Missed call text back for small businesses

What missed-call text back does

When someone calls and nobody answers, an automatic text message goes to the caller’s number, for example: “Hi, this is Studio Lena. Sorry we missed your call! Reply here and we will help.” Many people who would never leave a voicemail are happy to reply to a text.

With an AI receptionist behind it, the reply does not just sit in an inbox. The assistant answers simple questions straight away, such as opening hours or prices you have listed, and asks for the details you need to call back. You get an email with the conversation.

Two ways to set it up

Option 1: forward unanswered calls to a Twilio number

Keep your current business number. In your phone or with your mobile carrier, turn on conditional call forwarding (“forward when unanswered” or “forward when busy”) to your Twilio number. When a forwarded call reaches Twilio, the caller hears a short message, the call ends and the text goes out. The codes for this differ by carrier and country, so check your carrier’s help pages.

Option 2: use the Twilio number as your business number

Give customers the Twilio number. Each call first rings your own phone for about 20 seconds. If you answer, you talk as normal. If nobody answers, the caller gets the text. In our AI receptionist this is the Ring this phone first setting.

What to write in the text

• Say who you are, so the message is not mistaken for spam: your business name first.
• Apologise briefly and invite a reply: “Reply here and we will help.”
• Keep it under 160 characters so it is sent as one SMS.
• Say that an assistant will answer if it is an AI, for example “our AI assistant will help you right away”.

Hi, this is {business}. Sorry we missed your call! Reply here and our AI assistant will help you right away.

Rules for texting US numbers

In the United States, businesses that send texts from a local 10-digit number must register under A2P 10DLC. Twilio blocks messages from unregistered US local numbers. Toll-free numbers need toll-free verification instead. Registration is done in your Twilio console and has small fees that Twilio charges you. Plan for it before you switch the feature on for US callers.

In the UK, EU and Australia the rules are lighter, but you still need a number that can receive replies. A sender name instead of a number (an alphanumeric sender ID) cannot receive replies, so it does not work for a conversation.

What it costs

You pay Twilio directly for the phone number, the call minutes and each text, at Twilio’s prices for your country. A missed-call text and a short conversation usually cost a few cents. Our AI receptionist adds no charge per message; it uses your own Twilio and AI accounts.

Setting it up with our AI receptionist

1. Create a Twilio account and buy a number that supports voice and SMS in your country.
2. In Connections, add your Twilio Account SID, Auth token and phone number, and test the connection.
3. Copy the two webhook addresses shown after saving into your Twilio number’s settings: one for calls, one for messages.
4. In the AI receptionist, open WhatsApp and missed calls, tick Text back missed callers and answer their text messages, and write your text.
5. Turn on call forwarding to the Twilio number, or fill in Ring this phone first.
6. Call your number from another phone, let it ring out, and reply to the text you get.

The full steps are in the connections guide and the AI receptionist guide.

Sources

• Twilio: A2P 10DLC registration
• Twilio error 30034: message from an unregistered number