Emergency callers don't leave voicemails.
They call the next shop. LanternLit answers the calls you miss, in your shop's name, takes down the job, and texts it to you about a minute later.
The demo line answers as Northgate Heating and Air, a made-up shop. Call it from your truck.
- Keep your number
- $300 a month, flat
- No contract
- Built for HVAC and plumbing
(404) 555-0142
AC blowing warm, fan not spinning. Elderly mother at home. 412 Magnolia Dr, Decatur.
How it works
Nothing changes about how you answer today. Your phone rings first. LanternLit only picks up the calls you can't.
Keep your number
Same number, same phone, same carrier. Nothing to port and nothing new to hand out.
Forward the calls you miss
On a short setup call we turn on your carrier's "forward when busy or no answer" setting together, then test it.
We answer in your name
Callers hear your shop's name, not a beep. It takes their name, number, address and the problem, and flags emergencies.
You get the lead in about a minute
A text with everything you need to call back, plus a link to the recording.
What lands on your phone
One text per call, written so you can call back without listening to anything first.
- Caller name and the best number to reach them, read back to confirm
- Service address, including the town
- The problem in the caller's own words
- Emergencies marked at the top
- A link to the recording, so you can hear it yourself
- Robocalls and sales pitches marked as spam, so they don't wake you up
What callers hear first
"Thanks for calling Northgate Heating and Air. You've reached our automated assistant. This call is recorded so the team can get back to you. If you smell gas, leave the building and call 911 from outside. How can I help?"
Your shop's name goes where Northgate Heating and Air is. Every caller hears that it's an automated assistant and that the call is recorded. To hear the rest, call (678) 841-7541.
What it never does
- Diagnose the problem or guess at a repair.
- Quote prices you haven't approved.
- Promise an arrival time.
- Treat a gas smell like a service call. Callers who report gas or a CO alarm are told to leave and call 911 first. Then you're alerted.
- Act as a live emergency line. It takes messages. Nobody monitors calls live.
One price. No contract.
No per-minute bill, no setup fee, and nothing charged until your line is live.
$300a month
Flat. Every missed call it answers, day or night.
- Month to month. Cancel anytime from your account.
- No setup fee
- Billing starts the day your line goes live
- Greeting and questions written for your shop
- Emergency and gas-smell handling
- Every call recorded, so you can listen to any of them
You add a card at signup. It isn't charged until forwarding is set up and your line goes live. Payments are processed by Stripe.
The 2-call guarantee
If LanternLit catches fewer than 2 real calls in a month, that month is free.
A real call is a person who left a name, a number and a reason, and the text reached your phone. You can check every one against its recording. The only thing we ask: keep call forwarding turned on. Cancellation and refunds
Questions owners ask
Something else? Email hello@getlanternlit.com.
Does call forwarding work with my carrier?
Almost certainly. "Forward when busy or not answered" is a standard feature on Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, and on most VoIP and business phone systems. On a cell line it's usually a short dial code; on VoIP it's a setting in your admin portal. We set it up with you on a short call and test it before your line goes live.
Do I keep my number?
Yes. You keep your number, your phone and your carrier. Turn forwarding off and everything is back exactly the way it was.
Are calls recorded? Do callers know?
Yes. At the start of every call, the caller hears that they've reached an automated assistant and that the call is recorded. That disclosure is always on, for every shop.
What about Spanish-speaking callers?
Today it takes messages in English. It does not handle calls in Spanish yet, so if a lot of your callers prefer Spanish, tell us before you sign up.
Where do my callers' details and recordings go?
To you, and to the providers that run the service. Recordings, transcripts and lead details belong to your shop. We keep them while you're a customer, delete them within 90 days after you leave (sooner if you ask), and never sell them. Details are in the Privacy Policy.
What happens after hours?
The same thing as during the day. When nobody picks up, LanternLit answers, takes the details, and texts you. Emergencies are marked URGENT at the top. It is not a live emergency line: it takes messages, and you decide when to call back.
Does it book appointments?
Not today. It gets the details to you fast, so you call back and book the job your way. Your schedule stays in your hands.
What if it gets something wrong?
Every lead comes with the recording, so you can hear exactly what the caller said before you call back. Tell us and we fix the script.
How do I cancel?
From your account page, any time, or by email. No contract and no cancellation fee. See Cancellation and Refunds.
Rather talk to a person first?
Leave your number and we'll call you back within one business day.
Or email hello@getlanternlit.com, or call or text (850) 919-4343.