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Staying organized

Cover Arrangement

The short answer

A cover arrangement is another trade agreeing to take an emergency call for you during a break. It is one honest answer to “what if something comes up?” The other is “not available.”

What it means

A cover arrangement names a real person. This is a trade who agrees, before your time off, to take an emergency call for you. You tell clients who that is, so an emergency does not reach an unanswered phone.

It is not the only honest answer. Some tradespeople say plainly that they are not available and give the date they are back. They name no cover. Either works. Leaving the question unanswered does not.

For example

A plumber going away for two weeks asks a nearby plumber to take emergency calls. Before leaving, the plumber gives regular clients the covering plumber’s number.

The mistake to avoid

Assuming a client will wait until you are back for a real emergency. With no named cover and no plain "not available" message, a client may call someone else. They may not come back.

See also

Annual ShutdownForce Majeure

Where this shows up

Guide

Taking time off — price it before you book it

You are not paid for 52 weeks a year. A week off is not a loss to make up later. It is a cost your rate must carry before you book it. Price the weeks off and pick the dates from your diary. Tell people once, and decide what happens to an emergency.

 Guide

Off sick — what to do when illness stops your work

One morning you cannot work. This guide covers the first hour: who to tell and what to say. It covers a job left half done, new enquiries, and money while you are off. It ends with what to set up now, before it happens.

 Templates

Time off scripts, for telling clients before you go

Six messages for taking time off. Give early notice to a client with work booked either side. Write a note to a client mid-job. Send an away reply to a new enquiry. Offer the slot before or after the break. Ask another trade to cover, and re-open your diary. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

 Templates

Off sick scripts, for the morning illness stops your work

Seven messages for the morning you cannot work. They cover today’s client, the rest of this week’s list, and a job left half done. Three more cover a new enquiry, asking someone to cover, and a partner messaging on your behalf. The last one offers a client the first slot back. Fill in your details once at the top of this page, and every script below updates.

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