What to Look for in an Answering Service: A Contractor’s Checklist

When you cannot answer the phone yourself, you have three main choices:

• Voicemail. Free, but most callers will not leave a message. In a 2025 CallRail survey, only 42% of consumers said they leave one.
• Live answering service. Real people in a call center answer for you. Usually charged per minute or per call. They take messages, and some can book.
• AI receptionist. Software that answers with a natural voice, handles common questions, and books jobs into your calendar. Usually a flat monthly fee.

Pricing is where most owners get surprised. There are three common models:

• Per minute. You pay for every minute an agent is on the phone. Long calls, chatty callers, and spam calls all add up.
• Per call. A set price for each call, often with a small number of calls included in a base plan. For example, Smith.ai's live receptionist Starter plan lists $300 a month for 30 calls, with extra calls at $11.50 each.
• Flat monthly. One price for a set number of calls. Mercvox plans start at $79 a month for 70 calls, with extra calls at $1 each.

Always do the math for a busy month, not a quiet one. At 100 calls a month, that $300 plan becomes $300 + (70 × $11.50) = $1,105. The same 100 calls on Mercvox Growth ($149 for 140 calls) cost $149. Prices change, so check each provider's current pricing page before you decide.

1. How fast do you answer? Seconds matter. Ask for the average ring time.
2. Do you answer 24/7? Including holidays and 3 AM?
3. Can you book jobs, or only take messages? Booking is what turns calls into revenue.
4. Do you connect to my calendar? Which ones?
5. How do you handle emergencies? Can you recognize a gas smell or flood and alert me right away?
6. Can callers be transferred to me? When they ask for a person, what happens?
7. Do you know my trade? Will you understand the difference between a tune-up and a no-heat call?
8. Where is call data stored, and who can access it? Especially important in Canada under PIPEDA.
9. Is there a contract? How do I cancel?
10. Is there a free trial? You should be able to test before you pay.

• Long contracts with cancellation fees
• Setup fees before you have heard it answer a single call
• Pricing that is hard to find or explain
• Only taking messages, with no way to book or transfer
• No clear answer on where your customers' data goes

Before you commit, call the service yourself at least five times. Try:

• A simple booking: “I need a tune-up next week.”
• An emergency: “My basement is flooding.”
• A price question: “How much do you charge to come out?”
• A request for a human: “Can I talk to the owner?”
• A late-night call, after 10 PM

Listen like a customer. Did it sound professional? Did it get the details right? Did you get notified quickly? If the answers are yes, you have found a good fit.

Mercvox is an AI receptionist built for trades like plumbing, HVAC, and electrical. It answers in under one second, 24/7, books jobs into your calendar, detects emergencies, and transfers calls to you when needed. Plans are flat monthly with no contracts, and every plan starts with a 14-day free trial.

Want to see detailed comparisons? Check our comparison pages.

• CallRail — 2025 survey of 1,000 US consumers on calling businesses
• Smith.ai — Receptionist pricing (checked October 2026)