Automatically text back every call you miss
“I'm missing calls when I'm with a client, and those people just call the next place on the list.”
View fix
Operations
Stop answering basic questions on the phone
“Half the calls I take are just asking for our hours, location, or parking, which interrupts real work.”
The short answer
Set up a simple phone menu (IVR) that answers the most common questions before the phone even rings on your desk. By routing callers with 'Press 1 for hours and location, Press 2 to book, Press 3 for anything else', you immediately filter out non-revenue calls. You can have a pre-recorded message answer the basic questions and only ring your actual phone when a human really needs to speak to you.
- ~4 hours/week back (estimated)
- 30 minutes to set up
- Medium difficulty
How we estimated that: Assumes 20 repetitive calls a day at about 90 seconds each, front desk time only. This is a model, not a measurement — check it against your own numbers, because if the assumption does not match your business the figure will not either.
What you'll need
- OpenPhone leanest paid option
Excellent, easy-to-use phone menu builder.
Watch the pricing: Starter is $15/user/mo billed annually ($180/yr per seat) or $19/user/mo billed monthly; Business is $23/user/mo billed annually or $33/user/mo monthly. Phone menus (IVR) require the Business tier ($23+/user/mo).
Pricing checked 2026-10-28 — source.
Wall check Gates 5/5 ! Price ! Permission ! Gate ! Meter ! Exit what we found No free plan; your number can port out but texting requires a human-reviewed registration first. - Dialpad
Robust business phone system with good IVR.
Watch the pricing: Standard plan is $15/user/mo billed annually ($180/yr per seat) or $27/user/mo billed monthly (1 seat min). Pro plan ($25/user/mo annually or $35 monthly) enforces a 3-seat minimum requirement ($75+/mo min spend).
Pricing checked 2026-10-28 — source.
Wall check Gates 5/5 ! Price ! Permission ! Gate ! Meter ! Exit what we found AI-powered PBX with strong entry price but 1-year contract requirements. - Google Voice paid tier needed for this
Only available on the paid Google Workspace version.
Not on the free tier: A phone menu / auto-attendant is NOT in personal Google Voice. It requires Google Voice Standard at $20/user/mo. The free tier will not do what this fix describes.
Free until: Personal Google Voice is free for 1 user with an existing US mobile number and single phone number (subject to account activity requirements).
Watch the pricing: Auto attendants / IVR call routing and multi-user management require paid Google Workspace add-on starting at $10/user/mo (Starter) up to $20/user/mo (Standard for auto attendants).
Pricing checked 2026-10-28 — source.
Wall check Gates 5/5 ! Price ! Permission ! Gate ! Meter ! Exit what we found Consumer is free; Workspace version requires a Workspace license.
● Official Implementation Blueprint · Public Engineering Release
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- ✓ Complete step-by-step setup instructions
- ✓ Zero agency markups · wholesale utilities
- ✓ 5-point quality verification protocol
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We are not paid by any tool listed here. If a cheaper or better option exists, that's what you'll see.
Pricing above was checked on 2026-10-28. Vendors change their terms without notice, and free tiers do get withdrawn. We take no money from any vendor listed here. If something on this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
How to set it up
- Write down your top 3 questions
Keep a tally for one week. Usually it's hours, location, and pricing/booking.
- Record a greeting
Keep it fast. 'Thanks for calling [Business]. For hours and location, press 1. To receive a text with our booking link, press 2. To speak with our team, press 3.'
- Configure the routing
In your phone system, set Option 1 to play a recorded message, Option 2 to trigger an auto-text, and Option 3 to ring your devices.
- Test every option
Call from your cell phone to ensure the routing works and the audio is clear.
Common questions
- Do customers hate phone trees?
- They hate 9-option mazes. A simple 3-option menu that gives them the answer faster than waiting on hold is appreciated.
- Which phone system supports interactive voice response (IVR) menus without expensive hardware?
- OpenPhone (Business plan at /user/mo), Dialpad (/user/mo), and Google Voice for Workspace (Standard tier at /user/mo) all provide cloud IVR call routing.
Last reviewed 2026-10-28. Tools change — if something here is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.
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