Forward the unanswered calls. Keep the schedule.

Most shops already have a way to send unanswered calls somewhere else. The usual somewhere else is voicemail, a spouse’s cell, or a call center that reads a script and emails a transcript at the end of the day.

The useful setup is smaller. Business calls that you do not pick up go to an intake that asks the service questions and stops. You get the lead. You call back when you are off the ladder, not while you are under the sink.

Nights and weekends are a coverage choice, not a different product. If you want the line covered after you lock the shop, the intake stays on. If you only want it when you are on a job during the day, that is the configuration to confirm when the line is set up.

You can practice that intake in the browser. A practice lead stays on the practice page and is not a paid account. A missed call to a TradeLine number puts the callback lead on that business desk. The schedule stays yours either way.