How it works

How missed call text back works

The short answer
When a customer calls your business and you do not answer, the unanswered call is routed to TextApprentice, which texts the caller within seconds. The caller replies by text, and the reply lands straight on your phone. Setup takes about 10 minutes and your advertised number never changes.

TextApprentice is a Canadian missed-call textback service for trades businesses.

The five steps

The customer calls your regular number. Your phone rings exactly as it always does. Nothing changes for answered calls.
You do not pick up. You are under a sink, up a ladder, with another customer, or it is after hours.
The unanswered call routes to TextApprentice. Only calls you miss. Your phone gets the first chance at every call, usually about 10 seconds of ringing.
The caller gets a text within seconds. It names your business, apologizes for the miss, asks what they need, and includes "Reply STOP to opt out."
The caller replies, and you get the details. Their reply and their number land straight on your phone, so you call back knowing what the job is about.

Setup takes about 10 minutes

Setup is a conditional call-forwarding rule on your phone: your phone rings first, and unanswered calls forward to your TextApprentice number after about 10 seconds. Your advertised number never changes, and your message wording is customized for your business during setup.

How to turn it off

You can turn forwarding off any time. Your voicemail picks right back up as if nothing changed.

iPhone: dial ##61# and press call.
Android: open Phone settings, go to Call forwarding, then When unanswered, and turn it off from the same screen.

What TextApprentice does not do

Honest scope matters. TextApprentice does not answer your calls. It does not book appointments or manage your calendar. It texts the missed caller, collects their reply, and puts the details on your phone. That is the whole job, and it is the job most missed calls need.

How it works

How-it-works questions, answered.

Will callers know it is automated?

The text identifies your business by name and asks what they need. It never pretends a person answered the phone.

What if I answer the call?

Nothing happens. TextApprentice only acts on calls you do not answer.

Does it replace my voicemail?

While forwarding is on, unanswered calls go to TextApprentice instead of voicemail. Turn forwarding off and your voicemail works exactly as before.

How fast does the text go out?

Within seconds of the missed call.

Can the message sound like my business?

Yes. The wording is customized for your business and your trade during the 10-minute setup.

What if the caller does not reply?

Then it was not a recovered call, and on the Starter plan you pay nothing for it. No reply means no charge.