Business phone system for optical goods stores in Montana

The optical goods store industry in Montana

The Census Bureau counted 32 optical goods stores in Montana in its 2023 County Business Patterns (NAICS 446130). They employed 161 people in mid-March and reported $6,566,000 in annual payroll. That is the 46th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Optical goods stores make up 0.08% of the 42,566 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Montana has 2.8 optical goods stores, 18.3% below the national rate of 3.4. The average establishment has 5.0 employees against 6.8 nationally. Payroll per employee is $40,783, in line with the U.S. figure of $41,152.

Montana's largest markets for optical goods stores

Census published optical goods store counts for 3 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Montana. The largest is Billings, MT, with 8 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 69% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at optical goods stores in Montana

61.3% of Montana's optical goods stores with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 47.4% nationally. 90.3% 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.

What optical goods stores in Montana use the phone for

Optical shops sell and repair eyewear, so callers want order status, fitting appointments and repair help. A quick answer about whether glasses are ready saves an unnecessary trip.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for optical goods stores in Montana:

• A customer calls to ask whether new lenses are in.
• A customer calls to ask which insurance plans are accepted.
• A customer calls about a broken frame.

When nobody can pick up

After-hours calls are usually order questions that can be returned the next day.

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

Phone system pricing for a 5-person optical goods store

Optical goods stores in Montana average 5.0 employees, so the comparison uses a 5-person team. Per-seat business phone plans bill every one of those people. At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 5 users on RingCentral RingEX Core cost $150.00 a month and 5 on Ooma Office Pro cost $124.75. On Callata the same 5 people cost $99.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.

The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $612. 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 optical goods stores in Montana

Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every 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.