How can an electrician stop losing work to missed calls?
Send an automatic text to every missed call that says you’re on a job, asks what the work is and gives a time you’ll ring back. Landlords arranging an EICR and homeowners after a quote will often wait for a clear reply, but they won’t wait for silence.
By Sammy Morgan, who runs M1 Studio in Chichester. Updated .
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- Industry
- Electricians
- Problem
- Missed calls
- The fix
- Missed-Call Rescue, £800
- Do it yourself?
- Yes, the first steps below
Why it happens to electricians.
- You can’t pick up mid-job
- With your hands in a consumer unit or up a ladder, answering isn’t safe. Many calls come in exactly then.
- The work is easy to compare
- EICRs, EV charger installs, extra sockets and consumer unit upgrades are jobs people price by ringing round. They often book whoever gets back to them first with a clear answer.
- Landlord work runs to deadlines
- In England, rented homes need an electrical safety inspection at least every 5 years. Landlords and letting agents often need several dates arranged around tenants, and they go with the electrician who confirms.
- Poor signal on site
- Lofts, basements and new-build shells often have weak signal, so calls drop straight to voicemail without ringing.
What to do, in order.
Check what callers hear
Ring your number from another phone while you’re busy. If it goes to a generic voicemail with no name, that’s the first fix.
Ask the right questions by text
What’s the job, what’s the postcode, and for quotes, a photo of the consumer unit or the wall where the charger will go. You can often price or book from that.
Answer the repeat questions online
Put your EICR details, typical lead times and your NICEIC or NAPIT registration on your website, so a caller who can’t reach you still finds the answer.
Set call-back windows
Ring back at lunch and at the end of the day, and say so in your reply. Callers wait more happily when they know when to expect you.
Automate it
Missed-Call Rescue sends the text on its own, keeps every enquiry in one list and sends reminders, so landlord jobs don’t slip.
Where M1 can do it for you.
Fixed prices, or a fixed quote before any work starts. No VAT is charged. Any running costs are listed before you agree.
- Missed-Call Rescue £800
It replies to every missed call while you’re on the tools and keeps landlord and quote enquiries in one list to work through.
Missed calls get a text back, automatically.
- Website Chat Assistant £1,800
It answers evening questions about EICRs, EV chargers and areas you cover, then hands the person to you on WhatsApp.
Questions answered day and night, then passed to you on WhatsApp.
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Before you decide.
Something else? Ask Sammy on WhatsApp.
Can the text ask for photos?
Yes. A reply that asks for a photo of the consumer unit, fuse board or install spot means you can often give a rough price or book a visit from one call back instead of three.
Will customers mind an automatic text?
Many people prefer a clear text to an unanswered phone. Keep it in your own words, with your name and a real call-back time, and it reads like you sent it.
Keep reading.
Know what to fix. Then decide.
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