Does anyone leave voicemail any more? What callers actually do
Voicemail is still the default for most tradespeople when they can't get to the phone. It's free, it's already on your phone, and it feels like it should catch the calls you miss. The trouble is that a lot of callers never leave a voicemail message.
This guide looks at who skips voicemail and what they do instead, in the words of UK customers and trades on Reddit. It also covers how to write a greeting that works if you keep one, and the alternatives: a missed call text, diverting unanswered calls, and an automated receptionist. That includes when plain voicemail is fine.
Does anyone still leave voicemail?
Short answer: some callers do, but many don't, and new customers are the least likely to.
It isn't hard to find people who've given up on it entirely. In a Northern Ireland thread about ringing trades, one commenter wrote:
"I don't think I've left a voicemail in over a decade but I could be different to others"
A UK small business owner on Reddit describes the same pattern: plenty of missed calls, far fewer messages. If you want the wider picture of what happens to those callers, our guide to why UK customers ring the next trade on the list covers it.
Who is most likely to skip voicemail, and why?
Short answer: people who'd rather text, and people who don't know you yet. To them a message feels like a dead end.
Plenty of homeowners would rather text a trade than ring at all. The person who started a UK thread on whether to text or phone a tradesman explained why:
"If they list a mobile number, I always text. I assume they might be busy, and it also means I've got a record of when I made contact."
In one UK small business thread, an owner reckoned younger callers were the ones ignoring it. At the other end, a tradesperson in a UK plumbing thread said most of the people who ring them are elderly and call from a landline. That matters later, because a text reply won't reach a landline.
The other group is new customers. Someone who's used you before knows you'll ring back. Someone who found you on Google five minutes ago has no reason to wait, so leaving a message feels pointless.
What do callers do instead of leaving a message?
Short answer: they ring again, send a text, ring the next trade, or give up.
One UK commenter's advice to someone trying to book a tradesperson was blunt:
"I would also keep trying till they answer, and NOT leave voicemail, which is also v easy to ignore."
So a missed call with no message doesn't always mean no interest. It can mean the caller will try again, or that they've already rung someone else. The missed-call list on your phone is often more useful than your voicemail inbox. Ring back new numbers even when they didn't leave a message.
Why don't tradespeople listen to their voicemails either?
Short answer: because listening, noting and ringing back is admin, and it lands at the end of a long day.
It cuts both ways. A tradesperson in a UK thread about being "ghosted" by trades admitted:
"I forget to ring people back all the time, my voicemail says leave your name and number and ill get back to you, I don’t even listen to them anymore."
Voicemail asks the caller to explain, then asks you to listen and write it down. If either side skips their part, the enquiry is lost, and usually nobody notices.
When is voicemail good enough?
Short answer: when most of your callers already know you and are happy to wait.
Not every trade has a voicemail problem. In a UK electricians' thread, one tradesperson said:
"To be honest, if they get my voicemail they leave a message for me to call back. I can't recall a time I've phoned back and they've gone to someone else instead, because I missed the call."
If your work comes mostly from recommendations and repeat customers, and you're booked weeks ahead, voicemail and a good callback habit may be all you need. It's worth checking rather than assuming, though. Look at two normal weeks of missed calls and count the numbers you don't recognise. Then put those into our missed call calculator to see what they might be worth.
What should a tradesperson's voicemail message say?
Short answer: who you are, what you need from the caller, when you'll ring back, and what to do if it's urgent. And nothing you can't keep.
Two ideas from UK threads are worth borrowing. The first is to point callers to the channel you actually check. One commenter in a UK plumbing thread suggested:
"Get Whatsapp business, say in your voicemail message people should send you a Whatsapp message with their name, number and short description of the job."
The second is to be honest when you're full. Another commenter in the "ghosting" thread asked:
"Why don't you simply change your voicemail to "I'm completely backed up with work and can't take any more on at the minute" instead of leading people on with the promise to get back to them?"
Three voicemail greeting examples you can adapt. The same wording works as an answerphone message on a landline:
- On a job, prefers texts: "You've reached [business name]. I'm on a job. The quickest way to reach me is a text or WhatsApp to this number with your name, postcode and what you need. Or leave a message and I'll ring back after [time]."
- Fully booked: "Thanks for calling [business name]. I'm fully booked until [month] and not taking new work before then. If you're happy to wait, leave your name, number and the job and I'll be in touch."
- Out of hours, heating or gas work: "You've reached [business name]. We're closed until [time] on [day]. Leave your name, number and the problem and we'll ring you back then. If you smell gas, call the gas emergency number: 0800 111 999 in Great Britain, or 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland."
Keep it short, say your business name first, and update it when things change. Promising "I'll get back to you today" when you won't is worse than no promise. Our guide on how to stop missing business calls has more example greetings and a simple callback routine.
Does a missed call text work better than voicemail?
Short answer: for callers on mobiles it often does. It doesn't reach landlines, and it doesn't capture the job details.
Some trades swear by it. A commenter in a UK electricians' thread described their set-up:
"When I can't answer a call I press a button and my phone sends a pre worded text. Almost all customers will respond to the text message which is more efficient for me and gives me time to respond. This is a standard feature on all phones and I know if it was me I would rather respond to a text than any AI."
That's a fair way to work, and it's free. The limits: you have to tap the button, landline callers won't see the text, and someone with a leak may not want a text conversation. Automatic missed call text back tools remove the tap, but the caller still has to wait for you, and you still have to get the details.
Should I divert unanswered calls instead of sending them to voicemail?
Short answer: if you want missed callers to reach something that can take the details, yes. Divert on no answer, not every call.
UK networks let you divert calls in particular situations: when you don't answer, when you're busy, and when your phone is off or has no signal. Your phone still rings first, and only the calls you don't take move on. How long it rings before diverting varies between providers. On a mobile, set all three so calls don't drop to voicemail when you're out of signal. Our guide to forwarding and diverting calls in the UK has the codes for the main UK providers and how to switch them off.
Where you divert to is the real decision: a colleague, a partner, an answering service or an automated receptionist.
Where does an automated receptionist fit?
Short answer: it replaces voicemail for the calls you forward, so callers get questions instead of a beep. It isn't the right answer for every trade.
With Ringzel you keep your number and forward the calls you can't take. Your receptionist answers in your business name, tells callers it's automated and asks the questions you've set, such as name, number, postcode, what the job is and how urgent it is. The caller doesn't have to work out what to leave in a message. You get a summary as soon as the call ends, plus the recording, transcript and a check report. Where available, you can follow up on WhatsApp from your Ringzel account.
It also follows your rules on urgent calls and texts you straight away in an emergency. If a caller mentions a smell of gas, it gives them the gas emergency number for where they are, and it only tells a caller to ring 999 if they describe an immediate danger to life. See how it works for plumbers, electricians, builders and heating engineers.
To be straight about it: some callers don't want to speak to an automated receptionist, and our guide to whether customers will hang up on an AI receptionist goes through why. If your callers already leave messages, you may not need one. Ringzel costs £99, £179 or £299 a month, with unlimited calls and no per-call charges. Our pricing page has the detail. You can hear how it would answer for your business now: type in your business name and talk to it in your browser in about two minutes.
Questions about voicemail and missed calls
Do people still leave voicemails?
Some do, but many don't. Plenty of callers, especially new ones, hang up and ring someone else, send a text or try again later instead.
Why don't customers leave voicemails?
Leaving a message feels like a dead end. Callers can't tell when they'll hear back, many prefer texting, and someone who has never used you before can simply ring the next trade.
What should a tradesman's voicemail message say?
Your business name, what you need from the caller, when you'll ring back and an emergency instruction if your callers might need one. Keep it short and only promise what you can keep.
Is a missed call text better than voicemail?
It can be for callers on mobiles, because it shows the call was seen. It won't reach a landline, and it doesn't take the details of the job, so you still have to follow up.
Can I divert calls only when I don't answer?
Yes. Most UK networks support a "when not answered" divert, as well as "when busy" and "when unreachable". Our forwarding guide has the codes for the main UK providers.
Can Ringzel replace my voicemail?
For the calls you forward to it, yes. Ringzel answers in your business name, tells callers it's automated, asks the questions you've set and sends you a summary as soon as the call ends.