Missed call text back for home service businesses
Missed call text back is an automatic text your business sends to anyone whose call you didn't answer, so they hear from you in under a minute instead of calling the next company on the list.
If you run a home service business, you miss calls for good reasons. You're under a sink, on a roof, in a crawl space or behind a mower. The customer doesn't know that. They just know nobody picked up. Truckbell makes sure every one of those callers hears back while you finish the job.
From $149/month. Keep your number. Set up and tested on your phone by a person.
How missed call text back works
Your phone rings like it always does. If you answer, nothing changes and no text goes out.
If you don't pick up after about 20 seconds, the call forwards to your Truckbell line before your voicemail answers.
The caller gets a text from your business in under a minute, with your business name and a simple question.
Their reply lands in one inbox on your phone. You get an alert and answer when your hands are free.
On our booking plans, the conversation can go one step further: customers pick an open time on your calendar by text, without waiting for you.
What the text says, by trade
Every first text names your business, says you're on a job, asks one useful question and ends with "Reply STOP to opt out," which carriers require. We write yours with you during setup. A few examples:
"Hi, this is Your Pool Co. Sorry we missed your call, we're out on a service. What can we help with?"
"Hi, this is Your Pest Co. Sorry we missed your call. What's going on, and where are you seeing them?"
"Hi, this is Your HVAC Co. Sorry we missed your call. Is this about heating or cooling?"
"Hi, this is Your Plumbing Co. Sorry we missed your call, we're on a job. Is water leaking right now?"
"Hi, this is Your Landscaping Co. Sorry we missed your call, we're out on a job. What can we help with?"
The first question matters. It tells you who to call back first: the active leak before the quote request.
Keep your number. Here's how forwarding works
Your number is on your truck, your cards and your Google listing. You don't have to change it.
- Customers dial the same number they always have. Your phone rings first.
- Unanswered calls forward after about 20 seconds. We set the timing so your carrier's voicemail doesn't answer first. If voicemail beats the forward, no text goes out, so we test this on your phone before launch.
- The text comes from your registered business texting line. That's the number customers reply to, and the first text says who it's from.
- Moving your number over completely is possible, but it takes a few weeks, so most owners just use forwarding.
Why setup takes about three weeks
US carriers require every business that sends automated texts from a regular phone number to register first. The registration is called A2P 10DLC. It's how carriers tell real businesses from spam. Without it, texts can be filtered without any warning, so your system says "sent" while customers never see a thing.
Approval usually takes a couple of weeks. What you'll need:
- Your legal business name and EIN (your IRS business number)
- Your business address
- A website with privacy and terms pages (if you don't have one, we can help)
- A few minutes to verify your identity with a photo ID
What we do while you wait: we build your texting line and inbox, then call your phone and miss it on purpose to check every step before it goes live.
Where text back falls short, and what covers the gap
Missed call text back recovers calls. It doesn't answer them. Here's where that matters, and what we do about it:
- Emergencies. Someone with water coming through the ceiling wants a person now, not a text. If your trade gets urgent calls, we can ring a second phone, like your on-call tech, before the text goes out. Our top plan adds an AI phone receptionist that answers the call itself.
- People who don't text. Some customers, often older ones, won't reply to a text from a business. That's why the missed call also shows up in your inbox with their number, so you can call back.
- Texts that look broken. A "sorry we missed you" text to someone you just spoke with makes you look careless. Because only unanswered calls forward to Truckbell, calls you pick up never trigger a text. We also set it up so someone who calls twice in a few minutes doesn't get the same text twice.
- The call was still missed. Text back keeps you in the running. It doesn't guarantee the job. Speed and a good first question do most of the work.
What it costs
| Plan | Monthly | One-time setup | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catch Every Lead | $149 | $197 | Missed call text back, keep your number, registered texting line, one inbox, new-lead alerts, mobile app |
| Catch and Book | $597 | $750 | Adds an AI text assistant that answers questions and books jobs by text, online booking, reminders and website chat |
| Catch, Book and Grow | $897 | $1,500 | Adds an AI phone receptionist, review requests after every job, review alerts and a monthly results report |
Every plan is month to month. Setup covers the carrier registration, the build and the testing on your phone. See full plan details
Works beside your job software
If you use Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, Skimmer, GorillaDesk or similar software, keep it. Your software runs the job once it exists. Truckbell covers the moment before that: the call you couldn't answer. On the audit call, we look at what your software already does so you don't pay twice for the same thing.
Common questions
What is missed call text back?
It's an automatic text your business sends to anyone whose call you didn't answer. The caller hears from you in under a minute, and their reply comes to one inbox on your phone.
Can I keep my number and still use missed call text back?
Yes. Your phone rings first, and only unanswered calls forward to your Truckbell line after about 20 seconds. Customers keep dialing the number they already have.
How much does missed call text back cost?
Truckbell starts at $149/month plus a $197 one-time setup, month to month. Plans with AI booking and an AI phone receptionist are $597 and $897 a month.
Do I need A2P 10DLC registration to text customers?
Yes, if you send automated texts from a regular US phone number. Carriers can filter unregistered texts without warning. We file the registration with you as part of setup.
Is missed call text back enough for emergency calls?
Not by itself. For urgent trades, we can ring a second phone, like your on-call tech, before the text goes out, and our top plan adds an AI phone receptionist that answers the call.
Is it legal to text someone who called my business?
The text only goes to people who just called you, it comes from a carrier-registered business line, and every first message includes a way to opt out. We set it up to follow the carriers' rules. For a specific legal question, ask your own attorney.
Will it text people I already talked to?
No. Only calls you don't answer forward to Truckbell, so a call you pick up never triggers a text.
Every missed caller hears back
You'll keep missing calls, because you're doing the work. With Truckbell, those callers get a text from your business while you finish the job, and you answer when you're ready. You keep your number, and a person sets it up and tests it on your phone.