Missed calls while you're on the job: why it happens and how to fix it

You're under a sink, on a roof, or in the middle of a haircut. Your phone buzzes in your pocket. You can't answer, and by the time you call back, the customer has already hired someone else.

For most small businesses, the busiest hours are exactly when the owner can't pick up the phone. The work that pays the bills is the same work that makes you miss the next job.

What happens to those calls

• They call the next business on the list: people looking for a service usually call two or three places.
• They don't leave a voicemail: many callers hang up when they hear the beep.
• You call back too late: by the end of the day, the job is gone.
• You stop working to answer: and the job in front of you takes longer.

Three ways to handle them

1. Answer while you work

It's possible sometimes, but it's not safe on a ladder, not professional with a customer in the chair, and you still miss calls.

2. A better voicemail greeting

Free and a small help: say when you'll call back and ask for a name and number. Still, many callers won't leave one.

3. A receptionist that answers for you

That's what RingCatcher does: it answers every call 24/7 in a friendly voice, takes the caller's name, number and what they need, and sends you a summary. When you finish the job, you call back knowing exactly what the customer wants. You keep your same number.

Example: if you miss 3 calls a week while working and just one becomes a customer, that's about 4 new customers a month. These are example numbers: think about yours.

The bottom line

You can't be on the job and on the phone at the same time. You don't have to choose: just make sure someone answers while you work.