Missed-call text-back sends an automatic message to a caller the moment their call goes unanswered, so the enquiry does not go cold. The idea is simple. The compliance is not, because the rules for texting a person depend on their country, on whether the message counts as marketing, and on what you can prove about consent.
The flow, step by step
- 01A call comes in and is not answered. It rings out, hits voicemail or is busy.
- 02Your phone system or CRM detects the missed call and records the number, the time and the line it came in on.
- 03One message is sent after a short delay, from the business number the caller dialled.
- 04The caller replies, and a named person owns the conversation from there.
- 05A reminder fires to that owner before the first-reply deadline, counted in working hours (see the response time calculator).
- 06The outcome is recorded: booked, quoted, not a fit, or no reply.
A message that stays on the safe side
Keep the text to a reply to the call, not a promotion. An example you can adapt is below. It identifies the sender, offers a next step, contains no offer or discount, and gives a way to opt out. Send it once, and do not enrol the number in a campaign because they called.
“Hi, this is [Business]. Sorry we missed your call. How can we help? Reply here, or we will call you back during opening hours. Reply STOP to opt out.”
What each regulator says
These four are the regimes we have checked against the regulators’ own guidance. They concern marketing messages, so how a plain reply to a missed call is classified is a question for your adviser. We do not cover the United States here: its rules differ and you should get local advice before sending.
| Country | What the regulator says | What it means for the text-back |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (ICO, PECR) | You must not send marketing emails or texts to individuals without specific consent, with a limited soft opt-in for your own previous customers. Consent must be clear, specific and given by a positive action | Keep the message non-promotional, and capture consent before anything marketing follows |
| Canada (CRTC, CASL) | Opt-in consent is required for most commercial electronic messages, and the person claiming consent must be able to prove it | Log every call and message, and keep the evidence behind any follow-up |
| Australia (ACMA, Spam Act 2003) | Commercial messages need consent (express, or inferred from conduct and relationship), sender identification and a functional unsubscribe that is free and honoured within five business days | Name the business in the text and include a working opt-out |
| Singapore (PDPC, Do Not Call) | With clear, unambiguous consent you do not need to check the Do Not Call Registry for that number; exempt messages need an opt-out and must stop within 30 days of one | Capture consent where you can, and honour opt-outs fast |
A setup checklist
- 01Decide the country list your callers are in and read the regulator’s page for each.
- 02Write one short, non-promotional message per language, with the sender’s name and an opt-out line.
- 03Log every call and every text with a timestamp, so you can show what was sent and why.
- 04Limit it to one message per missed call, and exclude numbers that opted out.
- 05Test with your own number from each country you serve, including what happens after hours.
- 06Assign an owner and a deadline so the reply is answered, not just the call acknowledged.
SMS versus WhatsApp
A text-back by SMS and one by WhatsApp are different. A missed call does not open a WhatsApp conversation, so a WhatsApp message to that number outside an open 24-hour window has to use an approved template. Meta charges per delivered template message and lists the rules on its pricing page. The message cost calculator works out the cost from the rates you enter.
What we do and do not claim
Provixon builds follow-up automation for service businesses, including missed-call flows. We do not publish an automation result yet, so this is method, not a track record. Nothing here is legal advice.