Alert the right person the second a lead arrives, and escalate if nobody answers

Why it matters

Most new leads are submitting the same request to several agents or portals. The first human who answers usually gets the conversation. You cannot be faster than the moment you find out, so the alert is the real starting gun.

The escalation matters more than the alert. Alerts get missed in showings and closings; a second person getting the alert at minute 5 turns one missed lead into a covered one.

Step by step

1. 01

   HighLevel: add the instant text and owner alert after routing

   Open the routing workflow from chapter 3. After Assign To User, add:

   1. Send SMS to the contact with the instant intro template below. Add an If/Else before it that skips leads with no SMS consent source or with DND.
   2. Send Internal Notification: type SMS and In-App, recipient the assigned user. Message: New lead: {{contact.name}} {{contact.phone}}. Call now. (insert fields with the merge field picker so the names match your account)
   3. Wait with the option A user to reply: Reply channel SMS, count the contact's assigned user, Timeout on, duration 5 minutes.
   4. On the timeout branch, add Send Internal Notification to your backup user (and yourself if you lead the team): NOT ANSWERED 5 MIN: {{contact.name}} {{contact.phone}}. Please call now.

   Open the workflow Settings: confirm Time Window is on (9:00 AM to 8:00 PM) so the text to the lead waits for the window. Internal alerts are sent to your team; decide whether you want them at night or in the morning.

   Check: Submit a test lead from your own phone: you get the intro text, your owner gets an alert within seconds, and if nobody texts back, the backup gets an alert at minute 5.

2. 02

   HighLevel: cover phone leads with Missed Call Text Back

   Sign calls and ad calls are leads too. Turn on Missed Call Text Back for your business number so a missed caller gets a text right away. It fires on every missed call, including repeats from the same caller; HighLevel recommends using the workflow recipe with a Wait step if you want to send only one.

   Check: Call your business number from a phone and let it ring out: you receive the text back once.

3. 03

   Follow Up Boss: turn on Instant Response for every lead source

   1. If an Instant Response banner appears, click Fix now to review an initial text for every uncovered source at once. Edit each message to match the intro template, then Apply for all leads.
   2. Or per source: Admin > Lead Flow, the source, Advanced Settings, + Add Initial Text Message on the rule or the default rule. Compose the text (300 characters per line), set the delay in minutes, choose the FUB number, and Save.
   3. Leave the delay at 0 to 1 minute. Follow Up Boss holds these texts between 9pm and 8am in the assigned agent's local time and sends them at 8am.

   Check: Admin > Lead Flow shows Instant Response coverage for every source you want covered.

4. 04

   Follow Up Boss: make sure the alert reaches a phone, and build the escalation

   New-lead and reply alerts follow each user's Notification Settings (push, desktop, email). Have every agent open the Follow Up Boss app, allow notifications at the phone level, and confirm new-lead alerts are on.

   Follow Up Boss Automations do not run on brand-new leads, so there is no built-in 'no reply in 5 minutes' timer for them. Two practical substitutes:

   • First to Claim group for sources where speed matters most: every member is offered the lead and the first to claim it wins (chapter 3).
   • Speed check: the team lead opens list 1 (New, uncontacted, under 24h) at set times (for example 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm) and calls anything older than 5 minutes. The Time to First Call filter shows exactly how long each lead has waited.

   Check: A test lead produces a push notification on the owner's phone, and list 1 shows it until the first call is logged.

5. 05

   Decide what happens after hours

   Write one sentence and tell the team. For example: 'Leads after 8pm get the instant text at 9am, an alert to the owner at 8:30am, and are the first calls of the day.' Then check it with the cadence planner in chapter 6: set a Friday 9:40pm arrival and see when the first call actually lands.

   Check: Your after-hours sentence is written in the operating process from Part 01, chapter 4.

Copyable templates

Hi {first name}, it's {agent name} with {business name}. Got your request about {property or topic}. I'll call you in a few minutes. Reply STOP to opt out.

NEW LEAD ({source}): {name} {phone}. {property or message}. Call now, then move to Attempting Contact.

NOT ANSWERED IN 5 MIN: {name} {phone} ({source}). Owner: {owner}. Please call now and log it.

Hi, this is {agent name} with {business name}. Sorry I missed your call. Is this about a home you'd like to see, or selling? Reply here or I'll call you back shortly. Reply STOP to opt out.

Try it

How to test it

1. During the window, submit your own website form. Time it: intro text received at ___ seconds, owner alert at ___ seconds.
2. Do not reply as the owner. Confirm the backup alert arrives at about minute 5 (HighLevel).
3. Repeat at 9:30pm. Confirm the intro text waits until the window opens.
4. Repeat with a contact that has DND on. Confirm no text goes out but the owner is still alerted.

Troubleshooting

Advanced technical details

Optional. You can follow every step above without these.