What it is
When someone calls your business and doesn't get through, the system automatically sends them an SMS within seconds. The message acknowledges the call, identifies your business, and starts a conversation: "Hi, it's [your business], sorry we missed your call. What can we help with?" The caller replies, the conversation continues, and in many cases the job gets qualified and booked entirely over text, without you making a callback at all.
Why seconds matter
A caller who reaches voicemail hangs up and dials the next business on their list. Research on lead response consistently shows the odds of converting an enquiry collapse within minutes of first contact, the MIT/InsideSales study found the odds of even making contact dropped 100-fold between a 5-minute and 30-minute response. Text-back lands while the customer is still holding their phone, before they've called anyone else.
What the conversation looks like
The flow is built around your business. Typically the first message acknowledges the missed call and asks what the customer needs. From there, the system can ask qualifying questions, job type, suburb, urgency, and either book directly, or hand the qualified lead to you for a callback with the context already gathered. You see the whole conversation thread, and you can step in at any point.
Is it legal to text someone who called you?
Yes, a prompt, relevant reply to a missed call sits within the inferred consent provisions of the Spam Act 2003, provided the message identifies your business and includes an opt-out. Clearline builds every flow to meet those requirements by default. The full picture is in the SMS compliance guide.
What it works alongside
Text-back covers the calls that ring out. For businesses that want every call answered outright, it pairs with AI phone answering, the voice agent takes the call, and text-back catches anything that slips through. Together, no enquiry goes unanswered, at any hour.