Many electrical contractors run the business from the owner's cell phone, with maybe an office line for a part-time bookkeeper. That's worth sorting out before setting up a text-back, because the number you cover decides which calls get a reply.
Cell phone or office line?
If your cell is the number on your truck and your Google Business Profile, cover that. If customers mostly call an office line that forwards to you, cover that one instead, or both. The aim is simple: whatever number a new customer dials, an unanswered call gets a text back.
One thing to keep in mind if you use a personal cell: friends and family who call and miss you will get the business text too. Some owners are fine with that. Others decide it's a good reason to finally separate the business line.
Setup in order
- Name the line or lines to cover.
- Set your hours. Callers inside them get the daytime text; callers outside them get the after-hours text.
- Write both texts. Keep the after-hours one clear about when you'll call back and what to reply with.
- Choose how replies reach you. A Client Hub inbox on your phone, a forwarded text to your cell, email, or a mix.
- Get the texting line ready. We set up the text-back line for you, so there's nothing to install on your end.
- Turn on forwarding for unanswered calls. On a cell phone, it's a short dial code. On an office phone service, it's a setting in the provider's portal. Setup covers the steps for your line.
- Make a test call. From another phone, call your business number and let it ring out. Check that the text arrives and your reply shows up where you picked.
What it's like once it's running
Your phone rings as usual, and you answer when your hands are clear. When they're not, the call forwards once it rings out, and the caller has your text a few seconds later.
You'll come off a job and find a short list of replies instead of a list of unknown numbers. "Breaker keeps tripping when the dryer runs" or "want a quote for a sub-panel in the garage" is enough to plan your callbacks and decide which ones to return first.
Worth deciding up front
- Who reads the replies. If someone else schedules for you, send replies to them too.
- Your callback habit. The text buys some patience, not unlimited patience. A same-day callback keeps it working.
- Seasonal wording. Storm season might call for a different after-hours text than the rest of the year.
Switching it off
Forwarding can be turned off with a dial code or the portal setting whenever you want, and the service is month to month. Everything setup covers is listed on the Missed-Call Text-Back page.
Related reading
Missed-Call Text-Back is a text-back tool: it replies to the calls you can't pick up, and it doesn't answer calls for you. It's $89/mo list, or $49/mo at the founding rate while founding spots last, billed monthly with no contract. If it sounds like a fit, see how Missed-Call Text-Back works.