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Missed call text back for UK tradesmen & local businesses
Missed call text back: they get a text in seconds.
Missed call text back sends a short, friendly text to anyone whose call you couldn't answer, so they hear from you before they ring the next name on Google. Your phone still rings you first. Keep Busy sets it up for trades and local businesses as part of a website plan, with the number and the lead list in your own name.
Free and no obligation. You see your design before you pay a penny.
Text from your texting numberExample Plumbing
Missed call · 10:42
An illustrative example, not a real business or customer. Your message is written with you.
A quick reply when you can't pick up.
Plenty of callers won't leave a voicemail. If nobody answers, they often try the next business on the list. Missed call text back gives them a reply straight away, in your words, so the conversation carries on by text until you're free.
It doesn't replace you
Your phone rings as normal. The text only goes out when you don't answer, so you still take every call you can.
It isn't a robot conversation
One short text goes out. After that, the caller's replies come to your own mobile, and you answer them like any other text.
It gives you a list, not a pile of missed calls
Every missed caller and their reply lands on a simple lead list in Google Sheets, so nobody falls through the cracks.
Step by step, from a missed call to a new lead.
Nothing changes about the number your customers ring. Here's what happens behind the scenes.
Your phone rings first
A customer rings your usual number. It rings you as normal for a short while, usually a little less than it would before going to voicemail.
Unanswered calls divert
If you don't pick up, the call diverts to a separate UK mobile number in your own Twilio account (Twilio is the texting provider we use). We set up the divert on your phone with you.
A short message plays
The caller hears a few seconds of recorded message, along the lines of "Sorry we missed you, we'll send you a text now."
They get a text within seconds
A text goes to the caller from your texting number, written in your words and approved by you before it ever goes live.
Replies come to you
When they reply, the message is forwarded to your own mobile and added to your lead list in Google Sheets, in your own Google account.
You reply when you're free
Finish the job, then pick it up. You can also mark each lead as Contacted, Quoted, Booked or Done on the Sheet from your phone.
You own it. You keep your own phone number. The texting number sits in a Twilio account in your name, paid by your card, and the lead list sits in your own Google account. If you stop working with us, you keep both.
Busy hands, ringing phones.
It suits any local business where the person who answers the phone is also the person doing the work.
Plumbers and heating engineers
Under a sink or draining a system when the phone goes. See websites for plumbers.
Electricians
Up a ladder or in a loft with the power off. See websites for electricians.
Salons and barbers
Mid-cut or mid-colour, with no hand free for the phone. See websites for salons.
Cleaners
Out on a clean with gloves on. See websites for cleaning businesses.
Garages and mechanics
Under a car when someone rings about an MOT. See websites for garages.
Dental practices
Busy reception at peak times. Texts stay to names and appointment times only, never health details. See websites for dentists.
Included in two of our website plans.
Missed call text back comes with Get found and Stay busy, alongside your website, Google review requests, quote follow-ups and a lead list. We'll agree a clear price with you once you've seen your free visual. Get online, our starter plan, is the website on its own and doesn't include texting.
Get found
Your website, plus missed call text back, review requests, quote follow-ups and a lead list in Google Sheets.
Stay busy
Everything in Get found, plus online booking, appointment reminders by text, a monthly check-in and priority same-day help by email.
Your own texting costs (estimate). You pay Twilio directly for your number and the texts you send and receive. We estimate that at about £5 to £35 a month, depending on how many calls you miss and how many texts go out (roughly £5 to £15 on Get found and £10 to £35 on Stay busy, where reminders add to the count). This is an estimate, not a quote. Twilio sets its own prices, and we'll work out a figure with you before you start.
6-month minimum, then month to month with 30 days' notice. Founding-client offers and the 30-day setup refund are on the full plans page.
See full plan detailsHow long until it's switched on?
Your website usually takes about two weeks from approving your free visual (two to three weeks on Stay busy). Texting goes live once Twilio approves your ID check.
Why there's an ID check
UK rules mean Twilio has to check who you are before it gives you a UK mobile number. For a sole trader that usually means a passport or other photo ID. A company gives its business details and a responsible person.
How we keep it moving
Twilio doesn't publish a fixed approval time, so we start the check on day one, alongside your website. Nothing goes out to customers until we've tested it with you and you're happy with every message.
The rules, in plain words.
Texts to customers in the UK fall under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Here's how we keep things on the right side of them.
- The text back is a service message. A single reply to someone who has just rung you about their own enquiry isn't marketing. It's answering them.
- Keep it helpful. The text back says sorry, asks how you can help and nothing more. No offers, no adverts, no "10% off this week".
- Follow-ups and review requests need agreement. Quote check-ins and review requests only go to people who agreed to hear from you, for example by ticking a box on your quote form, and every one includes an easy way to opt out.
- Marketing texts are a separate thing. Seasonal offers or reminders to book again need consent or the "soft opt-in". We don't send those as part of text back.
This is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. The ICO (ico.org.uk) publishes guidance on PECR if you want the detail.
What it can't do.
It's a simple tool and works well, but you should know where the edges are before you sign up.
Some networks charge for diverts
Diverting to a UK mobile number is often included in mobile bundles, but some mobile networks and landline providers charge for diverted calls. It's worth checking with yours.
Caller ID has to be tested
The text back needs the caller's number to come through the divert. UK networks usually pass it on, but not always, so we test it on your network before going live.
Landline callers may not get the text
Some networks no longer deliver texts to landlines. If someone rings from a landline, the text may never arrive, so it's still worth checking your missed calls.
An honest note. Standalone missed call text back apps exist in the UK, and if you already have a website you're happy with, one of those may suit you better. Ours is built into a website plan, written in your words, with the texting number and lead list in your own accounts.
Questions about missed call text back.
Do I need a new phone number?
No. Customers keep ringing the number they already have. The texts come from a separate UK mobile number in your own Twilio account, and replies are forwarded to your mobile.
Can I change what the text says?
Yes. We write the message with you, and you approve it before it goes live. If you want to change it later, email us and we'll update it.
Does it work with a business landline?
Often, yes, if your landline provider lets you divert unanswered calls to a mobile number. Some providers charge for that, so check with yours first and we'll test it with you.
What if I'm already on a call or out of signal?
Most phones can divert calls when you're busy or unreachable as well as when you don't answer, so those callers get the text too. We set the diverts up with you and test them on your network.
Can I buy text back without a website?
At the moment it comes as part of our Get found and Stay busy plans, which include your website. If you only want text back on its own, a standalone app may be a better fit.
What does a website cost overall?
We've written a plain guide: how much a website costs for a small business in the UK, including the ongoing costs people forget about.
Stop losing jobs to voicemail.
Tell us what you do and where, and we'll mock up your new website for free. We'll show you how text back would fit in too.
It costs nothing to ask. If the design's not for you, no hard feelings.