You’re halfway up a ladder in Ossett when the phone buzzes in your pocket. You can’t answer. By the time you’re back on the ground it’s a missed call from a number you don’t know, and by the time you ring back at the end of the day, the customer has booked someone else.
Every trade knows this happens. Few know how often. All the work you put into your website, your Google profile and your reviews is there to make the phone ring, and a call that goes nowhere wastes the lot. The fix isn’t answering every call on the spot, which is impossible when you’re working. It’s a simple system so that every caller hears from you quickly.
"A missed call isn’t a lost job yet. It turns into one when nobody gets back to the customer. You don’t need to be glued to your phone, you need a routine that means nobody waits long for a reply."
1. Why a missed call costs more than it looks
When someone finds you on Google and taps the call button, they’re usually ready to book. If they don’t get through, the next firm is one tap away on the same screen. You can’t know how many others they’ve tried, so it’s safest to assume you’re one of several.
There’s a second cost that’s easy to miss. Google’s Business Profile performance figures include a Calls number, but Google’s performance help page defines it as the number of times someone clicked the call button on your profile. It counts the attempt, not whether you answered. If your profile shows plenty of calls but your diary isn’t filling up, missed calls are one of the first things to check.
And if you ever run Google Local Services Ads, Google’s page about ad rankings says missed calls may count against your responsiveness, which affects where your ad appears.
2. Find out how many calls you’re missing
Before you change anything, spend one normal working week counting. At the end of each day, go through your phone’s call log and jot down:
- each missed call and the time it came in;
- whether the caller left a voicemail;
- whether you called back, and how long after;
- whether it turned into a quote or a job.
It takes five minutes a day. You’ll often spot a pattern: mornings when they’re starting a job, the drive between sites, or evenings after they’ve switched off. Once you know when calls are slipping through, you know where to put your effort.
3. Fix your voicemail greeting
Some trades still have the network’s default greeting, or no voicemail at all. Others have a mailbox that’s been full for months. A caller who hears a robotic number read back to them often hangs up and rings the next firm.
Record a short greeting in your own voice that tells people three things: they’ve got the right business, what to leave, and when you’ll ring back. For a made-up heating engineer, it might sound like this:
"Hi, you’ve reached Dave at [your business name]. I’m probably on a job. Leave your name, number, your town and a quick idea of what you need, and I’ll ring you back today. If it’s easier, text this number."
Asking for their town and the job helps you prioritise call-backs, and telling people they can text gives anyone who hates voicemail another way in. Check your mailbox isn’t full, and clear it every evening.
4. Set up a call-back routine you’ll actually stick to
A routine beats good intentions. Choose fixed points in the day to deal with missed calls, such as your morning break, lunch and the end of the working day, and stick to them.
Text back straight away
If you can’t talk, a quick text tells the caller they haven’t been ignored. Most phones let you save text templates, or reply to a call with a preset message. Save one like this:
"Sorry I missed you, I’m on a job. I’ll ring you back by 1pm. Dave, [your business name]."
Then ring them back when you said you would. A promised time you keep does more for trust than an instant answer.
Don’t do it from the driver’s seat
Plenty of call-backs happen in the van, so it’s worth being clear on the law. GOV.UK’s guidance on using a phone while driving says it’s illegal to hold and use a phone while driving, including when you’re stopped at lights or queuing on the M62. The penalty is 6 points and a £200 fine. Hands-free is allowed if you never hold the phone, but you must still stay in full control of the vehicle. Return calls when you’re safely parked.
Save your text-back message as a template on your phone today, with your name and business in it. Next time you miss a call on a job, send it within a minute or two, then put a reminder in your phone for the call-back time you promised.
5. Make your hours tell the truth
If your Google profile says you’re open 24 hours, people will ring at 10pm and expect an answer. If they get voicemail, they’re more likely to try someone else than wait until morning.
Set your profile hours to the times you actually answer the phone. Google’s help page on editing your opening hours explains how, including breaks in the day and special hours for bank holidays and the Christmas period. Match the hours on your website too. If you do take emergency calls out of hours, say so plainly and say what the call-out covers. Our article on what to fix first on your Google Business Profile covers hours alongside the other settings worth checking.
Don’t advertise "24/7" or "emergency call-outs" unless someone really does answer at night. A customer with water coming through the ceiling at midnight who reaches voicemail won’t just ring someone else. They may well tell people about it.
6. Getting help with the phone
If your count in step 2 showed a lot of missed calls, a routine may not be enough on its own. The options, honestly:
- Someone in the business. A partner, family member or part-time admin who takes calls for a few hours a day. Often the best answer, because they know your work, but they need to know your prices, diary and areas.
- Diverting to a colleague. In a small team, divert calls to whoever’s on the lighter job that day. Agree it in the morning, not on the spot.
- A call-answering service. A receptionist service takes a message in your business name. It means a person always answers, but they can’t quote or book work unless you brief them well, and there’s a monthly cost to weigh up.
- A dedicated business number. Keeping work calls on a separate number makes it easier to switch off in the evening without missing anything that matters, because you know any call on that line is work.
Whichever you choose, make sure messages reach you in writing, with the caller’s name, number, town and job, so nothing depends on memory.
7. Give people another way to reach you
Not everyone wants to ring. Some people would rather fill in a form at 9pm than call during the day. Give them that option, and make it work:
- A short enquiry form on your website asking for the few details you need to quote.
- A line next to the form saying when you’ll reply, such as "We reply to every enquiry by the next working day."
- Your phone number visible at the top of every page on a mobile, so callers don’t have to hunt for it.
Then check that form enquiries arrive. A form that sends messages to an old email address is a missed call you’ll never know about. Our guide to knowing where your enquiries come from explains how to keep track of calls and forms together.
Your checklist for this week
- Log every missed call for five working days, with the time and what happened next.
- Record a new voicemail greeting and empty your mailbox.
- Save a text-back template on your phone.
- Pick three fixed times a day for call-backs.
- Check your Google profile hours match when you really answer, and add the next bank holiday.
- Send a test enquiry through your website form and make sure it reaches you.
Your marketing can only go as far as your phone lets it. On the Driving Sales Locally monthly plan, at £225 a month with your website included, the monthly report includes your Google profile activity and enquiries, so you can see whether calls are turning into conversations. If you’d like to talk it through, book a free call with Jeremy.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Calls figure on my Google Business Profile show answered calls?
No. Google defines Calls as the number of times someone clicked the call button on your profile. It counts attempts, so compare it with your own call log to see how many you missed.
Can I return customer calls while driving?
Only hands-free, and only if you never hold the phone and stay in full control of the vehicle. Holding and using a phone while driving carries 6 points and a £200 fine. Safer to call back when parked.
What should a tradesperson’s voicemail greeting say?
Confirm the business name, ask for their name, number, town and a quick idea of the job, and say when you’ll ring back. Mention they can text if they’d prefer.
Should I set my Google profile to open 24 hours?
Only if someone really answers at night. Set your hours to when you actually pick up the phone, and add special hours for bank holidays.