The missed-call playbook
Reply without putting your client on hold.
Reviewed
When foils are in, gel is curing, or a client is on the table, a missed-call reply should offer a clear next step. Start with your booking link and owner follow-up process. StillBooked Square write-back is planned and is not available for production use, including for shops on Plus or Premium.
Choose the next step before the phone rings
Decide which callers can use your booking link and which need you. A familiar maintenance service may fit a normal booking path. A color correction, a first consultation, or a treatment question may need an owner’s response before an appointment is offered.
Write those exceptions down. Include the services that need a consultation, the people who can answer, and the time they normally check messages. A reply process works best when the shop can keep the expectations it sets.
Missed-call text examples for your shop
Use these as drafts for your shop's reply process. Replace every bracketed detail before use. Set a follow-up time you can keep, and check your booking link. Keep health details and payment-card details out of replies.
- During a service: 'Thanks for calling [shop name]. We're with a client. You can check appointment options at [booking link], or reply with the service and day you want. We'll follow up [time].'
- After hours: 'Thanks for calling [shop name]. We're closed now and reopen [day and time]. You can check appointment options at [booking link], or leave your question here. We'll follow up [time].'
- Consultation first: 'Thanks for calling [shop name]. Before arranging [service], we need a consultation. Reply with a day you're available and we'll check the next step [time].'
Make the handoff visible
Give the owner a clear place to see the caller’s request and the next action. A link sent is not a booking made. A proposed slot is not confirmed until the calendar accepts it. If the caller needs a consultation, say that an owner will follow up rather than promising a time.
For after-hours calls, say when someone will respond. Repeated reminders can create more frustration than the original missed call; decide the follow-up limit and stop when the caller declines.
Test the process with your own phone before using it with clients. Confirm the reply wording, booking-link destination, owner handoff, and how the workflow handles a full calendar.
Keep a private missed-call log
Review a normal week before changing your reply process. Use one row per unique caller. Keep the log private and leave out health details and payment-card details.
A call with an unknown purpose stays unknown until you learn more. Count confirmed appointments and attended appointments separately.
- Record the call date and whether it arrived mid-service or after hours.
- Mark the request as a new booking, an existing-booking change, another question, or unknown.
- Record the next action: booking link, owner follow-up, or consultation.
- Record whether an appointment was confirmed.
- Record whether the client attended.