The problem
Heating work is the definition of unreachable. You're up in a loft with no signal, inside an airing cupboard, or under a kitchen unit with a system draining.
Three things follow from that:
- The calls arrive in bursts you can't control. The first cold snap of the season turns your phone into something that rings all day while you're physically unable to get to it.
- Nobody with no heating compares quotes. They want the first engineer who picks up and can say when they'll arrive. That decision is made today, in the time it takes to try three numbers.
- The planned work goes quietly. Landlords need Gas Safety Records before tenancies start. Homeowners plan boiler replacements at weekends. Being unreachable reads as being unavailable.
Voicemail carries a real risk in this trade, not just a commercial one. A caller who mentions a gas smell needs directing to the emergency line immediately. An answerphone cannot do that.
The calls you miss
In a loft commissioning a new system. No signal, both hands on the pipework. A homeowner with no heating rings your number at 7am in January. They need someone today. You come down 40 minutes later to a missed call and a number you don't recognise. They've already booked someone else.
Under a kitchen unit, draining a system. Your phone is on the worktop. You can hear it ring. You can't get to it. A landlord with three properties wants a Gas Safety Record before a tenant moves in Friday. By the time you ring back, they've called another engineer.
On a long call pricing a commercial job. Your other line rings, then rings again. Two separate homeowners with boiler faults. You catch neither. In January, a missed call is revenue lost the same day.
Saturday afternoon, off the tools. A referral rings about a bathroom wet room installation – a planned job worth several thousand pounds. No one answers. They try someone else and assume you're not taking on new work.
How Telphi answers for a heating engineer
Heating calls range from routine annual services to no-heating emergencies. Telphi asks the right questions to tell the difference straight away.
Caller: "Hi, our boiler has broken down and we've got no heating or hot water."
Telphi: "I'm sorry to hear that. Can I ask – is there any smell of gas near the boiler or anywhere in the property?"
Caller: "No, nothing like that."
Telphi: "Good. What make and model is the boiler, if you know it?"
Caller: "It's a Worcester Bosch, not sure of the model."
Telphi: "That's fine. Is there an error code showing on the display?"
Caller: "Yes, it says EA."
Telphi: "Thank you. And do you have any vulnerable people in the property – young children or elderly – who need heating urgently?"
Caller: "My mum is elderly, yes."
Telphi: "Understood – I'll flag this as urgent and someone will be back to you shortly. Can I take your name, address, and the best number to reach you on?"
You get an immediate high-priority notification: Worcester Bosch, EA fault code, no heating, elderly occupant, full address. You ring back within minutes.
Important note on gas safety: If a caller mentions a smell of gas, Telphi flags the call as a gas safety matter and directs them to call the National Gas Emergency line on 0800 111 999 immediately. A suspected gas leak is an emergency-services matter. Telphi notifies you of the call so you can follow up once the property is safe.
For routine annual services, Telphi asks for the boiler make, when it was last serviced, and whether the caller has a landlord certificate due. For new installations and system upgrades, it captures property type, current system, and timeline.
What you get after every call
After each conversation, Telphi sends you:
- A written summary with boiler make and model, fault code if given, property type, urgency level, and caller details
- A full transcript of everything discussed
- A call recording
- An immediate high-priority notification for no-heating calls with vulnerable occupants or same-day urgency
For genuine emergencies – no heating with a newborn or elderly resident in winter – Telphi can transfer the call directly to your mobile mid-conversation, before the caller hangs up.
Spam calls and cold-callers are filtered before summaries reach you.
Booking
For annual services, landlord Gas Safety Records, and planned installations, Telphi texts the caller a booking link after the call. They pick a slot directly in your calendar. No double-booking, no admin. For emergency call-outs, you get an instant notification and ring back directly.
