Ask a homeowner what they hate most about calling a contractor and you’ll rarely hear about price. You’ll hear about the window. “They said between eight and noon.” So they took the morning off, kept the dog in, and watched the street. Maybe the tech showed up at 11:45 and did great work. The customer still remembers the wait.
The fix costs almost nothing, and most shops still don’t do it well: tell the customer when you’re actually on the way.
A service window is a fair way to schedule a day that never goes to plan. Jobs run long, parts are missing, traffic happens. The problem isn’t the window, it’s the silence inside it. Not knowing is what makes a two-hour wait feel like a whole day.
An on-my-way message turns that silence into a specific time. The customer can finish their call, put the dog away and unlock the gate. When the tech knocks, the customer is ready instead of annoyed.
That’s it. “Hi, it’s Mike from Ace Plumbing. I’m on my way and should be there around 10:40.” Short enough to read on a lock screen.
The most common mistake is sending it too early. A message at 8:00 that says “on the way” becomes a broken promise when the first job runs over. Send it when the tech leaves for this job, from the driveway of the last one. If the plan changes, a quick update beats silence every time.
Pair it with a day-before reminder so the customer knows the appointment is still on, and a quick thank-you after the job. Those three touches, before, during and after, cover most of what makes a visit feel professional.
You’re not the only one who gains. When customers know you’re coming:
Only text customers who gave you their number to hear about their appointment, and make it easy to opt out. Keep these messages about the visit, not a sales pitch. And keep them to normal hours unless it’s an emergency call they’re waiting on.
In MyHomeService360, day-before reminders are free. On-my-way and dispatch texts go through our built-in texting, which comes with the $79 a month* phone system, along with your business number, two-way texting and the AI receptionist. Even without it, homeowners on the free home app can watch each visit move from Scheduled to On the way, Arrived and Done. Your schedule and dispatch board are free, with unlimited users.
If you’re still running the day off a whiteboard, start with dispatch boards that actually work.
One-sentence takeaway: A short, honest “on my way” message sent when the truck actually leaves is the cheapest customer-experience upgrade a home-service shop can make.
Your company name, the tech’s first name, a realistic arrival time, and how to reach you if plans have changed. Keep it short enough to read at a glance.
When they actually leave for the job, not when the day starts. A message sent too early turns into a broken promise if the job before runs long.
Day-before reminders are free. On-my-way and dispatch texts use the built-in texting that comes with the $79 a month* phone system. Homeowners using the free home app can also see the visit status change to On the way and Arrived.
Scheduling, dispatch, free day-before reminders and a free home app your customers can check, with unlimited users.
Get started free*Included minutes and texts cover typical use. Usage above the included amounts is billed as overage, and larger or high-volume companies may be quoted higher phone and texting rates. See our Terms.
