The Missed-Call Cheat Sheet for Trades

Nine things that stop your phone costing you jobs. Two pages. Stick it in the van.

Missedcalls are the ones you never hear about: no voicemail, no callback
Voicemailis where most callers hang up instead of leaving a message
Nextis where they go: the next name on Google

Your own numbers are in your phone's missed-call list. Count last week's; most people are surprised.

1. The ten-second test

A caller decides in ten seconds whether you're the one. Whoever answers (you, your partner, a mate, a machine) needs to say four things, in this order:

  1. Who they've reached: "Hello, Dave's Plumbing."
  2. That they've come to the right place: "Yes, we do boilers."
  3. What happens next: "Let me take some details."
  4. When: "Dave will call you back before six."

Miss any one and they ring the next number "just to compare".

2. The seven questions, every call

Whoever answers should get these, in this order. Name and number first, because they hang up when the doorbell goes.

  1. Name
  2. Best number to call back
  3. What's the problem (in their words)
  4. Is it urgent? Water through a ceiling, no heating in winter, power off, smell of gas
  5. Postcode (read it back, letter by letter)
  6. First line of the address
  7. Anything you need to know first? Boiler make, storeys, access, parking, dogs

3. Two things never to say on the phone

Never quote a price. "The owner will confirm the cost before any work starts." A price given blind is either too high (they go elsewhere) or too low (you eat it).

Never promise a time you can't keep. "Emergencies are usually same day; other jobs within two or three days." A missed promise costs a review. A vague-but-honest answer costs nothing.

4. The one line that keeps you legal and safe

If anyone mentions a smell of gas, before anything else:

"Please ring the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999 now, and open the windows. Then ring me back."

Same idea for sparks and burning smells: "Turn it off at the fuse board and don't touch it."

5. A voicemail greeting that actually gets a callback

Most greetings lose the job. This one gives the caller something to do:

"You're through to Dave's Plumbing. I'm on a job and can't pick up. Text me your name, postcode and what's wrong, and I'll ring you back before six today. If it's an emergency, say so in the text."

Why it works: it gives them something to do (text), a time (before six), and a way to flag urgency.

6. Divert codes (the bit nobody tells you)

Your mobile can send calls you don't answer to another number: a partner, an office, an answering service, a receptionist. Dial these on your own phone:

What you wantDialTo cancel
Divert when I don't answer (after about 20 seconds)**61*the number###61#
Divert when I'm already on a call**67*the number###67#
Divert when my phone's off or has no signal**62*the number###62#
Divert everything (holiday)**21*the number###21#

Works on EE, O2, Vodafone, Three and the networks that use them. Use the full number with the leading 0. Some networks charge for diverted minutes; check your plan.

7. Who's answering when you can't? The honest comparison

OptionCostThe catch
VoicemailFreeMost callers hang up rather than leave a message.
Your partner / the officeFreeOnly when they're free, and they get the details they think to ask for.
Call-answering bureau (a person)About £1 a minute, or £40 to £100 a month for a handful of callsReads a script, doesn't know your trade, often puts callers on hold.
AI receptionistAbout £40 a month, unlimited-ishIt's a computer. It should tell callers that. Check it asks the seven questions above, and hear it before you pay.

8. Ask for the review while you're still there

"If you're happy, would you mind leaving me a Google review? I'll text you the link now." Then text it before you drive off. Reviews are what the next caller checks while your phone's ringing out.

9. Count it

Tonight, open your phone's call log and count last week's missed calls from numbers you don't know. Multiply by your average job. That's the number this sheet is about.

Want to hear an AI receptionist handle a plumber's call? Ring 07481 342968 and pretend you're a customer. Or text CALL to it and it rings you back. It's an AI, it says so, and there's nothing to sign up to. Dog groomers: 07863 780483.
answerwise.co.uk · £39 a month · no contract

Answerwise, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. ICO registration ZC238284. Divert codes are the standard GSM codes; check with your network if one doesn't work. This sheet is general guidance, not legal or safety advice: in an emergency ring 999.