The problem
You're elbow-deep in a water heater and miss a call. The caller doesn't leave a voicemail. They call the next plumber.
How it works
- Get a Twilio phone number and set it to forward calls to your cell.
- If you don't answer within ~20 seconds, Twilio tells the n8n workflow the call was missed.
- The workflow texts the caller within seconds: 'Sorry we missed you, what's going on?'
- When they reply, AI writes a short, friendly answer and you get an email alert with their number and message.
- You call back when you're free, already knowing what the job is.
Realistic monthly cost≈ $8.73 + €20/mo
How we got this number
- Twilio local number$1.15
- Texting registration (A2P 10DLC) monthly fee$2
- ~200 text segments sent + received$1.66
- carrier fees on ~100 outbound texts$0.50
- ~150 inbound call minutes$1.28
- ~150 minutes forwarded to your cell$2.10
- ~100 AI-written replies$0.04
- Automation platform (or self-host n8n free)€20
Assumes ~100 missed calls a month. n8n Cloud Starter is billed in euros; self-hosting n8n removes that line. Prices are list prices checked 2026-10-26; see every source.
Plus one-time texting registration (A2P 10DLC): about $19.50 (low-volume brand + campaign vetting). Source
The problem
You send a $6,000 furnace estimate and never hear back. A friendly nudge often gets a reply, but nobody has time to chase.
How it works
- When you mark an estimate 'sent' (a row in Google Sheets or a CRM deal stage), the sequence starts.
- Day 0: thank-you text with the estimate link.
- Day 1: 'Any questions? Happy to walk you through options.'
- Day 3: a short note on financing or maintenance plans, if you offer them.
- Day 7: a friendly last check-in. Any reply stops the sequence and alerts you.
Realistic monthly cost≈ $4.88 + €20/mo
How we got this number
- Twilio local number$1.15
- Texting registration (A2P 10DLC) monthly fee$2
- ~160 text segments sent + received$1.33
- carrier fees on ~80 outbound texts$0.40
- Automation platform (or self-host n8n free)€20
- HubSpot free CRM (optional)$0
Assumes ~40 estimates a month x 4 messages. Prices are list prices checked 2026-10-26; see every source.
Plus one-time texting registration (A2P 10DLC): about $19.50 (low-volume brand + campaign vetting). Source
Template coming soon
The problem
You did great work, the customer was thrilled, and they never leave a review. Your competitor with 400 reviews gets the calls.
How it works
- When a job is marked complete (or an invoice is paid), trigger the workflow.
- Wait 2 hours, then text: 'Thanks for choosing us! Would you leave a quick review?' with your Google review link.
- If they reply with a problem, it alerts you instead, so you can fix it first.
Realistic monthly cost≈ $4.23/mo
How we got this number
- Twilio local number$1.15
- Texting registration (A2P 10DLC) monthly fee$2
- ~100 text segments sent + received$0.83
- carrier fees on ~50 outbound texts$0.25
- Google Business Profile$0
Runs on the same n8n plan and Twilio number as the other recipes, so the extra cost is mostly texts. Prices are list prices checked 2026-10-26; see every source.
Template coming soon