Leads that never answer the phone
They will often tap a reply. That is only useful if you were allowed to text them.
Messaging
Text follow-up with copy you approve — not a blast to everyone.
People will ignore a voicemail and answer a short text. EXCEL’s messaging agent runs reminders, quote follow-up, and missed-call text-back using templates you approve. It is not a license to spam. Consent, quiet hours, and stop-on-reply are part of the build.
SMS follow-up is a Professional-and-above capability when the messaging path is connected. Essential focuses on the voice receptionist and core workflows.
Elliot is a voice demo. Messaging is a separate, consent-aware channel we scope in discovery.
What the messaging agent is for
Written threads the team can pick up. Not a second marketing list.
Missed-call text-back
A short, on-brand note that a call was missed, with a reply or callback path — when you have a lawful basis to text.
Reminders
Confirm / reschedule the day before an appointment, using your wording.
Quote check-ins
After a person already sent the estimate. The agent does not invent a discount.
Simple replies only
Yes, no, a time window. Anything that is not a simple reply should go to a person.
Why voicemail lost and text did not
No-shows
A reminder with a reschedule option is operations, not marketing.
Quote follow-up that dies in a to-do list
The estimate went out. Nobody circled back. The thread went cold.
A text thread with stop rules
Quiet hours, consent, and opt-out are not optional decorations.
01
Confirm you may text
Consent and purpose are scoped in the implementation. No surprise blasts.
02
Send approved copy
Templates you wrote, or that you signed off. The agent should not freelance slogans.
03
Handle the short reply
Yes / no / a time. Capture it. Update the record.
04
Stop or escalate
On reply, booking, opt-out, or anything that is not a simple answer.
Hypothetical SMS: missed-call text-back
Illustrative. Real programs require a connected messaging path and consent rules. Not a real customer thread.
Hi, this is Summit HVAC — we just missed your call. Reply here with what you need, or we can call you back.
No AC. Can someone come today?
Got it. I’ll have the team follow our same-day rules. What’s the address and is anyone in the home who needs cooling for a medical reason? (We’ll note it — we don’t give medical advice.)
If they reply STOP, the sequence ends. If they start negotiating price, a person takes the thread.
Messaging is not a loophole around the phone
Voice is for urgency. SMS is for confirmation and light follow-up.
Not on every plan by default
SMS follow-up is part of Professional and Custom when the path is connected. See live pricing for current plan contents.
Consent is a build requirement
Texting without consent or quiet hours is a liability, not a growth hack. EXCEL scopes that with you.
A person still owns hard conversations
Complaints, billing, and anything emotional should leave the bot.
What has to be true before texts go out
- The messaging provider and numbers in use
- Templates, quiet hours, and opt-out language
- Which events trigger a text (missed call, reminder, quote)
- How replies land in the CRM or inbox
When a text should become a call or a human
Anything that is not a simple reply, any opt-out, any angry customer, and any request the template cannot answer. Stop. Hand off.
SMS and messaging require a connected messaging path. Quiet hours, consent, and templates are scoped during discovery. Not every carrier or CRM inbox is pre-integrated.
Plan details live on the pricing page. Current plans are listed there.
Industry overviews
Industry overviews live on their own pages. Dedicated workflows, when they exist, are linked below.
Guides related to this service
Related guides for the problems this service is built to solve.
Related EXCEL services
- AI Follow-Up AgentKeeps quotes, missed calls, and unfinished conversations from dying in a notebook — using the cadence and copy you approve.
- AI Scheduling AgentScheduling AI that helps customers request or book appointments using the business’s hours, rules, and connected calendars when those connections are available.
- AI ReceptionistA custom AI receptionist that answers calls, handles approved questions, captures leads, routes callers, and supports scheduling around how the business already works.
Questions buyers actually ask
Is SMS included on every EXCEL plan?
SMS follow-up is a Professional and Custom capability when the messaging path is connected. Essential focuses on the voice receptionist and core workflows. Confirm on the pricing page.
What about consent and quiet hours?
Those rules are part of the build. The agent should not text in ways you have not approved.
Will it keep texting forever?
No. You set attempts, timing, and stop conditions including opt-out.
Can it have a long sales conversation over SMS?
It should not. Simple replies and a handoff. Long negotiations belong with people.
Does this replace the phone receptionist?
No. Messaging recovers and reminds. The receptionist still answers the ring. They pair well.
What carriers or CRMs do you support?
Not every carrier or CRM inbox is pre-integrated. Discovery confirms what can be connected for your stack.
Use the channel people actually reply on — with copy and consent you can stand behind.
Bring the real call types, the real software, and the rules you already use. We will tell you what belongs in an agent and what should stay with people.