workflow 02 · for missed calls

Call text-back

Call text-back (also called missed-call text-back) sends every missed caller a text from your business number within seconds, so they book with you instead of calling the next business on the list. It asks what they need, gets the details to you, and steps aside once a person takes over.

I want this How it works

Real missed calls only

A clay phone booth with a glowing phone and a speech bubble
example · 6:52 PM Missed call while you were on a job Texted back in 9 seconds Estimate visit booked for Thursday

What is call text-back?

When a customer calls a local business and nobody answers, many don't leave a voicemail. They hang up and call the next name on Google. That call was a job, and it's gone before you're off the ladder.

Call text-back catches the call you couldn't take. Seconds after a missed call, the caller gets a friendly text from your number: sorry we missed you, what can we help with? Their answer comes to you, so you call back already knowing what they need.

Written by Joe Lissy, founder of chalkthis., Sound Beach, NY. Updated .

how it works

How does call text-back work?

  1. A call is missed

    Your phone rings as usual. If nobody answers, the caller gets a text within seconds. Your staff, your suppliers and known spam numbers are left out.

  2. The caller gets a text

    From your business number, in your words: sorry we missed you, how can we help? They can answer in a few words, right from their phone.

  3. You get the details

    Their reply comes to you with the number and what they need, so you call back ready. When you or your team reply, the system steps aside.

the rules are part of the build

What stays in your control.

  • Texts go only to people who just called you.
  • Every first text carries an opt-out line, and STOP replies are honored.
  • You approve the wording once, before anything sends.
  • It never quotes a price or promises a time. That stays with you.
  • Your number stays your number.

worth knowing

In a study of 1.25 million sales leads, firms that tried to reach a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify it as firms that waited even one hour longer.

Source: Harvard Business Review, "The Short Life of Online Sales Leads," March 2011

run your own numbers

3 missed calls a week × 40% real jobs × 30% won × $500 average job

≈ $780 a month, walking out the door

An example, not a promise. Put in your own week on the Leak Check.

Run your own numbers →

questions owners ask

Questions about call text-back

What is missed-call text-back?

The same thing as call text-back: an automatic text to anyone whose call you couldn't answer, sent within seconds from your business number, so the caller has a reason to wait for you instead of calling someone else.

Do I have to change my phone number?

Usually not. Depending on your phone line, we either forward unanswered calls to a number that texts for you or add texting to the number you already have. We'll tell you which fits on the call.

How fast does the text go out?

Within seconds of the missed call, while the caller is still holding their phone. Speed is the whole point.

Will it text my staff, suppliers or spam callers?

No. You give us the numbers to leave out, like staff and suppliers, and known spam numbers are skipped.

Do business texts need to be registered?

Yes. Business texting in the US has to be registered with the phone carriers (it's called A2P 10DLC). We handle that registration with you, keep each text to what the caller asked about, and include a way to opt out.

How long until it is live?

The setup itself is quick. Carrier registration for business texting usually takes one to three weeks, and you'll get a real date on the call.

What does it cost?

It depends on the business and the leak. On a short call we'll show you what fixing it is likely worth, and you'll see the price before anything starts. No long contract.

The other five.

Each one plugs a different leak. Start with the one that costs you the most, and add the next when it pays for itself.

Ready to stop losing missed calls?

Tell us what's costing you the most. We reply within one business day.

What do you want help with?
Best time for a call back (optional · Eastern Time)

Pick a day and we'll call you then. Or leave it, and we'll reply by email.

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or email joe@chalkthis.ai