Quick answer
Text the caller from your business number right away. Name your company, say you missed the call, ask one question about the job, and give a callback time only if you can keep it. Do not say the job is booked until a person has looked at it. Contractor Systems sends that first text automatically on Advanced, $297 a month, and the reply lands in the same inbox as your calls, texts, and forms.
What every missed-call text needs
- Who you are. Your company name, and a first name if you can. A text from an unknown number with no name looks like spam.
- That you saw the call. So the caller doesn't assume you ignored them.
- One easy question. "What can we help with?" or "Is this an emergency?" A question gets a reply. A statement usually doesn't.
- An honest time. Give a callback time only if you can keep it. Otherwise say when the office reopens.
- No booking promises. Don't say "you're scheduled" or "we'll be there" until a person has looked at the job.
Templates you can copy
Business hours, on a job
Hi, this is [first name] at [company]. Sorry we missed your call, we're on a job. What can we help with? We'll call you back by [time].
After hours
Thanks for calling [company]. We're closed right now and reopen at [day and time]. Reply with what you need and your ZIP code, and we'll get back to you then.
Emergency trades (plumbing, HVAC, electrical, roofing)
This is [company], sorry we missed you. Is this an emergency, like an active leak, no heat, or no power? Reply YES and we'll call you right back. If anyone is in danger, call 911.
Estimate-based work (remodeling, roofing replacement, landscaping installs)
Hi, it's [first name] at [company]. Sorry I missed you. Are you looking for an estimate? Send the address and a few words about the project, and I'll reply with times.
Recurring service (lawn care, pool, maintenance plans)
Thanks for calling [company]. Are you looking to start service, or is this about an existing visit? Reply here and we'll take care of it.
One follow-up if they don't reply
Hi, it's [company] again. Just checking you got taken care of. If you still need help with [service], reply here and we'll get you on the schedule.
Replace the brackets. These are templates, not messages a customer sent us. Send the follow-up once, a few hours later, then stop. Automated Contractor Systems texts add "Reply STOP to opt out" when that line is not already in the message.
Before you turn a tool on, check speed, follow-up, quiet hours, STOP and HELP, and A2P 10DLC registration. What Contractor Systems does on each, and where this site does not publish a rule, is on missed-call text-back for contractors. The feature page is missed-call text-back. Prices are on pricing.
What to do when they reply
The text buys you time. It doesn't book the job. When the caller replies, answer quickly and move toward a time: offer two specific windows for a visit or an estimate. If they say it's urgent, call them instead of texting back and forth.
How fast to respond depends on the lead. An emergency call and a remodel form are different. How fast a contractor should respond to a new lead covers setting a rule your team can keep.
How Contractor Systems sends it
On Advanced, $297 a month, when nobody picks up, the caller gets a text back from your business number in seconds. Their reply lands in one inbox with your calls, texts, and forms, and automatic follow-up keeps the lead from going quiet. No contracts on monthly or quarterly plans.
Pro, $597 a month, adds the All Hours AI receptionist, so the call gets answered, qualified, and booked instead. How the text-back works, what carrier registration costs, and how it fits with your current number are in missed-call text-back for contractors.
Questions
What should a missed-call text say?
Who you are (your company and, if possible, your first name), that you saw the call, one easy question about the job, and an honest callback time. Keep it to two or three short sentences.
How fast should the text go out?
As fast as you can, ideally within seconds, while the caller is still deciding whether to call the next contractor. On Advanced ($297 a month), the caller gets a text back from your business number in seconds when nobody picks up.
Should the text promise a time?
Only a time you can keep. "We'll call you back by 3" builds trust if it happens and costs it if it doesn't. If you can't commit, ask the question and say when the office reopens.
Can the first text book the job?
No. It keeps the conversation open. A person should confirm the job, the address, and the time before you tell anyone they're scheduled.
What if I want the call answered instead of texted?
Pro is $597 a month and includes the All Hours AI receptionist, which answers calls 24/7, qualifies the job, and books the estimate. Missed-call text-back is still on.
Do I need to register to text customers from a business number?
US carriers require 10DLC brand and campaign registration before a business texts from a regular local number, and unregistered texts can be filtered or blocked. Contractor Systems files that registration. The pricing page includes SMS 10DLC registration with the AI receptionist and with Pro and Master. Details and The Campaign Registry's fees are in the missed-call text-back guide.
What else should the text-back handle besides the wording?
Speed, follow-up, quiet hours, STOP and HELP, and A2P 10DLC. On Advanced the text goes out within seconds and automatic follow-up is included. Contractor Systems does not publish a quiet-hours window. Automated texts add "Reply STOP to opt out." The missed-call text-back guide has the checklist and the CTIA source.
Related: missed-call text-back for contractors, contractor lead response time, the missed-call text-back feature, the AI receptionist.