If you're a plumber, electrician, or gas engineer working in London, here's a question: how many calls do you miss when you're on a job?
Most tradespeople tell us it's 3 to 5 calls a day. Some say more. And those aren't spam calls — those are people with a leaky pipe, a tripped fuse, or a boiler that won't fire up.
The Simple Maths
Let's be conservative. Say you miss 3 calls a day, 5 days a week. That's 60 calls a month you never picked up.
Not all of them would convert. But even at a 25% conversion rate, that's 15 lost jobs every month.
An emergency plumber in London charges £150–£300 call-out. An electrician charges £60–£120 per hour. A gas engineer — £100–£200 for a boiler service, more for repairs.
The range: 15 lost jobs × £150 average = £2,250/month.
That's £27,000 a year — in calls you simply couldn't answer.
It's Worse Than You Think
Not all missed calls are equal. The ones you miss hurt more:
- Emergency jobs — burst pipes, no power, no heating. These pay premium rates and the customer needs someone right now. If you don't answer, they call the next guy on Google.
- Evening and weekend calls — these are often homeowners who work 9-5 and finally have time to sort the dripping tap. They're ready to book, and they're calling multiple people. First one back wins.
- Repeat customers — people who've used you before and are calling back. Miss that call and you're not just losing a job — you're eroding trust.
Why This Happens
It's not your fault. You can't take a call while you're under someone's sink or up a ladder. Voicemail seems like the answer, but 7 out of 10 people won't leave a message. They hang up and call the next number.
Most tradespeople we work with have tried: putting a second phone on the van, asking their partner to answer, or paying for a call answering service. None of these scale well.
What the Fix Looks Like
The best trades we work with don't try to answer every call themselves. They set up a system that catches the missed call and texts the customer back instantly with a booking link.
Here's how it works:
- You get a call while on a job
- You can't answer — phone rings out
- Within seconds, the customer gets a text: "Hi, you just called [Your Business]. Book a callback here → [link]"
- The customer books a slot. You get the job. Nobody else got a chance to take it.
One recovered job pays for the whole month. Everything after that is profit.
See Your Own Numbers
Every trade business is different. Use our Revenue Calculator — slide your average job value and missed calls per day. It takes 10 seconds and shows you exactly what you're leaving on the table.
Ready to stop losing jobs?
15-minute call. No pitch. We'll look at your numbers and show you what you'd save.
Book a free call →FAQ
Do I really miss that many calls?
Most tradespeople underestimate. Try counting for one week. Every time your phone rings and you don't answer, note it. The number will surprise you.
What if my customers leave voicemails?
Some do. But research consistently shows 60-70% of callers hang up without leaving a message when calling a business. And even if they leave a voicemail, how long before you call back? By then they've already called three other people.
Does this work for emergency call-outs?
Yes — that's where it works best. Emergency calls are time-sensitive. An instant text with your availability beats a voicemail that gets checked an hour later.