What we'll text you, and how to stop it.
Callout is a network of Nelson trades and local services that can be booked online or by an AI assistant. The whole thing runs on text messages: a job lands with a business as a text, and the customer is kept up to date the same way. Nothing else — we don't send marketing, offers, or newsletters by text, ever.
How you opt in
Only ever by giving us your mobile number yourself and ticking the box that sits under it. It's never pre-ticked, and we never text a number we were given by anyone other than its owner. This is the exact wording, on the job request form:
And on the sign-up form for a business joining the board:
If you've asked for a job
- We've got your job — Straight after you send a request — confirms it's in, with a link to follow it.
- A local has replied — When the business accepts, or sends times for you to pick from.
- It's booked — Confirming the time that's locked in, with their name and number.
- A reminder — The day before, if the job was booked more than 48 hours ahead.
- If something changes — If the business needs to move it, or can't make it after all.
- How did it go? — Once, after the job, asking for a rating. Only ever after a real confirmed job.
If you're a business on the board
- A new job — Who, where, what the job is, when they want it — and a link to accept or decline.
- A nudge — If a job's been sitting unanswered. At most twice, then it moves on to another local.
- The customer replied — When they pick one of the times you offered, or cancel.
- A reminder — The day before a job you've accepted.
- Account notices — Approval of your listing, or anything that affects your account.
How often
Only when something actually happens on a job. There's no schedule and no campaign — a customer with one job might get four or five messages over a few days, and none at all after that. We also hold anything that isn't urgent between 9pm and 7am, so a routine job doesn't wake anyone. A genuine emergency is the one exception.
Stopping them
Reply STOP to any message and you'll get nothing further. A business can also pause or remove their listing from their dashboard at any time. Standard carrier rates apply to any message you send us; receiving ours is free on New Zealand networks.
Your number
Used to run your job and nothing else. We never sell it, and we never pass it to anyone beyond the business you asked for — see the privacy policy for the full picture. Questions about any message you've had from us: hello@callout.nz.
Callout opens to customers on 1 November. Businesses can join the board now; job requests from the public switch on then.