Field data · September 2026
We rang 230 trades firms mid‑week. Nearly half didn't pick up.
Not a survey. We rang them the way a paying customer would — one call each, between 11 and 4 on a Monday and a Wednesday, across Exeter, Torbay, Plymouth and Taunton — and wrote down whether a human answered.
Didn't pick up, by trade
Share of calls nobody answered. The dashed line is the average across every trade.
See the numbers as a table
| Trade | Unanswered | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 54% | 50 calls |
| Building | 50% | smaller |
| Electrical | 45% | 44 calls |
| Heating | 42% | smaller |
| Tree surgery | 42% | smaller |
| Driveways | 38% | smaller |
| All trades | 47% | 201 calls |
How we did it, so you can check us
Every number came off the firm's own listing or website. One call each, let it ring, no message left. No business is named, and none ever will be — they were almost certainly mid-job, which is exactly the problem.
The half we never leave out
49% answered promptly, like professionals. If that's you, this isn't for you and we'll say so on the call. The figure held within three points across all four towns and both days. Roofing and electrical rest on 50 and 44 calls; the smaller trades are a hint, not a finding.
Next step
Live today. On your own number.
Every missed call texted back, every job yours to keep. If it catches fewer than 3 enquiries in your first 60 days, you get every monthly fee back.