Missed Call Text-Back
Missed Call Text-Back automatically sends a text message to a patient the moment a call goes unanswered, so your practice stays in the conversation even when no one can pick up the phone.
Why It Matters
Most patients who call and reach voicemail hang up and try the next practice on their list. Missed Call Text-Back changes that. The moment a call goes unanswered, the patient gets a text from your practice number within seconds. That text keeps them engaged, starts the conversation in your unified inbox, and gives your front desk a thread to pick up when they are free.
How It Works
When a call to your practice line rings through and goes unanswered or hits voicemail, Dental Marketing Tool detects the missed call and fires a text to that caller automatically. The text appears in your Conversations inbox just like any other message, so your team can reply from one place without switching between apps or checking a separate call log.
Turning It On
- From the left navigation, click Settings.
- Select Phone & SMS (or Business Settings, depending on your layout).
- Scroll to the Missed Call Text-Back section and toggle it On.
- Review the default message in the text field. Edit it to match your practice's voice if you like.
- Click Save.
Customizing the Message
The message field supports a handful of personalization tokens. If the caller is already a contact in your system, you can insert their first name to make the text feel less generic. Use the token picker next to the message field, or type the token directly:
- {{contact.first_name}} inserts the caller's first name if it is on file.
- {{location.name}} inserts your practice name.
- {{location.phone}} inserts your main phone number.
If the caller is not yet in your contacts, the name token will be blank, so write the rest of your message so it still reads naturally without a name.
Handling Replies in the Inbox
When a patient texts back, their reply lands in Conversations as an active thread. From there your team can reply directly, assign the conversation to a specific staff member, or add an internal note for context before responding. See Sending and Replying to Text Messages and Assigning Conversations to Your Team for the full workflow.
Saving Time with Saved Replies
Once the patient replies and a real conversation starts, your team does not need to type the same scheduling message from scratch every time. Set up Quick Replies for your most common responses ("We have openings this week, what day works for you?") so staff can send a professional answer in a couple of taps.
What to Do Next
With Missed Call Text-Back running, your practice captures more of the calls that would otherwise go cold. From here, explore setting up automated appointment reminders to keep booked patients from forgetting their visit, or review how to manage your growing conversation volume in Filters, Tabs, and Managing Unread.