Running the firm, 29 October 2026
How to stop missing enquiries when you're on site or driving
To stop missing enquiries on site, send every channel to one place, set an instant reply that tells people when you'll get back to them, and keep to a fixed callback rule such as within two hours. Never pick up a handheld phone while driving: it's six penalty points and a £200 fine. Reply when you're safely parked.
Why do enquiries go missing?
Because they arrive in five places while you're doing something else. About 8 of the 28 firms we spoke to raised missed enquiries or slow replies, across WhatsApp, phone, email, TikTok and Facebook messages. Answering is only half of it. The gap is often afterwards: remembering to text people back.
When a homeowner gets no reply, they ring the next firm on the list. You won't know you lost the job.
What is a missed enquiry costing you?
Work it out from what you pay for leads. If you buy leads, every one that goes cold is money spent for nothing.
What one missed enquiry costs a boiler installer
Say a boiler and air conditioning installer pays £1,200 to £1,800 for about 60 leads a month.
| Cost per lead, low end£1,200 ÷ 60 | £20 |
| Cost per lead, high end£1,800 ÷ 60 | £30 |
| Five leads a month missed or answered too late5 × £20 to £30 | £100 to £150 |
| Lead spend wasted in a year12 × £100 to £150 | £1,200 to £1,800 |
If you don't pay for leads, the cost is the job itself: a £6,000 bathroom you never quoted.
How do you get every channel into one place?
Cut the number of inboxes you check, then make the rest forward to them.
- List every way people contact you.
Mobile, landline, WhatsApp, email, website form, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Checkatrade or other lead sites.
- Pick one main channel.
For most small firms it's WhatsApp, because customers already use it and you can read it between jobs. See WhatsApp for a trade business.
- Forward the rest.
Point your website form to one email address. Set lead-site notifications to that email or your phone. Put your WhatsApp number on your profiles.
- Divert the landline.
Divert it to a mobile or a voicemail that sends a transcript, so a missed call becomes a message you can read.
- Turn on instant replies.
Every channel that allows it should answer within seconds, even if you can't.
What should your instant reply say?
When you'll reply, and what to send so you can quote faster. The WhatsApp Business app, which is free, has built-in greeting and away messages and quick replies. Use these templates and change the brackets.
Thanks for getting in touch with Firm name. We're on site at the moment and will reply by 2 hours / end of today. To help us quote quickly, please send: 1. Your postcode 2. A short description of the job 3. A couple of photos if you can For emergencies (gas smell, water leak, no heating for a vulnerable person) call number.
Sorry I missed your call, it's name from Firm name. I'm on a job and will ring you back by time. If it's easier, reply here with your postcode and what you need and I'll get a price to you.
The away message buys you time. The rule that follows is what wins the job.
Should you answer the phone while driving?
Only hands-free, and only if it doesn't distract you. It's illegal to hold and use a phone or any device that can send or receive data while driving, including at traffic lights or in a queue.
Safely parked or not driving: send your reply or a quick reply template.
Voice commands or a mounted phone are legal, but pull over to type or read photos.
Let the away message do its job and reply at your next stop.
How fast do you need to reply?
Set a rule you can keep, then keep it. Two hours in working hours is realistic for most small firms; same day is the minimum. A Bolton storage installer network, where most contact comes by WhatsApp, told us the trouble was volume: "I'm having a full-blown conversation with eight people all at once."
I can reply back to 20 then, while I'm making a brew.
His fix was replying by voice note and letting a draft come back for him to check, so 20 replies took a tea break instead of an evening. Whatever tool you use, block two short slots in the day, say at a morning break and at lunch, to clear enquiries properly.
What do you do with an enquiry once you've replied?
Log it and book the next step, or it goes missing a second time. Keep a simple list: name, postcode, job, date in, next action. A WhatsApp label such as "New enquiry" or "Quote due" does this for free. Then chase quotes you've sent: a short follow-up at 7 days and again at 30 is what one gas firm we spoke to does.
If enquiries keep piling up because only you can price them, the cause is upstream: see getting the business out of your head.
Where Nexley fits
Nexley is the AI back office for UK trade firms: five AI assistants run your tenders, quotes, buying, scheduling and invoicing. It connects to the tools you already work in, you run it all from WhatsApp, and you approve everything. £799 a month.
Nexley watches your WhatsApp and email for new enquiries, drafts a reply in your words asking for the photos and postcode you need, and logs each one so nothing sits unanswered. You approve the reply from your phone at your next stop, and send a voice note to turn the enquiry into a quote.
Common questions
Should I use a call answering service?
It can help if most of your work comes by phone. A person or answering service takes the details so the caller doesn't hang up and ring someone else. Check what it costs per call or per month against the cost per lead you worked out above.
Is an auto-reply better than no reply?
Yes. It tells the customer you've seen them and when you'll respond, and asks for the details that make your reply quicker. Keep it short and give a real time.
Can I reply to enquiries on my phone while parked on site?
Yes. The law covers using a handheld device while driving. If you're safely parked with the engine off, you can use your phone.
How do I stop missing TikTok and Facebook messages?
Turn on notifications for messages, put your WhatsApp number in your profile and bio, and set an instant reply where the platform offers one. Then check those inboxes at your two fixed reply slots.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Using a phone, sat nav or other device when driving
- WhatsApp Business: built-in business tools
- WhatsApp Business: frequently asked questions
Every rule, rate and date above was checked against these sources on the date shown at the top.
Topic: Running the firm
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