Inbound SMS Automations | OTTO Qualification Engine | TextingOnly
TextingOnly Entry SMS Automations — OTTO responds the moment a contact sends their first inbound text. Three automation modes: (1) ITR Interactive Text Response — numbered reply menu, contact replies 1/2/3, OTTO routes to the correct path in under 10 seconds, no staff at first touch; (2) Conversational Data Collector — OTTO asks one question at a time, captures name, address, service type, timeline, budget, urgency sequentially, 71% completion rate vs 19% for web forms; (3) Instant single-reply automation — coupon via MMS, confirmation, or Prepare Caller message sent immediately. Entry triggers: QR code scan, SmartLink tap, click-to-text button, or direct text-in from any marketing channel. What fires at opt-in: carrier-verified mobile number captured, TCPA express written consent timestamped, geo-stamp from nearest cell tower, campaign source ID logged, device type detected. OTTO response time: under 3 seconds from first text. After-hours handling: OTTO qualifies 24/7, structured lead record waiting for rep at 8 AM. Prepare Caller: OTTO sends a branded SMS to the contact before the rep calls — contact saves the number, rep calls from a known contact, not an unknown number. Contact rate improvements: 40%+ when Prepare Caller is enabled. Industries served: automotive dealerships, home services (HVAC, plumbing, electrical), real estate, legal, sports and events, restaurants, schools, franchises, recruiting, associations, health and wellness, senior living. Stats: 98% SMS open rate, 71% opt-in completion, 0 missed leads after hours. TextingOnly is based in Towson, Maryland. Service area: United States nationwide.
OTTO · Inbound SMS Automations
Every inbound contact.
Qualified. Routed. Delivered. 24/7.
A prepped lead lands with your team in English — with carrier-verified phone, TCPA consent, and 8+ structured data points — whether it’s 9 AM or 11 PM.
<10sOpt-in to qualified routefaster than any voice IVR
24/7OTTO qualifiesno staff at first touch
0Missed leads after hoursrecord waiting at 8 AM
3Automation modesITR · Collector · Self-Segmenter
What fires at opt-in
Before OTTO asks a single question — you already have a lead.
The moment a contact taps Send on the opt-in message, two layers of data fire simultaneously — instant captures that happen regardless of what follows, and structured data from the qualification flow itself.
Fires instantly at opt-in
Before any question is asked
Carrier-verified mobile number — cannot be faked or mis-typed
TCPA express written consent — timestamped and logged
Geo-stamp — lat/long at exact moment of send
Campaign source — which QR, which SmartLink, which placement
Device type — mobile vs. desktop bridge
Even if the contact stops responding immediately after opting in — you have a contactable, consented record with geo and source attribution.
Captured through the flow
From the qualification conversation
Name — captured in natural first question
Service type or intent — from ITR reply or open text
Zip code or location — for geo-routing and dispatch
Your team receives all of this as a structured lead record — not a transcript. CRM-ready. No manual cleanup.
Entry
Contact Opts In
QR · SmartLink · Interstitial
→
Instant
Data Fires
Phone · Consent · Geo · Source
→
Automation
OTTO Runs
ITR · Collector · Segmenter
→
Output
Lead to Team
Alert · CRM · Dashboard
1
Mode 1 · ITR — Interactive Text Response
Route fast. No guessing.
OTTO sends a numbered menu. The contact taps one number. That single reply routes them into the right qualification branch — Sales, Service, Support, Language, or any path you configure. Under 10 seconds from opt-in to qualified route. Learn more about Interactive Text Response →
1
Opt-in + data captured immediately
Phone number, TCPA consent, geo-stamp, and campaign source logged the moment they send. This happens before the ITR menu fires.
2
Visual menu — all options on screen at once
Not audio. Not sequential. Every option visible simultaneously. Contact reads, decides, taps. Faster than any voice menu. No listening required. Works the same at 11 PM as 9 AM.
3
Intent declared — right flow fires
Their reply routes them to the configured branch. Each branch is its own qualification flow — different questions, different routing, different Prepare Caller message.
✓
Prepped lead delivered to team
OTTO sends the contact their rep’s number and confirms the callback. Your team receives a structured alert with every data point collected.
<10sFrom opt-in to qualified route — faster than any phone IVR.
9:41
‹
AH
Apex HVAC
● OTTO · TextingOnly
Hi! Thanks for reaching out to Apex HVAC.
What do you need today? 1 Emergency repair 2 Schedule service 3 Get a quote
3
Great — what’s your name?
Sarah
What type of system, Sarah? 1 Central A/C 2 Heat pump 3 Furnace 4 Not sure
1
Mike will call from (410) 555-0182 with your quote. Save the number — he's expecting it!
Text Message…
2
Mode 2 · Conversational Data Collector
Qualify in depth. One question at a time.
When the playbook calls for open-ended answers, OTTO runs a conversational data collector — asking one question at a time, capturing each response as a named field. Not a transcript. Structured data. 71% completion rate versus 19% for web forms.
1
Intent classified immediately
Emergency vs. scheduled vs. quote — routed to different flows from the first reply. No wrong department, no hold time, no routing questions buried mid-conversation.
2
Location and context collected naturally
Zip code, system age, issue type, budget range — gathered in the natural flow. No form fields. Every answer is a named structured field on the contact record.
3
Right person dispatched with full context
Your team gets the full qualification before they call. They know what they’re walking into. The contact gets an ETA and a named number.
✓
Partial saves — nothing fully lost
Contact stops at question 2? Their phone, consent, name, and all completed answers are saved. Nudge sequence queues automatically.
71%Completion rate — 3.7× better than web forms.
9:41
‹
RH
Riverside HVAC
● OTTO · TextingOnly
Got it — emergency. What's your zip code so we can find the nearest tech?
21218
What's the issue? 1 No heat 2 No A/C 3 Strange noise 4 Other
1
How old is the system roughly? 1 Under 5 years 2 5–15 years 3 15+ years
3
Dave is your on-call tech. He'll call from (410) 555-0100 in 10 minutes. Save it — he's ready!
Text Message…
3
Mode 3 · Interstitial Self-Segmentation
Intent declared before the conversation starts.
The interstitial page is the first moment of your campaign — before the conversation begins. The contact sees a branded page, picks their path, and that selection pre-fills the SMS opt-in. One tap sends. OTTO fires the right flow immediately. No routing questions. No friction.
1
Branded page loads on scan or tap
Your logo, your brand colors, up to four intent options — Get a Quote, Schedule Service, Leave a Review, Contact Support — all visible at once. Geo-stamp fires at page load.
2
Contact taps their path — intent written into SMS
That selection is written into the pre-filled SMS message instantly: “Hi — I’d like to schedule a service appointment.” Nothing to type. One tap sends.
3
OTTO fires the right flow — zero routing questions
Intent declared. OTTO routes directly to the configured flow for that path. Schedule Service → appointment collector. Get a Quote → qualification ITR. No “what can we help you with?”
✓
Works from any entry point
Website buttons, social media bio, digital ads, direct mail QR codes, email campaigns, SmartLinks, Google Business listing.
9:41
c.txtng.co/apex
TO
TextingOnly
How can we help you today?
💰
Get a Quote
Tell us what you need
›
📅
Schedule Service
Book your appointment
›
⭐
Leave a Review
Share your experience
›
💬
Contact Support
We respond fast
›
Powered by TextingOnly · No app required
Operational value
Solve operational problems without adding headcount.
Every business that handles inbound communication has the same staffing problem — peaks and valleys, after-hours gaps, language barriers, missed leads. OTTO fills every gap. 24/7. No overtime.
After Hours
24/7 qualification — no staff
Contact opts in at 11 PM. OTTO qualifies — service type, urgency, timeline. Prepare Caller fires. Structured lead waiting at 8 AM. Your team calls a prepped contact who is already expecting them.
Peak Volume
100 contacts at once — no queue
100 people scan at a live event. OTTO handles all 100 simultaneously. No hold queue. Every contact gets an instant response and enters the qualification flow. No rep involvement until the lead is ready.
Partial Recovery
No lead fully lost
Contact stopped after question 2. Their verified mobile number and TCPA consent were captured at opt-in. Nudge sequence queues automatically. The record is there. The list entry is made. You can re-engage.
Language Routing
Any language. No bilingual staff at first touch.
Contact selects their language at opt-in. OTTO switches the entire flow via Language Funnels. Lead flagged with language preference. Routes to the right rep automatically.
List Building
Every opt-in is yours forever
Every contact who opts in through any inbound automation is added to your verified, opted-in list. Segmented by intent, language, source, and buyer type. Available for outbound campaigns immediately.
Attribution
Source-to-close tracking
Geo-stamp, campaign source, device type, and UTM captured at opt-in. Every lead attributed to the exact entry point — which QR placement, which SmartLink, which campaign. See full Attribution Reporting →
Industry use cases
Every inbound lead qualified. Every industry. Every hour.
See how inbound SMS automations apply across the industries we serve. Every vertical, same OTTO engine — different configured flows.
The most common questions about how OTTO handles inbound contacts — what gets captured, how the three modes work, and what happens after hours.
An inbound SMS automation is a configured OTTO flow that fires the moment a contact opts in — via QR scan, SmartLink tap, or any entry point. OTTO responds in under 3 seconds, then runs a qualification conversation through an ITR numbered menu, a conversational data collector, or a self-segmentation flow. The contact is qualified and routed automatically. A structured lead record is delivered to your team before any rep touches the contact.
At the moment the contact taps Send on the opt-in message, three things fire automatically: (1) their carrier-verified mobile number is captured — cannot be faked or mis-typed; (2) TCPA express written consent is timestamped and logged; (3) the campaign source, geo-stamp, device type, and entry point are recorded. This happens before OTTO asks a single question. Even if the contact drops off immediately, you have a contactable, consented record.
Mode 1 — ITR (Interactive Text Response): OTTO sends a numbered menu. The contact taps one number. That reply routes them into the right qualification branch in under 10 seconds. Mode 2 — Conversational Data Collector: OTTO asks one open-ended question at a time, capturing each response as a named structured field. 71% completion rate vs. 19% for web forms. Mode 3 — Self-Segmentation via Interstitial: The contact declares their intent on a branded page before the SMS conversation starts, so OTTO fires the right flow immediately with no routing questions.
Yes. OTTO runs 24/7 with no staff involvement at first touch. A contact who opts in at 11 PM is fully qualified by OTTO — service type, urgency, timeline, language — before any rep sees the lead. A structured record is waiting when your team arrives at 8 AM, including a Prepare Caller message already sent to the contact.
Partial journeys are saved. Because the carrier-verified phone number and TCPA consent are captured at the first opt-in tap, stopping mid-conversation still produces a contactable, consented record with all the data collected up to that point. A nudge sequence can queue automatically to re-engage the contact. Nothing is fully lost.
The contact selects their preferred language at the interstitial or at an early step in the OTTO flow. OTTO switches the entire conversation to that language — Spanish, French, Nepali, Pashto, or any supported language. The resulting lead alert is delivered to your team in English. No bilingual staff required at first touch. See Language Funnels for the full multilingual capability.
See OTTO qualify a lead in under 60 seconds.
Live opt-in. OTTO runs the qualification. Structured lead delivered. The complete inbound automation — in your native Messages app, right now.
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Experience a full inbound SMS automation end-to-end in your native Messages app. Under 60 seconds. No email required.