How to answer the phone

The first ten seconds

Most people answer with "yeah?" or "hello?" That sounds like a private individual, not a business.

What works:

"Rivera Plumbing, good morning, this is Luis."

Three things in six words: the caller knows they got the right number, that it's a business, and who they're talking to. And you already sound different from the other two they called.

What to ask, in this order

**1. Their name.** And use it during the call. It changes the whole tone.

**2. What's going on.** Let them explain without interrupting. Half of what you need comes out there.

**3. Where.** The city, before anything else. If you don't go there, better to know in minute one and refer someone: that gesture comes back.

**4. Since when.** It tells you whether it's an emergency, which changes both the price and the schedule.

**5. Their phone number, even though they're calling from it.** Calls drop, and the number showing isn't always the right one.

And write it all down while you talk. If you hang up without writing it, by the third call of the day it's all mixed together.

What to say about price

Don't dodge the question, which is what almost everyone does. A bare "it depends" sounds like you're going to invent the number.

What works is a range with the reason:

"A standard drain clearing runs $150 to $250, depending on whether we have to open anything. The visit is $80 and it comes off if we do the work. Can I come by this afternoon?"

It gives a number, explains what it depends on, states the condition, and closes with a question that moves things. Whoever stays on the line after that is a real customer.

Close with a specific time

The final mistake in almost every call is ending with "I'll call you later" or "I'll send you a quote."

Close with something concrete: "Does tomorrow at ten work, or is afternoon better?" Two specific options close far more than an open question.

When you can't answer

This is where jobs get lost, and it's solvable without being on call all day.

**A voicemail that says when you'll call back.** "This is Luis at Rivera Plumbing. I'm on a job, I return calls before six. If it's urgent, text me on WhatsApp." And actually return it.

**WhatsApp Business with an auto-reply.** "Got your message, I'll reply within two hours." That alone keeps half the people who would have left.

**Call back inside an hour.** You don't have to answer instantly; you have to not leave it for tomorrow. By tomorrow they've hired somebody else.

**A second number.** Google Voice is free and lets you avoid giving out your personal one and switch it off on Sunday without losing anything.

The callers you don't want

Not everyone who calls is a customer. Get off the phone quickly and politely with:

• Whoever wants a firm price over the phone without letting anyone look.
• Whoever opens by telling you somebody else charges half.
• Whoever calls from outside your area and wants you to come anyway "because it's quick."

Every minute there is a minute not spent on someone who was going to hire you.