Decide what counts as an emergency
Write the list down, so whoever is on call makes the same decision you would. A starting point:
- Plumbing: active leaks you can’t shut off, sewage backing up, no water at all.
- HVAC: no heat in freezing weather, no cooling in extreme heat for someone vulnerable, a gas smell (tell them to leave and call the gas company first).
- Roofing: water coming through the ceiling, a roof opened by a storm.
- Electrical: burning smell, sparking, power out in part of the house (fire risks go to 911 first).
Everything else can wait for the morning, as long as the caller knows when they’ll hear from you.
Ways to cover the phone
| Option | What the caller gets | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Voicemail only | A recording | Callers may hang up and call the next company |
| Missed call text back | A text from your business within seconds | Doesn’t handle an emergency by itself |
| Forward to an on-call phone | A person, if they pick up | Burnout, and calls missed while driving |
| Answering service | A person who takes a message or patches through | Monthly cost, scripts to keep current |
| AI voice answering | An AI that answers and takes the details | Must say it’s an AI and hand off to a person |
Most small shops combine two: a text back for every missed call, plus an on-call phone or answering service for real emergencies. For the costs, see Answering service, AI receptionist or missed call text back?.
A voicemail greeting that does its job
The greeting should say when you’ll call back and what to do in an emergency. Keep it under 30 seconds.
Greeting script
You've reached [Business]. We're closed right now and back at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Leave your name, address and what's going on, and we'll call you first thing. You'll also get a text from us, so you can reply there. If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas company or 911.
Running Local Services Ads? Set honest hours
Google bills unanswered calls only when they come in during your ad schedule and within the business hours on your Business Profile. A call that reaches voicemail in those hours counts too, if the caller stays on the line for more than 20 seconds (Google). Set your hours to the hours someone can answer, not the hours you wish you were open.
The morning after
Call back overnight leads before the first job of the day, oldest first. Each one already got a text saying when you’d call, so the call should come before that time. A customer who hears back at 7:45 as promised has no reason to keep calling around.
How we handle it
Every missed call gets a text back, nights and weekends included. Overflow and after-hours answering is an add-on, with a handoff to a person.