How do I set up auto-reply SMS so after-hours customer texts do not cost me jobs?

Turn on Do Not Disturb with a custom auto-reply on your phone (free), enable the auto-reply feature in your job management app ($30 to $70 per month), or add a dedicated missed-call text-back service ($50 to $150 per month). Under the Spam Act 2003, every automated business SMS must identify your business and include an opt-out path. The right method depends on how many enquiries you field outside business hours and whether you need the lead captured in your workflow or just acknowledged.

Updated 29/10/2026

Why does an auto-reply matter more than you think?

When a homeowner texts a tradie at 8pm, they are not expecting an answer that night. They are expecting an answer before they text the next name on the list tomorrow morning. If your phone is silent, approximately 78% of customers choose the first business that responds to their enquiry¹. That means the job goes to whoever replies first after 7am, not whoever is cheapest.

An auto-reply bridges the gap. It tells the customer their message landed, confirms when you will get back to them, and removes the urge to keep scrolling. You do not need to be awake to send it.

The three options below range from free to fully automated. Each suits a different stage of a trade business. If you want the phone-settings walkthrough specifically, see our step-by-step DND and auto-reply setup guide. If the real question is why customers text at 9pm in the first place, our guide on stopping the 9pm quote texts covers the psychology and prevention side.

What are the three ways to auto-reply and how do they compare?

Every method sends an automatic response. The difference is what happens to the lead after the reply goes out.

A sole operator doing five to ten jobs a week and fielding a handful of after-hours texts can start with the free phone DND method and upgrade when the volume justifies the spend. A crew running 20-plus jobs a week with multiple phones should skip straight to a job management app or a text-back service so every lead lands in one place.

How do I set up the free phone DND auto-reply?

Both iPhone and Android let you schedule Do Not Disturb and attach a custom reply that fires automatically when a message arrives outside your set hours.

• iPhone (Focus mode). Open Settings, tap Focus, select Do Not Disturb, set a schedule (for example 5pm to 6:30am weekdays), then tap Auto-Reply and write your message. Choose "Contacts Only" or "Everyone" depending on whether you want the reply to go to unknown numbers too
• Android (DND with auto-reply). Open Settings, tap Notifications then Do Not Disturb, set a schedule, then tap Messages and write your auto-reply text. On Samsung, this sits under the Bixby Routines menu instead

The auto-reply should be short, professional, and promise a specific callback window:

Thanks for your message. Our hours are Mon to Fri 7am to 5pm. I will get back to you first thing tomorrow morning.

The limitation is that the reply goes out and nothing else happens. The lead stays in your SMS inbox. If you forget to scroll back through messages at 6:30am, the customer has moved on. For a hands-free morning queue, you need one of the methods below.

How does a job management app handle after-hours replies?

Most popular Australian trade apps, ServiceM8, Tradify, Fergus, AroFlo and simPRO, include an online enquiry form you embed on your website. When a customer submits an enquiry outside business hours, the app sends a branded confirmation email or SMS automatically and creates a lead or job card in your queue.

• ServiceM8. The Online Booking add-on sends an auto-confirmation and creates a job card. You see it in the "Pending" queue the next morning and can assign it to a crew member in one tap
• Tradify. The enquiry form pipes into the Tradify inbox and triggers an email confirmation. An SMS auto-reply requires the SMS add-on (approximately $10 per month on top of the base plan)
• Fergus. Enquiry forms create a "New Lead" card and send a template-based auto-acknowledgement

The trade-off is that the auto-reply only fires when the customer uses the form. A direct text to your mobile or a missed call does not trigger the app. That is where a dedicated text-back service fills the gap.

What does a dedicated missed-call text-back service do differently?

A text-back service monitors your business number for missed calls and unanswered texts. When it detects one, it sends a branded SMS within seconds, typically under 60 seconds, and logs the lead into a dashboard or pushes it into your job management app via an integration.

The speed matters. A fast reply keeps the customer in your pipeline instead of calling the next tradie on the list. These services range from simple auto-text platforms to full AI receptionists that can hold a conversation, ask qualifying questions ("What suburb are you in?" or "Is this urgent or can it wait until Monday?"), and book the customer into a calendar slot. The more the service does, the higher the monthly cost, but the fewer leads slip through. For a deeper look at missed-call recovery, see our missed-call text-back overview.

What are the Spam Act rules for auto-reply texts in Australia?

The Spam Act 2003 governs every commercial electronic message sent in Australia, including automated SMS. Three requirements apply to every auto-reply your business sends:

• Consent. A reply to an inbound enquiry counts as inferred consent because the customer initiated the contact. Any follow-up marketing message (a special offer, a seasonal reminder, a review request) requires separate express consent
• Sender identification. The message must clearly identify your business. Use your registered business name, not just a first name or a generic number
• Opt-out. Every message must include a functioning unsubscribe or opt-out mechanism, and you must honour it within five business days

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) enforces the Act. As ACMA states: If you send commercial electronic messages, you need to make sure you have the consent of the person you are sending to, include your contact details, and give people the option to stop getting your messages. Spam Act 2003 statutory maxima can reach approximately $220,000 per breach for an individual and approximately $2.1 million for repeat offenders (indexed, verify current, source: ACMA). For most tradies, a single clear auto-reply to an inbound text is well within the rules, the risk sits in the follow-up sequences you add later.

For a full compliance breakdown, see our tradie advertising compliance guide.

Which method should I pick?

Match the method to your call volume and team size:

• Solo operator, fewer than five after-hours texts a week. Start with the free phone DND auto-reply. It costs nothing, takes five minutes, and keeps the lead warm overnight. Upgrade when you start missing leads because you forgot to check your SMS inbox in the morning
• One to three staff, steady enquiry flow. Use your job management app's built-in auto-reply for online enquiries, and add a dedicated text-back service for missed calls and direct texts. The two together cover every inbound channel
• Growing crew, high call volume. An AI receptionist layer handles calls and texts, qualifies the lead, and books it into your calendar. The higher monthly cost pays for itself if you are losing even one or two jobs a week to slow follow-up

If you want to see what a full after-hours automation stack looks like when it is connected to your job management app, quoting and invoicing, book a free 15-minute discovery call and we will walk through the setup for your trade.