Numa Answers the Call, Offering Free Service to Help Main Street Businesses Stay Responsive to Customers During Coronavirus Crisis

AI-powered virtual receptionist and concierge service extends lifeline to businesses impacted by shutdowns—free of charge—in time of unprecedented challenge

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Numa, a new kind of answering service powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that ensures businesses never miss a call or text, today announced it is temporarily waiving all fees, as well as contract and credit card requirements, to support businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Offering at least two months of its innovative service free of charge, Numa extends a lifeline to help small and medium-size companies across every industry communicate with their customers and clients during one of the most troubling times in history.

“One thing we know for sure in this time of great uncertainty is that it’s no longer business as usual,” says Numa co-founder Tasso Roumeliotis, who founded Location Labs and was an early pioneer in mobile and location-based technology. “As the COVID-19 crisis intensifies, most Americans are now aware that hotels, bars, restaurants, retail shops, professional offices and service providers are being disproportionately affected, many forced to shut their doors and leave scores of employees without jobs. More than ever, we are reminded that these small, independent, local and family-owned businesses—Main Street USA—are the backbone of America and need our support.”

In the U.S., more than 29 million small and medium businesses juggle hundreds of millions of calls from customers and clients. Yet, failing to respond to a voicemail, or worse, leaving calls unanswered affects the bottom line. That’s where Numa can help. Here’s how it works:

• Numa can collect contact information (and opt-in) from customers so they can be notified via a mass text as business conditions change
• View and respond to all customer communication, even if your business is closed
• For restaurants: text-to-order with curbside pickup, even if you don’t have any online ordering site
• Businesses can read and listen to business voicemails from home
• Businesses can easily update hours and voicemail messages from anywhere
• Numa makes businesses textable and any employee (with access) can see/respond to those text messages
• Numa replies to common questions automatically

“We urge businesses to take advantage of this, the sooner the better,” adds Roumeliotis. “And we want everyone to know we are all in this together.”

For answers to commonly asked questions or for more information visit: numahelps.com.

ABOUT NUMA

Numa is an AI-powered virtual assistant and concierge platform created to help local businesses—Main Street USA—thrive in an era where text messaging has become a preferred and more convenient way to communicate. Making a business number textable, Numa handles and responds to every voicemail, text, Facebook message with its AI-based platform that is always learning from employee-customer interactions—and adjusting its answers automatically in a voice uniquely tailored to each business.