Business phone system for automotive parts and accessories stores in Montana

The auto parts store industry in Montana

Montana had 201 automotive parts and accessories stores in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 441310, Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores). They employed 1,628 people in mid-March and reported $63.9 million in annual payroll. That is the 42nd highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Automotive parts and accessories stores make up 0.47% of the 42,566 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Montana has 17.7 automotive parts and accessories stores, 55.9% above the national rate of 11.3. The average establishment has 8.1 employees against 9.9 nationally. Payroll per employee is $39,240, 14.3% above the U.S. figure of $34,326.

Where automotive parts and accessories stores in Montana are concentrated

Census published auto parts store counts for 7 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Montana. The largest is Billings, MT, with 34 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 56% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at automotive parts and accessories stores in Montana

34.2% of Montana's automotive parts and accessories stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 27.5% nationally. 75.9% had fewer than ten. That is the size of team where a missed call usually means nobody was free, not that nobody was on staff.

Calls an auto parts store in Montana has to catch

Parts stores answer calls from repair shops and do-it-yourself customers about availability. Quick lookups keep shop customers loyal. That holds for automotive parts and accessories stores in Montana as much as anywhere.

Calls an auto parts store in Montana might handle in a typical week include:

• A repair shop calls to check a part's availability.
• A shop calls about a delivery.
• The store calls a customer when a part arrives.

Calls after closing time

After-hours calls are mostly availability questions.

Callata voicemail is transcribed and triaged for urgency, and business-hours routing decides where calls go once you close.

Phone system pricing for an 8-person auto parts store

Automotive parts and accessories stores in Montana average 8.1 employees, so the comparison uses an 8-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 8 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $240.00 a month and 8 on Ooma Office Pro cost $199.60. On Callata the same 8 people cost $159.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $972. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.

Area codes in Montana

Montana has 1 geographic area code in service according to NANPA. You can choose local numbers in the area codes your customers know, subject to carrier inventory, or port your current number for free.

How Callata works for automotive parts and accessories stores in Montana

Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.

If you already have a number in Montana, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.

Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.