If you're a solo tradesperson, you already know the problem. You silence unknowns for a day of peace and miss a $4,000 emergency. You turn them back on and the warranty robot steals your afternoon.
The apps most people recommend - Robokiller, Hiya, Nomorobo - block known spam numbers. They don't block unknown numbers, which are most of your spam. And they can't tell a legit customer you haven't met yet from a telemarketer.
What actually works
The only real solution is an intermediary: a screening service that picks up unknown callers, figures out if they're real, and routes them to you only if they are. Human-powered services (Ruby, AnswerConnect) start at $250/mo. AI-powered services like VettedCalls start at $19.99/mo.
How AI screening works
When an unknown number calls, your carrier silently forwards it to your VettedCalls extension. An AI answers: "Thanks for calling Smith Plumbing - what can I help you with?" It listens for 5-10 seconds, classifies the call (legit lead / spam / emergency), and either:
- Connects live with a whisper in your ear ("Sarah - kitchen remodel quote")
- Blocks and blacklists if it's a robocall or unsolicited pitch
- Rings through anyway if emergency keywords fire (flood, gas, no heat, sparking)
Things to look for
- Emergency override. If the service can't ring you through for genuine emergencies, it's useless for trades.
- No number change. You should keep your existing number. Your regulars shouldn't need to know anything changed.
- Works without an app on iPhone. Apple doesn't allow third-party apps to screen calls the way Android does. Any service that requires an iOS app is lying.
- Bidirectional SMS. When the AI takes a message, you should be able to text the caller back through the screening number without giving them your real cell.
- CRM integration. Every missed call should create a contact + opportunity in whatever CRM you use (Jobber, Housecall Pro, GoHighLevel).
What it actually costs
At volume, VettedCalls is $19.99-159.99/mo. Compare to: one missed $600 job pays for a year of service. One missed flood job pays for three years. The math is brutal.