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After hours

After-hours calls for an HVAC or plumbing shop: a plan for when nobody picks up

A homeowner with no heat at 9 PM may leave a message and also call the next shop on the list. You do not have to answer every call to respond first. You need a plan for what happens to the message.

The short answer

Set a voicemail greeting that asks for a name, number, address and the problem. Send every voicemail to a shared inbox, reply to every web request in writing right away, give customers an online request page for the night, and work the overnight list first thing in the morning, emergencies first.

1. A voicemail greeting that gets what you need

Tell the caller what to leave and what to do in a real emergency. Use the script below, and change the details to fit.

2. Voicemail to a shared inbox

Most business phone systems can email you each voicemail, often with a transcript. Point them at one inbox the whole office can see.

3. Reply in writing to every web request

A customer who fills in your website form at night should get an answer at night, even a short one that says you have it and when to expect a call.

4. Let customers book without calling

A request page on your website lets a new customer pick a time at midnight. Cap the visits it can book in a day so it never promises more than you can cover.

5. A fixed morning rule

  • Work the overnight list before anything else.
  • Emergencies first: a gas smell, smoke, carbon monoxide, sparking, or no heat or cooling for someone at risk.
  • Call each person once, then follow with an email.

Where an answering service is the better fit

If you want a live voice picking up at 2 AM, a live answering service or an on-call rotation does that, and Frontline does not. This plan covers the written side either way.

Copy these

  1. Voicemail greetingRecorded on your main line

    Thanks for calling [Shop name]. We are away from the phone right now.

    After the tone, please leave your name, your phone number, your address and what is going on, and we will call you back at [time, such as 7 AM].

    If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 or your gas company's emergency line right now.

  2. Instant reply to a web requestSent as soon as the request arrives, at any hour

    SubjectWe got your request, [First name]

    Hi [First name],

    Thanks for contacting [Shop name]. We have your request about [the problem] and we will call you by [time].

    If it cannot wait, call [phone]. If you smell gas or smoke, leave the house and call 911.

    [Shop name]

Replace the words in [brackets] with your own details before you send.

Before tonight

  • The voicemail greeting names your callback time.
  • Voicemail emails go to an inbox more than one person reads.
  • Your website form sends a written reply on its own.
  • Someone owns the morning list and the emergency order.
  • Everyone knows who is on call for a true emergency.
Spartan Frontline

How Frontline does this automatically

Frontline covers the written side of this plan by email. It replies to every new web or lead-service request at any hour, turns the voicemail emails your phone system already sends into callback cards on a Today list, and gives customers a request page with your shop's name on it. Scheduled follow-ups wait for business hours.

When your phone system includes a transcript, a voicemail that reports a gas smell, smoke, carbon monoxide, sparking or a fire, in English or Spanish, is flagged EMERGENCY at the top of Today, and every owner gets that email even with their own alerts turned off.

  • On the request page, a new customer in your service area books a real open time at any hour, up to the daily limit you set, on Jobber or with Frontline's own records. Gas, smoke, carbon monoxide or sparking shows safety steps instead of a booking and alerts your team.
  • Frontline does not answer your phone and does not send texts on its own. You keep your phone, your people and your software.
  • Frontline is built for HVAC shops first. If you run plumbing or electrical, write to contact@spartanfrontline.com.
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Common questions

Can Frontline answer my phone after hours?

No. Frontline works by email and does not answer calls or send texts on its own. It reads the voicemail emails your phone system sends and turns each one into a callback card.

Can a customer book a visit at 2 AM?

A new customer in your service area can pick a real open time on your request page at any hour, up to the daily limit you set. Existing customers, urgent problems and addresses outside your area come in as requests instead.

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