Texting · SMS and WhatsApp
Texting that answers back
Your AI receptionist texts back the calls you miss and answers SMS and WhatsApp messages, or passes the reply to your mobile. You see each conversation in Follow-ups. Included in NeuCalla, with 100 texts a month.
One receptionist, three ways in
- Answers calls — and books the job.
- Texts back — by SMS and WhatsApp.
- Website chat — answers enquiries and books.
Answer by text
Missed the call? They get a text.
Set a number to Answer by text and forward the calls you miss to it. The caller hears a short line, then gets a text in your business’s name asking what they need. You write that text.
Choose who replies: let the receptionist answer, or have each message sent to your mobile and saved as a follow-up.
The conversation
The receptionist answers by text.
The receptionist answers with the same business info, rules and diary as on the phone. It asks what the job is and where, answers questions, gives prices you have set, books a time and sends payment links — in plain text messages.
Every conversation sits in Follow-ups with the lead it created, so you can read it start to finish.
Reminders & review requests
A reminder before the job. A review request after.
Turn on booking reminders and the receptionist texts each customer before their appointment (a day ahead, or the lead time you choose). Turn on review requests and it asks for a review once the job is done. You record each customer’s agreement on the Reminders & reviews page, or they give it by text. Nothing goes out until you switch them on and approve the wording. Both go out from your own business number, in your words.
Review requests go only to customers who have said yes to them, and each one carries a way to opt out: a STOP reply ends further texts from your business. Reminders and requests are sent in daytime hours in your time zone, within a daily limit you set.
Take over, hand back
Step in whenever you like.
Press Take over on an open conversation and the receptionist stops replying. Type your reply in the dashboard and it goes out from your business number — or reply to the forwarded text from your own mobile. When you are done, press Hand back and the receptionist carries on.
If a conversation runs long, the receptionist hands it to you with a short summary of what happened.
Customers can message you on WhatsApp too.
Switch on WhatsApp for a number and customers who message it on WhatsApp get the same receptionist as your texts. Their conversation appears in Follow-ups, marked WhatsApp, where you can take over and reply on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp only lets a business reply within 24 hours of the customer’s last message; the conversation shows when that window closes.
Photos
A photo of the job before you go.
Customers can send photos by text or WhatsApp — the blocked sink, the tag on the hot water unit. The receptionist knows a photo arrived, and you see it on the conversation, the follow-up and the customer’s timeline.
Select a photo to see it full size, or download it.
Text log
Every text, grouped by conversation.
The Text log shows your SMS and WhatsApp messages as conversations, newest first. See who spoke last, which conversations are waiting on a reply, and any text that didn’t arrive.
Search by number or message, and open a conversation to read it in full.
Already on the phone plan?
Your receptionist number can answer texts too.
A number answering calls with the AI receptionist can also answer texts: switch on Also answer texts. Set how many replies the receptionist sends before it hands the conversation to you, and the mobile hand-overs go to.
The Texts tab in your call flow shows what the receptionist knows and can do in a text conversation, next to your Calls flow.
Texting, with or without call answering.
Texts & Chat: 100 texts a month. From $49/month — texts and website chat included.
Extra texts $0.15 each, or add 200 texts for $19. AUD, including GST. Allowances reset each month.
Hands-on setup included
Getting set up.
Hands-on setup included: we help with forwarding and test your call or text setup with you.
- 1
Tell us about your business
Add your services, hours and service area in Business info — or press Fetch details to read them from your website. Describe how you want calls handled and the AI Designer drafts your call flow.
- 2
Forward your number
Keep your number. Use your carrier’s forwarding codes (Telstra, Optus or Vodafone) to send calls you miss or decline to your NeuCalla number. No app or new handset.
- 3
Test it with us
We call your number with you, let it ring out, and check the text arrives and the reply reaches your mobile and Follow-ups.
- 4
Go live
Press Make live in the call flow. Every call, text and booking then shows in your dashboard.
Start with a text.
We help you set up forwarding and test it with you.