Recipe No. 20 · Customer follow-up
Missed call text-back
When you miss a business call, automatically text the caller so the lead isn't lost.
- Serves
- Home services
- Made with
- n8n
- Prep (setup)
- ~90 min est.
- Yield
- 2–3 hrs/week saved, est.
- Level
- Advanced
- Plan needed
- n8n: free to self-host (you pay hosting) or n8n Cloud (paid). Check your plan.
- Est. SMS cost
- Via Twilio: ~$0.0083 per US text segment plus carrier fees, and $1.15/mo per local number (Oct 2026). Other SMS apps price differently, so check your plan.
- TriggerConfigure your number's call-status webhook…
- Step 2IF node
- Step 3Twilio 'Send SMS' to caller
- Step 4Log to Sheets
- Step 5Test with dummy data, then turn it on and…
Ingredients
- Twilio phone number (or VoIP with webhooks, e.g. OpenPhone)
- n8n
Editor-reviewedLast checked 2026-10-16v1.0.0 · Free
Steps reviewed against current tool UIs by the editor; not yet run end-to-end in a live account. Time saved is an estimate; results vary. Costs from Axis Consulting and Twilio pricing; check current pricing.
SMS rules: only text people who gave you their number for this purpose, identify your business, and include “Reply STOP to opt out”. US business texting needs A2P 10DLC registration.
Method
- Configure your number's call-status webhook to an n8n Webhook node.
- IF node: call status is 'no-answer' or 'busy'.
- Twilio 'Send SMS' to caller: 'Sorry we missed you — what can we help with?'
- Log to Sheets. Many VoIP apps have this built in; check first.
- Test with dummy data, then turn it on and review results for the first week.