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Texting
Business texting for your shop, with missed calls texted back automatically.
A text back to callers you missed, replies from customers that come straight to you, review asks, visit reminders and follow-ups on quotes that went quiet. We handle opt-in, carrier registration and STOP for your shop, all inside one monthly plan.
See how it works in about a minute and a half. Sound on.
What texting does
Missed-call text-back
When you miss a call, the caller gets a text back in your shop's name. If they haven't said yes to texts, they get an email instead.
Two-way texting
Customers can reply to any text. Their replies come straight to you.
Review-ask texts
After a job, customers get a text with three choices: leave a review, refer a friend or send private feedback to the owner. The owner gets each referral and private note by email.
Visit reminders
Repeat customers get reminders before visits, and past customers get friendly check-ins.
Quote follow-ups
Quotes that went quiet get a few polite texts until the customer books or says no.
Opt-in and STOP
We handle opt-in, STOP and HELP for your shop. Customers who haven't opted in get email.
Opt-in, STOP and HELP
- We always ask a shop's customers to opt in before texting them, and they can reply STOP anytime. Reply HELP for help.
- Customers can opt in on the phone, when asked "Can we text you about this request?", or with the text box on your shop's form.
- Anyone who replies STOP stops getting texts, and nothing more goes to that number unless they reply START.
- Customers who haven't opted in get email. Details are in our SMS terms.
Three plans, with business texting included
- System · $279/mo. Business texting, website, Google profile, reviews, calls answered, every lead followed up and past customers brought back.
- System+ · $697/mo. Everything in System, plus Facebook and Instagram ads run for you. $200/mo in ad spend included.
- System++ · $947/mo. Everything in System+, with $400/mo in ad spend included.
Billed monthly, or prepay yearly at signup. No setup fees. We're a newer platform, so the first 500 shops lock in founding pricing for life. Live within 1 to 3 days of paying. Postcards are an add-on. Compare plans
Missed-call text back: keep callers from dialing the next shop
When a customer calls a plumber, roofer, auto shop or salon and gets voicemail, they rarely wait around. They tap the back button on Google and call the next business on the list. Missed-call text back stops that leak by putting a friendly message on their screen in your shop's name while you are still finishing the job in front of you.
- Answered first, then texted. When you miss a call, we answer live to take the caller's name, number, what they need and when to call back. If the caller says yes to texts, we send an immediate confirmation text from your shop.
- Respects customer permission every time. If a caller prefers not to get texts, we send them an email confirmation instead and email the job summary straight to you.
- Opens a two-way thread. The caller can reply to that text with photos, gate codes, or a better time to talk, and their reply lands directly with you.
What to text someone after missing their call (examples)
Two-way texting for business and quote follow-ups
Most customers read a text within a few minutes, while emails and voicemails can sit unread all day. Two-way texting for business lets you and your customers communicate the way people already prefer, without handing out your personal cell phone number to every caller.
- Replies come straight to you. Whenever a customer texts back to a reminder, a missed-call follow-up or an estimate check-in, you get their message right away so you can answer on your schedule.
- Automatic quote and estimate follow-ups. Big quotes for roofs, HVAC replacements, repipes or auto repairs often go quiet while the customer thinks it over. We check in at 3, 10 and 30 days, plus one seasonal nudge, by text for opted-in customers and by email for everyone else.
- Stops the moment they decide. As soon as the customer books the job, replies or says no, the automated follow-up stops immediately.
Review request texts that build your Google profile
Happy customers mean to leave a Google review, but they forget by the time they get home. Sending a review request text right after a completed job or visit catches them while the work is fresh on their mind.
- Sent after every finished job. Mark a visit done in your portal or upload recent visits, and we send the customer a polite follow-up in your shop's name.
- Three clear choices, never review gating. Every customer gets the same three options: leave a public review on Google, refer a friend, or send a private note to the owner. We never filter or block unhappy customers from leaving a review.
- Owner alerts on referrals and notes. If a customer refers a neighbor or sends private feedback, it comes straight to your email so you can follow up personally.
Small business texting for repeat visits and seasonal reminders
The easiest job to book is a customer who already knows and trusts your work. Small business texting keeps your shop in touch between visits without you having to remember who is due this week.
- Trades and home services: Spring AC tune-up reminders, fall heating and water heater flushes, sump pump checks before heavy rain, and annual gutter or roof inspections.
- Auto repair shops: Oil change, tire rotation, state inspection and recommended service reminders timed to the vehicle's visit history.
- Salons and barbershops: Rebooking reminders based on each client's normal haircut or color cycle, plus a friendly win-back note if a regular misses two cycles.
- Restaurants and storefronts: Repeat-visit check-ins and seasonal specials to customers who opted in to hear from your shop.
10DLC registration, opt-in and STOP handled for you
In the United States, mobile carriers require every business text messaging service to register its brand and campaign (called A2P 10DLC registration) and follow strict opt-in and opt-out rules. If you try to set up a texting tool on your own, carrier paperwork and rejected forms can stall you for weeks. We handle the entire setup for your shop.
- Carrier registration done for you. When you sign up, we submit your shop's registration to the mobile carriers. Approval typically takes 1 to 2 weeks, and your website, call answering and email outreach run from day one while carriers review it.
- Built-in opt-in collection. Your website forms and our phone answering flow ask for clear text permission before a single SMS goes out.
- Automatic STOP and HELP handling. If a customer replies STOP, they are unsubscribed immediately and receive no further texts unless they reply START. Replying HELP returns your shop's support details.
- Email fallback included. Customers who have not opted in to texts never get dropped. They automatically get your follow-ups, review asks and reminders by email.
Business text messaging service vs standalone SMS apps
Most software tools sell you an empty texting dashboard and leave the writing, carrier forms and daily follow-up to you. Here is how a standalone texting app compares with BuiltForShops.
| Option | What you get | What is left on your plate |
|---|---|---|
| Personal cell phone | Free and already in your pocket | No auto-replies when you are on a job, no opt-out tracking, and work texts mixed into family messages at night |
| Standalone SMS app | A web or phone inbox with per-user or per-message pricing | 10DLC registration forms, writing templates, answering phone calls yourself and manually triggering follow-ups |
| BuiltForShops System | Missed-call text back, two-way texting, quote follow-ups, review texts and visit reminders, plus website, Google profile and 24/7 call answering | Replying to customers who want to book and doing the work. $279/mo, no setup fees |
Want to see how our phone answering and texting work together? Read more about 24/7 call answering, getting more Google reviews and bringing past customers back.
Business texting questions, straight answers
Can I automatically text back a missed call?
Yes. When you miss a call and our call answering picks up, callers who agree to receive texts get an automatic text back in your shop's name right away. If a caller has not opted in to texts, we send them an email instead and email the call details to you so you can follow up.
What to text someone after missing their call?
Keep it short, name your shop, let them know you got their call, and invite them to reply with any extra details. For example: 'Hi Sam, it is [Your Shop]. We got your call about the water heater and have your info. We will call you back shortly, or you can reply right here. Reply STOP to opt out.' That reassures the customer so they do not dial the next shop on Google.
What is the best business text messaging app?
The best choice depends on whether you want another inbox to manage yourself or a service that runs the follow-up for you. Standalone small business texting apps give you a login where you type every message, build your own templates and file your own carrier paperwork. BuiltForShops handles business texting for you inside one monthly plan alongside your website, Google profile, 24/7 call answering, quote follow-ups and review requests.
How do I send a professional text?
Identify your shop right at the start, use the customer's first name, keep the message to two or three plain sentences, include one clear next step, send during reasonable hours, and only text customers who have opted in with a clear way to reply STOP.
Do customers have to opt in to texts?
Yes. Mobile carriers and federal rules require clear permission before a business sends texts. We collect opt-in on your website request form and when our answering service asks callers if we may text them about their request. Anyone who has not opted in gets email instead.
Is texting extra?
No. Business texting is included in every BuiltForShops plan starting with System at $279/mo, with no per-message fees and no setup fees. The only optional add-ons are targeted postcards and, for restaurants, $99/mo commission-free online ordering that sends orders straight into Clover or Square.
How long does carrier approval take before texting turns on?
Texting turns on about 1 to 2 weeks after signup once the mobile carriers approve your business registration. While carrier approval is in progress, your website, call answering and email follow-ups go live within 1 to 3 days of paying.
Do I keep my business phone number?
Yes. You keep your existing phone number for voice calls, and missed calls forward to us with a short code you dial on your phone. Outbound texts send from a registered business texting number in your shop's name, and customer replies route straight to you.
Will you text my customers without permission?
No. We always ask a shop's customers to opt in before texting them, and they can reply STOP anytime. Reply HELP for help. Texts only go to customers who agreed to them. Everyone else gets email.
What happens when someone replies STOP?
They stop getting texts from that number, and nothing more is sent unless they reply START.
Do I get texts too?
You get job alerts by text if you check the box on the signup form. Otherwise they come by email.
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