How Vida's AI Helped Us Pump Up Our Business

Sandy and Randy Portmouth of Sandy's Septic Service have been able to grow their business with help from Vida's AI receptionist.  Here is her story:

Yes, it’s true—my husband Randy and I run a septic pumping company, and yes, our names rhyme. We’ve heard all the jokes by now, but honestly, septic pumping is serious business. We started small, just Randy in one truck and me running everything behind the scenes—scheduling, billing, and being that friendly voice on the phone when customers called in. It worked, and I liked the personal touch we were able to offer.

But recently, things have really taken off. With all the new developments springing up around us, the demand for septic services has grown, and so has our business. We’re now running four trucks, which is great for our bottom line, but it’s a lot more to manage. I found myself juggling everything—calls from customers, coordinating with drivers, tracking down payments—and it started to feel overwhelming. I wasn’t always ready to be that friendly voice on the phone anymore.

That’s when I started looking into AI voice agents, and I found Vida. I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical at first. I mean, how could an AI do what I’d been doing all these years? But I decided to give it a shot, and that’s when Trina—our AI receptionist—came into the picture.

Trina has been a lifesaver. She now answers the phone for us, and let me tell you, she handles it like a pro. Customers don’t miss a beat, and neither do we. Trina takes down all the details we need, whether it’s a new customer needing a pickup or one of our drivers calling in for an update. She schedules pickups and deliveries, relays status updates, and makes sure everyone is on the same page.

The best part? Trina never, ever lets a solicitor through. I used to lose precious time talking to salespeople trying to push who-knows-what, but Trina? She doesn’t let that happen. It’s like having a receptionist with the perfect amount of patience and a no-nonsense filter.

Having Trina on board has freed up so much of my time. I can now focus on the logistics side of things, which has gotten a lot busier as we’ve expanded. I’m coordinating more trucks, managing more jobs, and keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes, without constantly being interrupted by the phone.

What’s been really nice is that our customers still feel like they’re getting that personal touch we’ve always prided ourselves on. Even though they’re talking to Trina and not me, she’s so smooth and helpful that they feel heard and taken care of. And that’s what matters most—our business keeps growing, and we’re still providing great service.

I never thought I’d be so excited about AI, but Trina has truly become a part of our team. She’s helped us handle the growth of our business without missing a beat, and I can’t imagine going back to the way things were before. Thanks to Vida and Trina, Randy and I can keep pumping up our business without getting bogged down by the day-to-day chaos.