What missed call text-back actually does
When someone calls your GoHighLevel phone number and the call goes unanswered whether you are on another job, driving or simply away from your phone GHL automatically sends them a text message. The message goes out within 30 to 60 seconds of the missed call. It looks like it came from you personally, not from a robot.
The contact is simultaneously added to your CRM if they are not already there, and the call is logged as a missed call in their contact record. Everything is visible in your unified inbox the moment you are free to follow up.
Why it matters for service businesses
Most homeowners searching for a service contractor call two or three businesses and go with whoever responds first. When you miss a call and do not respond within five minutes, the odds of reaching that lead drop by over 80 percent. They have already called someone else.
The missed call text-back changes this dynamic. Instead of the lead moving on, they get a response within 60 seconds that keeps the conversation open. Most people will reply to the text and wait for your call back especially when the message sounds personal and explains you are with a customer.
For a roofing company quoting $8,000 to $15,000 jobs, recovering two extra leads per month from missed calls pays for an entire year of GHL in a single job. The math works at every price point above a few hundred dollars per job.
Step 1: Create the workflow
Log into GoHighLevel and go to Automation > Workflows > Create Workflow. Choose Start from Scratch. Name it something clear like "Missed Call Text-Back" so you can find it later.
Click Add New Trigger and search for Missed Call. Select it. You can leave the filters empty to catch all missed calls, or add a filter for specific phone numbers if you have multiple lines and only want the automation on certain ones.
Step 2: Write your message
Click the plus icon below the trigger to add your first action. Select Send SMS. Write your message in the text field. Use the personalization tokens to insert the contact's first name and your business name.
Keep the message under 160 characters to avoid it splitting into multiple SMS segments, which looks messy. The best missed call messages are direct and human. Here is the format that works best:
"Hi {{contact.first_name}}, this is [Name] from [Business]. Sorry I missed your call. I am with a customer right now. What can I help you with?"
Do not include your website, a sales pitch or multiple questions. One simple question at the end ("What can I help you with?") is enough to start the conversation.
Step 3: Set the timing
Below the SMS action, you will see a delay option. Set it to 0 minutes for maximum effectiveness. The faster the text goes out, the higher your reply rate. A 60-second response to a missed call is far more impressive to a potential customer than a text arriving 10 minutes later.
You can also add business hours filtering if you do not want texts going out at 2am. Go to Workflow Settings > Allow workflow to run only during business hours and set your hours. Outside those hours the workflow queues and fires at the start of the next business day.
Step 4: Add follow-up steps
The basic missed call text-back is a single SMS. To make it more effective, add a follow-up sequence for contacts who do not reply.
After the initial SMS action, add a Wait step for 2 hours. Then add an If/Else branch that checks if the contact has replied. If yes, end the workflow. If no, send a second shorter message:
"Hey {{contact.first_name}}, just following up. Happy to give you a quick call when it suits you. What time works?"
Wait another 24 hours. Add one final follow-up if still no reply:
"Hi {{contact.first_name}}, I tried to reach you after your call. If you still need help with [service type], I am available this week. Just reply here and we will sort it out."
Three touches over 24 hours is the right amount. More than that and you cross into annoying territory.
Step 5: Test before going live
Before publishing, test the workflow. Call your GHL number from your personal phone and do not answer it. Wait 60 to 90 seconds. You should receive the text on your personal phone. Check that the name personalization worked and the message reads naturally.
If the text does not arrive, check: (1) the workflow is published not draft, (2) your GHL phone number is correctly connected under Settings > Phone Numbers, (3) Twilio is showing no errors in your account. Once the test works, you are live.
See also: estimate follow-up tutorial
Message templates by trade
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