Follow-Up Agent
The Follow-Up You Keep Meaning to Do, Done Every Time
The Follow-Up Agent texts back missed calls within a minute, follows up on quotes that went quiet, sends appointment reminders, asks customers for Google reviews and checks in with past customers when their season comes round. It only messages people who contacted you or are your customers, in line with Canada's anti-spam law (CASL).
What does the Follow-Up Agent do on a normal day?
Five jobs, each with its own timing. The messages below are examples only. You approve the real wording.
| Job | When it runs | Example message |
|---|---|---|
| Missed-call text-back | Within a minute of a call you couldn't answer | "Sorry we missed your call, this is (your business). What can we help with? Reply here and we'll get back to you today." |
| Quote follow-up | A few days after a quote goes out with no reply. You pick the timing. | "Hi Dana, it's (your business). Just checking you got the quote for the backyard fence. Happy to answer questions or adjust anything." |
| Appointment reminder | The day before, or whenever you choose | "Reminder from (your clinic): your cleaning is tomorrow at 10:30. Reply C to confirm or R to rebook." |
| Review request | After a job is marked done | "Thanks for choosing (your business). If you have a minute, a Google review helps a small business like ours a lot." Then your review link. |
| Seasonal check-in | At the time of year you pick | "Hi Sam, it's (your business). It's been a year since your AC tune-up. Want us to book this year's before the summer rush? Reply STOP to opt out." |
Who will it message? Only people who already know you.
Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) sets rules for commercial texts and emails. We build the Follow-Up Agent to stay inside them.
- It only messages people who contacted you or are your customers. No bought lists and no cold texting.
- Under CASL, an enquiry in the last six months or a purchase in the last two years usually counts as implied consent. The agent keeps track of those dates and stops seasonal messages when they run out, unless the customer has said yes to hearing from you.
- Every message says who it's from.
- Every text includes a way to opt out, such as replying STOP, and opt-outs are honoured straight away.
- Replies to a quote someone asked for and reminders for appointments they booked are kept separate from marketing-style messages like seasonal check-ins, and each follows its own rules.
We're not lawyers and this isn't legal advice. If your situation is unusual, check with your own advisor. On the free call we'll walk you through exactly who your agent would message and why.
A note on Google reviews
Google's rules don't allow businesses to ask only their happy customers for reviews. So the agent asks every customer with a finished job, in the same way. If someone replies with a complaint instead of leaving a review, that reply comes straight to you so you can make it right.
What could it look like in a real week?
Two examples using made-up businesses.
A landscaping company in early April
Monday morning: the agent texts last year's spring cleanup customers, all of them within the two-year window, to ask if they'd like to book again. Yes replies get booked into open slots. Questions go to the owner.
Tuesday, 11:20 a.m.: the owner misses a call while mowing. Within a minute the caller gets a text. They reply asking about new sod, and the agent collects the address and rough yard size for the owner's quote list.
Thursday: a patio quote from last week has had no reply. The agent sends a short follow-up. The customer asks about paver colours, and the agent passes that question to the owner rather than guessing.
A fence rental company
A company that rents temporary fencing to building sites and events could use the agent to remind customers a few days before their rental period ends, ask whether they want to extend, and book the pickup.
Event organizers who rented last year get a check-in before their season starts. Contractors with an open rental who call after hours and miss the office get a text back with a way to reach someone.
The owner sees every message and reply in one place, and can step into any conversation at any time.
What do you need to provide?
Most of this you already have somewhere. We help you pull it together.
- Your customer list: from QuickBooks, your job software or a spreadsheet, with the date of each customer's last job or enquiry.
- Where your quotes live: so the agent knows which quotes went out, to whom and when.
- Your Google review link: we can help you find it in your Google Business Profile.
- Your wording: or let us draft it and you approve it.
- Your rules: how many follow-ups, how far apart, and quiet hours so nobody gets a text at 10 p.m.
- A number to text from: we can set one up through Twilio, and replies come back to you.
What won't it do?
- It won't text bought lists, strangers or anyone who hasn't dealt with your business.
- It won't keep messaging someone who said no or hasn't answered. You set the limit, and it stops.
- It won't negotiate prices or offer discounts unless you've written those rules down for it.
- It won't send anything you haven't approved. At the start, every message waits for your OK. Later you can approve a template, like reminders, and let that type send on its own.
- It won't write fake reviews or reply to reviews pretending to be a customer.
What does the Follow-Up Agent cost?
Start with a free working prototype, like a missed-call text-back or a quote follow-up running on a test number, built in 5 business days. Then a fixed price, agreed before the production build.
The full Follow-Up Agent
One-time build covering the jobs you choose, a test run you approve, documentation, a walkthrough and 2 weeks of support. Optional monthly support after that is from $99/month, month to month, cancel anytime.
Just the missed-call text-back
If texting back missed calls is all you need right now, we build it as a single automation. You can add the rest later. Text messages are billed by the texting service based on use.
Follow-Up Agent questions
Is it legal to text my customers in Canada?
Yes, within the rules of Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). The agent only messages people who contacted you or are your customers, says who each message is from, and includes a way to opt out in every text. An enquiry in the last six months or a purchase in the last two years usually counts as implied consent, and the agent tracks those dates. This isn't legal advice, so check with your own advisor if your situation is unusual.
Will it annoy my customers?
Not if it's set up properly. You choose how many follow-ups it sends and how far apart, it never texts during your quiet hours, and it stops as soon as someone replies or opts out. You approve the wording before anything goes out.
What does a missed-call text look like?
Something like: "Sorry we missed your call, this is (your business). What can we help with? Reply here and we'll get back to you today." It goes out within a minute, and you see the reply as soon as it arrives.
Can I see messages before they go out?
Yes. At the start, every message to a customer waits for your approval by text or email. Once you trust one type of message, like appointment reminders, you can let that type send on its own and keep approving the rest.
Which number do the texts come from?
Usually a local number we set up for your business through Twilio, with customer replies passed on to you. In some cases texts can come from your existing business number, which we check with your phone provider before quoting.
Does it work with my job or customer software?
If your customers, quotes and jobs live in QuickBooks, Google Sheets, HubSpot, GoHighLevel or a job management app that can be connected, the agent can work from that. We check your setup on the free call before giving you a price.
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