Missed calls
What to text back after a missed call (three templates that sound like you)
The message that goes out after a missed call decides whether the customer waits for you or rings the next name on the list. Here are three that work, and the one mistake that makes all of them fail.
Hardpoint Systems4 min read
A missed call is not a lost job. A missed call followed by silence is a lost job. The difference is one text message, sent within a few seconds, and what it says matters more than most people expect.
Here are three that work, in the order you should try them.
1. The plain one
Hi, this is Tom at Northside Plumbing. Sorry I missed you, I am on a job. What can I help with?
This is the default for a reason. It names a person, gives an honest reason, and asks one open question. The customer can describe the job in their own words, which is exactly what you need before you call back.
Use this if you do not know what kind of enquiry you mostly get.
2. The one with a time
Hi, it is Tom from Northside Plumbing. On a job right now, I will ring you back before 5. Is it urgent?
Adding a time is a promise, so only use it if you keep it. When you do, it does two things: it stops the customer ringing the next business “just in case”, and the urgency question sorts the burst pipe from the dripping tap before you have spoken to anyone.
Use this if most of your calls are people who can wait a few hours.
3. The one with a next step
Hi, this is Tom at Northside Plumbing. Sorry I missed your call. If you can send a photo of the problem and your postcode, I can usually give you a rough idea today.
This one asks the customer to do something small and specific. People who send the photo are serious, and you arrive at the call-back already knowing what you are looking at.
Use this if you quote a lot of small jobs and your time is the bottleneck.
The mistake that breaks all three
Sending it from a number the customer cannot reply to.
If the text goes out from a system number and the reply goes nowhere, you have made things worse: the customer answered you and heard nothing back. The message has to come from your business line, and the reply has to land somewhere you will actually see it, ideally the same inbox as everything else.
Two things worth adding, eventually
- Your hours. “We are open until 6 today” saves the “are you still open?” round trip.
- A booking link, but only in the second message. The first text should be a person. The link can come once they have replied.
Whichever template you start with, write it the way you talk. If it sounds like a marketing platform, the customer will treat it like one.
