The 10 PM text: answer it without staying up

It's 10 PM. You're on the couch, finally. Your phone lights up with a text or a web form: "Hi, our furnace is making a weird noise. Can someone come look?"

You can answer now and be working at 10 PM again. Or you can leave it until morning and hope they haven't found someone else by then.

Think about who's texting

People don't usually text a business at 10 PM to chat. Something is on their mind right now. They're not expecting you to show up tonight. They want to know someone saw it and will handle it.

Here's the turn

The after-hours reply doesn't have to fix the problem. It just has to say three things:

• We got your message.
• When a real person will reach out.
• One question that helps you show up ready.

That's it. A few seconds tonight, or none if it goes out on its own, and they know they're in line.

Try this week (free)

• Write your after-hours reply once. In your own words, for example: "Thanks for reaching out to [your business]. We'll call you by 9 tomorrow morning. What's the address, and is anything leaking or unsafe right now?"
• Only promise a time you'll keep. If mornings are packed, say "by noon." A promise you keep beats a fast one you break.
• Save it where you can send it in two taps. Check whether your phone, your texting app, or your website form can send it automatically after hours. Some can. If not, keep it saved and paste it in.
• Read every after-hours message first thing. Before the first job, not after.

When you're ready to hand it off

A digital helper can reply to every new lead fast, day or night, and still put a person in front of each one in the morning. See Instant Lead Reply.

Curious how your after-hours stack up against the rest of your week? Take the free Business Check-Up.