You can't answer the phone with your hands in a cupboard under the sink. Ringzel's AI answering service picks up the calls you can't take, in your business name, and gets the job details to you so you can call back and win the work.
No website or Google listing? Tell us about your business
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See example calls
A burst pipe, a leak through the ceiling, no water in the house. When customers ring with a problem like that, they want someone to pick up. If nobody does, they ring the next plumber on the list.
Most plumbers aren't ignoring the phone. They're mid-job, driving between customers, or it's gone six and they've finally sat down. Your receptionist answers those calls for you, so the enquiry doesn't go elsewhere while you're busy.
Not sure whether you need an answering service, a receptionist or just a better voicemail greeting? Our guide to plumber answering service vs voicemail vs a receptionist compares what each costs and what callers get.
Every job you win is also a chance at a review. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews as a plumber shows how to ask within Google's rules.
It answers in your business name and tells the caller it's automated. Then it gets on with the job.
You decide what it needs to find out, such as the address and postcode, what's happening, whether the water's been turned off and when they're free.
A leak through the ceiling and a quote for a new bathroom are different calls, and it treats them differently.
If you have a standard instruction for urgent leaks, it can pass that on exactly as you've set it. It won't make up plumbing advice of its own.
If a call is an emergency, it gives the caller your emergency instruction and texts you straight away. If a caller mentions a smell of gas, it gives them the gas emergency number for where they are: 0800 111 999 in Great Britain, or 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland.
If it can't help, it says so, takes a message with a good time to call back and flags it for you.
After each call, you get the recording, the transcript, a summary and a check report. That's on every plan.
The summary gives you what you need at a glance: who rang, where they are, what the problem is and how urgent it is. The recording and transcript are there if you want the full conversation.
The check report is a second look at the call. It checks whether the job details were captured properly and whether an urgent call was escalated when it should have been. So when you ring the customer back, you already know what you're walking into.
Water through the kitchen ceiling from the bathroom above.
Example call scenario. This is an illustration, not a recording of a real call.
A customer rings at 7.40pm. Water is coming through their kitchen ceiling from the bathroom above.
Your receptionist answers in your business name, says it's automated and asks for the address and postcode. It asks whether the water is still running, treats the call as urgent and follows the urgent-call instructions you've set up, including texting you straight away.
You get the summary with the address, the problem and the customer's number, plus the recording and check report, ready for when you call back.
Deciding which late calls you'll go out for? Our guide to out-of-hours and emergency calls for plumbers covers emergency rules, call-out charges and cover that lets you sleep.
Example call scenarios. These are illustrations, not recordings of real calls.
A homeowner rings while you're on a job. They want a price for replacing their bathroom.
What happens: Address, the job and a good time to call back taken for you. On Professional and Premium, a quote visit can be booked into your calendar.
A customer rings about a boiler and says they can smell gas in the kitchen.
What happens: It gives the gas emergency number for where they are: 0800 111 999 in Great Britain, or 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland, and follows your emergency instruction.
A caller asks for something you haven't given it an answer to.
What happens: It says so, takes a message with a good time to call back and flags it for you. It doesn't bluff.
Boiler and heating calls? See our AI receptionist for heating engineers.
Plenty of customers find a plumber online and would rather type than ring. Your bespoke AI chat widget talks to them for you, so nobody needs to sit behind a live chat window.
A homeowner visits your website at 9pm about a dripping tap and a leaking radiator valve. The chat answers their questions using the information about your business, finds out what they need and captures the enquiry. You don't need to be online.
When the conversation ends, the transcript and a summary are waiting in your Ringzel account. From there, you can call them back or, where available, contact them on WhatsApp.
Dripping tap and a leaking radiator valve. Call back tomorrow after 5.
On the Professional and Premium plans, your receptionist can do more than take the details.
On Basic, your receptionist takes the details and passes them to you to book yourself.
Type in your business name and Ringzel builds a receptionist from your website and Google listing. It takes about two minutes. Then ring it in your browser the way a customer would: report a leak, ask for a quote, ask when you're free.
No phone needed. No card.
Plans start at £99 a month, with unlimited calls on every plan. Professional, at £179 a month, adds bookings, call transfers and team routing. Every plan includes the recording, transcript, summary and check report for every call, and a 14-day free trial with no card to start.
Answers and captures.
Answers, books and routes.
Connects to the rest of your business.
14-day free trial on every plan. No card to start. The trial begins when you create your account. Cancel before day 14 and you owe nothing.
Setting your own rates? Our guide to what to charge as a plumber works out a self-employed hourly and day rate from your costs, with UK market prices to check it against.
Really happy with Ringzel. It was easy to get set up, and it's been working great for us at Art on Film. The whole experience has been refreshingly simple.
It's an AI receptionist that answers your business calls when you can't. It picks up in your business name, asks the questions you've set, sorts urgent calls from routine ones and gets the details to you so you can call back.
Yes. It recognises urgent calls like burst pipes and leaks, gives the caller your emergency instruction and texts you straight away. If a caller mentions a smell of gas, it gives them the gas emergency number for where they are: 0800 111 999 in Great Britain, or 0800 002 001 in Northern Ireland.
You can forward the calls you can't answer to Ringzel. Your receptionist picks up, finds out what the caller needs and gets the details to you.
Yes, on the Professional and Premium plans. It books jobs into your calendar using the slots you choose. On Basic, it takes the details so you can book the job yourself.
No. It only passes on instructions you've given it, exactly as you've set them. It won't diagnose problems or make up advice.
Yes. You keep your number and forward the calls you can't take, whether you're busy, don't answer or are closed.
No. It answers in your business name and tells callers it's automated. It never pretends to be you or a member of your team.
It's worth it when the quote and emergency enquiries you miss while you're on a job would cover the monthly fee at your normal win rate. Count missed new enquiries for two weeks, put them through the missed call calculator, and compare with pricing. Full method: Is an AI answering service worth it? Our guide to what missed calls cost a plumbing business works it through with real job prices.
From £99 a month with unlimited calls. Professional, which adds bookings, transfers and team routing, is £179 a month. Every plan has a 14-day free trial with no card to start.
Build your receptionist in about two minutes and hear how it answers your calls. When you're ready, start your 14-day free trial.
No website or Google listing? Tell us about your business
Build it free in two minutes. Talk to it straight away.
