Customers text when it suits them: at 10 p.m. after the kids are in bed, on Sunday morning, on the Fourth of July. If your number goes quiet after 6 p.m., they don't know whether anyone got their message. An after-hours auto-reply fixes that. It tells them you got it, when they'll hear back and how to help themselves in the meantime.
Below are 22 after-hours texts you can use as they are, grouped by what the customer is asking about, with a character count for each. After the templates, we cover when an auto-reply is enough and when you need something that actually answers.
How to use these templates: words in curly brackets, like {name} and {link}, are placeholders your texting tool fills in. Each count shows the length once they are filled in, and how many message segments that takes. Every template is plain text with no emoji, so one segment holds 160 characters.
What a good after-hours reply does
- Confirms the message arrived: The single most useful thing. "Got your message" stops the customer from texting three more times or calling.
- Says when a person will reply: A real time, like "by 10 a.m. ET", beats "as soon as possible".
- Offers a self-serve link: Order tracking, the returns page or the subscription portal, matched to the question if you can tell what it is.
- Names your store: They may have texted several businesses today.
- Is honest: Don't promise a reply "in minutes" overnight unless something will really answer.
About opt-out wording: these are replies to a customer who texted you first, not marketing. Carriers don't expect "Reply STOP" on every reply inside a conversation the customer started. The general replies below include it anyway, because an automatic reply may be the first text a new customer ever gets from your number. If the customer texts STOP, they must be opted out like any other subscriber.
General after-hours replies
| When to send | Template | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Any text outside business hours | {store}: Thanks for your text! We're closed now and will reply by {time} ET. Reply STOP to opt out. | 102 (1 segment) |
| Any text, with your hours | {store}: Got your message. Our team is here {hours}, Mon-Fri, and we'll get back to you then. Reply STOP to opt out. | 131 (1 segment) |
| Any text, with self-serve options | {store}: We're offline until {time}. Track an order, start a return or see FAQs: {link}. We'll reply in the morning. Reply STOP to opt out. | 157 (1 segment) |
| Late at night, personal tone | {store}: Hi! It's late here, so the team is offline. Your message is first in line for {time}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 120 (1 segment) |
Order status questions
"Where is my order?" is the most common after-hours question for most stores. See WISMO. If your system can tell the text is about an order, send the tracking link right away.
| When to send | Template | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Customer asks where their order is | {store}: You can track your order anytime at {link}. Enter your order number and email. Still stuck? We'll reply by {time}. | 141 (1 segment) |
| Order shipped and on time | {store}: Good news: order {order} shipped with {carrier} and is on track. Live tracking: {link} | 105 (1 segment) |
| Order not shipped yet | {store}: Order {order} is packed and waiting for pickup. We'll text tracking as soon as it ships. | 98 (1 segment) |
| Package marked delivered but missing | {store}: Sorry about that. Check with neighbors and around the door first. If it's still missing, reply here and we'll make it right by {time}. | 146 (1 segment) |
Returns, exchanges and problems
| When to send | Template | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Customer asks about a return | {store}: You can start a return anytime at {link}. It only takes a few minutes. Questions? We'll reply by {time}. | 131 (1 segment) |
| Customer wants an exchange | {store}: Happy to swap it. Start an exchange at {link}, or reply with the size or color you need and we'll handle it in the morning. | 150 (1 segment) |
| Customer reports damage | {store}: We're sorry it arrived damaged. Reply with a photo and your order number, and we'll send a replacement first thing tomorrow. | 136 (1 segment) |
| Customer is upset | {store}: Thank you for telling us. A real person will read this and reply by {time}. We want to fix it. | 106 (1 segment) |
Sales and product questions
Pre-sale questions after hours are lost sales if they wait until morning. A helpful link can keep the customer on your site.
| When to send | Template | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Customer asks which product to choose | {store}: Great question! Our quick guide compares every option: {link}. A product expert will reply by {time} if you want help. | 145 (1 segment) |
| Customer asks about sizing | {store}: Here's our size chart with fit notes from customers: {link}. Reply with your usual size and we'll suggest one in the morning. | 152 (1 segment) |
| Customer asks about a discount | {store}: Thanks for asking! Join our texts for offers, or check current deals at {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 129 (1 segment) |
| Customer asks about stock | {store}: If it shows Add to cart, it's in stock and ships next business day. Sold out? Tap Notify me on the product page. | 124 (1 segment) |
Subscription questions
| When to send | Template | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Customer wants to skip or change | {store}: You can skip, swap or reschedule anytime at {link}. No login needed from this link. We're back at {time}. | 132 (1 segment) |
| Customer wants to cancel | {store}: We got your request. You can manage or cancel at {link}, or wait for our team at {time} if you'd like help first. | 140 (1 segment) |
Weekends and holidays
| When to send | Template | Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Friday night through Sunday | {store}: Thanks for texting! We're off for the weekend and back {day} at 9 a.m. ET. Track orders anytime: {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 155 (1 segment) |
| A public holiday | {store}: We're closed today for the holiday and back tomorrow at 9 a.m. ET. Orders still ship on schedule. Reply STOP to opt out. | 132 (1 segment) |
| The holiday shipping rush | {store}: We're seeing lots of messages this week, so replies may take a day. Order tracking is always at {link}. Thanks for your patience! | 156 (1 segment) |
| Black Friday weekend | {store}: Happy Black Friday! We're busy helping customers and will reply within 24 hours. Sale details: {link}. Reply STOP to opt out. | 152 (1 segment) |
Setting it up: hours, keywords and quiet hours
- Set hours in your time zone, and say which one: "9 a.m. ET" is clear. "9 a.m." isn't, for a store that ships nationwide.
- Reply once per conversation: If a customer sends four texts in a row, they should get one auto-reply, not four.
- Match the question if you can: A keyword rule ("track", "return", "cancel") can choose the right template. Fall back to the general reply when nothing matches.
- Don't confuse auto-replies with quiet hours: Quiet hours stop you sending marketing texts at night. Replying to a customer who just texted you isn't a marketing send, but a follow-up offer should still wait for morning.
- Pick up where you left off: The morning reply should answer the question, not ask the customer to repeat it.
An auto-reply, or an agent that answers?
An auto-reply buys time. It doesn't solve anything. For most after-hours texts (where's my order, can I skip, can I swap, does this come in blue) the customer doesn't want a promise of a reply in the morning. They want the answer.
| Auto-reply | AI agent | |
|---|---|---|
| What the customer gets | An acknowledgment and a link | An answer, or the change made |
| "Where is my order?" | A tracking page link | The actual status of their order |
| "Skip my next box" | A portal link, or wait for the morning | Skipped, and confirmed in the thread |
| Hard or sensitive cases | Wait for the morning | Handed to your team with the context |
| Setup | Minutes | Connect your store and set what it may do |
Many stores use both: an agent answers what it can around the clock, and a short holding reply covers anything it hands to the team. See after-hours support with Concierge.
Answer after-hours texts with Chargezen
- Concierge texts back, and handles it: Concierge replies to customers who text your number in seconds, remembers every conversation and can skip, reschedule or swap a subscription in one message. See text messages.
- Verified before changes: A new texter confirms an email code once, and their phone is linked to their account.
- Your team when it matters: Hard cases go to your team with the conversation attached. See human handoff.
- One number for texts and calls: Use a toll-free number with verification handled, or port your existing number in.
- Team replies in one place: Morning follow-ups happen in the team inbox, with the night's conversation in view.
Concierge Starter is $20 a month with 20,000 credits, and Pro is $199 a month with 199,000 credits, with phone and text charges billed as used. See pricing and SmartyTap.
Glossary: auto-response, quiet hours, WISMO and conversational SMS. More templates: shipping update texts, welcome texts and subscription reminder texts.
Frequently asked questions
Should I send an after-hours reply to every text?
To the first text in each conversation, yes. Customers who get no reply often text again, call or post about it. One reply per conversation is enough.
What hours should my auto-reply cover?
Whenever nobody is reading texts: evenings, weekends and holidays. If your team is in one time zone and customers are nationwide, say the time zone in the reply.
Can an after-hours reply include a discount?
Only for customers who opted in to marketing texts, and only when it fits the question. A customer asking about a damaged order doesn't want a coupon.
Is an after-hours auto-reply a marketing text?
A plain reply to a customer's own question isn't. Adding an offer to it can make it one, so keep offers out of replies to people who haven't opted in.
