In 60 Seconds

The Diagnosis:

You are relying on human availability to capture 24/7 digital demand. This is a structural failure.

The Fix:

•Enable Missed Call Text Back immediately.
•Set up an AI answering workflow for after-hours.
•Route voicemails to a Slack or SMS channel for instant visibility.

Verify it Worked:

Call your business at 9 PM. Ensure you receive an instant text acknowledgment.

If a customer calls you at 8:00 PM and you don't answer, they don't leave a voicemail. They call the next number on the list.

Speed to Lead is the single most critical factor in conversion. The "Response Gap" between their call and your callback is where revenue dies.

You cannot work 24 hours a day. But your infrastructure must.

1. The Strategy: Instant Acknowledgment

The goal isn't to solve their problem at midnight. The goal is to stop their search.

If they receive a text saying, "Hey, saw you called. We're closed but I can book you for 8 AM. Reply YES to start," they stop calling other plumbers. You have captured the Buying Moment.

2. Step-by-Step Implementation

Phase 1: Missed Call Text Back (MCTB)

This is the baseline requirement for any modern business.

Configure Your VoIP/CRM: Most systems (RingCentral, HighLevel, Dialpad) have this natively. Turn it on.
Script the Message: "Sorry I missed you! We are likely on a job site. How can I help? - [Name]"
Delay: Set it to fire 0.5 seconds after a missed call.

Phase 2: After-Hours AI Booking

For advanced demand capture:

Set Hours: Define 5 PM - 8 AM as "After Hours".
Route to AI: Instead of voicemail, route to a conversational AI agent.
Objective: The AI's only job is to book a calendar slot for the next morning.

Verification Checklist

Call your business number from a cell phone not in your contacts.
Hang up before it is answered.
Confirm you receive an SMS within 30 seconds.
Reply to the SMS and confirm it routes to a monitored inbox.

Common Mistakes

Generic Voicemail: "Leave a message" is a conversion killer.
Too Slow: Sending the text 5 minutes later is too late. They found someone else.
Broken Links: Creating a text loop that requires them to call back.

FAQ

Wiil customers be annoyed by an automated text?

Data shows 94% of customers prefer a text response to waiting on hold or leaving a voicemail. It feels responsive, not annoying.

Can I just hire an answering service?

You can, but humans have hold times and cost $300+/month. Automation is instant and costs near zero.

What if it's a spam call?

Modern firewalls filter spam before it triggers the text back. Even if a spammer gets a text, it costs you fractions of a cent.

Related Resources

Hub: Response Protection
System: See our AI Answering & Booking solution.
Guide: How It Works

What To Do When You Miss Calls After Hours (And Leads Disappear)