Answering service for tradesmen: what it costs and when it is worth it
By JP, who runs Ralphio. Updated 8 October 2026.
An answering service puts a real person on your calls. Posh's published plans start at £50 a month plus VAT, and every extra minute is charged. They answer in your business name and take a message, but they can't price or book a job unless you give them rules. Missed-call text back does a different job: the caller gets a text within seconds and describes the job in writing.
What does an answering service do for a tradesperson?
Your phone diverts the calls you don't answer to a receptionist, who answers as your business. They take the caller's name, number and what they want, then send it to you by text, email or an app. Posh lists call handling, voicemail with transcription, message management and a mobile app on every plan.
It fixes the voicemail problem, because the caller reaches a person. It doesn't fix the job problem. The receptionist doesn't know your trade, so they ask what you've told them to ask and take a message. You still ring back to quote.
How much does an answering service cost in the UK?
Moneypenny's own guide puts UK answering services at about £25 to £500 or more a month, depending on call volume, hours of cover, and whether a live person or an AI answers. Moneypenny doesn't list plan prices on its pricing page, so you'd need to ask for a quote. Posh does list them:
| Posh plan | Per month, plus VAT | Minutes included | Each extra minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chïc | £50 | 0 | £1.50 |
| Vogue | £74 | 50 | £1.45 |
| Elegant | £128 | 100 | £1.35 |
| Luxurious | £254 | 200 | £1.25 |
Posh's plans go up to £1,168 a month for 1,000 minutes. It lists 24/7 cover, month-to-month terms and no setup fee.
A worked example. Say 40 calls a month reach the service and each takes 2 minutes. That's 80 minutes. On Vogue, the first 50 are included and the other 30 cost £43.50, so the month comes to £117.50 plus VAT. Elegant would be £128 plus VAT. The 40 calls and 2 minutes are my assumption, not Posh's. To find your own number, count how many calls you miss with the missed call calculator.
Where does an answering service fall short for a trade?
- It takes a message, not a job. A receptionist can't price a re-roof or book a survey unless you hand them prices and rules, and most won't have your diary.
- You pay by the minute. A busy month, or a talkative caller, costs more.
- The caller still waits. They've spoken to someone, but the quote doesn't start until you ring back.
Answering service or Ralphio?
| Answering service | Ralphio | |
|---|---|---|
| What the caller gets | A person answers in your business name | A text from your business within seconds, asking what the job is |
| What you get | A message: name, number, what they said | The job, where it is and how soon, in writing, plus the follow-up: visits booked and quotes chased |
| Who picks up the phone | The receptionist | Nobody. Ralphio is not an answering service |
| How it's charged | A monthly plan plus minutes | A flat monthly price. See pricing |
When is an answering service the better choice?
When your customers expect to speak to a person, such as letting agents, commercial clients and anyone ringing about a large job. When you want every call picked up during office hours. And when you get a lot of calls that need a human voice more than a quote. If that's you, an answering service is the right tool and Ralphio isn't.
Can you use both?
Yes, and some businesses should. An answering service can cover office hours while text back covers evenings and weekends. The wider comparison, including AI receptionists, is in answering service vs text back vs AI receptionist.