What should a missed-call text back say?
A good missed-call text back says who you are, that you're on the job, and what you need to know to help. Ask for their name, suburb and what the job is, and say when you'll call back. Keep it to two or three short sentences, sound like yourself, and don't promise a price or a time you can't keep.
The five things it should say
Most people ring two or three tradies in a row. The first one to reply usually gets the conversation. So the text has to do a lot in very few words.
1. Who you are. Use your business name. The customer might not have saved your number, and they may have rung a few places.
2. Why you missed them. Keep it simple. “Sorry I missed your call, I'm on a job.” That's honest and people get it.
3. What you need from them. Ask for their name, suburb and a quick description of the job. That lets you call back already knowing what it's about.
4. When they'll hear from you. Give a window you can actually meet, like “this afternoon” or “first thing tomorrow”.
5. An easy way to reply. Tell them they can text back, and send photos if it helps. Plenty of people would rather text than wait for a call.
Wording you can copy
General version: “Hi, it's [name] from [business]. Sorry I missed your call, I'm on a job. Can you text me your name, suburb and what you need done? I'll call you back [this afternoon].”
Photos version: “Thanks for calling [business]. I'm on the tools right now. Send through your suburb and a photo of the job if you can, and I'll get back to you today.”
After hours version: “Thanks for calling [business]. We're closed for the day. Text us your name, suburb and what's going on, and we'll call you first thing in the morning. If it's an emergency and someone's in danger, call triple zero.”
Change the words so they sound like you. If you're casual on the phone, be casual in the text. Customers can tell when a message sounds like a robot wrote it.
What to leave out
Don't quote a price. You don't know the job yet. A number in a text becomes a number you're held to.
Don't promise a time you can't keep. “Within 10 minutes” sounds good until you're up a ladder. Say a window you'll hit.
Don't write an essay. Two or three sentences is plenty. Long texts get skimmed or ignored.
Don't ask ten questions. Name, suburb and the job are enough to start. You can ask the rest on the phone.
One more thing. The Spam Act 2003 covers commercial electronic messages in Australia. A reply to someone who just rang you is a different case from a marketing blast, but check the Australian Communications and Media Authority's guidance for your own situation.
How AI sends it without changing how you work
You don't need to stop and tap out a reply from the roof. GOLDSTACK sets up the text back to fire as soon as a call goes unanswered, on the number you already use.
When the customer replies, the AI can read the message, pull out the name, suburb and job type, and note any photos they've sent. It then puts it all in one tidy summary for you, rather than a trail of texts to piece together.
You keep your phone, your number and your usual way of working. The difference is that the customer hears back in seconds, not hours, and you start the callback already knowing the job.
Keep a person approving the important bits
The text back is there to start the conversation. It isn't there to make decisions for you.
Anything that matters stays with you: quotes, booking times, whether you take the job at all. The AI can draft a reply or suggest a time, but you read it and approve it before it goes out.
Start with wording you're happy to see under your business name. If a customer replies with something urgent or tricky, it's flagged so you can ring them yourself.
Common questions
How long should a missed-call text back be?
Two or three short sentences. Say who you are, that you missed the call, and what you need from them. Anything longer tends to get skimmed.
Should I put a price or availability in the text?
No. You haven't seen the job yet, so leave pricing for the callback or a proper quote. For availability, give a callback window you can meet rather than a job date.
Should the text come from my own number?
Yes, that's usually best. Customers recognise it, they can reply straight back, and it feels like you rather than a system.
Can AI send the text back and still let me approve things?
Yes. The AI can send the first reply and collect the details, while you approve quotes, bookings and anything else that matters before it goes to the customer.