Missed Call Text-Back
Never lose a lead to a missed call again. An instant text message reaches the caller within seconds, keeping them engaged until you can call them back.
Overview
When you are on a roof, under a sink, or in the middle of an install, you cannot answer the phone. Studies show that 40% of callers who reach voicemail will not leave a message and will call your competitor instead. Missed Call Text-Back solves this by sending an instant SMS to the caller within seconds of the missed call.
That one text keeps the lead warm. The customer knows you exist, you are responsive, and you will be in touch shortly. It buys you the time you need to finish the job and call them back.
How It Works
The process is fully automated from the moment a call goes unanswered.
Call comes in
A potential customer calls your business phone number.
Call goes unanswered
You are on a job site, driving, or otherwise unavailable. The call goes to voicemail.
Instant SMS sent
Within seconds, the caller receives a personalized text message from your business number letting them know you will call back soon.
Lead captured in CRM
The caller's phone number is logged in your CRM as a new lead with full call tracking details.
You follow up
When you are free, you see the missed call in your dashboard and call the lead back with full context.
Setting Up
Getting started takes just a few minutes. There are two main steps.
Connect Your Phone
We provision a local phone number for your business or port your existing number into the system. Calls and texts route through this number so everything is tracked and recorded in one place.
Customize Your Message
Write the text message your callers will receive. Include your business name, a friendly acknowledgment, and a note that you will call back soon. Keep it personal and professional.
Message Templates
The system comes with proven message templates you can use as-is or customize to match your brand voice. All templates include merge fields for personalization.
A strong missed call text includes three elements: identify yourself (business name), acknowledge the call (sorry we missed you), and set an expectation (we will call you back within the hour). Keep the message under 160 characters for single-SMS delivery.
Business Hours Configuration
Set your business hours so the system knows when to activate the text-back. During business hours, missed calls trigger the standard response. Outside of business hours, a different message can be sent acknowledging the call and letting the customer know when you will be available.
This prevents after-hours callers from expecting an immediate callback at 11 PM. Instead, they receive a message like: "Thanks for calling. We're currently closed and will return your call first thing tomorrow morning."
Call Tracking & Analytics
Every call, answered and missed, is logged with the caller's phone number, time, duration, and whether the text-back was triggered. The analytics dashboard shows your total call volume, missed call rate, text-back delivery rate, and response rate.
Use this data to identify peak call times, measure how effectively you are recovering missed calls, and justify staffing decisions. If you are missing 40% of calls during lunch, it might be time to stagger your team's breaks.
Integration with CRM
Every missed call automatically creates or updates a contact record in your CRM. If the caller is an existing customer, the missed call is added to their timeline. If they are a new caller, a lead record is created with their phone number, the date and time of the call, and the source tagged as "Missed Call."
This means no lead falls through the cracks. Your team can filter by the "Missed Call" source tag to see all recovered leads and track how many convert to booked jobs.
Best Practices
- Call missed leads back within 5 minutes when possible. Data shows that leads contacted within 5 minutes are 21x more likely to convert than those contacted after 30 minutes.
- Use a conversational, friendly tone in your text-back message. Avoid sounding like an automated system. First names and contractions help.
- Include a direct booking link in your text-back message so eager customers can self-schedule without waiting for your callback.
- Review your missed call analytics weekly. If your missed call rate is above 20%, consider adding a receptionist, using a virtual answering service, or adjusting team phone coverage.
- Set up a separate after-hours message that sets clear expectations about when the customer will hear back.
Pro Tip: The 5-Minute Rule
The missed call text-back buys you time, but speed still wins. Contractors who call back within 5 minutes close at more than double the rate of those who wait an hour. Use the text-back as your safety net, not your primary strategy. When you see a missed call notification, treat it like the $400+ opportunity it is and prioritize that callback.