By Mike R., Owner of River Valley Plumbing

If you’re like me, you wear a lot of hats. I’m the plumber, the scheduler, the estimator, the bookkeeper—and some days, the guy answering the phone at 9:30 PM. It’s part of running a small service business.

But a few months ago, I hit a wall. I was missing calls while under sinks. I’d check voicemail at the end of the day and realize I missed two or three potential jobs. Worse, I’d get robocalls mixed in with real customer inquiries. It felt like I was chasing my tail.

The Breaking Point

I remember it clearly—Tuesday afternoon, I’m elbow-deep in a water heater install, phone buzzing in my pocket. I finally check it: two missed calls, one voicemail, one text… and one angry email from a customer who said “you never called me back.” I never even saw the call.

That night I searched: “voicemail alternatives for contractors”. That’s how I found SimpleVox.

Why I Tried SimpleVox

What caught my eye was that it wasn’t just a second phone number or a basic forwarding app. SimpleVox actually answers the call, transcribes it with AI, and sends me a summary—complete with caller name, number, what they need, and even action items.

“Now, even if I miss a call, I get a clean email in my inbox with everything I need to follow up—no more playing voicemail tag.”

It also blocks spam using STIR/SHAKEN verification, and lets me route calls intelligently. I set up a ring group with my helper so that if I don’t answer, it rings him. And if we both miss it, SimpleVox still sends us the transcript.

What Changed for Me

• I stopped missing real leads—we picked up 3 new customers in the first week simply by following up quickly with transcripts in hand.
• My stress dropped—I don’t dread missed calls anymore. I know I’ll see exactly what the customer said.
• I sleep better—no more voicemail checks after dinner. If it’s important, I see it in writing.

I also like that it feels built for service professionals. The UI is clean, mobile-friendly, and doesn’t try to do 100 things. Just calls, transcripts, and tasks—done right.

If You’re on the Fence

Look, I’m not a tech guy. I turn wrenches. But this is one of the few tools I’ve added that actually made my workday easier. No gimmicks, no complicated setup.

If you’re a solo contractor or run a small team, I really recommend checking out SimpleVox. You can try it free for 14 days and see how it fits your workflow.

These days, I still work just as hard—but I don’t lose sleep over missed calls. That alone is worth it. © 2025 River Valley Plumbing. All opinions are my own.