Calls & leads · How-to
A phone script for contractors: answer, qualify and book on the first call
A good inbound script does six jobs in order: greet, hear the problem in the caller’s words, judge urgency, confirm the address is in your area, ask how they found you, and offer two specific times. Then it confirms by text. Below is the full script you can copy, five trade versions, and notes for whoever picks up the phone.
Why a written script books more jobs
Most small shops answer the phone the way the owner happens to feel that day. That works until the owner is on a ladder, a spouse grabs the call, or the new tech answers with “Yeah?” A written script fixes the inconsistency, and it’s the cheapest sales training you’ll ever buy.
The numbers explain why it matters. Invoca, a call-tracking company, cites its own 2022 buyer survey finding that 62% of buyers will call before making a purchase [1]. For most trades, the phone is where the sale happens. And booking is far from automatic: in ServiceTitan’s June 2022 data, the typical shop on its software booked 42% of calls, shops with 25 or more technicians booked 59%, and shops with fewer than five technicians booked 24% [2]. After 6 p.m., small shops in that data booked just 9% [2]. That’s vendor data from shops on one platform, not every contractor, but the gap between big and small shops is mostly process, and a script is the first piece of process.
The script is the center of the phone system in our calls and leads guide. It isn’t something you read like a robot. It’s a checklist in sentence form, so nobody forgets the address, nobody quotes a price blind, and every caller hangs up with a time on the calendar.
The full inbound call script
Here is the whole call in order. Swap in your company name and your real questions. Keep it on a card by every phone, or pinned in your phone’s notes.
1. Greeting (first five seconds)
Say: “Thanks for calling Ridgeline Heating & Plumbing, this is Dana. How can I help?”
Company name, your first name, an open question. Skip the long slogan; the caller wants to talk about their problem.
2. The problem, in their words
Say: “Okay, tell me what’s going on.” Then let them talk. When they stop: “So the upstairs toilet is running nonstop and now there’s a stain on the kitchen ceiling under it. Did I get that right?”
Repeat it back in their words, not trade terms. Write down the phrases they use; the tech reads them before the visit. ServiceTitan’s CSR coaching advice is to gather information before answering anything: what the problem is, how long it’s been happening, how old the equipment is, where it sits and how many units there are [3].
3. Urgency
Say: “Is it getting worse right now, or is it steady?” and “Is anyone in the house without heat, water or power?”
This sorts the call into today, this week or whenever. Decide in advance what counts as an emergency for your trade and what the person answering is allowed to promise. If they can’t promise same-day, they say “Let me check with the on-call tech and call you back in ten minutes,” and then they do it.
4. Address and service area
Say: “What’s the address where the work is?” Then: “And the closest cross street?”
Get the address before you get attached. If it’s outside your area, say so now, kindly, and refer them (see the hard-calls section below). Ask whether they own the home; a renter usually needs the landlord’s okay.
5. How they found you
Say: “Quick question so I know what’s working: how’d you hear about us?”
Ask it every time and log the answer next to the job. Two months of answers tells you which ads, yard signs and listings pay for themselves. If you want this without asking, our call tracking guide covers tracking numbers.
6. Book with two time options
Say: “I can get someone out Tuesday between 8 and 10, or Wednesday between 1 and 3. Which works better?”
Two specific windows beat “When are you free?” because the caller only has to pick, not plan. If neither fits, offer the next two. If they hesitate, the coaching line ServiceTitan quotes works well: hold the spot now, and they can call to move it [3]. Our guide to booking more jobs from phone calls goes deeper on this step.
7. If they ask the price
Say: “Good question. Our diagnostic visit is $___, and the tech gives you the exact price before any work starts, so there are no surprises. Want me to grab that Tuesday slot?”
Give the one number you can stand behind (the trip or diagnostic fee, or a typical range for simple jobs), explain how the real price is set, and go straight back to booking. The full playbook is in how to answer price questions on the phone.
8. Confirm by text
Say: “Is this a cell phone I can text? I’ll send you the time and the tech’s name right now.”
Asking first matters. The wireless industry’s messaging guidelines say a customer should agree to informational texts, such as appointment confirmations, when they hand over their number [4]. Then send it while you’re still on the line:
Text: Hi Sam, this is Dana at Ridgeline Heating & Plumbing. You’re set for Tue 8–10am at 412 Oak St. Tech: Luis. Questions? Just reply. Text STOP to unsubscribe.
9. Close
Say: “You’re all set. If the leak gets worse before Tuesday, call this number and we’ll move you up. Thanks, Sam.”
Trade versions you can copy
The skeleton stays the same; what changes is the urgency questions and what you book. Copy the version closest to your work.
HVAC: no heat
Questions: “Is the furnace running at all, or is it totally off? Does the thermostat screen have power? Is anyone in the house elderly, a baby, or sick? How cold is it inside right now?”
Safety line: “If you smell gas or a CO alarm is going off, get everyone outside and call 911 or the gas company first. Then call us back.”
Book: “I can have a tech there today between 3 and 5, or first thing tomorrow 7 to 9. Which do you want?”
Plumbing: active leak
Questions: “Is water still coming out right now? Have you found the main water shutoff yet?” If not: “It’s usually where the water line comes through the wall, often in the basement near the front. Turn the handle clockwise until it stops.”
Then: “Is it coming from a pipe, a fixture, or the water heater? Any water near outlets or the panel?”
Book: “With the water off, I can get a plumber there within the next two hours, or tomorrow at 8 if you’d rather wait. Which?”
Roofing: storm inspection
Questions: “Is water coming inside right now, or are you seeing damage from outside? Which storm, and what day? Have you called your insurance company yet?”
If leaking inside: “Put a bucket under it and move anything valuable. We can send someone to tarp it today between 2 and 5, or tomorrow morning.”
Book: “For a full inspection with photos, I’ve got Thursday at 10 or Friday at 2. The inspection is free and takes about 45 minutes. Will you be home, or should the inspector just walk the outside?”
Example only: whether inspections are free is your call. After a big storm, also ask whether a door-knocker already looked at the roof; homeowners appreciate a company that doesn’t pressure.
Lawn care or cleaning: recurring signup
Questions: “Is this a one-time service or something regular? How big is the yard (or how many bedrooms and bathrooms)? Any pets, gates, or a lockbox code we’ll need?”
Offer: “Most people on your street go every week. I can start you Monday or Thursday mornings. Which day is better?”
Close: “I’ll text you the first visit time and how billing works. You can pause or cancel any time by replying to that text.”
Remodel: estimate request
Questions: “Which room, and what do you want to change? Have you got a budget range in mind, even a rough one? When would you like it finished?”
Decision makers: “Will everyone who’ll decide on this be at the walkthrough? It saves you a second visit.”
Book: “Our estimator can come Wednesday at 5:30 or Saturday at 9. It takes about an hour. Which works?”
A remodel call isn’t urgent, but the caller is usually phoning three companies the same afternoon. The first one to put a walkthrough on the calendar tends to get the job; see how fast to call back leads.
Calls that don’t fit the script
A script also needs short answers for the calls that don’t fit the pattern. These four come up every week.
Outside your area
“That’s a bit past where our trucks go, and I don’t want you waiting on us. I’d try [company you trust] at [number].” A referral costs nothing and earns goodwill.
Only shopping price
“I get it, you want to compare. Here’s what our visit costs and what’s included. Can I hold a time while you decide? If you find something better, just text and I’ll release it.”
Upset existing customer
Don’t defend. “I’m sorry, that’s not how it should have gone. Tell me what happened.” Write it down, give a time the owner will call back, and make sure the owner does.
Sales pitch or robocall
“We’re not interested, please take us off your list.” Then hang up. If you get a lot of these, read how to stop spam calls on a business phone.
Tips for whoever answers
In a small shop the phone gets answered by whoever is closest. Each person needs the same script, plus a couple of rules that fit their situation.
Office manager
Has the calendar open, so book on the call every time. Keep a short list of what techs can and can’t do (who handles gas, who has a lift). Log “how they found you” and review it with the owner monthly.
Spouse or family member
Doesn’t need trade knowledge. Name, number, address, problem in their words, urgency, and two times the owner already said are open. Never guess a price. If unsure: “Let me have Mike call you back within the hour.”
Tech in the field
If you’re mid-job, don’t answer with a drill running. Let it go to voicemail and send a text right away (see missed-call text back). If you do answer: name, address, problem, and “the office will call you within the hour to book.”
The owner
Hardest to script, because owners love to diagnose on the phone. Hold back: a long free diagnosis gets you a DIY customer. Book the visit, then talk shop in person.
Whoever answers, the habits are the same:
- Smile before you pick up; callers hear it.
- Use the caller’s name twice.
- Never say “I don’t know.” Say “Let me find out and call you back by 3.”
- Never end a call without either a booked time or a promised callback time.
- Write notes before the next call, not at the end of the day.
When nobody can answer, a greeting that sets expectations helps. Our voicemail greeting guide has scripts for that.
How to roll it out this week
- Edit the script to fit you. Replace the example company, times and fees. Cross out any question you wouldn’t act on.
- Print it. One card at each desk, one in each truck, one on the fridge if family answers.
- Role-play five calls. Owner plays the homeowner: an easy booking, an emergency, a price shopper, an out-of-area caller and an angry customer. Fifteen minutes total.
- Count bookings. For two weeks, tally new-customer calls and how many ended with a time on the calendar. That’s your booking rate; compare it with the ServiceTitan figures above [2] as a rough yardstick.
- Fix the step where calls die. If callers drop at price, rework step 7. If they drop at scheduling, offer earlier windows.
- Cover the hours you can’t answer. In the ServiceTitan data, small shops went from 26% at peak hours to 9% after 6 p.m. [2]. See after-hours calls for contractors for your options.
Common questions
When nobody can pick up
Outfitter’s Front Desk answers the calls you miss, says up front that it’s an AI assistant, and asks your script’s questions in your own cloned voice or a natural one. It flags urgent calls, texts and emails you every message, and pencils in a time for you to confirm. It doesn’t quote prices unless you tell it to. It’s 35¢ a minute from a prepaid balance, with no monthly fee or contract.
See how Front Desk worksSources and how we compared
The script is built from how small home-service offices actually run their phones; the figures come from the call-tracking, field-software and wireless-industry sources below, each opened October 4, 2026, and vendor research is marked as such.
- Invoca: How much missed sales calls cost home services businesses — May 2024; vendor research
- ServiceTitan: Data report on average call booking rates — June 2022 data from shops on ServiceTitan; vendor research
- ServiceTitan: 4 essential steps to help your CSRs achieve a 95 percent booking rate — June 2020 webinar recap; vendor content
- CTIA: Messaging Principles and Best Practices — May 2023; wireless industry guidelines
Last updated October 4, 2026. Prices change; if something here is out of date, call or text (507) 628-0400 and we’ll fix it.