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An after-hours auto-reply should say three things fast: you got the message, when a person will answer, and what to do if it is an emergency. Send a different version for texts, email, web forms and social inboxes, put the emergency instruction first, and keep marketing out of it. The templates below cover each channel.
Key takeaways
- Lead with the emergency instruction and the on-call number, then say when regular replies go out.
- Name a real time for the next reply, and make sure someone actually keeps it.
- Texts should stay near 160 plain characters and include opt-out wording where the law and carriers expect it.
- Keep offers and promotions out of auto-replies, so they stay simple service messages.
- Test every auto-reply by sending yourself a message at night, then fix whatever reads badly.
A customer who writes to you at 9 p.m. wants one thing: to know somebody has it. An auto-reply that confirms receipt, names the next reply time and gives a real emergency path keeps that customer from sending the same message to the next company on the search page. This list is about text, email, web forms and social inboxes. For missed phone calls, use our missed-call text-back templates, and for the voicemail greeting see voicemail greeting scripts. Texting needs the customer's consent in many cases, and the rules depend on the kind of message; our SMS rules guide explains the basics, and none of this is legal advice. Replace the brackets with your own details. The phone numbers below are fictional.
1. A customer texts your business line at night
Example Plumbing Co.: got your text. We reopen at [time] and will reply then. Flooding or gas? See next message. Reply STOP to opt out.
When to send: automatically, the first time a new number texts outside hours. What to change: put your real reopening time, not "soon." Send it once per conversation, not after every message. If your phone system can tell an existing customer from a new number, greet the existing customer by name. The second message in item 3 is the emergency text. Keep the pair short so neither gets cut into several parts.
2. The text contains an emergency word
Example Plumbing Co.: sounds urgent. Call our on-call line now: (555) 010-4417. If you can reach it safely, shut off the main water valve.
When to send: when the message includes words you choose, such as flood, burst, sewage, no heat or leak. Keyword rules misfire, so write the list from your own past tickets and review it each season. What to change: the instruction in the last sentence should match your trade and be one you would say on the phone. Ask your phone provider whether keyword replies are supported in your plan before relying on them.
3. Danger first: smoke, gas or carbon monoxide
Smell gas, see smoke or suspect carbon monoxide? Leave the building and call 911 from outside. Then call us at (555) 010-4417 if you need service.
When to send: immediately after the first auto-reply, for trades where this risk exists (plumbing, HVAC, electrical). What to change: keep it exactly that plain, and have your utility's emergency number ready for your area. A company text never replaces an emergency call, and you should not offer diagnosis by text. Have your local fire department or utility confirm any safety wording you add beyond "leave and call 911."
4. Weekend text for non-urgent requests
Example HVAC: office closed until Mon [time]. Text your address and the problem and we'll reply first thing. No heat? Call (555) 010-2290. Reply STOP to opt out.
When to send: Friday evening through Sunday. What to change: list the exact emergencies your weekend line handles, and nothing it does not. A weekend reply that promises a tech and then goes silent costs more than no reply, so schedule someone to work the Monday queue before opening, and start with the oldest message.
5. The thank-you screen after a web form
Thanks, [first name]. We have your request. It's [day and time] and our office opens at [time], so expect a call or text from us by [time]. For an emergency, call (555) 010-4417 now.
When to show it: on the page the visitor lands on after submitting, with the hours-aware time filled in by your site. What to change: avoid a generic "we'll be in touch." Customers who see a time stay; customers who see a vague line keep shopping. Put a tap-to-call link under it on phones. If your site cannot change the text by time of day, show the after-hours version only on the evening and weekend schedule you set in the form tool.
6. The confirmation email for a normal request
Subject: We received your request, [first name]
Hi [first name],
Thanks for contacting Example Roofing Co. We received your request for [service] at [town]. Someone will contact you by [time] on [day]. If anything changes, reply to this email or call (555) 010-5521.
[Name], Example Roofing Co.
When to send: automatically on submission, day or night. What to change: keep it about the request. The FTC's CAN-SPAM guide describes transactional messages narrowly and says a message is treated as commercial if the subject line would lead the recipient to think it is commercial, so leave coupons and promotions out. Keep the From line and subject line honest in any case.
7. The email when the form's "urgent" box is ticked
Subject: Urgent request received: call us now
Hi [first name],
You marked this as urgent. Our office is closed, but the on-call line is open: (555) 010-4417. If you can't call, reply with your address and the problem and we'll respond as soon as a technician is free.
When to send: only when the form includes an urgency option. What to change: add the urgency field to your form first, with a short list of real emergencies next to it. Notice the email gives a phone number rather than promising a time. Phones reach someone faster than email does. Make sure the same submission also sends an alert to the on-call person's phone.
8. The reply for your general email inbox
Subject: Re: your message to Example Painting
Thanks for writing. Our office is closed and we reply to email by [time] on business days. For an estimate, the fastest way is our form: [link]. Current customers with a job in progress can text your crew lead directly.
When to send: once per sender per day, outside hours. What to change: offer a faster channel than email, since a form or a text number gets to a person sooner. Set the auto-reply to send once per sender, so two businesses with auto-replies cannot trade messages forever. Avoid replying automatically to messages that look like newsletters or bulk senders.
9. A request that needs photos to quote
Thanks for contacting Example Junk Removal. To give you a quote, reply with 2 or 3 photos of the items and your zip code. We'll answer by [time] on [day].
When to send: when the form's service is one you can price from photos. What to change: list exactly what you need, such as the room, the access path, a close-up of the item. A customer who sends photos at night gets a quote the next morning, and your estimator starts the day with real information instead of a call back to ask. Tell customers how to attach photos on their phone if your inbox supports it, or link a secure upload page.
10. A billing question after hours
Hi, thanks for your message about your invoice. Billing questions are answered on business days by [time]. To pay now, use the link on your invoice.
When to send: when a message arrives at a billing address or mentions "invoice," "charge" or "payment." What to change: keep it calm and short. Someone writing about a charge at night may be upset. Do not repeat the amount or any account detail in an automatic message, because auto-replies can sit on a phone lock screen where neighbors can see them. Route billing messages to one person's queue so they are not buried in new-lead mail.
11. A customer with a job in progress
Hi [first name], Example Remodeling here. Got your message. [Name], your project lead, will reply by [time] tomorrow. Unsafe tonight? Call (555) 010-3308.
When to send: when the sender's number matches an active job in your system. What to change: name the person who will answer. A customer with demo underway has more at stake than a new lead and should hear from a name, not a department. This is a reason to store customer numbers against jobs in a CRM or field system; a custom CRM can be built to keep customer numbers on the job record so a message reaches the right crew lead.
12. The on-call tech is on the way
Example Plumbing Co.: [tech first name] is on the way to [street] and expects to arrive around [time]. Call (555) 010-4417 if anything changes.
When to send: when the on-call technician accepts the job in your dispatch tool, not before. What to change: only send an arrival time the tech has confirmed. A message that sounds firm and then slips is worse than a wider window. Keep it to the facts: who, where, when, and a number. If a tech is still hours away, say so rather than hiding it, and offer a way to make the situation safe while the customer waits.
13. The on-call tech has not responded yet
Example Plumbing Co.: still reaching our on-call tech. We'll call you within [number] minutes. Getting worse? Call (555) 010-4417 or another provider.
When to send: if no one acknowledges the alert within the window you set. What to change: make the number of minutes a real escalation rule, and alert a second person at the same time. Telling the customer they can call someone else is honest, and a customer with a flooding basement will remember that you said it. The point of this message is not to hold the job but to stop the silence while you fix the staffing.
14. Holiday closure notice to your customer list
Subject: Our holiday hours at Example HVAC
We're closed [dates]. Emergency heating service stays available at (555) 010-2290. Regular requests will be answered when we reopen on [date].
When to send: a week ahead to your list, and set the same wording as your email auto-reply for those dates. What to change: keep it purely operational. If you add a seasonal offer, it may be treated as a marketing email with its own requirements, including an opt-out and your postal address. Schedule the auto-reply to switch on and off by date, and check it the morning you reopen, since a closure notice left on past the holiday is a common slip.
15. A request from outside your service area
Thanks for contacting Example Landscaping. We don't serve [town] right now, and we'd rather tell you straight away. Our service area is listed here: [link].
When to send: when a form submission has a zip code you do not serve. What to change: keep a zip list that matches the one on your website and Business Profile. A prompt, polite no saves both sides a day of waiting and protects your reviews from the customer who waited and then got turned down. If you know a company you trust in that area, offer the name only if you are comfortable doing so.
16. The social inbox away message
Thanks for messaging Example Cleaning. We reply during office hours, [days and hours]. For the fastest quote, use our form: [link], or call (555) 010-6642 and leave a message.
When to use it: if your page's inbox offers an away message or instant reply, turn it on for your off hours. What to change: point every social message to the same form and number, so your leads end up in one list. Check the inbox each morning anyway, because social messages that wait days look worse than none. If you cannot watch the inbox, say so in the message and push people to the form.
Where to start
Set up items 1, 3 and 5 first: the after-hours text, the danger-first message and the web form thank-you screen. Those three cover the people most likely to leave for a competitor. Then add the emergency routing in items 2 and 13, which depend on your on-call schedule. Send yourself a text, a form and an email at night, read what arrives on a phone, and fix anything long or vague. If you want a voice to answer too, see our phone systems and AI receptionist pages.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need permission to send an automatic reply to a customer's text?
Rules depend on the type of message and your state, and a reply to a customer who texted you is treated differently from a promotion. Read the TCPA guide, add opt-out wording, and ask a lawyer if you are unsure.
How often should an auto-reply send?
Once per conversation or once per sender per day. Repeating it on every message looks broken and annoys the customer.
Should an auto-reply promise a callback time?
Only if someone will keep it. State the time your office opens and the order you answer in, and schedule staff to clear the queue first.
Can an auto-reply include a coupon?
Keep it out. A promotion changes the message from a service notice to marketing, with different rules for email and for texts.
General information for service-business owners, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules vary by state; check with a qualified professional for your situation.