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The Top 5 Business Auto Reply Text Message Templates to Implement Today

September 22, 2021

Don’t let long lists bog you down – 5 simple auto reply text messages can meet most of your business needs.

When you first start investigating text-enabled business lines, and how to implement auto reply text messages, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the potential complexity of the solutions and options on the market. But the reality is, the more complicated the solution, the less likely it is that you’ll implement it (and derive the promised value). 

Rather than overwhelm you with all the possible auto reply messages you could set up for your SMB, we’ve rounded up a short list. These auto reply SMS templates will give you the biggest bang for your buck and are easiest to implement – and all fall within the 160 character SMS limit 

1. Business Hours Responses

When you run an SMB, it can feel like you always need to be “on” – taking customer calls, responding to texts, you name it. But being available 24/7 can have a dark side – burnout that could put your entire business at risk. To combat this, The Balance Small Business Blog recommends that SMB owners set work hours to establish a better work/life balance. But achieving this balance doesn’t mean you have to go incommunicado between 5pm and 9am.

Set up an auto reply text message that lets incoming callers and texters know when you’re back on the clock – so their expectations for a personal response are set appropriately.

TRY THIS: Your call/text is important us and to make sure you get the best service, our team is resting up for tomorrow. We'll respond at the start of next business! 

2. Busy Line

The great thing about auto reply text messages, is that they don’t have to be used to only respond to incoming messages. Text auto replies are a great tool to use to pro-actively respond to incoming calls when you’re already on the phone.

TRY THIS: I’m on the phone right now, but your call is important to me. I’ll connect with you ASAP – or you can text back if you’d prefer to chat via SMS instead. 

3. Voicemail Message

Voicemail is a blessing – and a curse. While it seems practical, it’s not exactly warmly embraced – in fact, only 33% of people actually bother listening to voicemails left by business contacts. So if your customers are leaving you voicemails, they might be wondering if you’ll actually listen – or if they’re stuck in telephone tag limbo.

Setting up a text message auto reply when someone leaves a voicemail is a perfect way to let them know that their message has been received – and when they can expect a reply.

TRY THIS: Thanks for the VM! We appreciate the time you took to leave a message, and we’ll get back to you today. Otherwise, shoot us a text for a faster response! 

 

4. Customer Support Queries 

Setting up a text-enabled business number for customer support is a boss move – but when your customers reach out, don’t leave them hanging. An automated text message is a great way to direct customers to your FAQ or ticketing system and set expectations for a timely response.

TRY THIS: Our team is hard at work and we’re here to help! One of our friendly agents will reply in the next 2 hours, or visit <<insert URL for ticketing system/FAQ>>. 

5. Vacation Notices

Text auto replies aren’t just for company and team numbers – when you go out on vacation, setting up an auto reply helps customers get assistance faster – and makes it easier for you to disconnect and recharge. 
 
TRY THIS: I’m on vacation and will be back <<Month, date>>. Don’t worry – you’re in good hands with <<First_Name>>, who you can reach at <<555-555-1234>> for help now. 

Next Steps

These 5 auto reply SMS templates are of course just the starting point – you can add as many different auto replies as you have use cases and numbers, based on your business needs. But starting small, with a handful of a few different options, can make it easy to get auto reply texts up and running and see what works best for your business. 

Need help choosing a solution? Check out our earlier blog, Text-enabled Business Numbers: The First Step to Text Customers is to Choose a Business Texting Solution.

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