On this page
- The numbers behind missed calls
- Why after hours calls are hard for vet clinics
- Your options for after hours calls
- How a missed call text back works for a vet clinic
- How much are missed calls costing you?
- Put emergency instructions first
- Veterinary receptionist phone scripts, adapted for text
- Phone triage stays with your team
- Which TextbackFast plan fits a vet clinic
- How to set it up
- Frequently asked questions
The numbers behind missed calls
Sources: 411 Locals study; CallRail 2025 survey.
One in five callers who hit voicemail dials your competitor next. A text in seconds keeps them talking to you.Based on the CallRail 2025 survey
Why after hours calls are hard for vet clinics
Pet owners call when they notice something, and a lot of that happens after work, at night and on weekends. Some calls are urgent. Many are not: appointment requests, refill questions, boarding and grooming bookings, or a new client asking whether you take their kind of pet.
When nobody answers, many callers move on. In a 2025 survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, only 42% said they leave a voicemail when a business does not answer, and 21% said they call another business right away (CallRail 2025 consumer survey, summarized by Local Voice). For a clinic, that can mean a new client who books somewhere else, or a worried owner who never hears back.
Your options for after hours calls
- A live veterinary answering service. Operators answer every call, follow your script, and page your on-call doctor or send callers to an emergency hospital. This is the most complete option, and it is usually priced per minute or per call, so the cost changes with call volume.
- A voicemail greeting that names your emergency partner. Free and simple, but most callers do not leave a message, and you find out about routine requests hours later.
- An on-call doctor or staff phone. Works for practices that offer their own after hours care, but every call wakes someone up, including the ones that could wait until morning.
- A missed call text back. Calls ring your clinic as usual. Any call you do not answer gets an instant text with your emergency instructions and a simple question, so the caller can explain in writing what they need.
These can work together. Many clinics keep an emergency referral in their voicemail and add a text back so that every caller also gets the instructions in writing, on their phone, where they can find them again.
How a missed call text back works for a vet clinic
You keep your existing clinic number. You set up conditional call forwarding so that only calls you do not answer go to your TextbackFast number. Calls your front desk picks up ring exactly like they do now.
When a call goes unanswered, the caller gets a short text right away, written in your clinic's voice. They can reply with their pet's name and what they need at their own pace. Messages are plain text with no emojis, and callers can reply STOP at any time. TextbackFast keeps automatic texts under 160 characters, so each one goes out as a single standard text.
How much are missed calls costing you?
Drag the sliders to estimate the revenue veterinary clinics leave on the table from calls that never get answered.
Estimate only: missed calls × 4.33 weeks × job value × booking rate. Your numbers will vary.
Put emergency instructions first
A text back is a way to respond to missed calls. It is not an emergency service, and it should never be the only thing standing between a sick pet and care. The first text should tell the caller where to go if their pet needs help now, such as the nearest emergency or 24-hour animal hospital your clinic refers to, or the page on your website that lists it.
After that, a short question sorts out everything else. Appointment requests, refills, boarding and new client questions can all be handled in writing and picked up by your team when you open.
Veterinary receptionist phone scripts, adapted for text
Many clinics already have phone scripts for the front desk. The same ideas work in a text, just shorter. These are examples only. You write your own messages in TextbackFast.
- After hours: "Hi, this is [Clinic]. Sorry we missed your call, we are closed. For emergencies call [ER name]. Otherwise, what can we help with?"
- During busy hours: "Hi, this is [Clinic]. Sorry we missed you, we are with a patient. What is your pet's name and what do you need?"
- New clients: "Hi, this is [Clinic]. Sorry we missed your call. Are you a new client? What kind of pet do you have, and what do you need?"
- Boarding or grooming: "Hi, this is [Clinic]. Sorry we missed you. Is this about boarding or grooming, and what dates are you looking at?"
Phone triage stays with your team
Deciding how urgent a medical problem is belongs to your trained staff and doctors, not to an automatic text. A good text back does not try to diagnose anything. It gives the emergency option, collects the basics, and hands the conversation to a person. Your team reads the replies, calls back the ones that need a conversation, and books the rest.
Which TextbackFast plan fits a vet clinic
Every plan includes the 7-day free trial. Compare them in the pricing section.
- Starter ($49/mo) sends one automatic text per missed call and forwards replies to your cell. A good fit for a small practice that wants to keep it simple.
- Pro ($99/mo) adds a two-way texting inbox, follow-ups for repeat callers, quick replies, CRM or Google Sheet sync, and review requests. Useful when several front desk staff share client messages.
- AI ($199/mo) runs the conversation from your playbook. It can ask for the pet's name and what the client needs, and it hands the conversation to you for anything medical, upset callers, anything it is not sure about, or anyone who wants to talk to a person.
A one-time carrier registration fee also applies when you sign up ($35 for a sole proprietor, $69 with an EIN), which is required to send business texts in the U.S.
How to set it up
Setup takes a few minutes. Pick your plan and reserve a local number at signup. Then forward unanswered calls from your current phone. Most clinics use a landline or a VoIP system, so see the landline guide or the VoIP guide. If calls come to a cell, start with the cell phone setup guide. Then call your own number from another phone, let it ring out, and confirm the text arrives.
Want to see it work? Read what missed call text back is, visit the TextbackFast homepage to try the live demo, or start your 7-day free trial.
Stop losing jobs to missed calls
Starter $49, Pro $99, AI $199 a month, plus a one-time carrier registration fee: $35 one-time ($69 for businesses with an EIN). Your 7-day free trial starts once texting is approved. Keep your number by forwarding unanswered calls.
Start free trial →Compare plansFrequently asked questions
What is a veterinary after hours answering service?
It is any setup that responds to pet owners who call outside clinic hours. That can be a live answering service, a voicemail that names your emergency partner, an on-call phone, or a missed call text back that texts every caller you miss with your emergency instructions and a question about what they need.
Is there a veterinary AI answering service?
There are AI tools that answer or reply to calls. TextbackFast works by text: on the AI plan, it texts the caller you missed, asks what they need, and hands the conversation to your team for anything medical or anyone who wants a person.
What should a veterinary receptionist phone script include?
Your clinic name, a quick check for emergencies with where to go, the pet's name and what the owner needs, and a clear next step such as an appointment time or a callback.
Can a text back handle veterinary phone triage?
No. Medical triage belongs to trained staff and doctors. A text back should point emergencies to an emergency hospital, collect the basics, and hand the conversation to your team.
What should pet owners do when the vet is closed?
Follow the clinic's after hours instructions, which usually point to a nearby emergency or 24-hour animal hospital. A text back puts those instructions on the caller's phone the moment the call is missed.
Does TextbackFast change my clinic phone number?
No. You keep your number and forward only unanswered calls to your TextbackFast number. Calls you answer ring as usual.