After the phone was invented, people had to learn not only how to use it but also learn a few rules of so-called “telephone courtesy”.
Of course, being polite when you talk with someone on the phone means that you have to know not only the simplest rules like saying “hello” when picking up the phone, or “good bye” when you end the conversation.
One of the most frequent points of concern for modern people is how to act and what to say if you accidentally miss someone’s phone call.
Do you have to call back the second you notice the missed call?
Do you need to send a text message first? Do you need to apologize? Too many questions that need answers. And answers will be given.
In the article you can find below, we are going to explain what to write in a missed call text message in case you unintentionally missed someone’s phone call.
You will also learn what the benefits are of responding to a missed call by text, as well as get a few handy tips on how you could fix the issue faster.
Why Is It Important to Text Back to Missed Calls?
Let’s start with the fact that you might miss that phone call for different reasons. You might be busy, you might be shopping with your hands full or bags and packets.
You might leave or forget your phone at home, or the phone’s battery could be uncharged. However, leaving missed calls unanswered is not acceptable. And in some cases, it is even forbidden! For example, if you are a receptionist who unintentionally missed a client’s call!
So what shall you do if this happens? Shall you just send them a “sorry I missed your call” text? Or maybe you need to call them back saying something like “Oh, I’m so sorry, I just saw your missed call!”?
Of course, most of you would simply call back and say something apologizing like “I am sorry I missed your call…”. And that would be fine. However, we would recommend you pay more attention to this situation, and especially if it happened while you were at work and the missed phone call was from your client.
No matter whether a customer, a stranger, or your friend was calling, leaving a missed call is not acceptable.
Did you know that around twenty percent of missed calls are then followed by a voicemail, but the rest, which is eight percent, remains unanswered?
So no matter who called you, you have to text them back, apologize for missing the call, and explain why it happened. Like this, the person will not feel hurt.
They will feel that you care for them and you care about their emotions.
And in case of a customer’s call, by texting back, you will let them know that they can reschedule or book a new appointment.
So how do you do that?
How to Leave a Message For a Missed Call?
The first and foremost thing you need to learn is that the way you handle missed calls gives another person the very first impression of you (of course, if that person is not your best friend or a close relative).
So to be able to handle missed calls professionally, you need to learn a few rules or a proper etiquette.
Don’t worry, there is not going to be anything difficult! Like that, you will be able to ease the feeling of worry that people feel when they can’t reach you on the phone.
First of all, make sure you respond as soon as possible.
Explain briefly what made you miss their phone call, apologize properly, and ask how you could help them.
In order to make the whole scheme simpler and clearer for you, we have prepared a brief guide where all the necessary steps are listed one by one:
- Start by apologizing
- Provide proper reasons why you missed that call (if necessary)
- Begin to address their issues
- Let them know you will call back them later
- Give alternative ways or ideal times to communicate
Like that, nobody will be hurt or left misunderstood. And below, you can find a few different ways of responding to missed phone calls with a text message.
What Text Messages to Send When You Miss Someone’s Phone Call
Depending on the reason that made you miss that call, you might want to make use of different phrases and wordings. In addition, it will also matter who exactly called you.
If you missed a call from a friend, you can answer it differently than the call from your colleague, work or business partner, your boss or a strange person/customer.
Below, you can check out a few variants of such answers that will guide you through the entire scheme of apologizing text message that we have provided above.
Foremost Apology
No matter whether you are in a personal or in a business relationship, when someone calls you, it means that the person has been thinking of you. So the very first thing you have to do is to let them know that you value them and regret missing their call sincerely.
The proper apology will ease their worries (especially if the one who called you is your spouse, friend, or a close relative) and soothe their hurt feelings.
You must attach the foremost apology as well while responding to a missed call by text.
Here are the wordings that you can use:
- “I’m sorry that I missed your call.”
- “Sorry for not being available at that time.”
- “I’m sorry that I couldn’t talk then.”
- “I’m sorry that at that moment I was unable to take your call.”
- “We are miserable for missing your call.”
Prompt Response
In case you are truly sorry for missing their call, you should apologize immediately.
If you miss someone’s call, it is essential to respond quickly, no matter whether it was because of any business and personal circumstances.
Give Them a Proper Reason
Of course, you need to keep in mind that giving reasons is not always necessary. It is a must only if you missed a phone call from your boss, your colleague, etc.
However, it may often sound appropriate and even beneficial if you explain what made you miss their call.
You can use such explanatory phrases as:
- I was driving when you called
- I was in a meeting when you called me
- We were closed for business when you called
- We beg pardon for the disoblige, as all of our customer service personnel were busy at the moment
Begin to Address Their Issue
After you apologize and give reasons that made you miss that phone call, move on and get to the most important component of the call: why that person called you at all.
By doing this you are acknowledging that you missed their call.
- I’m phoning you back
- I just checked my phone. Is everything ok?
- I saw your missed call. Let me know in what way can I assist you?
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Ensure Them That You Will Call Them Back
Even in case there was a delay in time between the initial call from that person and your response, make them feel sure that you are always there for a conversation.
Let them know you will call them back later.
- I’m sorry that I missed your call. Was it urgent? Can I call you back later?
- Sorry that I wasn’t available at that moment. Can I call you later to talk?
- I saw your missed call. Let me call you back this afternoon.
Provide Them With Ideal Time For Calling Or Alternative Ways to Communicate
People may call you at a certain time every day simply because it is convenient for them to do it right then.
However, that time might not be suitable for you at all. This is why the best thing that can be done is that you let them know ahead of time what time frame would be the most appropriate and convenient for you to surely accept their call.
You can also provide them with your contact information, such as your email address or social media handles.
Send them an email with your contact information after the call so that they have it on hand in case they need to reach you again.
And here are the wordings that you can use to schedule your next call:
- I’m sorry that I missed your call this morning. Mornings are always busy for me
- Sorry that I missed your call. I am leaving my email address here. Please let me know when you’re available
- Sorry for the inconvenience. Leave your inquiries on our page/site
With these life hacks, rules and tips you will be able to always respond politely to a missed phone call even if you did not manage to call them back at once.
Related: 11+ Ideas How to Respond to a Cancellation Request?
What Are the Benefits Of Responding to a Missed Call By Text?
Indeed, you may be asking, why would anyone do that by text if you can just call that person back?
Well, there are several reasons in fact that make text messages sent to missed calls a better option than calling back.
- Text shows that you value the other person reaching out to you.
- It helps to win a customer you might have lost.
- No complaints about you being difficult to reach.
- Better relationship.
- You get to know your customer
- It leaves no missed opportunities
- It soothes worries of the caller
This is why you should definitely consider answering the missed calls by text rather than by calling back to those people.
Moreover, if you call them back, it might be another party that would not be able to reply immediately this time!
Related: How to Respond to a Mean Text Message?
Phone Communication Etiquette Rules
Surely, it is good to know how to respond to a missed call, and whether you should do it via text or not.
However, to even avoid getting into such situations, you should also keep in mind a few easy rules of phone etiquette.
They will help you to keep the conversation going in a nice and polite manner even if you have previously missed that person’s call.
- Smile while talking to someone on the phone. Yes, they might not be able to see your smile, but it can be heard clearly in your voice thus making the person much more relaxed in their conversation with you.
- When answering the call, greet the caller warmly and advise who they are talking to. Always answer the phone with your name at the end of the greeting.
- Speak clearly. You have something to say and the person at the other end wants to hear it. No one wants to repeat themselves many times during a conversation. Speak as clearly as possible to avoid this.
- Make the caller feel welcome. Even though it is just a phone call, if your answers are short or you don’t sound interested very much, the person may leave the call with the feeling of being unwelcome and that their query hasn’t been answered or problem solved.
In addition, remember a few don’ts when answering phone calls, both personal and business:
- Don’t be distracted since the caller will sense that in your tone and responses.
- Never shout or whisper. It can make your phone conversation very awkward.
- Don’t leave the caller on hold for too long.
With all that in mind, you will be able to communicate on the phone like a professional being polite and attentive to the person on the other side.
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