Short-Term Telephone Answering for UK Businesses
Need someone to answer your calls for a few days or weeks? That’s My Call provides flexible short-term telephone answering for holidays, sickness, staff shortages, busy periods and other temporary requirements.
We answer in your company name, follow your instructions and take accurate messages, helping your business continue to provide a professional response while your usual team is unavailable.
Professional call cover for as long as you need
There are many situations where a business temporarily needs additional telephone support but does not need to recruit another permanent member of staff.
Our short-term telephone answering service provides a practical solution. Calls can be diverted to us for an agreed period, and our team will answer in your company name using the instructions supplied during setup.
Whether you need support for several days, a few weeks or a particularly busy period, we can help callers receive a friendly and professional response until your normal arrangements resume.
When might you need temporary telephone answering?
Staff holidays
Maintain telephone cover while reception or office staff take annual leave.
Sickness and unexpected absence
Put temporary support in place when a team member is unexpectedly unavailable.
Recruitment gaps
Keep calls answered while recruiting or training a new receptionist or administrator.
Office moves
Provide continuity while your team, telephone systems or premises are being reorganised.
Training days and meetings
Make sure callers can still speak to someone while your team is occupied.
Seasonal or busy periods
Add extra capacity when enquiries increase without taking on permanent staffing costs.
Business interruptions
Continue answering calls during temporary closures, system problems or other unexpected disruption.
What is included in short-term telephone answering?
Calls answered in your company name
We use your chosen greeting so callers feel they have reached your business directly.
Accurate message taking
We collect the caller’s name, telephone number, email address, reason for calling and other agreed information.
Personalised instructions
We follow the call-handling process agreed with you rather than using a generic response.
Message delivery
Completed messages are sent promptly to your nominated person or email address.
Flexible call diversion
You decide when calls are diverted to us and when your internal team takes them back.
Support for different enquiry types
We can follow separate instructions for customers, prospective clients, suppliers and other callers.
Setting up temporary telephone cover
Step 1 - Tell us what is happening
We discuss why you need temporary support, when the cover should begin and how long you expect to need it.
Step 2 - Agree the call instructions
We prepare your greeting, questions, message requirements and instructions for different types of calls.
Step 3 - Divert your telephone calls
We explain how to send calls to us during the agreed period.
Step 4 - We answer as your business
Our team answers in your company name and follows your instructions.
Step 5 - Return calls to your team
When the temporary period ends, you can stop the diversion and return to your normal arrangements.
Who uses short-term telephone answering?
Temporary call cover can help sole traders, small businesses, professional firms and larger organisations that need additional capacity for a limited period.
It is particularly useful for:
tradespeople and mobile workers
legal and financial firms
estate and property businesses
clinics and healthcare providers
small office teams
businesses with one receptionist
companies experiencing seasonal demand
businesses moving premises or changing systems
The service can be adapted around your normal working hours and the types of enquiries you receive.
What happens if you need us for longer?
You may initially expect to need telephone answering for only a few days or weeks. If your circumstances change or you find that ongoing support would benefit your business, we can help you move onto a suitable regular plan.
There is no need to decide that at the beginning. We can start with your immediate temporary requirement and review the arrangement with you later.
Explore our ongoing Telephone Answering Service
Experienced support when your usual team is unavailable
That’s My Call Ltd has traded since 2015 and is owned by Becky Kelly and Cheryl Canning-Eaton.
We understand that handing over your telephone calls can feel daunting, particularly when the arrangement needs to be set up quickly. We take the time to understand how you want callers treated, what information you need and how messages should be passed to your team.
Our aim is to provide reliable temporary support that feels like a natural extension of your business.
Flexible plans for temporary telephone cover
The cost of short-term telephone answering will depend on the expected call volume, length of cover and level of call handling required.
Our standard live telephone answering plans start from £45 per month, and we will help you choose the most suitable option for the period you need.
Tell us your dates and expected requirements, and we can explain the available options before the service begins.
FAQs
Can I use the service for only a few days?
Yes. Short-term support can be arranged for temporary requirements, subject to setup and availability.
Can you cover staff holidays?
Yes. Holiday cover is one of the most common reasons businesses use temporary telephone answering.
Can the service be set up at short notice?
Straightforward services can usually be prepared quickly once we receive your greeting and call instructions. More complex requirements may take longer.
Will you answer in my company name?
Yes. We use your chosen greeting and answer as though we are part of your business.
Can you follow different instructions for different callers?
Yes. We can agree separate processes for different enquiry types before the cover begins.
How will messages be sent to me?
Messages are normally sent by email to the nominated person or address.
What happens when I no longer need the service?
You stop diverting the calls to us and return to your normal answering arrangements.
Can I continue using the service afterwards?
Yes. We can help you move onto an ongoing telephone answering plan if required.
Do you need temporary help answering your calls?
Tell us when you need cover, how your calls should be handled and when your usual arrangements will resume. We will help you choose a practical short-term solution.