Buyer's guide
How to choose a missed-call text-back service for contractors
Missed-call text-back sends an automatic text to anyone whose call you couldn't answer, so they hear from your business instead of calling the next contractor. Services differ a lot in how they handle your number, carrier rules, follow-up and support. Use these questions to compare any option, including ours.
11 questions to ask any provider
- Do you keep your business number? Some services require porting your number; others forward missed calls and text from a separate number. Ask exactly what changes for your customers and what happens to your number if you cancel.
- How fast does the first text go out, and what does it say? The point is speed. Ask for the actual delay and an example message. It should name your business and say you'll follow up, not pretend to be you.
- Is texting registered with the carriers? U.S. carriers require business texting to be registered (A2P 10DLC). Unregistered texts are often filtered or blocked. Ask who handles registration and how long approval takes, which is usually a few weeks.
- How are opt-outs and quiet hours handled? Every message program should honor STOP immediately and avoid texting late at night. Ask for their consent and quiet-hour rules in writing.
- Who sets it up and who supports it? Self-serve tools are cheaper but you write the messages and troubleshoot. Managed services do setup for you. Decide how much of your own time you want to spend.
- Does it follow up on estimates, or just the first text? Many lost jobs are quotes that went quiet, not unanswered calls. Check whether follow-ups are included, how often they go out, and whether they stop when the customer replies.
- Does it ask for reviews the right way? Review requests should be simple and honest. Google's policies prohibit offering incentives for reviews, and review gating (only asking happy customers) is against its guidelines.
- Does it book appointments, or do you? Know exactly which steps are automatic and which are yours. Some services schedule for you; others deliver your replies. Neither is wrong, but you should know which you're paying for.
- What does it really cost? Compare monthly price, setup fees, per-message or per-number charges, usage caps and contract length. Ask what happens when you go over a cap.
- Can you cancel easily? Look for month-to-month terms and a clear statement of when service ends after you cancel.
- Does it work with the tools you already use? If you use a field-service app, ask whether it connects today or only later, and what you'd do by hand in the meantime.
Self-serve or managed?
Self-serve software usually costs less per month, and you set up the messages, number and registration yourself. Managed services cost more and handle setup and support for you. If your evenings are already full of paperwork, your time is part of the price.
How Retain Bridge answers these questions
For transparency, here are our own answers. Hold us to the same checklist.
| Question | Retain Bridge |
|---|---|
| Business number | Keep it; missed calls forward to us; texts from a separate local number |
| First text | Automatic, within seconds, names your business |
| Carrier registration | We handle it; usually about 14 days |
| STOP and quiet hours | STOP honored immediately; texts 9 AM–8 PM |
| Setup | Done for you; under an hour of your time |
| Estimate follow-up | Day 3, 7 and 14 on Follow-Up Pro and Done-For-You; stops on reply |
| Review requests | One text with your Google link; no incentives, no gating |
| Booking | You reply and pick the time; Done-For-You scheduling coming soon |
| Price | $129 / $297 / $597 per month; caps of 150 leads (Text-Back) and 500 conversations (others) |
| Contract | Month to month; service runs through the end of your paid month |
| Integrations | Jobber / Housecall Pro sync coming soon |
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