The problem
A contractor's plan changes with the weather: a wet night moves tomorrow's mowing, and 8 farmers need to know before they move stock or open gates. Ringing each takes 5 minutes, and on 10 changed days a month in a wet summer that's 80 calls, 400 minutes, nearly 7 hours a month, often late in the evening.
What the AI does
Firetext is a UK SMS service: you send and schedule texts from a web account and pay for credits rather than a subscription. Its pricing page lists 500 credits for $33£25€30A$48C$47 (5p each) excluding VAT, unlimited contacts and groups, and an optional UK reply number at $12£9€11A$17C$17 a month so customers can text back. Keep your farm customers' mobiles in Firetext, put each day's farms in a group the evening before, and when the weather changes the plan send one short text to that group with the new day. A short service text typically uses 1 credit.
A worked example
A contractor in Shropshire with 3 tractors works for about 60 farms and has around 8 farmers on each day's list in summer. In a wet month, plans change on about 10 days.
Before
80 phone calls a month at 5 minutes each in a wet month: about 6.7 hours
After
10 group texts a month at 5 minutes each, plus about 40 minutes ringing back the farmers who reply: about 1.5 hours
What it's worth
About $173£130€155A$250C$244 a month in time saved in a wet month, against about $5£4€5A$8C$8 to $17£13€15A$25C$24 for Firetext. That is 5.2 hours (6.7 down to 1.5) at an assumed $33£25€30A$48C$47 an hour. 80 texts at 1 credit each is 80 credits, $5£4€5A$8C$8 at 5p each from a $33£25€30A$48C$47 pack of 500, excluding VAT; a UK reply number so farmers can text back is $12£9€11A$17C$17 a month on top.
How to set it up
- Open a Firetext account on the free trial and add your farm customers' mobile numbers, telling them what you'll use them for.
- Each evening, put tomorrow's farms in a group.
- When the weather changes the plan, send one short text to that group with the new day and your number.
- Add a UK reply number if you want farmers to text back, and ring anyone who asks.
- Keep the messages to plans and changes; don't use the list for offers without consent.
What goes wrong
- Longer texts use 2 or more credits each. Keep them short.
- Some farmers don't read texts in a busy week. Ring anyone where a change really matters, such as stock moved out for you.
- Mobile numbers are personal data. Keep the list up to date and delete farms you no longer work for.
- Marketing texts need consent under PECR. Changes to booked work are service messages; offers aren't.