Why Melbourne tilers lose money to voicemail
Here's the thing: most Melbourne tilers lose around $42,000 a year to missed calls. That's not a guess, it's what the numbers show across the trades. You're booked solid doing a kitchen splashback in Fitzroy or laying pavers in South Yarra, and someone calls about a shower that's leaking through to the ceiling downstairs. It's urgent, they need it sorted fast, but you can't answer because you're focussed on getting your levels perfect.
By the time you call them back an hour later, they've moved on. Melbourne homeowners don't wait around, especially in the inner suburbs where there's five tilers within a few kilometres. And it's not just the big jobs you're missing. That quick regrouting job in Brunswick or the loose tile that's become a tripping hazard in Richmond? Those are the bread-and-butter jobs that fill your schedule between the larger projects.
The old solution was a full-time receptionist or one of those answering services charging $99 to $500 a month. But that's overkill when you're running a tight operation. You just need someone to pick up the phone, get the details, and let you call back when you've finished your cut. That's it.
How BusyBack works for tilers
Picture this: you're doing floor tiling at a renovation in St Kilda. Your phone rings but your hands are covered in adhesive and you're in the middle of setting a tricky corner. It's Sarah from Footscray calling about her bathroom.
Instead of going to voicemail, BusyBack's AI picks up. It sounds natural, introduces itself as your answering service, and has a proper conversation with Sarah. It asks about the job (full bathroom retile, she mentions the grout's looking tired and one tile's cracked), when she needs it done, and her address.
See it for yourself — $5 to try →
Two minutes later, your phone buzzes with a text: "Sarah Henderson, Footscray. Bathroom retile, cracked tile + regrouting needed. Flexible on timing. 0412 XXX XXX." You finish laying your current row, wipe your hands, and call her back while the details are fresh. She's impressed you got back so quickly. You book the quote visit for tomorrow arvo.
That's one call that would've gone to voicemail. Instead, it's a potential $3,000 job in your pipeline.
Common questions
What happens if someone calls about a waterproofing emergency?
The AI asks the right questions to work out if it's urgent, gets their details and the problem (like water coming through the ceiling), and texts you immediately. You can see it's urgent from the summary and prioritise calling them back. The AI doesn't make promises about your availability, it just captures what's going on.
Does it sound like a robot?
It's clearly an answering service, but it sounds natural and has proper conversations. It's not trying to pretend it's you. Most customers just appreciate that someone actually picked up and took their details properly instead of hearing a beep.
How much does it actually cost per month?
It's $5 a month for your Australian number, plus 95¢ for each call the AI answers. If you get ten calls a month you couldn't take, that's about $15 total. No contracts, cancel whenever you want. Most tilers find one captured job pays for the entire year.
What if I'm between jobs and can answer my phone?
You only forward calls to BusyBack when you need to. It's conditional call forwarding, which means you turn it on when you're on the tools and off when you're free. Takes two seconds on your phone. You're only paying for the calls it actually answers.
How long does setup take?
About two minutes. You get an Australian phone number, set up conditional call forwarding on your mobile so missed calls go to BusyBack, and you're done. There's no app to install or complicated tech. If you can send a text, you can set this up.