FreeA texting number + your phoneAbout 50 min
Text Back a Missed Call the Right Way
A missed call text sends a short reply to someone who just called and got no answer. Done right, it saves jobs. Done wrong, it breaks the law and gets your number blocked.
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Why This Matters
The worst mistake is turning texting into a cold blast. We ran a cold text drip and turned it off after 49 STOP replies. We no longer cold text. A reply to a person who called you is different from texting a list of strangers, and you must keep it that way.
✓ How To Do It
- Pick the numbers that may text. Only a number that a caller reached you on, or that a customer gave you, belongs on this list.
- Write the text. Keep it short and plain. Say who you are, say you missed the call and ask what they need. Add Reply STOP to opt out.
- Send nothing but that. No ads, no coupons, no links to offers.
- Read the federal rule on calls and texts. It requires prior express written consent for marketing texts, so a reply to a call must stay a reply and not a promotion.
- Register your texting number. Twilio explains A2P 10DLC registration, and any texting service you use will walk you through its own steps.
- Wait for approval before you send to real people. Registration can take days.
- Set STOP to work. When someone replies STOP, add them to a stop list and send nothing more.
- Set quiet hours. Do not send texts late at night or very early in the morning.
- Test by calling your own business line from a second phone and letting it go unanswered. Check the text arrives, then reply STOP and confirm nothing else comes.
- Check results each month. If STOP replies climb, your message or list is wrong.
Done WhenSave the approved registration, a screenshot of the test text and the STOP test result.
Reference List
Optional Paid Shortcut
We use HighLevel for this. It can send a text you write to a caller who missed you, and it handles STOP replies. You would not need it if your phone service already sends missed call texts.
Try HighLevelPaid link. We earn a commission if you buy through it. It costs you nothing extra.
Not needed to finish this step.
Tips & Pitfalls
- A person should answer when someone replies.
- Never buy a list of numbers to text.
- If a call was spam, do not text it.