Private beta Now accepting pilot shops

One text line that covers your shifts.

Someone called out.It's already covered.

Briefly handles staff callouts over text. When someone can't make their shift, Briefly asks everyone who's free, gives it to the first yes, and texts you once it's done. No app. No group-text chaos. No 5 AM phone calls.

Apply for the beta Watch it work
Free during the pilot No app for your team We handle setup

Everyone at once

Every free teammate, same moment.

First yes wins

One shift, one winner. No double-booking.

You hear once

When it's covered, or when it needs you.

The problem

The 5 AM group text, retired.

A callout shouldn't turn into half an hour of "anyone??" and missed calls, or two people showing up for the same shift. Briefly runs the whole thing and gives you the answer.

Without Briefly

32 minutes of texts. Two people think they're covering. You're wide awake.

MJSD
Morning Crew7 people
3 missed calls
Maya
can't come in today, super sick 😷 sorry
can anyone cover Maya 7-1??
anyone???
Jordan
maybe, what time
Sam
I can do it!
Jordan
oh wait I'm already heading in
ok who is actually going 😩
32 minutes 7 texts 2 people covering
With Briefly

Three minutes. One text to you. You slept through it.

5:15
Tuesday
Briefly now

Maya called out of their shift today 7am-1pm. Jordan is covering it. No action needed.

Handled while you were asleep
3 minutes 1 text to you 0 calls
How it works

Watch a callout handle itself.

Your team texts one number. Briefly does the rest, following the same rules every single time.

  1. 01

    Someone texts in

    "Can't make my shift" is enough. Briefly knows who's texting and figures out which shift they mean.

  2. 02

    Everyone free gets asked

    All at once, not one by one. Anyone already scheduled, already covering, or out sick is skipped.

  3. 03

    First yes wins

    The first YES locks the shift. Everyone else hears who took it, by name.

  4. 04

    You get one text

    When it's covered. If nobody bites within 15 minutes, Briefly texts you directly instead.

Live demo

Real Briefly texts, replayed

5:12 AM

Press play to watch Maya's callout get covered.

Built for real mornings

Everything a callout needs. Nothing it doesn't.

Every edge case we could find in a real shop, handled on purpose. Here's what's inside the beta.

First yes wins. For real.

Two teammates reply in the same second? Only one gets the shift. A database-level lock decides, and we test it by firing five simultaneous yeses at it, over and over. The runner-up is told who took it.

Only asks people who are free

Skips anyone already scheduled during that shift, anyone already covering an overlapping one, and anyone who called out that day.

Knows which shift you mean

"Can't make it" is all it takes. Briefly finds your next shift today, including one you're already in, or tomorrow's if today is done.

It never leaves anyone on read.

Unknown numbers, off-topic questions, even an error on our end: each gets an honest reply that points to the right person. Briefly never guesses, and it doesn't go quiet.

Late replies get real answers

"Jordan already picked up that shift, so you're off the hook." Names, not a generic "sorry, filled."

Escalates only when it should

No taker in 15 minutes (you set the window)? You get a text. Sooner if the shift is about to start or everyone passes. A late yes still claims it.

No app. No logins.

If a phone can text, it works. Nothing for your team to download, update, or forget the password to.

Friendly words, fixed rules

Optional AI polish makes texts sound human. Every decision still follows fixed rules, and your team's messages are never sent to AI.

Sturdy under the hood

Open shifts and deadlines survive a restart. Duplicate deliveries are handled once. Only verified messages from our SMS provider get in.

Beta perk

We set it up for you

Send us your team and weekly schedule. We load it in, test it with you, and hand you a working shift line.

Built for trust

Reliability isn't a feature. It's the whole product.

Scheduling apps have offered open-shift pickup for years, and shops still fall back to the group text because they don't trust it. Briefly is built the other way around: predictable rules, honest replies, and an owner who never has to wonder whether it worked.

1

Winner per shift

A database lock decides, not whoever's phone buzzed first.

0

Texts ignored

Unknown numbers, off-topic questions, and our own errors all get a reply.

1

Text to you

When it's handled. Not a play-by-play of the whole morning.

15min

Until you're looped in

If nobody claims it. Adjustable for your shop.

Three agents. One text line.

Coverage is just the start.

The shift agent is the first of three, all built on one rule: only text the owner when it matters. Beta shops get first access to what comes next.

In beta now

Employee Agent

Callouts and shift coverage, handled over text.

  • First-yes-wins coverage
  • Smart escalation to you
  • No app for your team
In development

Owner Agent

A heads-up when something's off, and quiet when it isn't.

  • Unusual refund and void alerts
  • Bad review alerts
  • Weather prep heads-ups
On the roadmap

Customer Agent

Brings regulars back, always with your OK first.

  • Win-back texts you approve
  • Birthday and VIP offers
  • Review requests
Private beta

Get Briefly free for the whole pilot.

We're opening Briefly to a small group of shops. Selected shops get the full coverage agent, set up by hand, at no cost while the pilot runs.

$0during the pilot

Pricing after the pilot: contact us and we'll walk you through it.

  • The full callout and coverage agent
  • Your own Briefly text line
  • Hands-on setup of your team and schedule
  • A direct line to the people building it
  • First access to new agents as they launch
Spots are limited so every pilot shop gets real attention. We review every application and reach out to the shops that are a fit.

Apply for the beta

Tell us a little about your shop. If it's a fit, we'll reach out to book a quick demo.

Preview mode: this form isn't connected to a form service yet, so nothing is actually sent. Set the form's action URL (see docs/website.md).

No payment info. No commitment. By applying you agree to our Terms and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. We'll reach out by email or phone.

You're on the list.

Thanks for applying to Briefly Beta. We review every application personally and will reach out if your shop is a fit for the pilot.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Get in touch and we'll answer it directly.

Do my employees need to download an app?
No. Briefly is a regular phone number. If your team can text, they can use it. There's nothing to install and no password to forget.
How much does it cost?
Briefly Beta is free for the length of the pilot. For pricing after the pilot, contact us. We'll tell you well before anything changes, and you won't be charged unless you agree to it.
What if two people say yes at the same time?
Only one gets the shift. Briefly uses a database lock, so even replies that land in the same second can't both win. The other person is told, by name, who took it.
What if nobody takes the shift?
After 15 minutes (you choose the window), or when the shift is about to start if that's sooner, Briefly texts you directly. If everyone says no, you hear right away. The shift stays open, so if someone says yes later, it's theirs and you get a quick update.
Does AI decide who gets the shift?
No. Every decision follows fixed, predictable rules: who gets asked, who wins, and when you're notified. AI can optionally polish the wording of texts, and if the polished version ever drops a name, time, or instruction, Briefly sends the original wording instead. Your team's own messages are never sent to AI.
How does Briefly know who's free?
We load your team and weekly schedule during setup. When a callout comes in, Briefly skips anyone already working during that shift, anyone already covering an overlapping one, and anyone who called out that day.
Does it work with Homebase, 7shifts, or Square?
Not yet. Briefly Beta runs on its own from the schedule we set up with you, so it works whether you use scheduling software or a paper calendar on the wall. Integrations are something we're exploring.
What if an employee texts something Briefly can't help with?
It won't guess. It replies that it can only help with callouts and coverage, and points them to you.
How does my team join?
Share a sign-up link or post a QR code in the back. Each person enters their own number and agrees to get texts, you confirm who's on the team, and they get a welcome text. Joining is always voluntary, and a printable consent form works too.
What happens if someone texts STOP?
They stop getting texts from the line, including coverage requests, and Briefly stops asking them to cover. Briefly also honors requests in plain words, like "please stop texting me." Texting START turns texts back on. We'll go over this with you during setup so your team knows.
Who is the beta for?
Independent coffee shops and other small teams that handle callouts by group text or phone calls, including shops that have a scheduling app but don't rely on its shift pickup. During the beta, each Briefly line serves one location.

Your shop. One text line. No more 5 AM scrambles.

Stop running callouts from bed. Apply for Briefly Beta and let the first yes take it from here.

Apply for the beta Free during the pilot · Limited spots