You can't put the machine down for a phone call, and new clients won't leave a voicemail. Answerwise answers as your studio, asks what an artist would ask (new piece, cover-up or touch-up, the idea, size and placement, are they over eighteen), and texts you the details within a minute.
7 days free, then £39 a month for 200 minutes. No contract. Cancel before day 8 and you pay nothing.
Works for any small business that misses calls.
Provide your business details, receive your Answerwise number and diversion instructions, make a test call, then activate diversion.
15 seconds: what it does. The presenter is computer-generated; the product is real.
A real test call from 4 September, a plumber with no hot water. The caller's side was re-recorded to keep our tester's voice private; the receptionist is untouched.
It answers in your business's name. If a caller would rather speak to a person, it takes their number and flags the call to you.
Ring it yourself. Nobody rings you back to sell you anything.
Trades & driving instructors: tell it your trade, then pretend you're a customer with a job.
Dog groomers, hairdressers & beauty: female voice, tell it your business and pretend you're booking in.
Rather it rang you? Text CALL to 07481 342968 and it rings you back within a minute (8am to 8pm).
Or press the button in the corner of this page and allow your microphone.
Three steps. You keep your own number.
Forward your calls to your Answerwise number when you're on a job, or all the time. It's one setting on your phone.
"You're through to Inkwell Studio. Jess is mid-session." It asks what an artist would ask: new piece, cover-up or touch-up, the idea, size and placement, are they over eighteen. Then it takes the postcode and number.
Name, number, postcode, the job, and whether it's an emergency. Within a minute. You ring back when you're down.
A typical call. We agree the exact wording with you.
"Hello, you're through to Inkwell Studio. This call is recorded. Jess is mid-session, so I'm taking the details."
"I'm an automated assistant, and I'll pass your details straight to Jess."
It stops asking questions, takes their number and flags the call to you as needing a call back. Nobody is left arguing with a machine.
It does not quote a price, diagnose, promise a time or say someone is on the way.
There are a few call-answering services about.
A plumber's script asks about the boiler. A roofer's asks how many storeys. A groomer's asks about the dog. Not one script with the name swapped.
The demo numbers above are the real thing. You ring them; nobody rings you back to sell you anything.
It answers in your business's name, takes the caller's details and passes them to you. It does not diagnose, quote, dispatch a tradesperson or promise attendance, and it never pretends to be a person.
Pick from a choice of northern voices so it sounds like it's from round here, plus a UK number with your local area code where we can get one.
Tell us how you want it to sound and what you want it to ask. We set it up for you, and change it when you ask.
It answers as your business, with the opening words you choose.
Add, remove or reorder them. For example, you could have it ask about the idea, the size and where on the body.
Your opening hours, the areas you cover, what you do and what you don't.
No quotes, no promised arrival times, no advice. You decide what it never says.
Male or female, brisk or gentle. We send you samples and you choose.
Lancashire, Yorkshire, Manchester, Scouse, Geordie, Welsh, Irish or a neutral British voice, so callers hear someone local.
All day, evenings and weekends only, or only when you're busy or on a job.
The details reach your phone and email within a minute, with urgent calls flagged so you ring those first.
Not sure what to ask for? Try the demo, tell us what you would change, and make a test call on your own number before you switch anything on.
We have not put a value on a missed call because it depends on your jobs, margins and how often it happens. Use your own numbers rather than taking ours on faith.
Take what you actually keep from a typical job after materials and time. Compare that with £39 a month, then decide how many missed calls Answerwise would need to recover to be worthwhile.
Plans include a monthly minute allowance. Standard setup included; custom phone-system work is quoted separately. No contract: I tell you before any extra minutes are charged. Cancel any time.
On your own
Ring the demo line first, no card needed. Extra minutes are 25p each, and I tell you before you are charged.
Small team
Ring 07481 342968 first if you'd rather hear it.
Busy firm
Set-up is charged separately if your phone system needs work. I'll tell you before anything starts.
Not sure which? Ring the demo line and tell it your trade. We will help you choose using call minutes and the setup you need.
It takes enquiry details when you cannot answer. Your business follows up and confirms prices, availability and timings. Diary booking can be set up on request; it is not active for every customer.
Use your recent call minutes to choose a plan. If voicemail already works well, you may not need another service.
I've built websites for plumbers, heating engineers and small firms across Lancashire for years. Every one of them told me the same thing: the phone rings when you're under a sink or up a ladder, and by the time you ring back the job's gone to whoever picked up.
So I built Answerwise, and I ran it on real test calls for a week before it went anywhere near a customer. It never pretends to be a person, because I'd want to be told. It asks the questions your trade asks because a script with the name swapped isn't good enough.
If you ring it and it isn't good enough for your business, don't buy it. If it is, provide your business details, receive your Answerwise number and diversion instructions, make a test call, then activate diversion.
Philip Oates, Answerwise
Email philip@answerwise.co.uk. Support hours are 8am to 8pm.
Your receptionist's questions are written for your trade by hand. If a caller asks something it should have known, tell me and I will correct it.
Your number, your voice, your wording. Nothing generic.
No. It's one divert setting on your phone. We send you the exact steps for your network.
It asks once more, then takes a message and flags the call so you know to ring back.
No. It's an automated assistant, and it says so if a caller asks. If someone would rather speak to a person, it takes their number and flags the call to you. Calls are recorded so you can listen back.
Divert all your calls. It takes details and sends a summary for you to follow up.
It takes the details and texts them to you straight away, and you confirm with the customer. Booking straight into your calendar can be set up on request.
Nobody is cut off mid-call. If you go over your minutes, I'll text you first. Extra minutes are 25p each, or we move you to the next plan. You are never charged without being told first.
Yes. Your customers keep ringing the number they know. You set a divert on your phone to your Answerwise number, either all the time or only when you don't pick up. We text you the exact steps for your network. Cancel and the divert comes off in a minute.
Email philip@answerwise.co.uk. Support hours are 8am to 8pm, and Philip is the person who sets your receptionist up.
Any time. There's no contract.
Step 1: tell me about your business. Step 2, on the next page: start the trial with your card. Your seven days begin when you finish that step, nothing is taken until day 8, and you can cancel before then. I set up your number with you (about ten minutes) and you make a test call before switching your divert on. The trial includes up to 40 minutes of calls.
Prefer to talk to it first? Ring the demo. Prefer email? philip@answerwise.co.uk.