Say which jobs you don't do.
A short list of what you don't take saves you calls you can't use, and tells the right customers they found the right shop.
The phone rings. You pull over. It's someone asking about a job you stopped doing three years ago, or never did at all.
You say sorry, you don't do that. They say thanks. Ten minutes gone, and nobody's happy.
Your website can take most of those calls for you. All it needs is a few lines that say what you don't do.
People guess from what they see
A stranger lands on your site and scans for one thing: can this shop do my job?
If your page says "plumbing" and nothing else, they'll assume you do all of it. Sewer lines, gas lines, commercial kitchens, the old house with the weird pipes. Same for "electrical," "landscaping," or "auto repair."
They aren't being careless. They're filling in the blanks you left.
A short no list helps the right people too
Saying what you don't do isn't negative. It makes the rest of your page easier to believe.
When a customer reads "We don't do new construction. We focus on repairs in homes that people already live in," two things happen. The builder moves on. The homeowner with a leak thinks, good, that's me.
It also tells people you know your lane. That reads as experience, not as a gap.
What to put on the list
Keep it to the questions you actually get. Look back at the last month of calls and texts. Which ones ended with "sorry, we don't do that"?
Common ones:
- Job types you skip, like commercial work, new builds, or insurance claims
- Equipment or systems you don't service
- Jobs outside your area, if your town list doesn't already cover it
- Work you'll quote but hand to someone else
Three to five lines is plenty. You're not writing a policy. You're saving a phone call.
Where it goes
Put it on the service page, near the list of what you do. A short line under the main list works: "We don't do X or Y."
If you get the same wrong call over and over, add it to your FAQ too. And if you refer that work to someone you trust, say so. "We don't do roofs, but we're happy to point you to someone who does" leaves a stranger with a good feeling about you, even when you can't help.
Check your own site today
Open your services page on your phone. Read it like someone who has never met you. Would they know what you won't take on?
If not, write down the last three calls you turned away. That's your list.
If you want a site that sends you the jobs you actually want, talk with Hexacomb. You run the business. We take care of your website.