Richer Systems — Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1

What exactly is Richer Systems?

Accepted Answer

Richer Systems builds your website and runs the marketing and customer messaging behind it, built specifically for service businesses. We bring new leads in, keep past customers coming back, and make sure no enquiry falls through the cracks. Behind the scenes it’s a website, automation and proven workflows. On your side it’s more work booked in and far less time on the phone.

Question 2

Is this for big companies or small service businesses?

Accepted Answer

Small to mid-sized independent service businesses, usually owner-run, from a solo operator to a team of a dozen. That’s the sweet spot. The people we work with would rather be on the job than behind a desk chasing marketing.

Question 3

How is this different from just another CRM?

Accepted Answer

A blank CRM is only a tool. We set the whole thing up as a working system for your business: your website, the workflows, the message templates, the reminders and the reporting are all ready from day one. If you tried to buy and assemble the same tools yourself, you’d be looking at months of setup and thousands of pounds, and you’d still need someone to keep it running.

Question 4

Do I have to be tech-savvy to use it?

Accepted Answer

No. That’s the whole point. Most of what we do happens automatically. The mobile app gives you a simple inbox for messages and a snapshot of leads, reviews and work booked in. If you can use a smartphone, you can use this.

Question 5

Where are you based?

Accepted Answer

We work with service businesses across the UK. Support, onboarding and account management all happen on UK time, in plain English.

Question 6

Are there any hidden costs?

Accepted Answer

No hidden costs. You’ll need a Richer Systems number at about £3 a month, and SMS and email usage is billed at cost, typically around £8 a month for a busy business. On Growth Partner, any paid advertising spend is your choice and paid direct to Google or Meta, fully transparent. Everything else, the website, workflows, CRM, mobile app, reporting and support, is included.

Question 7

Am I locked into a contract?

Accepted Answer

No. Both packages are month-to-month, cancel any time with no notice. If you go annual you save 15%, and you can switch to annual whenever you like. A service should earn its keep every month, not lock you in.

Question 8

Can I switch packages?

Accepted Answer

Yes, any time. Moving up from Foundations to Growth Partner is instant and we’ll prorate the bill. Moving down takes effect at the start of your next cycle. No fees either way.

Question 9

Will this actually pay for itself?

Accepted Answer

For nearly every business we work with, yes, and usually within the first month. Recovering even half of the calls you miss each week, at a typical job value, adds far more than the price of Foundations. Head to the Packages page and run your own numbers before you commit.

Question 10

How long does set-up take?

Accepted Answer

10 to 14 days from when your onboarding form is submitted. We do the heavy lifting and keep you updated at every step.

Question 11

How much of my time will set-up take?

Accepted Answer

Around 90 minutes in total, split over two short calls: a 30-minute kick-off to capture your services, hours and brand, a 30-minute walk-through of your finished account, and about 30 minutes to send us your customer list and any photos or branding. We do the building, you keep working.

Question 12

Do I need to give you my customer list?

Accepted Answer

Ideally, yes. It’s how we switch on reminders and win-back messages for everyone you already work with. Most partners export a spreadsheet from their job-management software and hand it over. We handle the import and clean-up. Your data is yours, we never share or sell it, and you can export or delete it any time.

Question 13

What if I don’t have a tidy customer list?

Accepted Answer

That’s normal, not the exception. We’ve worked from spreadsheets, paper diaries, screenshots, and the odd case of “it’s all in my head”. Send us whatever you have and we’ll work with it. New customers from day one go straight in cleanly.

Question 14

Does this replace my job-management software?

Accepted Answer

No, and we never want to. Your scheduling, booking and invoicing tools do a great job of running the day-to-day. That stays exactly as it is. We sit alongside it and add the income-side work those systems weren’t built for: lead capture, follow-ups, reviews, marketing and repeat work.

Question 15

Will it work with my scheduling or booking software?

Accepted Answer

It works alongside the tools you already use. Where we can, we integrate directly, for example pulling new customer records automatically. Where a direct link isn’t available yet, we use lightweight connectors and a shared inbox so nothing has to be entered twice.

Question 16

Do I need a new phone number?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we set you up with a new number so missed-call text-back and call tracking work. We help you update your Google profile and marketing, and redirect your old number until customers get used to it. If you’d rather keep your existing number, we can port it across, which usually takes a couple of weeks.

Question 17

How does missed-call text-back work?

Accepted Answer

When a call comes in that you can’t answer, within 30 seconds your customer gets an automatic text: “Sorry we missed you, when suits for a quote?” Most reply within a few minutes, and the conversation carries on by text or WhatsApp until they’re booked in, or they book straight from the link. Without a call-back, most missed callers ring the next business. With text-back, recovery is usually 50 to 70%.

Question 18

What are repeat-work follow-ups?

Accepted Answer

Every job you finish is a job you’ll do again one day. On the day you note the follow-up, a service due for renewal or a check-up coming up, and it becomes a polite, useful message at exactly the right time. It’s the difference between a note in a diary and an inbound job three months later. Available on Growth Partner.

Question 19

Will the messages sound like spam?

Accepted Answer

No. Every template is written in plain, friendly English, the way you’d talk to a good regular. No capitals, no robotic templates, no hard sell. You approve and tweak the tone before anything goes live.

Question 20

Can it handle more than one location?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each site gets its own number, branding, reviews dashboard and reporting, with a single login across all of them. Data rolls up to a group view for management. Multi-site pricing is on application, so get in touch.

Question 21

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

All customer data is stored in UK and EU data centres on secure, compliant infrastructure. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

Question 22

Are you compliant with UK privacy law?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We operate under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, with a formal data-processing agreement signed at onboarding. Marketing messages follow PECR consent rules, every customer message includes clear opt-out wording, and we honour STOP requests automatically.

Question 23

If I cancel, what happens to my data?

Accepted Answer

You can export your full customer database at any time, including while you’re a partner. If you cancel, we keep your data available for 30 days so you can take a final export, then it’s permanently deleted from active systems.

Question 24

Will customers know it’s automated?

Accepted Answer

Messages come from your business name and number, in your tone of voice, so they read as if you sent them. No “AI” labels, no generic branding. When customers reply, those replies land in your inbox so a real person picks up the conversation.

Straight answers, no jargon

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