Follow-Up Text Pack

The FOLLOW videos promised four things, and all four are below.

Before you send any text in this pack

Texting customers from a business number in the US needs A2P 10DLC registration. The Campaign Registry says any business texting customers from a standard 10-digit number must register, through its texting provider. Confirm your number is registered before you turn on automatic texts.

Each template names your company. CTIA guidance says senders should tell people how to opt out, so the first text to a new contact ends with a STOP line.

1. The text before the call

People let unknown numbers ring. Send this from the number you'll call from, then call about a minute later.

Hi [Name], it's [Rep] with [Company]. We got your request about your [project]. I'm calling you in a minute from this number. Reply STOP to opt out.

If they don't pick up:

Hi [Name], [Rep] with [Company] again. Sorry I missed you. When's a good time today for a quick call about your [project]?

2. The 48-hour schedule

Make it a rule: at least two calls and a text in the first 48 hours, logged on each lead.

Once a week, count how many of last month's leads got a second call.

3. Day-3 and day-7 estimate follow-ups

Send both from the estimator's own number.

Day 3: Hi [Name], it's [Estimator] with [Company]. Any questions on the quote? Happy to walk through it.

Day 7: Hi [Name], [Estimator] with [Company]. We have an opening on the schedule the week of [Day]. Want me to hold it for you?

Have one person call every open estimate on Fridays.

Jobber (Connect plan and up): Gear icon > Settings > Automations > Quotes. You get two quote follow-ups, each a set number of days after the quote was sent, so set them to 3 and 7. They go out on the same channel as the quote.

Housecall Pro: Pipeline > gear icon > Estimates board. Follow-ups fire after a set number of days in Sent. Turn off Smart Recommendations to choose 3 and 7 yourself. After the third follow-up the estimate is marked declined. Editing the text needs Custom SMS.

4. The full sequence

In the first minute a new lead should hear two things: a real person got the request, and exactly who will call them and when. The name and the time give them a reason to wait for you.

Hi [Name], thanks for reaching out to [Company]. [CSR] got your request and will call you by [Time] from this number. Reply STOP to opt out.

If the call will be the next morning:

Hi [Name], thanks for contacting [Company]. We're closed for the night. [CSR] will call you tomorrow by [Time]. Reply STOP to opt out.

1. Set the text to go out automatically when a lead arrives, or have the CSR send it from a saved template.
2. Use a real name and a real time window, such as within the hour.
3. Have the named person call by that time. Log it on the lead.
4. Look at last week's leads and check how many got the call by the promised time.

In Housecall Pro, the first name in auto-replies comes from the Dispatch/Messaging POC setting under Team & Permissions, so set that to the person who actually calls.

Weekend leads that wait until Monday have had two days to book whoever answered first. Two pieces fix it: an automatic text in the first minute with a link to book, and one person on call for weekends.

Hi [Name], thanks for reaching out to [Company]. Pick a time for your free estimate here: [Booking link]. [On-call name] is on call this weekend and will reach out today. Reply STOP to opt out.

1. Get your booking link. In Jobber it's under Settings > Requests and Bookings > Share links. In Housecall Pro, use your online booking link.
2. Set the text to fire on new leads that arrive Friday evening through Sunday.
3. Put one person on call each weekend and rotate it. Their job is a same-day call to each weekend lead.
4. On Monday, list the weekend's leads with the time each got its first call. Any lead that waited overnight is one to look at with the on-call person.

Between the signed quote and the install, most customers hear nothing from you. So they call the office to check, and some cancel. Three short texts keep them posted at the points where they'd otherwise call. Because these are updates about their job, ask for the okay to text when they sign, and put the STOP line on the first one.

1. When the job is scheduled.
2. When materials arrive.
3. The night before the crew shows up.

Hi [Name], it's [Company]. Your [project] is on the schedule for [Day]. We'll text you when materials are in and again the night before. Reply STOP to opt out.

Hi [Name], [Company] here. Materials for your [project] arrived and you're still set for [Day]. Questions? Just reply.

Hi [Name], [Company] here. The crew arrives tomorrow, [Day], between [Time window]. [Crew lead] is your crew lead. Reply here if anything changes on your end.

Save all three as templates so anyone in the office can send them. Make the materials text part of the job for whoever checks in the delivery. If a date slips, text the new date the same day, before the customer has to ask.

Count the places a new lead can land: the web form, Facebook, voicemail, the office line, somebody's cell. Each one is its own list, and nobody owns all of them. The fix is one queue for all of them, with one owner per lead.

1. List every place a lead can arrive.
2. Pick the one queue. For most shops it's the leads or requests list in your field software.
3. Point every source at it. Forms and booking links feed it directly. Calls and voicemails get entered by hand the moment they come in.
4. Give each lead an owner and a lead source.
5. Each week, count how many leads sat over an hour before first contact.

Jobber

Requests is the list Jobber calls "the inbox for all your requests." Form and booking submissions land there automatically. For Facebook, copy the form link from Settings > Requests and Bookings > Share links (use the Facebook link under Automated Lead Tracking) and put it on your page's Contact Us button. On Google Business Profile, a connected profile shows a Book Online button, or you can add the link under Booking. Phone calls and emails get created as requests by your team. Set the Lead Source on each client and turn on new-request notifications.

Housecall Pro

Job Inbox collects your own Lead Form and Online Booking leads. It also pulls in partners such as Google Local Service Ads, Yelp, Angi Leads and Thumbtack. Facebook isn't on that list, so enter those leads as a new Lead. Lead Form submissions also appear in Pipeline under New Lead. Set the owner in the Lead assignee field and filter the Pipeline board by employee to see each person's leads. Lead sources live under Settings > Lead Sources and report under Reporting > Reports.