Writing your first auto reply

How to write the first SMS that lands on a customer's phone, the one that decides whether they trust you.

The auto-reply is the most important message you'll write

When someone fills in the widget, they get an SMS in seconds. That message either confirms a real human is on the other end, or smells like a bot and they tune out.

We default to "Cheers, got your message. We'll text you back shortly." That's fine. But you can do better.

The four-line formula

A good auto-reply does four things in under 160 characters:

1. Confirms receipt
2. Names the business (so they remember who they texted)
3. Sets a reply-by expectation
4. Sounds like a person, not a brand

Examples

Tradie: "Cheers, this is Mick from Mick's Plumbing. Got your message. I'll text back within 2 hours, sometimes faster if I'm between jobs."

Hair salon: "Hi, this is Nat at The Cut. Got your booking enquiry. I'll text back as soon as I'm out of my next colour, usually within an hour."

Emergency callout: "Got it. This is Sam from Sam's Locksmiths. If urgent, call me direct on 0400 123 456. Otherwise I'll reply within 15 mins."

What to avoid

• "Thank you for reaching out to [Business Name]!" sounds like a contact form
• "Our team will be in touch shortly" but there is no team, it's you
• "We aim to respond within 24 hours" is way too long for SMS
• Any emoji other than maybe one 👍 at the end

Note. SMS is a personal medium. The reply should sound like a text from a tradesperson, not an email from corporate.

Variables you can use

Inside the auto-reply you can drop in:

• {{first_name}}  (pulled from the widget form)
• {{business_name}}  (pulled from your account settings)

Example: "Cheers {{first_name}}, got your message. This is Sam at {{business_name}}. I'll text back within an hour."

Where to set it

Settings, then Auto-replies, then Inside hours. There's a separate one for outside hours.