Written by Dan Sagar, FoundationsAI. Updated October 2026.
To automate lead follow-up without sounding like a robot, reply to every enquiry within a minute with a short text that mentions what they asked about. Then follow up a few times over two weeks by text, email and one phone call, and stop the moment they reply. Write every message the way you'd text a customer yourself, sign it with a real name, and only send in working hours.
That's the whole idea. The rest of this guide shows how to set it up, gives you a sequence to copy and example messages, and covers the UK rules and what it costs.
Why follow-up is where most leads are lost
Most UK service businesses don't have a lead problem. They have a follow-up problem. Enquiries come in while you're on a job, driving or with a customer. By the time you ring back, they've booked someone else.
Speed matters more than most people think. A Harvard Business Review study found that firms that contacted a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify it as firms that waited longer. When the same researchers audited 2,241 US companies, 23% never replied to an online enquiry at all, and the average response time was 42 hours.
It isn't a lack of effort. It's a lack of a system. If follow-up relies on you remembering, it slips the moment you get busy, which is exactly when the most enquiries come in.
"Having everything in one place and automating follow ups has saved me loads of time and helped me stay consistent."
Darren, fire safety
Darren also got his admin and chasing under control, freeing up his week for the work that earns him money.
What a good follow-up system does
- Replies straight away. Every enquiry from your website, phone, email, Facebook or WhatsApp gets a reply within a minute, day or night.
- Catches missed calls. If you can't answer, the caller gets a text straight away, so they don't ring the next business on Google. More on missed call text back.
- Follows up for you. A short series of texts and emails goes out over the next two weeks until they reply or book.
- Hands over to a person. As soon as someone replies, the automation stops and you or your team get a notification to pick it up.
- Keeps everything in one place. Every lead sits in one list with a clear next step, so nothing lives only in your head, your inbox or a WhatsApp thread.
A follow-up sequence you can copy
This works for most service businesses. Adjust the timings to how quickly your customers usually decide.
| When | What | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Within 1 minute | Text | "Hi Sarah, it's Dan at Smith Electrical. Thanks for your message about the consumer unit. I'm on a job but can call you after 3. Is that OK?" |
| Within 5 minutes | What happens next, a link to book a time, and one or two recent reviews | |
| Same day | Reminder for you | Ring them |
| Day 2 | Text | "Hi Sarah, did you still want a price for the consumer unit? Happy to pop round this week." |
| Day 5 | A short answer to the question most people have by now, such as price or timings | |
| Day 10 | Text | "Hi Sarah, shall I close this off for now, or would you still like that quote?" |
| After day 14 | Monthly email | Useful tips or seasonal reminders, until they book or unsubscribe |
The day 10 text gives people an easy way to say yes or no, so you're not left guessing. The moment they reply or book, every step stops.
How to stop it sounding like a robot
- Use their name and what they asked about. "Thanks for your enquiry" sounds automated. "Thanks for asking about the boiler service" doesn't.
- Sign it from a real person. Your name or a team member's, not the company's.
- Write like you text. Short, plain words, no "Dear customer", no exclamation marks everywhere.
- Send in working hours. The first reply can go at any time, but the rest should land between about 8am and 7pm, not at 2am.
- Ask one easy question. "Is Thursday OK?" gets far more replies than "Let us know if you have any questions."
- Stop when they reply. Nothing gives automation away faster than a chaser after someone has already answered.
- Send fewer messages, not more. Five or six over two weeks is plenty.
Compare these two first replies:
| Sounds like a robot | Sounds like you |
|---|---|
| "We will be in touch shortly regarding your enquiry." | "Hi Sarah, it's Dan. Thanks for asking about the loft conversion. I'll call you tomorrow morning. Does 9 or 11 suit you better?" |
Plan it before you build it
- Decide what each message is for: booking a visit, sending a quote or answering a question.
- Map the journey from first enquiry to paying customer, and note where people tend to go quiet.
- Pick the channel for each step. Text for speed, email for detail, a phone call for big jobs.
- Write the messages: short, with one clear next step each.
- Build it, then test it. Send a test enquiry through every route (website form, missed call, Facebook) and check what arrives.
- Check the numbers after a month: replies, bookings and where people drop off. Change one thing at a time.
Find the leaks first
If you're not sure where leads are slipping through, start with your website and how you track enquiries:
- How to stop losing leads from your website
- How to track leads properly when you run a small business
Following up after you've sent a quote
Quotes need their own follow-up: a polite text two or three days after you send it, a short email answering the usual worries (price, timing, mess) and a last check-in a week later. More in how to follow up quotes without being pushy.
Your old leads are worth chasing too
Most businesses have hundreds of past enquiries and customers who never heard from them again. A short reactivation campaign can bring work back in quiet months without spending anything on ads. See how to set up a reactivation campaign for old leads.
The UK rules to follow
This isn't legal advice, but these are the basics:
- Answering someone's own enquiry is generally treated as a reply, not marketing. They asked you a question.
- Marketing texts and emails to individuals need consent, unless the "soft opt-in" applies: they bought, or asked about buying, something similar from you, you gave them a chance to opt out when you took their details, and every message has an easy way to opt out. Sole traders and most partnerships count as individuals.
- Limited companies are looser, but you still have to say who you are and let them opt out.
- Never text or email a bought-in list.
The ICO's guidance on electronic marketing has the detail.
Doing it with separate tools vs one system
You can build this from separate tools: a form on your website, Mailchimp for email, a separate text provider and Zapier to join them up. It works, but that's four things to pay for and four places for it to break, and missed calls usually aren't covered.
The other way is one system that captures every enquiry, sends the texts and emails, catches missed calls and tells you when someone replies, all in one place. That's what FoundationsAI does, built on GoHighLevel.
What it costs
Automated follow-up sequences are part of the Pro plan at £149 + VAT a month, which includes unlimited automations. On top of that you pay for what you send: about 6p per text to a UK mobile, and about £1.30 per 1,000 emails. The sequence above uses three texts, so it costs around 18p per lead, and the monthly usage credit covers about 80 leads a month. See the full cost breakdown.
Common questions
How quickly should I reply to a new enquiry?
Within minutes. The first reply can be automatic, as long as a person follows up the same day.
How many follow-ups is too many?
Five or six over two weeks, then a monthly email. Stop as soon as they reply.
Should the first reply be a text or an email?
A text. People tend to see texts quickly, while emails can sit unread for hours. Follow up with an email for the detail.
Will customers know it's automated?
Not if it uses their name, mentions what they asked about, comes from a real person and stops when they reply.
Is it legal to text people who enquire?
Replying to their enquiry is generally fine. Ongoing marketing needs their consent or the soft opt-in. See "The UK rules to follow" above.
Can I do this in GoHighLevel?
Yes. GoHighLevel has everything you need: forms, missed call text back, text and email sequences, and notifications. We set it up for UK businesses.
See it working
Book a 45-minute demo. We'll map how enquiries reach you today, then show you the same thing running properly on a live account. Or work out what missed enquiries are costing you with our ROI calculator.