How a Wilmington Electrician Captured $40K in After-Hours Calls

The After-Hours Problem

Electrical emergencies don't wait for business hours. Panels trip at midnight. Power goes out during dinner parties. Homeowners smell burning and panic.

Carlos runs Brandywine Electric in Wilmington, DE. He serves New Castle County—Wilmington, Newark, Hockessin, Greenville, and parts of Chester County, PA.

"We close at 5pm," Carlos told me. "Calls after that went to voicemail. I figured people would call back in the morning."

They didn't.

The Data That Changed Everything

Carlos was skeptical when I suggested tracking after-hours calls. "We don't get that many," he said.

We set up call tracking for 30 days. The results shocked him:

• 47 after-hours calls in one month
• 0 converted to jobs (all went to voicemail)
• Average emergency job value: $850
• Potential lost revenue: $39,950

Nearly $40,000 in work was calling Carlos every month—and he was sending them to voicemail.

"I had no idea," Carlos admitted. "I thought maybe 5-10 calls. Not 47."

Why After-Hours Matters for Electricians

Electrical issues feel urgent to homeowners. Unlike a slow drain or a noisy AC, electrical problems feel dangerous. They want someone NOW.

When they call and get voicemail, they don't leave a message. They Google "emergency electrician Wilmington" and call until someone answers.

In Delaware, there are plenty of electricians who will answer. Carlos was losing jobs to every one of them.

The AI Solution

We implemented AI phone answering with emergency protocols:

24/7 coverage: The AI answers every call, day or night.

Emergency triage: It identifies true emergencies (burning smell, sparking, no power) vs. non-urgent issues (adding an outlet, panel upgrade quotes).

Instant escalation: For emergencies, Carlos gets a text and phone call within 30 seconds. The AI provides the customer's name, address, issue, and callback number.

Non-emergency booking: For standard work, the AI books appointments during business hours and sends confirmations.

The Pricing Strategy

Carlos was worried about after-hours pricing. "I don't want to be on call 24/7," he said.

We built in premium pricing:

• After 6pm: 1.5x standard rates
• Weekends: 1.5x standard rates
• After 10pm: 2x standard rates

The AI communicates this upfront: "We do have a technician available tonight. After-hours service is billed at time-and-a-half. Would you like me to schedule that?"

Most customers say yes. When your power is out, you'll pay extra to get it fixed tonight.

Results After 6 Months

Carlos added $39,500/month in after-hours work he was previously ignoring. Plus, 100% call capture during regular hours added another $12,500/month.

The Delaware Advantage

Wilmington and the surrounding Delaware market has some unique characteristics:

No sales tax: Delaware customers are used to good deals. When they need something, they expect responsive service.

Affluent suburbs: Greenville and Hockessin have high-value homes with complex electrical systems. A panel upgrade in Greenville can be $8,000-15,000.

Cross-border service: Carlos serves parts of PA too. The AI knows which areas are in his service zone and qualifies accordingly.

The ROI

Carlos's investment:

• Setup: $2,000 (one-time)
• Monthly: ~$120 (based on call volume)

Carlos's return:

• Additional monthly revenue: $52,000
• Annual revenue increase: $624,000
• ROI: 25,900%

Even if you cut those numbers in half for conservatism, the ROI is still over 10,000%.

For Delaware Electricians

If you're an electrician in Delaware—Wilmington, Newark, Hockessin, or anywhere in New Castle County—after-hours calls are probably your biggest missed opportunity.

Think about it: someone's power goes out at 8pm. They call you, get voicemail, and call someone else. That's $500-2,000 walking away.

Get a free AI audit and I'll show you exactly how many after-hours calls you're missing. The number will probably surprise you.