Home / Founding customers
Pilot program · not open yet
Be one of the first shops on NewFrontDesk.
We're looking for a small group of local businesses to pilot NewFrontDesk before it opens to everyone. Here is exactly what that means today, what it doesn't, and what has to happen first.
What a pilot shop gets
First in line, and a say in what we build
- First in line for onboarding when pilots open
- Personal onboarding: we set it up with you
- A direct line for feedback, and a real say in what gets built next for your trade
- The lead inbox and web chat first, since they already work; then missed-call text-back once it can send real texts
- First to hear when AI call answering is built
- Plain status updates: what works, what broke, what's next
What a pilot is not
Straight about the limits
The full list of what works today is on the status board.
- It does not answer your phone. AI call answering is being built and is not in any plan.
- It is not AI booking appointments. Booking is planned for later.
- It does not start today. The steps below come first, and we have no date to promise.
- It is not for healthcare businesses at this stage.
- It will never cold-call or cold-text anyone for you. NewFrontDesk only responds to people who contact your business.
Before any pilot starts
Four things have to be true first
None of these is done yet. We'd rather tell you now.
Real texts switched on
Text-back's rules work in test mode, but it cannot send a real text yet. The sending step and NewFrontDesk's own carrier account come first.
A number for your business
Each business gets its own number. You keep your existing line and forward unanswered calls to it.
Your texting registration approved
US carriers require each business to register before it can text customers (A2P 10DLC). We'd file it with you. Approval is up to the carriers. What that means for billing.
Attorney review
We will have the product and its terms reviewed by an attorney before any business uses it with real customers.
Already working, with test businesses: the lead inbox, a separate private account for each business, and the web chat.
What it costs
The same prices as everyone
There are no special founding prices. Nothing is charged now, and this site takes no payment.
Starter
$149 / month
or $1,490 a year: pay for 10 months, get 12
- Missed-call text-back
- Web chat for your website
- Lead inbox
- 1 location
- 500 texts a month
Over the limit: $0.03 per text
Request Starter setupPro
$299 / month
or $2,990 a year: pay for 10 months, get 12
- Everything in Starter
- AI replies
- Follow-ups
- Up to 3 locations
- 1,500 texts and 1,000 AI replies a month
Over the limit: $0.03 per text, $0.05 per AI reply
Request Pro setupSetup
$299 one time
on both plans
- Business texting registration (A2P 10DLC)
- Setting up the front desk for your business
Charged once per business
What's includedWe take no payment until the features in your plan actually work for your business. Requesting setup puts you in line; it doesn't charge you. See where each feature stands today.
Honest status
What's built and what's coming
BuiltWorking today
Running on our server right now, with made-up test businesses only. No real business is using it yet.
- Lead inboxEvery lead in one list, with status and notes. Each business has its own login and its own separate data.
- Web chat for a business's websiteOne line of code. Asks for a name, a phone number and what the visitor needs. Plain questions, no AI. The business picks the colour, the button words, its opening hours and a closed-hours greeting.
- Contact form linkFor a business with no website. Leads go to the same inbox.
- Consent recorded with each leadWhether the visitor ticked the box, the exact wording, and when.
- Owner dashboardLeads this week, typical response time, and missed calls caught.
- New-lead email alertsAn email tells the owner a lead arrived and links to the inbox. It never contains the customer's name, number or message.
NextBeing built
Not working for customers yet.
- Missed-call text-backThe rules work in test mode: each business's own number and opt-out list, no texts from 9 PM to 8 AM, one text per caller per day. Ready-made messages per trade and a preview tool are in the app. It cannot send a real text yet. That needs a real number per business, the sending step, and each business's carrier registration.
- AI replies (Pro)Not in the app yet. A reply engine exists in our older software and is being rewritten so it always says it's AI.
- Follow-ups (Pro)Not in the app yet. Email follow-up sequences exist in our older software.
- Up to 3 locations (Pro)Not built.
- AI that answers incoming callsNot in any plan. An early rule-based voice prototype exists in our older software and is switched off.
LaterPlanned
On the roadmap. No dates promised.
- Online sign-up and billingAccounts are set up by hand today, and no payment is taken.
- AI booking straight into your calendar
- AI replies to incoming email
- Calendar sync
- Reseller program for agencies
Status checked on October 7, 2026 against the running app and its automated tests. "Working today" means it works on our server with test accounts; it does not mean a customer is using it. Nobody is yet, which is why we take no payment yet. An attorney review comes before any real business uses it.
Request setup
Ask to be a founding customer
Tell us about your business and how you handle missed calls today. Requests from this page are marked as founding-customer requests. We'll reach out when pilots open.
Questions
Founding customer questions
Do founding customers get special pricing?
No. Founding customers pay the same prices as everyone: Starter $149 a month, Pro $299 a month, and a one-time $299 setup.
Do I pay anything now?
No. This site takes no payment, and nobody is charged until the features in their plan actually work for their business.
When would my pilot start?
We don't have a date. A pilot starts only after the four steps on this page are done, and one of them, carrier approval of your business's texting registration, is outside our control.
Will I get AI call answering in the pilot?
No. AI call answering is designed but not built, and it is not part of either plan today. Founding customers will be the first to hear when it is ready.
How many founding customers will you take?
We haven't set a number yet. We will keep it small enough to onboard each business personally.
What kind of business is a good fit?
A local service business where a missed call is a missed job: HVAC, plumbing, roofing, cleaning, auto repair and similar trades. We are not taking healthcare businesses at this stage.
Didn't find your answer? Write to [email protected], or see how it works.
One practical guide a week.
Short, plain guides for local businesses on missed calls, follow-up and leads. No sales emails. Read the guides.