You cannot hear the phone over a mower
Ear defenders on, trimmer going, hands in the soil. Calls come in all day, and the ones you miss often go to the next gardener in the search results. Tilly answers every call in your business name, day and night, and sends you the job so you can call back at the end of the row.
What she asks about the job
- What the work is: lawns, hedges, a garden clearance, tree and shrub work, planting, fencing or a landscaping project.
- Whether it is a one-off job or regular maintenance, and how often they would like you.
- How big the job is, such as the length of a hedge or the size of the lawn, if you ask her to.
- The address, or at least the town and postcode.
- Their name and the best number to call back on, read back to check.
Every message is emailed to you with a short summary, and urgent messages are texted to you on Pro and Business.
Regular rounds and one-off jobs
When a caller wants regular visits, she notes how often and passes it on with the rest of the details, so you can fit them into your round when you call back. For a one-off job, such as a clearance before a house sale, she notes any date it needs doing by.
Prices and quotes
She never quotes a price you have not listed. If you charge by the hour or have a set price for a lawn cut, add it and she uses your words. Otherwise she says you will confirm a price after a look.
The busy season
From spring into summer the phone rarely stops. Tell her in plain English whether you are taking on new regular customers, the jobs you do not do, and how far ahead you are booked, and she passes it on to every caller. Change it whenever your round fills up.
Covering your area
When a caller gives a postcode, she checks where it is and how far it is from your base, and answers from the areas you cover. If she is not sure, she says you will confirm and takes the details.
Put the same on your Google Business Profile: the areas you cover, and every job you do with a line on what it involves. Here is how to add services to your Google Business Profile.
Built on our trades set-up
Gardeners and landscapers start from the same set-up as our receptionist for trades and home services. When you sign up, choose "Trades and home services" as your industry, then add the work you do and the areas you cover.