Study of 14,354 missed-call texts: 1 in 3 callers reply, most within 5 minutes
192 home service businesses (US & Canada) · US & Canada ·
What they did
The vendor analyzed every missed-call text back sent through its platform in the first seven months of 2026 to see whether an instant text recovers the lead.
Reported results
- 32.7% overall reply rate (4,698 replies)
- Nearly three quarters replied within five minutes
- 1,619 conversations became billable leads
- Nine in ten recovered conversations happened entirely by text
Tools
Missed-call text back (99 Calls)
Cost
Not disclosed
Source
99 Calls: https://99calls.com/blog/does-missed-call-text-back-work
Vendor data study. Source checked 2026-10-20. Results are as reported by the source, not independently audited.
Try it yourself: starter prompt
Our suggested prompt for an AI assistant (ChatGPT, Claude, Grok or your phone-agent tool). It is not from the source.
You are the phone assistant for an HVAC company. When the owner can't answer, greet the caller, get their name, callback number, address and what's wrong, ask how urgent it is (emergency today vs. this week), and tell them the owner will call back within 15 minutes. Never quote a price or promise a time. Then text the owner a 3-line summary.