Locksmith calls are urgent by definition. The caller is locked out of their house, their car, or their business — every minute the phone rings is a minute they're standing on a sidewalk in the rain. The locksmith who picks up first wins. Trade publications like Locksmith Ledger consistently note that call-conversion rates collapse after the third unanswered ring.
The volume is 24/7 by nature, but most independent locksmiths are one or two technicians who can't man the phone while they're on a job. Calls roll to voicemail. The caller dials the next locksmith on Google. By the time you call back, the door is open and the bill went to someone else.
There's also a trust problem in this trade — homeowners worry about scam locksmiths, especially after dark. A polite, calm, real-feeling intake conversation is what builds enough trust to keep the caller on the line. A hold queue or a robotic voicemail does the opposite.
A 24/7 answering service that handles locksmith dispatch typically runs $500-800 a month. It takes a message; it doesn't dispatch; it doesn't capture the address with enough precision for your driver to find them. OnCall picks up in two rings, captures the lockout type (home, car, commercial, rekey), the exact location, vehicle make if applicable, ID-on-hand status, and quoted ETA. It dispatches to your nearest tech via SMS and texts the caller a confirmation with your tech's name. See the dispatch flow.