Missed call follow-up message templates
After a missed call, send the caller one short message saying sorry you missed them and inviting them to tell you what they need by message, or to pick a time for a call back.
When to use it
Use these for people who just called your business number and you could not answer. They contacted you, so a quick message is helpful rather than cold.
Send it within a few minutes if you can. Many callers try the next business on their list straight away.
On WhatsApp, a message to a caller who has never chatted with you starts a new chat, which counts towards the account’s limits for new chats. Keep it to people who actually called.
8 templates to copy
Copy a template, replace the words in square brackets, and read it once before you send it. Change anything that does not sound like you, because customers answer messages that sound like a real person who knows them.
1. Sorry I missed you · WhatsApp · Friendly
Hi, this is [your name] from [business]. Sorry I missed your call! I am [with a customer or on a job] right now. Could you tell me here what you need, and I will reply as soon as I can?2. Short version · WhatsApp · Short
Hi, [business] here. Sorry I missed your call. How can I help?3. Call-back time · WhatsApp · Helpful
Hi, sorry I could not pick up. I can call you back at [time] or [time] today. Which is better? Or just message me here if that is easier.4. Booking link · Any channel · Helpful
Hi, [business] here, sorry we missed your call. If you were calling to book, you can see our open slots and book here: [link]. Otherwise, just reply with your question.5. Messenger follow-up · Messenger · Friendly
Hi [name], sorry we missed your call on Messenger. What can we help you with? Reply here and we will get straight back to you.6. Email follow-up · Email · Professional
Subject: Sorry we missed your call
Hello [name],
Sorry we missed your call earlier. Please reply with what you need and a good time to call you back, and we will be in touch.
Kind regards,
[your name]
[business]7. Emergency trades · Any channel · Clear
Sorry I missed your call. If this is an emergency, such as [example], reply URGENT and your address and I will call you straight back.8. After hours · Any channel · Friendly
Thanks for calling [business]. We are closed right now, but if you message here, we will reply when we open at [time].What to avoid
- Messaging numbers that did not call you.
- Sending more than one follow-up for the same missed call.
- Long sales messages. The caller wanted something specific; ask what it was.
- Saving callers to a list and messaging them later about offers.
- Forgetting to say who you are. Callers may not have your number saved.
Give this to your AI agent
Paste this into your AI agent’s instructions and replace the words in square brackets. Your agent then follows the same rules every time. What else to tell your AI agent.
When we miss a call, send the caller one short message within a few minutes saying who we are, sorry we missed them, and asking what they need, or offering two call-back times. Only message numbers that actually called us, only once per missed call, and never add callers to any list. If it sounds urgent, alert [staff name] straight away.Channel rules that apply
- WhatsApp. WhatsApp restricts automation and bulk sending on ordinary and Business app numbers, so treat automated sending as a risk you manage rather than one you remove. Reply in chats customers started, and never broadcast these messages to a list. Spaces keeps a connected number to at most 200 messages and 10 new chats a day, and a newly connected number warms up over four weeks. WhatsApp limits
- Messenger. Like Instagram, Messenger limits messages to people who have not replied, so replies in existing chats work best. Keep to people who wrote to your Page first. Messenger limits
- Email. A new chat here is a new email thread. Replies on a thread someone started are not held back by the warm-up. Spaces sends one email at a time to one person, never bulk email. Email limits
Spaces lowers the risk of a restricted account with enforced limits, warm-up and pacing, but no tool can guarantee a platform will not act on an account. How Spaces keeps accounts safe.
FAQ
Is it OK to WhatsApp someone who called me?
Yes, if they called your business and a message would help them. Keep it to one short, clear message, and say who you are.
How fast should I follow up a missed call?
Within a few minutes if you can. Callers often ring the next business on their list straight away.
Does a missed call message count as a new chat?
On WhatsApp it does if you have not chatted before, so it counts towards the new-chat limits Spaces keeps on each number. Replies in existing chats are not held back by warm-up.
Can I send this missed call follow-up message to all my customers at once?
No. Send each message to one person who contacted you, booked or bought from you. Bulk messages on WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger are one of the quickest ways to get an account restricted, and Spaces refuses the same cold message sent to many people. A message written for one conversation also gets far better replies.
Can my AI agent use these templates for me?
Yes. Connect your accounts to Spaces and your AI agent can read each chat and reply in your words, using the note on this page as a guide. A scheduled message or a routine can also send a set reply at a time or on a trigger; routines send the exact words you give them and are not an AI. You can turn on approvals so nothing goes out until you say yes, and every message stays inside the account’s sending limits.
Let your AI agent answer for you
Spaces connects your own WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, Messenger, X and email accounts to the AI agent you already use, so it can reply in your words and keep every account inside safe sending limits. No card needed to start a trial.
Related
More enquiries and sales templates: Price enquiry reply, Welcome message, “Is this still available?” reply, Discount request reply, Quote follow-up. All message templates.