Why Sydney tilers lose money to voicemail
Most Sydney tilers reckon they miss maybe one or two calls a week. Doesn't sound like much until you do the maths. If even half those calls are genuine quotes, and you land one in three, that's easily 25 lost jobs a year. At an average job value of $1,800, you're waving goodbye to around $42,000 in revenue. That's not pocket change.
The problem's worse in Sydney than anywhere else. You're stuck in Peak hour traffic between Parramatta and the city, or you're three levels up in a Bondi apartment block with your phone in the ute. When a call comes through about a shower that's leaking into the unit downstairs, they need someone now. Not tomorrow. If you don't pick up, the strata manager moves straight down the list.
Stop the leak — get your AU number for $5 →
Voicemail doesn't cut it anymore. People expect a human voice, and when they get a beep, they hang up and call the next tradie. You know this because you do the same thing when you're chasing a plumber or a sparkie. The tilers who answer their phones are the ones getting the work, even if they're not the best in the business. It's that simple.
BusyBack fixes this without you hiring a receptionist or paying hundreds a month for a traditional answering service. It's an AI that picks up when you can't, asks the right questions, and texts you a summary while the job's still warm.
How BusyBack works for tilers
Picture this: you're laying floor tiles in a Newtown terrace, levels and spacers everywhere, hands covered in adhesive. Your phone rings. It's a new number, so you let it go through.
BusyBack picks up on the fourth ring. The caller's named Michelle, and she's got a bathroom in Chatswood that needs a full retile, the old grout's black with mould and two tiles cracked behind the vanity. BusyBack asks when she needs it done, whether she's got a budget in mind, and the best way to reach her.
See it for yourself — $5 to try →
Two minutes later, your phone buzzes. The text says: "Michelle from Chatswood, bathroom retile, 2 cracked tiles + mould in grout, wants quote this week, prefers call after 4pm, mobile 0412..." You finish the row you're on, wipe your hands, and call her back while the job's fresh. She's impressed you got back so quick. You book the quote for Thursday.
That's it. No app to check, no portal to log into. Just a text message with everything you need, and a customer who thinks you've got your act together because someone actually answered.
Common questions
What if the AI gets the details wrong?
BusyBack asks clear questions and repeats details back to confirm, but if something's unclear, the text tells you. You can always call the customer back to clarify. In practice, it's no different to scribbling notes on the back of a docket, except the AI's handwriting's better than yours.
Does it handle waterproofing questions or just basic tiling?
It handles whatever your customers ask about. If someone rings about a failed shower membrane or needs advice on outdoor pavers, BusyBack gathers the details and passes them to you. It's not trying to quote the job, just capture enough information so you can follow up properly.
How much does it actually cost per month?
It's $5 for the phone number, then 95¢ every time the AI answers a call. If you miss 20 calls in a month, that's $24 all up. No contracts, no setup fees. One decent bathroom job covers the whole year.
Can I cancel if it's not working out?
Yep, cancel anytime. No lock-in contracts, no cancellation fees. If you decide it's not for you, just switch off call forwarding and you're done. You only pay for the month you've used.
How long does setup actually take?
About two minutes. You get an Australian number, set up conditional call forwarding on your phone so calls only go to BusyBack when you don't answer, and you're live. There's no equipment to install and no app you have to learn.