Out Of Hours Call Answering Without The Night Shift
DeskAgent® answers your business calls when you can’t - evenings, weekends, overnight and bank holidays. It picks up in your business name, qualifies the job, sends real emergencies to whoever is on call and drops a summary of every call into your email and WhatsApp. Customers ring the same number, and you choose when calls come to the agent.
£125/month · no contract · your first month covers the setup · live in under two weeks
- Fri 18:52Quote request · boiler swap, N8Summary sent · callback asked for 9am
- Fri 22:17Emergency · leak through a ceiling, E17On-call mobile alerted · caller told what happens next
- Sat 08:05Existing customer · asking about Tuesday’s jobLogged for the team
- Sun 19:40New enquiry · gutter clear, 3-bed semi, SE22Details captured · WhatsApp sent to the caller
What is an out of hours call answering service?
An out of hours call answering service picks up your business calls when the office is closed - evenings, weekends, overnight and bank holidays - so callers reach someone instead of voicemail. Traditional services use shared call-centre staff who usually take a message. The DeskAgent Phone Agent is an AI receptionist that answers in your business name, qualifies the job, sends genuine emergencies to whoever is on call and sends you a summary of every call. It costs £125 a month with no contract, and you choose exactly when calls forward to it.
From Closing Time To A Sorted Morning.
- 01
Pick your hours
We set up call forwarding from your existing number - for example weekday evenings and all weekend, or only for calls nobody answers.
- 02
It answers in your name
Within a ring or two the agent picks up as your business, in a natural UK voice, trained on your services, areas and prices.
- 03
It sorts urgent from routine
It asks your questions and checks the answers against your emergency rules. A real emergency goes straight to your on-call mobile.
- 04
Everything else waits for you
Quotes, routine jobs and callbacks are summarised by email and WhatsApp, so you start the day with a list, not a voicemail backlog.
Every Call Gets The Right Next Step.
You set the rules once, and the agent applies them the same way at 7pm on a Friday as at 3am on a Sunday.
- Emergencies - sent to your on-call mobile straight away, with the details
- New enquiries and quote requests - captured with what you need to price the job
- Existing customers chasing a job - logged and passed to your team
- Questions about prices, areas and opening hours - answered from your own facts
- Callback requests - taken with the best number and time
- Anything unusual - details taken and passed to you, never guessed
Out of hours call · routine
Hannah P. · 07700 900477
Wants a quote for a fortnightly clean, 3-bed house, SE22. Free for a call after 5pm tomorrow.
Caller has had a WhatsApp confirming we will be in touch tomorrow.
Sun 20:11 ✓✓What Happens When Your Phone Rings At 9pm.
| Voicemail | Divert to your mobile | Call-centre answering service | DeskAgent out of hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Nobody - a recording | You, whenever it rings | Shared operators | An AI receptionist in your business name |
| Knows your business | No | Yes | Follows a script | Trained on your services, prices and areas |
| Sorts emergencies from routine | No | You do, at any hour | Usually takes a message | Yes, to your rules |
| Your evenings | Free, but callers hang up | Never really off | Free | Free - only real emergencies reach you |
| Typical cost | Free | Free, in money | Per call, per minute or monthly bundle | £125 a month, no contract |
Answering service pricing varies by supplier, so compare on a realistic month of calls. Our 24/7 answering service guide compares every option, including night staff of your own.
Built For Firms Whose Phones Ring After Hours.
Trades and emergency call-outs
Plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, roofers and drainage firms that get real emergencies at night and routine quotes the rest of the time.
Cleaning companies
Evening and weekend enquiries for end of tenancy and regular cleans, answered while your team is off. DeskAgent for cleaning companies.
Removal companies
People plan moves in the evening and at weekends, and every quote request is captured with dates and postcodes. DeskAgent for removals.
Property maintenance and facilities
Tenant and site emergencies go to the on-call engineer, and routine repairs are logged for the morning.
Pest control
Urgent call-outs flagged straight away, routine treatments captured, and commercial clients answered at any hour.
Any firm that closes at five
If your phone keeps ringing after the office shuts, out of hours answering stops those calls ending in voicemail.
Less Than The Cost Of One Missed Job.
Plans priced for UK service businesses. No contracts. Pause or cancel anytime. See every plan.
Phone Agent
Out of hours only, or around the clock - you choose. Unlimited inbound calls, summaries by email and WhatsApp, emergencies to your mobile. Live in under two weeks - your first month covers the setup.
Get Phone Agent3-month pilot
We build the Full DeskAgent - phone, WhatsApp, inbox and web - and run it live for three full months. Then £285/month if you keep it. No contract, stop any time.
Join the 3-month pilotFull DeskAgent
All four agents working as one connected front desk, plus DeskAgent HQ on WhatsApp. About 40p an hour for a receptionist who never misses an enquiry.
Compare all plansOut Of Hours Answering Questions, Answered.
What is an out of hours call answering service?
It is a service that answers your business calls when you are closed - evenings, weekends, overnight and bank holidays - so callers reach someone instead of voicemail. DeskAgent does it with an AI receptionist that answers in your business name, qualifies the job and sends you a summary of every call.
How much does out of hours call answering cost?
The DeskAgent Phone Agent is £125 a month with no contract and unlimited inbound calls, and your first month covers the setup. Traditional answering services usually charge per call, per minute or as a monthly bundle, so compare them on a realistic month of calls. Our 24/7 answering service guide sets out the options.
Can I use it only when the office is closed?
Yes. We set up call forwarding from your existing number for the times you choose - for example weekday evenings and weekends - or only for the calls nobody picks up. Exactly how depends on your phone provider, and we sort that with you. During the day your phone rings as normal.
What counts as an emergency?
You decide. You tell us what should go to your on-call mobile straight away - a leak, no heating, a lock-out, a site alarm - and what can wait for the morning. The agent applies those rules on every call and tells the caller what happens next.
Will it wake me up for every call?
No. Only calls that match your emergency rules are sent to your mobile. Everything else is summarised by email and WhatsApp for you to pick up when you are back.
Does it answer at weekends and on bank holidays?
Yes. It answers every day of the year, including weekends, bank holidays and Christmas.
Will callers know it is an AI?
It answers in your business name with a natural voice. If anyone asks whether they are talking to an AI, it is honest and says so.
How long does it take to set up?
The Phone Agent is live in under two weeks. We build it on your services, areas, prices and emergency rules, test it with you, then switch on the call forwarding.
Hear It Answer An After-Hours Call.
Ring +44 20 7101 0617 this evening and our own Phone Agent will pick up. Or book a free 30-minute demo and we’ll build a demo agent for your business first.
Also see: Phone Agent · 24/7 answering services compared · Handling after hours calls · Emergency maintenance calls · For cleaning companies · For removal firms · Compare DeskAgent · Best AI receptionists in London