By Jad Salman · · All guides
If you work on your own, out-of-hours calls are a strange mix. They're often the most valuable work you'll get, because people with a problem at 8pm on a Sunday want it fixed and aren't shopping around on price. They're also the calls you're least able to answer, because you're eating dinner, putting the kids to bed or finally having a day off.
There's no perfect answer, but there are better and worse ways to handle them. Here are the options I'd look at.
First, Decide What You Actually Want
Before changing anything, be honest about what you're after. Most sole traders fall into one of three camps:
- "I'll take emergencies, but nothing else after six." You want urgent jobs, but routine calls can wait until morning.
- "I don't want calls at night, but I don't want to lose the work." You'd like the jobs booked for the next working day.
- "I want everything." You're building the business and happy to go out whenever.
Each camp needs a slightly different setup, so it helps to know which one you're in.
Option 1: A Clear Voicemail Message
The cheapest fix is a better voicemail. Rather than a generic message, say when you'll call back and what to do in a real emergency:
"You've reached Dave's Plumbing. I'm away from the phone. Leave your name, address and what the problem is and I'll ring you back by 9am. If you smell gas, hang up and call 0800 111 999."
It won't stop people hanging up, but it gives the ones who stay a reason to wait for you.
Option 2: Set Office Hours, and Stick to Them
Putting your hours on Google, your website and your van sets expectations. Customers who see "Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm" are less surprised when you don't answer on Saturday night.
The risk is that the person with a burst pipe at 9pm simply rings the next plumber. Fine if you don't want that job, costly if you do.
Option 3: A Missed-Call Text
Many phones and business apps can send an automatic text when you miss a call, something like "Sorry I missed you, I'm on a job. I'll call you back first thing." It's free or cheap, and it tells the caller you're real and busy rather than closed.
It still relies on the caller waiting for you, though.
Option 4: Share the Load with Another Plumber
Some sole traders team up with another local plumber and take turns covering evenings and weekends. It works best when you trust each other and cover similar jobs. It needs agreeing properly upfront, including who gets the customer afterwards.
Option 5: An Answering Service or AI Receptionist
If you want the jobs without being on the phone, the answer is getting someone, or something, else to pick up.
A human answering service will take a message and pass it on. An AI receptionist can go further and book the job into your diary for the next free slot, then text you the details. You can also tell it which calls are true emergencies, so only those reach you at night while everything else waits in the diary for the morning.
For the "no calls at night, but don't lose the work" camp, that's usually the best fit. I've compared the options in more detail in answering services for plumbers in the UK, and there's more about urgent calls in does an AI receptionist work for emergency plumbing calls?
Don't Forget the Boring Bits
Whatever you choose, a few things make out-of-hours work smoother:
- Know your call-out charge. Decide your evening and weekend rates before the phone rings, so you're not making it up on the doorstep.
- Decide your radius. Driving forty minutes at night for a dripping tap rarely makes sense.
- Keep a log. Note which out-of-hours calls you got and which turned into work. After a couple of months you'll know whether they're worth chasing.
- Protect your time off. If you burn out, nobody answers the phone at all.
The Bottom Line
You don't have to choose between being on call all the time and losing every evening job. A clear message, sensible hours and something that answers when you can't will catch most of the work without taking over your life.
If you'd like to see how Slotby handles evening and weekend calls for plumbers, have a look at the plumbers page or the pricing. You can also ring the demo line on 07476 959334, or send an enquiry and I'll get back to you.
Jad, Founder of Slotby