By Jad Salman · · All guides
Ask any plumber how many calls they miss in a week and you'll usually get a shrug and a laugh. "Loads." It's not something most people count, because counting it would be a bit depressing. But it's worth thinking about properly, because every missed call is a possible job, and some of those jobs are worth a lot more than the call itself.
I'm Jad, I live in Seaford, and I built Slotby after hearing the same story again and again from local trades. So here's an honest look at where missed calls come from, why the number is probably higher than you think, and what you can actually do about it.
Why There's No Single Honest Number
You'll find articles online quoting very precise figures for how many calls tradespeople miss. Be careful with those. Many come from companies selling answering services, the methods aren't always published, and every business is different. A solo plumber doing bathroom fits will miss a very different number of calls from a two-van emergency outfit.
The better question is: how many calls do you miss? And the good news is you can find out in about five minutes.
How to Count Your Own Missed Calls
- Open the call log on your phone.
- Scroll back over the last two weeks.
- Count the missed calls from numbers that aren't in your contacts.
- Now count how many of those you actually rang back the same day.
Most people are surprised by step four. It's not that you don't care. It's that by the time you're out from under the sink, washed your hands and back in the van, there's another job, a supplier call and a text from home waiting too.
If you want a more honest picture, ask a mate to ring you at random times over a week, say at lunchtime and mid-afternoon, and see how often you could genuinely pick up. That's roughly how your customers experience you.
When Plumbers Miss the Most Calls
From talking to local trades, the same patterns come up:
- Mid-job. Hands wet, under a floor, holding a pipe. You physically can't answer.
- Driving. You shouldn't be answering anyway.
- First thing and last thing. Customers often ring before work or just after, which is exactly when you're travelling to or from a job.
- Evenings and weekends. A leak doesn't wait for Monday. Neither does a cold boiler in January.
- Busy weeks. The irony is that the weeks you're busiest are the weeks you miss the most new work.
What a Missed Call Actually Costs
It's tempting to think a missed call is no big deal, because they'll ring back. Some will. But think about it from the customer's side. Someone with water coming through the ceiling isn't going to sit and wait. They'll go back to Google, or Checkatrade, or the local Facebook group, and ring the next name on the list. Whoever answers first usually gets the job.
So the real cost isn't one call. It's:
- The job itself, which could be a small repair or a full boiler replacement.
- The repeat work that customer would have given you for years.
- The neighbours, friends and family they'd have recommended you to.
- The review they'd have left.
You don't need a fancy statistic to see that. If even one decent job a month goes elsewhere because nobody picked up, that adds up to a lot over a year.
Why Voicemail Doesn't Fix It
Voicemail feels like a safety net, but plenty of people simply hang up when they hear it, especially for anything urgent. And when they do leave a message, it's often "Hi, it's Sue, can you ring me back?" with no address, no postcode and no idea what's wrong. You then spend your evening playing phone tag.
Ways to Miss Fewer Calls
There's no perfect answer, but here are the realistic options:
1. Call back faster. Block out ten minutes at lunch and at the end of the day just for missed calls. Simple, free, and better than nothing.
2. Use a missed-call text. Some phones and apps can send an automatic "Sorry I missed you, I'm on a job, I'll ring back shortly" text. It at least tells the caller you exist.
3. Get a family member or partner to answer. Works well until they're busy too, and it's a lot to ask long-term.
4. Pay for a human answering service. These can be great, though they're priced per call or per minute and usually just take a message rather than book the job.
5. Use an AI receptionist. This is what Slotby does. When you can't pick up, it answers, has a natural conversation, takes the caller's details, checks they're in your area and books them straight into your Google Calendar if you've got a slot. If it's not a fit, it texts you a proper message. It's always upfront that it's an AI.
The Honest Bottom Line
Nobody can tell you exactly how many calls plumbers miss, but you can count your own. If the number's bigger than you'd like, there are cheap ways to fix it, and they're worth trying before you spend more money on ads or leads. There's no point paying to make the phone ring if nobody can answer it.
If you'd like to try it yourself, ring our demo line on 07476 959334 and book a pretend job. Or send an enquiry and I'll call you back, or email hello@slotby.co.uk. I'm happy to chat, even if you don't end up using Slotby.
Jad, Founder of Slotby
Further reading: AI receptionist for plumbers: a plain-English UK guide, how Slotby works for plumbers and plans and prices.