How a 2-Minute Text Increased Call Center Revenue 24%
Why a quick heads-up text turned ignored calls into real conversations.
When I ran marketing for a large Canadian service provider, our lead-to-call ratio sat around 20%.
Not terrible. Not great.
We made huge progress over my tenure there. One of the big initiatives (not taking credit for this one), was to cut average callback times from 45 minutes to under 20. It had a massive impact on revenue and ultimately even the price we could charge for our services.
However, we still had a massive problem where the majority of callback leads weren’t picking up the phone when we called. Why? People thought we were spam.
Our outbound numbers looked anonymous. Caller ID couldn’t display our brand. Most leads assumed we were robocallers. Straight to voicemail.
The experiment
To fix this problem, a unique idea came from a call centre manager in Ottawa. Instead of calling blind, we set up a simple process.
When an agent was ready, the system sent a text two minutes before the dialer placed the call.
The message looked like this:
Hi this is [name] from [brand]. I will be calling you in 2 minutes from [phone number].
Short. Clear. Friendly. No links. No pitch. Just context.
The results: more answers, more revenue
The change was immediate.
That month, Our lead-to-call ratio jumped 24% and call centre revenue rose 8%. Our monthly revenue at the time was $8,600,000 to the call centre, so an 8% increase was $690,000 a month or $8,300,000 a year in new revenue.
Same agents. Same script. Same ad spend. The only difference was one heads-up text.
Why it worked
Texting feels safer. People open 98% of texts, but ignore unknown calls.
It sets context. Leads know who’s calling and why.
It builds trust. Sharing the exact number reduces the “scam risk” feeling.
It gives permission. The lead can say “now’s not good” and reschedule.
In other words, it turns a cold interruption into a warm invitation.
Best practices from research
I’m not the only one who’s seen this. Studies and sales pros back it up:
Consumers want it. 78% of people want to text businesses, but only 48% of companies are ready. (CallRail)
Texts are faster. Replies average 90 seconds vs 90 minutes for email. (Decision Telecom)
Spam filters matter. Register your business numbers for 10DLC so carriers don’t block your texts. (Follow Up Boss)
Keep it short. Under 320 characters. Clear and casual.
Respect consent. Only text leads who asked for contact, and always provide an opt-out.
On Reddit, plenty of salespeople said the same thing: warm leads respond better to texts. Cold texts, not so much.
A playbook you can steal
Here’s how to roll this out in your own business:
Register your numbers. Protect deliverability and stay compliant.
Automate the trigger. Send the text two minutes before the call.
Use one template. Name, brand, and the number you’ll call from.
Offer a failsafe. If they miss the call, send: “Sorry we missed you. Want to chat today at 4 or tomorrow at 10?”
Track results. Watch lead-to-call ratio, opt-out rate, and revenue per connected lead.
Coach with examples. Save great text exchanges for your team.
Texting is just good manners
Think about it. If you were visiting a friend, you’d text before knocking.
This is the same thing — but at scale.
A two-minute heads up gave us a 24% bump in leads answered and an 8% bump in revenue. Not because it’s a clever hack. Because it respects how people want to communicate.
Your turn:
Have you tried texting before calling? Did it make a difference?