Setting up postcode coverage — who you'll travel to, who you won't
Configure your service area in Voxinly so the chatbot politely declines jobs outside your patch and only chases the ones in your van's range. Step-by-step with screenshots.
If you cover SE postcodes in south London, you don't want to be quoting jobs in Birmingham. If you cover north Manchester out to Bolton, you don't want a frustrated customer in Sheffield finding out at the end of the chat that you can't help. Postcode coverage solves both — the chatbot asks for a postcode early in the chat, checks it against your configured zones, and routes the conversation accordingly.
Step 1 — Open Coverage settings
Navigate to /admin/chatbot
Sign in and click 'Chatbot' in the sidebar. Scroll to the 'Coverage' section — it's roughly halfway down the page, between 'Trade qualifications' and 'Quote rules'.
Step 2 — Define your primary zone
Add primary postcodes
In the 'Primary zone' field, type the postcode prefixes you cover with no travel charge. Comma-separated. You can use full prefixes (SE15, SE16, BR1) or area codes (SE, BR, CR). The widget treats SE as 'any SE postcode' and SE15 as 'only SE15'.
Step 3 — Define your outer zone (optional)
Add outer postcodes with travel uplift
In the 'Outer zone' field, list the prefixes you'll go to but want a callout uplift applied. Then set the uplift — a percentage (e.g. +15%) or a flat amount (e.g. +£40). The widget applies the uplift to any quote it generates for jobs in this zone.
Step 4 — Set the polite decline
When a visitor's postcode falls outside both zones, Voxinly says something like: 'Thanks for getting in touch — unfortunately we're not currently covering [postcode]. If it helps, [referral partner] do cover that area and we trust their work.' You configure both the wording and the optional referral partner in the 'Out-of-area response' box.
Step 5 — When the chatbot asks
Voxinly asks for the postcode as one of its first three qualifying questions — usually after the customer has explained what they need but before any pricing is discussed. This is deliberate. Quoting a price and then telling the customer you can't help them creates a bad memory. Asking for the postcode early means the conversation either continues to a quote or wraps up politely with a referral inside the first minute.
Step 6 — Test it
Try a primary postcode
Open your widget in a private window and ask 'how much for a boiler service?'. When the chatbot asks for your postcode, give one inside your primary zone. The conversation should continue to a quote with no surcharge.
Try an outer postcode
Repeat with a postcode inside your outer zone. The quote should include the configured uplift, presented honestly ('that's £200 + £40 travel because you're outside our usual patch').
Try an out-of-area postcode
Repeat with a postcode well outside your zones. The chatbot should politely decline and (if you've configured one) suggest your referral partner.
Common patterns
| Trade type | Typical setup |
|---|---|
| Local plumber (1 van) | Primary = home town + 5-mile radius; Outer = +10-mile with £40 callout |
| Regional firm (3-5 vans) | Primary = home county; Outer = neighbouring counties with 15% uplift |
| Specialist installer | Primary = wide (whole region); no outer zone, no decline |
| Emergency-only | Primary = tight (10 mile); decline outside zone always |
FAQ
What if a customer doesn't know their postcode?
Voxinly will ask for a town name or area instead and use that as a soft check. The match isn't as precise but it's usually enough to know whether you can help.
Can I have multiple outer zones with different uplifts?
Yes — add a second outer zone with its own uplift percentage and prefixes. Voxinly checks zones in order and applies the matched zone's uplift.
Do I have to use postcodes — what about drive-time?
Postcodes are the simplest accurate way for the widget. If you'd rather use drive-time radii from your base, contact support — it's on the roadmap.
What happens to leads I declined — are they recorded?
Yes. /admin/customers shows every conversation including out-of-area ones, with a 'declined: out of zone' tag. Useful for spotting whether you should expand your patch.