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Trades & home services
The customer who rang back
because you didn't
In trades the damage is rarely rudeness. It is a quote promised on Tuesday that is still not sent the following Monday, a technician running late with nobody ringing ahead, and a part on back-order that nobody mentions again until the customer chases it.
What goes wrong here
The calls worth a manager's attention
None of these sound like a problem while they are happening. That is exactly why they survive a QA sample and a sentiment threshold.
The quote that never arrives
“I'll get that over to you this afternoon.” Three days later the customer rings to ask, and by then they have called someone else as well.
Running late, nobody rings
A two-hour window comes and goes. The customer took a day off work. One phone call would have fixed it and it was never made.
Parts on back-order, silence
The supplier delay is not your fault. Leaving the customer to discover it by ringing you is.
Warranty callbacks treated as new jobs
A customer ringing about work you already did, being booked and charged as a fresh job, is a complaint forming in real time.
After-hours triage
An emergency described calmly at 7pm, taken as a message and actioned the next morning.
Repeat visits for one fault
The third visit for the same problem is a signal about the diagnosis, not about the customer.
Worked examples
Same situation, opposite verdicts
Illustrative composites, not real customer calls.
| What happened on the call | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Customer asks for a quote. It is scoped on the call and sent the same day. | Not flagged | Business as usual. |
| Customer asks for a quote. It is promised “today” and still not sent when they ring a week later. | Flagged | Limb (b) — your promise, not kept. |
| Part is on back-order. Office rings the customer, explains, and books a revised date. | Not flagged | Supplier's problem, handled properly. |
| Part is on back-order. Nobody rings. The customer chases twice. | Flagged | Limb (b) — the response was inadequate. |
| Technician is 40 minutes late but rings ahead and the customer is fine with it. | Not flagged | Caught before the customer had to chase it. |
| Third visit for the same fault; customer asks whether it will ever be fixed. | Flagged | Repeat contact on one matter. |
| Customer is frustrated that the manufacturer's warranty has expired. Your team explains the options. | Not flagged | Frustration aimed at a third party. |
Deliberately ignored
What will not reach a manager
Refusing to report other people's problems is what keeps the alerts worth opening.
- A manufacturer or wholesaler delay your office has already communicated
- Weather or access problems outside your control, where the customer was told
- A customer unhappy about a price they were quoted accurately in advance
- Trade-to-trade calls with suppliers and subcontractors
Run it over last month's jobs
We will show you the quotes that were promised on the phone and never sent — on your own recordings, in your own words.