A kitchen fitter drives 35 minutes to measure up. The homeowner is pleasant, makes tea, and mentions near the end that they are "just getting a few prices for next year, maybe". The fitter drives home knowing that was the afternoon gone.
Anyone who books their own diary has a version of that story. The enquiry looked fine on paper: name, number, "interested in a new kitchen". What was missing was the two or three answers that would have told you whether to go.
That is the job of receptionist screening questions. Not to interrogate people, and not to make you look exclusive, but to find out early whether this enquiry deserves your time, someone else's time, or a polite pointer elsewhere.
Screening is about your time, not the visitor's worth
It helps to be clear about the purpose, because it changes the questions you choose. You are not ranking people. You are working out what to do next with each enquiry.
So every screening question should pass one test: would a different answer change what happens? "What's your postcode?" passes, because outside your area the answer is no. "How did you hear about us?" fails the test. It might be useful for marketing, but it does not change whether you visit.
Keep that test in mind and the list stays short, which matters. Every extra question costs you some visitors.
The four enquiries that quietly eat your week
- Out of area. The visitor is 40 miles away and found you through a search result. Nobody is at fault, but a callback wastes both your time and theirs.
- Out of scope. They want something you do not do, or something too small or too large for you. A roofer asked to clear gutters, a design studio asked for a single logo for £50.
- Wrong timing. They need it by Thursday and you are booked for six weeks, or they are planning for a year from now and want a site visit today.
- Not yet deciding. Early research, a price for comparison, a budget far from what the job costs. These are real people who may buy later, but they do not need your most expensive resource: you in person.
Each one needs a different response. The first two get a clear, friendly no. The third gets honesty about availability. The fourth gets something cheaper than a visit, such as a price guide or a call later.
Questions that work, and how to phrase them
| What you need to know | Blunt version | Better version |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Where are you? | Which town or postcode is the job in? I'll check it's in our area. |
| Scope | What do you want done? | Roughly what's involved, for example a repair, a replacement or something new? |
| Timing | When do you need it? | When were you hoping to get this done? We're currently booking about four weeks ahead. |
| Readiness | Are you serious? | Are you at the stage of getting quotes, or still gathering ideas? |
| Budget | What's your budget? | Do you have a rough budget in mind? It helps us suggest the right option. |
The better versions explain why the question is being asked. That small clause does most of the work of keeping it polite. If budget is the sensitive one in your trade, qualifying by budget without being pushy covers it in detail.
Answer first, screen second
The most common mistake is putting the screening questions in front of the answer. A visitor asks whether you do loft conversions and gets three questions back. They feel processed.
Flip the order. Answer what they asked, then screen, and stop at two or three questions. Here is how that sounds for an enquiry from outside the area:
Visitor: Do you do loft conversions? Looking for a quote
Assistant: Yes, loft conversions are one of our main services. Which town is the property in? I'll check it's in the area we cover.
Visitor: Harrogate
Assistant: Thanks. I'm sorry, Harrogate is outside the area we work in, which is within about 20 miles of York city centre. You'd be better served by a local firm who can visit easily. If you're ever in our area, we'd be glad to help.
That final reply is a no, and it is a good one. It is quick, honest and warm, and it did not cost anyone a phone call. For the knowledge side of this, answering service area questions explains how to set out your coverage so the receptionist gets it right.
A worked example of what screening is worth
These numbers are an illustration. Replace them with yours.
Say you do 8 quote visits a week. Each takes about 2 hours once you count travel, and you value your time at £40 an hour. That is £640 of your week spent quoting.
Now say 2 of those 8 turn out to be out of area, out of scope or nowhere near ready. That is 4 hours, or £160 a week, spent on visits that could never have become work. Over a 46-week working year it comes to 184 hours, well over four full working weeks.
Screening will not catch every one. If it catches half, you get back roughly two working weeks a year, plus those enquiries get a faster, clearer answer. The chatbot ROI calculator is useful for playing with your own figures.
What to do with the answers
Screening only helps if the answers reach you in a usable form. A few practical points:
- Decide in advance what happens for each outcome: book a visit request, send a price guide, decline politely, or pass to you for judgement.
- Write those rules into the receptionist's instructions in plain language, including your exact service area and the jobs you do not take.
- Make sure captured leads include the screening answers, so you can see at a glance why an enquiry reached you.
- If you use a CRM or a shared channel, send leads there with the answers attached, so nobody asks the customer the same questions again.
- Review a week of declined and captured conversations. If good jobs are being turned away, loosen a rule.
That last step is important. Screening rules drift out of date as your diary fills or empties. How to avoid collecting junk leads goes further on keeping the filter honest.
Your next hour
Look back at the last month of quotes and visits. Mark every one that went nowhere and write down the single fact that would have told you in advance. Those facts are your receptionist screening questions. You will probably find there are only two or three that matter, which is exactly the right number to ask.