How to run it
- Use a phone that is not on your business account, so the call looks like a stranger’s.
- Do a few now and save the after-hours and weekend calls for later this week.
- Mark each one as you go. Your fixes show up at the bottom.
You know your business. They do not. Ask yourself after each call: would a stranger know who they reached, what happens next, and when?
The ten test calls
After closing time
Call your business line after you close.
What should happen: The greeting says you are closed and when you will call back.
A busy lunch break
Call at lunch when everyone is busy.
What should happen: The call is answered or reaches a clear greeting where you can leave a message.
Two calls at once
Call at the same moment from two phones so the line is busy.
What should happen: Both calls reach someone or a greeting, without a busy tone or a dropped call.
A caller who hangs up
Hang up right after the greeting without leaving a message, then check your missed calls.
What should happen: You can see that a call was missed even though no message was left.
A hard-to-hear callback number
Leave a fast, mumbled message with a callback number, then read or listen to it.
What should happen: You can read or hear the callback number correctly.
The price of a common job
Call and ask the price of your most common job.
What should happen: You get the correct price or a clear explanation of what is needed for a quote.
Ask for someone by name
Call and ask for a specific member of your team by name.
What should happen: You reach the right team member or can leave a message for them.
A hidden caller number
Hide your caller number in your phone settings, then call your business line.
What should happen: The call gets through, and the greeting asks for a callback number.
A holiday or weekend
Call on a holiday or weekend when your usual hours differ.
What should happen: The greeting gives the right opening hours and says when you will call back.
A question you get every week
Ask about your hours, address, parking or whether you serve the caller's area.
What should happen: You get an accurate answer or a clear way to get one.
After the test
Fix the ones marked “did not work” first, then run the same calls again next month. Phone settings change quietly when providers update things or someone edits a greeting.
Want to know what those missed calls are worth? The missed call calculator puts a number on it. A new greeting takes three minutes with the voicemail writer.
Hear what your callers would hear
Call the demo line and hear your phone answered as your business, at any hour, with a short summary of each call texted to you. First month free.