Covering the Phone When Someone Is Off Sick: A Handover Checklist
In many small firms, one person handles the phone. It might be the owner, a partner or an office admin. When that person is off sick, nobody planned for it, and calls ring out while everyone is on site.
You cannot predict a sick day, but you can make it a non-event. This checklist is built to be used on the morning it happens, and then improved afterwards so the next one is easier.
First thing: decide who is "on the phone" today
Name one person. Not "whoever's free", because that usually means nobody. Tell the rest of the team who it is, so they know not to ignore a ringing handset on the van dashboard and assume someone else will get it.
If the cover person is also working on a job, be honest about what that allows. They may only be able to check messages at set times, and that is fine as long as the caller is told what to expect.
Divert the calls
Check what your phone can do before you need it. Most phones can forward unanswered calls to another number after a set number of rings, and that number can be a colleague, an office line or an answering service.
- Forward to the person covering, not to the absent person's personal mobile.
- Set the delay long enough that you can pick up if you are free, but short enough that the caller is not left ringing for ages.
- Make one test call from another phone before you head out, to confirm it actually rings through.
If you already have a separate business number, this is easier, because you can change the rules for work calls without touching anyone's personal calls.
Change the voicemail greeting
A greeting that says your business name, that you may be on a job and how soon you return calls does a lot of work. On a sick day, update it so the promise is one you can keep. If you say you will call back the same day, make sure the cover person has time to do it.
Remember to change it back afterwards. A greeting that is still apologising for last week looks careless.
Set up a reply for missed calls
Even with forwarding in place, some calls will be missed. An automatic text or an answering service fills that gap, and a caller who gets a quick reply is less likely to move on to the next firm on the list. Tools such as callcatcher.uk work with your existing number, answer when you cannot and text the caller back, so every enquiry gets a reply. If you would rather not add a tool, a short saved text message that the cover person can send in one tap is a reasonable stopgap.
For a wider look at the options, see our guide to setting up your phone so jobs don't slip through.
Hand over the information, not just the phone
The person covering needs enough to be useful. Put these in a shared note or message:
- Which jobs are booked in this week and who is on each one.
- Any customers expecting a call back, with their names and the reason.
- What the cover person is allowed to agree, such as booking a site visit, and what must wait for a decision.
- Where to write down new enquiries, so nothing lives only in someone's memory.
Keep contacts saved with clear labels, because when the phone rings mid-job you want to know at a glance whether it is a new enquiry worth stepping away for or a supplier who can wait.
Close the loop at the end of the day
Before everyone finishes, spend a few minutes going through missed calls and messages. Reply to every one, even if only to say when you will be in touch properly. Pass the list to the person who is off, so they return to a clear picture rather than a pile.
Review it afterwards
Once the person is back, take ten minutes to look at what went wrong and what worked. Did any calls fall through? Was the handover note enough? Fix the one or two weak points while they are fresh.
Keep the checklist somewhere everyone can find it, such as a pinned message in the team chat. The aim is that on the next sick day, nobody has to work out what to do. They just follow the list.