7Live. Normal days run as usual. When a storm hits, you tell us and the storm messages go on.
- After each stormWe run the week-2 follow-up list and send you a short report: calls caught, jobs booked, reviews added.
Between storms
When your crews have room for more work and you have a budget for Google ads, our Booked Jobs Engine brings paid leads (from $1,750 a month plus ad spend, ad spend paid to Google directly). Every paid lead runs through the same text-back and follow-up, so none is wasted. Catch the calls you already get first.
Do it yourself first
Print your storm plan before the next forecast
Our free storm response checklist turns phones, triage, gear and crew safety into one printable page. Fill it in with your crew this week. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
A sample storm text, change it to your words
"Thanks for calling [your company]. We got your message. Emergencies come first. If anyone is hurt, call 911. If a line is down, stay back and call the utility. Please reply with your address and a photo."
Calm, safe, and it gets you what you need to sort the list.
The offer
Be ready before the next storm
$497 a month
$997 setup, or $297 for the first 3 founding clients. No long contract. Cancel with 30 days' notice.
If it doesn't bring you 3 extra booked estimates in 60 days, we refund your setup fee.
The 60-day refund applies to the setup fee. It needs you to do your part: forward your calls, approve the texts in week one, and share the jobs you book. In return, founding clients give us a case study and a short video testimonial.
Honest note: we have no tree-service clients yet, so we have not run this through a storm for a client. Our first case studies are planned for December 2026.
Questions about storm season
When should I set this up, before or during storm season?
Before. Carrier registration for business texting takes 3 to 7 business days, and storm messages are best written in calm weather. Setting it up during a storm is possible but slower.
What does the storm text say?
We write it with you. A typical one says you got the message, that emergencies come first, to call 911 if someone is hurt and the utility if a line is down, and asks for the address and a photo. You approve the wording.
Will the AI receptionist tell people to cut trees or move lines?
No. It never gives safety instructions beyond: stay away from downed lines, call the utility, and call 911 if anyone is in danger. It collects details and passes them to you.
How does it help me sort emergencies?
Every caller is asked the same short questions, so each lead in your inbox shows the address, what happened and whether anyone is in danger. You decide the order. The system just puts the facts in front of you.
What if a storm month uses a lot of receptionist minutes?
The Core plan includes 300 minutes a month. Storm months can use more than normal months, so we keep storm calls short and focused on the details you need. Ask us on the kickoff call how your storm months would work.
Can I raise my prices during a storm?
Be careful. Many states have price-gouging rules that apply after a declared emergency, and they differ by state. This is a short explanation, not legal advice. Check your state rules, and keep clear written quotes.
What does it cost?
The Core plan is $497 a month with a $997 setup, and the first 3 founding clients pay $297 setup. Phone carrier fees are billed at cost. See the pricing page for the full list.
What about ads to get more storm work?
Ads are a separate offer, the Booked Jobs Engine (from $1,750 a month plus ad spend). It is for companies with crews ready for more work and a budget for Google ads. We suggest catching every call you already get first.
Is there a guarantee?
If it doesn't bring you 3 extra booked estimates in 60 days, we refund your setup fee. No long contract. Cancel with 30 days' notice.
Have you run this through a storm for another tree company?
Not yet, and we will not pretend we have. We are signing our first founding clients now, and our first case studies are planned for December 2026.
What can I do for free before the next storm?
Print our free storm response checklist and fill it in with your crew. Then use the storm capacity planner to see how many jobs a day your crews can really take, using your own numbers.
Is your phone ready for the next storm?
We check your Google profile, website and phone reply, and send a short, private audit. Free, no call needed.
Get my free 5-minute auditKeep reading
- Storm season guidePhones, triage, pricing, paperwork and crew safety.
- Storm typesHurricanes, ice, wind, tornadoes and what each means for tree work.
- Pricing storm workFair, written quotes when demand jumps.
- Booked Jobs EnginePaid leads for when your crews have room.
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