Why Perth handymen lose money to voicemail
Every handyman in Perth knows the drill. You're focussed on the job in front of you - installing shelving in Subiaco, cleaning gutters in Fremantle, fixing a fence in Mount Lawley - and your phone lights up. You can't answer covered in sawdust or balanced on a ladder, so it goes to voicemail. Most callers don't leave a message. They just move down the list.
The numbers hurt. Industry research suggests tradies lose around $42,000 a year to missed calls. In a market like Perth where word-of-mouth referrals are everything and every job counts, that's real money walking out the door. After-hours is even worse. A gutter starts leaking during a storm on a Sunday night, or someone's gate won't close after a break-in. They need help now, not a callback tomorrow when they've already found someone else.
You could hire a receptionist, but that's $30-40K a year before super. You could use one of those traditional answering services, but they charge $99 to $500 a month whether you get two calls or twenty. Or you keep doing what you're doing, knowing that every time you're elbow-deep in a small carpentry job with your cordless drill, potential work is slipping away to someone who happened to pick up.
How BusyBack works for handymen
Picture this: you're at a job in Leederville replacing some weatherboards. Your phone rings - it's a number you don't recognise. You're holding timber and can't answer, so after a few rings, the call forwards to BusyBack.
The AI picks up and has a natural conversation with Jenny from Victoria Park. She needs someone to mount a TV and install some shelving in her living room, preferably this week. The AI asks the right questions - what size TV, what type of wall, how many shelves, when she's available. Jenny answers like she's talking to a real receptionist.
Two minutes later, you feel your phone buzz. It's an SMS: "New job inquiry from Jenny in Victoria Park. TV mounting (65 inch, plasterboard wall) + 3 floating shelves. Flexible on timing, prefers Thurs/Fri. Ph: 0412 XXX XXX." You finish cutting your timber, send Jenny a quick text, and lock in the job for Thursday arvo. She never knew you were on the tools when she called.
Common questions
What happens if someone calls about a job I can't do?
The AI gathers the details anyway and texts them to you. You can then reply to the caller and either take the job if you've got time, or recommend another tradie if it's outside your wheelhouse. Either way, you've captured the lead instead of losing it to voicemail.
How much does it actually cost for a typical month?
$5 for the phone number, then 95¢ every time the AI answers a call. If you get 20 calls in a month, that's $24 total. Compare that to traditional answering services at $99-500/month, and you're saving serious money.
Does it work for after-hours emergency calls?
Absolutely. Whether it's 6pm on a Friday or Sunday morning, BusyBack answers the same way. The AI captures the details - leaking gutter, broken gate, whatever the emergency - and texts you immediately so you can decide if it's worth the callout.
How hard is it to set up?
Takes about two minutes. You set up conditional call forwarding on your phone so calls only go to BusyBack when you don't answer. We give you the exact steps for your phone. No app to install, no special equipment needed.
What if I want to cancel?
No contracts, no lock-in periods. Cancel anytime and you won't be charged again. Turn off the call forwarding and you're done. One captured handyman job typically pays for the whole year anyway, so the risk is pretty minimal.